Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 was back in action on Saturday 15th June 2024 when she worked the 80-mile diagram out and back from Minehead (two roundtrips to Bishops Lydeard) with driver Tucker in charge. Pictured in the headshunt at Minehead while running around her train, with BR(WR) ‘Modified Hall’ 6990 ‘WITHERSLACK HALL’ alongside. Photo by Steve Speck © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

After her sparkling performances during the WSR’s Summer Diesel Festival, it was great to see Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 out and about again, with another set of highly entertaining BLUE timetable runs with a 6-coach load, totalling 80 miles of haulage. The loco had been stabled at Minehead following the gala and will remain there for a few more weeks because she is scheduled to haul the weekend services on Saturday and Sunday 29/30th June and the Saturday service on the 14th July. We hope to schedule addition ‘Hymek’ running later in the summer.

 

D7017 PHOTO CHARTER:

Well-known and respected photographer DON BISHOP has organised a PHOTO CHARTER for 22nd July using Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 and has carefully defined the rolling stock requirements and the optimum movements to get the best photographic experience. Below is an extract from his webpage: 

Right loco, right stock and right line…. something we all crave for. 

     “I am organising a photo charter day with a Hymek diesel hydraulic at the West Somerset Railway. This idea has proved popular from the messages of support I received, and subsequent bookings from my regular photo charter followers. It has taken quite a while to pull this together, but I have now agreed plan & date etc. on which this charter can be run.

      The Diesel & Electric Preservation Group (DEPG) as main providers of diesel traction on the WSR made Hymek D7017 available for the charter. As you probably know, D7017 is one of very few locos to have spent their heritage era career on one railway, having been based at the WSR for some 49 years, since its arrival in 1975. Hymeks were once a regular motive power on the Minehead branch in the 1960s, often seen hauling stopping and through holiday trains between Taunton and Minehead. These trains could often be formed, as they were elsewhere on the Western Region, of mixed Maroon and Choc/cream rakes of coaches – the later having been split from previously formed named express sets. I’ve requested a short rake of 4 coaches, very typical of many Western Region secondary trains of the period. This will be a chance to recreate an authentic scene from the 1960s.

     The charter will commence from Minehead at 09.00hrs. We will proceed and stop for run pasts along the line, using the train as our transport, at both lineside and some stations, through to Bishops Lydeard. A lunch break will be taken here, and the cafe will be available. In the afternoon we will return to Minehead with run pasts at various locations, in the opposite direction of course for different picture opportunities. The charter is expected to finish around 17.00 – 17.30hrs.

     These events do cost quite considerable sums to put on, so will only be available to those booking a place and paying for the privilege. All funds collected are to cover direct costs and provide a revenue for the WSR & DEPG.

     Cost for the day is £96.00 per head.”

To book your place please click on the link below, which will take you direct to the correct page on Don’s website.

 https://www.donbishop.co.uk/product/bookable-events/charters-and-events/charters/minehead-branch-hymek-d7017-at-the-west-somerset-railway/

 

Many thanks to Don for choosing a DEPG loco as the basis for his photo charter !

 

 

DIESEL LOCO RUNNING ON THE WSR:

The next scheduled diesel running will take place on Saturday and Sunday 22nd/23rd June when Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) will be in action on the 80-mile diagram that starts from Minehead at 10:00 under the BLUE timetable. 

Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running. 

 

 

Forthcoming events on the WSR (click on the links below for more details):

Wednesday and Thursday 26/27th June – services running between Minehead and Williton only

Tuesday and Wednesday 2nd and 3rd July – services running between Bishops Lydeard and Watchet only

Week of Tuesday 16th July – 150th anniversary of the WSR extension to Minehead

Don Bishop’s D7017 Photo Charter – Monday 22nd July

Saturday and Sunday 27th and 28th July – Grange, Manor and Hall weekend

Saturday and Sunday 3rd and 4th August – the WSRA Steam Rally at Norton Fitzwarren.

Saturday and Sunday 14th and 15th September – The Forties event

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – this loco is stabled on number 4 road in the yard, and plans are now well advanced for the loco body to be lifted from its bogies using a pair of cranes and slewed across to the adjacent number 5 road where the ex-BR Swindon Works stands will be positioned, ready and waiting for her. This will then allow the bogies to be rolled into our loco shed for overhaul. The lift will be carried out using two 120-ton road cranes, one at each end of the loco, and will leave the loco body on the stands where she will remain until the bogies are ready. The process will then be reversed and the loco will become mobile again.

Railcam view of Williton Yard on the evening of Friday 21st June 2024, showing (L-R) Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF1), Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526, Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057), Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 and in the distance, Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’. Image courtesy of Railcam UK and the WSR © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Zooming-in on the Railcam view of Williton Yard on the evening of Friday 21st June 2024, Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ is stabled on number 4 road where her bogies will remain for a short while. Her body will be lifted across to the adjacent number 5 road that is currently occupied by a ‘Lowmac’ wagon (which will be moved out of the way!). Image courtesy of Railcam UK and the WSR © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The genuine ex-BR Swindon Works stands that were used for ‘Westerns’ right up until the end of their days, after which they were were modified with wider platforms to suit the Mark 1 coach frames that were the basis of the Kent Coast Electrification Project work. Pictured alongside D7018 at Williton on Saturday 15th June 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The hire of two 120 ton cranes is a very expensive undertaking and will be paid for by the funds raised from D1010’s SPONSOR A PATCH scheme, where the sponsor’s name is engraved into the new steelwork that has been used to repair the corrosion that has resulted from many years of exposure to the weather. MANY THANKS to ALL WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TOWARDS THIS MAJOR OVERHAUL !

Click here or on the image above to have your name engraved onto D1010 !

Meanwhile, the lift planning is not the only activity that is absorbing the D1010 team’s time at Williton, with various items being prepared to go to specialist subcontractors for overhaul in parallel to the planned bogie work. The cardan shafts that drive the auxiliary machines were gathered up by Gordon at the yard on Saturday and prepared for shipment. These shafts are used for connecting the dynastarter (a combined starter motor and generator) and for driving the Serck pump (a hydraulic pump that drives the radiator fans), so they are quite important !

D1010 – the cardan shafts for the auxiliary machines were gathered up by Gordon at Williton on Saturday 15th June 2024 and prepared for shipment to a specialist subcontractor for overhaul. The longer shafts fit between the transmissions and the dynastarters, the shorter shafts fit between the transmissions and the Serck pumps. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

FEEDBACK on a QUESTION: During the WSR Summer Diesel Festival, several visitors enquired as to why D1010 was covered up with tarpaulins and not properly ‘on show’. The reason for this was that the cooler groups had been removed from the loco so there were large sections of roof missing, so fitting and removing the tarpaulins is not a quick job (it is MUCH harder than it looks). The weather forecast was good but not perfect, so we couldn’t take the chance of letting the internals of the loco get a soaking while we cleared the area and gathered an army of volunteers. Apologies to the photographers, but we hope to have her properly dressed in good time for the next gala !

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use in support of WSR activities, including the loading and unloading of visiting locomotives !

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is now stabled at Minehead as the ‘Duty Loco’ and will be in service on Saturday and Sunday 22nd/23rd June and again on 6th and 7th of July under the BLUE timetable.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco was in use on Sunday 16th June and has now returned to Williton where she will undergo an ‘A’ examination and attention to minor issues. While Ian, Tom and Ashley were devoid of any ‘Cromptons’ on shed, the opportunity was taken to clean up and start remedial work on the two cylinder heads that were removed from the loco during the winter. These massive items will be refurbished and put back into stock for use on a future occasion.

D6575 (33057) – the two Sulzer cylinder heads that were removed from the loco during the winter were cleaned up prior to being refurbished at Williton on Saturday 15th June 2024. Volunteer loco manager Ian R was pictured while adminstering the degreaser. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – as already covered, this loco is in full working order and will next be in use on Saturday and Sunday 29/30th June, under the BLUE timetable. Additional dates will be allocated ASAP. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get the news as soon as it is released.

D7017 – pictured while departing from Williton with the 1000 service from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard on Saturday 15th June 2024. Visit our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page to view other dates for diesel haulage on the WSR. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the repairs to the transmission of this loco took another step forward last week when the ‘spare’ transmission that previously ran in D7018 back in 1995 was moved into the loco shed to be dismantled. The plan is to use the casings from the ‘spare’ to replace the cracked parts from D7018‘s current transmission, to avoid the expensive and long-winded process of repairing multiple cracks in the very large and heavy steel castings.

To allow the work to proceed, it was necessary to fabricate another transmission stand so that the casings could be properly supported while being worked on. In a matter of days, the steelwork was cut to size and fitted together so that it could be welded into the finished product. Made entirely from steel recovered from the ‘scrap bin’, the stand does not look ‘new’ but it certainly is new and is more than strong enough for the task. Well done to Tony and Colin F for producing this very useful piece of equipment with the minimum of expenditure !

D7018 – the new stand for the transmission was fabricated from strong but rusty sections of steel recovered from the ‘scrap bin’ at Williton. Pictured on 15th June 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – the ‘spare’ transmission last ran in the loco in 1995 and has become the spares donor to the ‘new’ transmission on three occasions already – and there is about to be a fourth! Pictured at Williton on 15th June 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – some VERY GOOD NEWS – we now have two cardan shafts that are fit for further service ! The two shafts (the long one goes between the engine and the transmission, the short one goes between the transmission and the final drive) have now been re-balanced and are almost ready to be re-installed in the locomotive (just some paint touch-up to deal with first).

Having these shafts available allows us to move forward with the work between the frames in parallel with the restoration of the cab, and we can now start planning for the day when the cab assembly gets re-mounted onto the frames and the loco starts to take on its true shape !

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO OUR VOLUNTEERS AND ALL WHO HAVE FINANCED THE WORK ON D9518 !

D9518 – the massive cardan shafts have now returned from inspection and balancing, and are about to be painted by Andy P before being installed into the locomotive. THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all who donated to the D9518 fund and made this giant step forward possible ! Pictured at Williton on Saturday 15th June 2024 by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is now stabled at Williton and is available for service – which might be sooner rather than later !

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco was a very popular attraction at the DIESEL GALA that took place on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway last weekend. The loco performed faultlessly and fitted right in with a number of other ‘BR Blue’ locomotives, as pictured in the ‘on shed’ scene at Grosmont, further below. Top marks to the Diesel team at Grosmont for keeping her in such good condition !

47077 – pictured at Levisham on 15th June 2024 while waiting for the ‘Peak’ to clear the section, our ‘celebrity’ was a very popular locomotive and performed faultlessly throughout the NYMR‘s Diesel Gala. Only the weather could have been better. Photo by Neale Long © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

47077 – pictured while powering away from Levisham on 15th June 2024, this loco is a firm favourite on the NYMR, with both the crews and the passengers – and the photographers ! Photo by Martin Fisher © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Grosmont shed on 16th June 2024 was an authentic reproduction of the ‘BR-blue’ era, with (L-R) Class 45 ‘Peak 45108 (D120), Class 31 31128 ‘CHARYBDIS’, Class 20 20189 and our very own 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ on shed. Photo by Josh Smith © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – stabled outdoors on number 1 road, this loco is fully serviceable and available for yard pilot duties.

 

 

BOOK REVIEW: apologies, but we will have to skip this feature this week because we are still in ‘catch-up’ mode !

ON SHED: apologies, as above !

DEPG NEWS: apologies again, there is plenty to report, but unfortunately we are out of time for this week.

 

Thank you very much to all of the new members and new volunteers who have come forward to help and support the DEPG during the last few months. We certainly are very grateful of the additional help !

 

The DEPG is entirely run by volunteers and we need to expand our volunteer numbers if we are going to be able to continue making progress on so many fronts simultaneously. If you have some time and feel able to help, please let us know by clicking this link to use our online CONTACT form. We look forward to hearing from you !

The DEPG depends on the support of all of our members, so please JOIN US and if you are already a member, please make sure that your membership is up to date. If you want to join or are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to open MEMBERMOJO. It is very quick and easy, and does not require you to remember yet another password. Thank you very much !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post

 

 

 

 

The WSR’s 2024 Summer Diesel Festival saw the welcome return of Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 on the Friday and Saturday, delivering several highly entertaining performances. The diesel-hydraulic was pictured on 7th June 2024 alongside Helwell Bay on the approach to Doniford Halt with the WSR’s Class 115 DMU in tow. Photo by Mike Lanning © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Visiting Class 50 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’ was a very popular loco, fresh from overhaul at Kidderminster on the Severn Valley Railway and delivering some fine performances over a four-day period. Pictured on the approach to Crowcombe Heathfield on 7th June 2024 by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Visiting Class 46 D182 (46045) entertained with several spirited departures, demonstrating that her 2,500hp Sulzer engine was well capable of accelerating her well-loaded trains from the standing start. Pictured at Ker Moor en route to Minehead on Saturday 8th June 2024 by Gary Lemon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 24 D5054 (24054) ‘Phil Southern’ was positioned inside Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) to replicate the configuration that was once commonplace on the Southern Region (SR) in the early 1960s, before the SR coaching stock had been upgraded to electric train heating. The ’24’ or ’25’ would have provided the steam heating service ! Pictured when departing from Crowcombe Heathfield on Friday 7th June 2024 by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 ‘delivered the goods’ throughout the gala, building upon her reputation as a good solid performer on freight or passenger, working some trains as ‘top and tail’ with the DEPG’s Class 09 Shunter D4107 (09019). Pictured approaching Dene Bridge on the climb from Norton Fitzwarren on Thursday 6th June 2024 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The pair of Class 20s, one of which (20142) was in London Transport livery, were not the only unusual sights at Williton on Thursday 6th June 2024, as DEPG Publicity Officer and Secondman Mark Bladwell acknowledged the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings with a very patriotic waistcoat ! Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

On the Saturday and Sunday (not a gala day but a mixed traction day), a GWR ‘Castle’ Class HST set comprising power cars 43155 (formerly ‘Rougemont Castle’, leading) and 43154 (formerly ‘Compton Castle’, trailing) and four coaches provided a very interesting alternative form of transport, ideal for a smooth and quiet journey along the picturesque West Somerset Railway. Pictured at Stogumber on Sunday 9th June 2024 by Mark Ireland © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

 

The WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL took place over the three days Thursday 6th through Saturday 8th June, with a mixed traction day on the Sunday with seven services each way, two of which were operated by steam. The weather co-operated with clear blue skies on the Thursday and a decent amount of sunny spells on the other days, and the interesting mix of traction combined with some clever timetabling to make the event very attractive to the public and A BIG SUCCESS !

 

The DEPG hosted an ‘open yard’ with Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ on display outside the ‘Swindon Shed’ and Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 open for cab visits outside the DEPG loco shed, with major Class 14 restoration project D9518 (NCB No.7) on display within the shed. Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF 1) was on display in the yard but found herself pressed into action on the first day of the gala when one of the DMU power cars developed a knocking noise in the transmission and had to be stopped for investigation. The DMU was in use as coaching stock so the engines were not being run, therefore the final drives had to be locked out of mesh so that transmission damage did not occur when being towed. The mechanism on one axle was not remaining fully disengaged, so the rogue power car was making occasional unwelcome noises and had to be removed from the consist when the train, hauled by Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526, arrived at Williton.

Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF 1) and WSR engineer/driver Rich Hiscox came to the rescue in the late afternoon of Thursday 6th June 2024 to shunt the defective DMU power car to the North Yard so that it could receive attention from the WSR engineering team. The repaired vehicle was towed to Minehead early the following morning by ‘Hymek’ D7017 so that it could re-join the set and provide more seats for the waiting travellers. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

The issue with the DMU caused a bit of a delay because splitting a DMU while it is at the platform is not the easiest of tasks, but the delay was soon overcome. The event ran close to time on the subsequent days, showing that the timetable had sufficient resilience and recovery time built-in. The designated ‘Thunderbird’ loco was Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) based at Minehead, but this loco did not have to be called upon because, apart from some minor and quickly-resolved teething troubles with the recently-overhauled Class ’50’, there were no reliability issues throughout the event.

 

NEW FOR 2024, our lineside viewing area at Williton was a big success and we will be making this a regular feature for future gala events, with additional chairs and tables where visitors can relax and enjoy drinks and hot snacks from the mobile catering van ‘Irie 7’ while safely taking photos from the lineside. Our sales stand was very busy throughout and the ever-popular model railway trading stand was provided by Rod Saunders, enjoying very good business over the three days of the event.

The Sunday was always going to be a bit of an unknown in terms of visitor numbers because the mixed traction offerings were only defined at a late stage, but we took a chance and opened the depot, and achieved a FIRST for the DEPG by having the depot staffed entirely by our lady volunteers !

 

Overall, the event was a big success, and we send out a correspondingly big THANK YOU to the volunteers across the entire WSR family plus the WSR staff, the Gala Planning Team, the loco owners, the crews, the weather and of course the PUBLIC for attending and making it such an enjoyable experience !

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ provides the backdrop for (L-R) Linda, Carolyn, Natalie and Julie, all regular volunteers at the DEPG, each holding Personal Track Safety (PTS) certificates and fully IN CHARGE of the depot on Sunday 9th June 2024. Many thanks and well done indeed! Photo by Mark Bladwell © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DIESEL LOCO RUNNING ON THE WSR:

The next scheduled diesel running will take place on Saturday 15th June when Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 will be in action on the 80-mile diagram that starts from Minehead at 10:00 under the BLUE timetable. 

NOTE: the Sunday 16th June working has had to revert to Class 33 haulage because of crew availability issues. Apologies for this late change of traction.

 

Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running. 

 

DEPG SUMMER RAFFLE 2024

The 2024 DEPG Summer Draw took place at Williton depot on Saturday 8th June, with our celebrity guest GEOFF HUDSON (of Class 50 fame) pulling out the winning numbers which were as follows:

FIRST PRIZE	Ticket 0185	Jon Pain
Second Prize	Ticket 3587	Steve Thorn
Third Prize	Ticket 1992	Mrs. S. Churchill
Fourth Prize	Ticket 0227	Rob Franklin

The overall proceeds of £2,663 included many donations, for which we are most grateful, and which will be allocated to the funds specified by the donors. The net proceeds of the raffle will then be distributed evenly between our two main restoration projects D1010 and D9518. Full details will be included in the next ’roundup’ and will be posted on our website ASAP.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT !

 

 

LOCO NEWS (in brief):

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – this loco is now positioned on No. 4 road at the north end of the DEPG yard, undergoing preparations for her two Bristol Siddeley Maybach MD655 engines to be lifted out, hopefully next week. If all goes well and the paperwork can be completed in time, the lift could be taking place during the following week, leaving the loco body mounted on stands on the adjacent No. 5 road.

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco joined in with the gala activities on Saturday 8th June by working ‘top and tail’ with Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 on the ‘DMU drag’ between Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren. Rare haulage indeed !

D4107 (09019)– this loco (the most recent addition to the DEPG fleet) was pictured while attaching to the WSR’s Class 115 DMU at Bishops Lydeard in readiness for a round trip to Norton Fitzwarren on Saturday 8th June 2024. Photo by Tim Zilkha © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is now stabled at Minehead after working several services during the gala, mostly in conjunction with visiting Class 24 D5054 (24054) ‘Phil Southern’ and alone on the Sunday.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – currently stabled at Minehead, this loco was the standby loco for the duration of the gala and was (thankfully) not called upon, but she did get her slice of the action on Sunday 9th June.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco performed beautifully during the gala, as was evident from the delight on the faces of the passengers when they disembarked at Minehead at the end of the event. We have rostered this loco for three public services in June, the first being Saturday 15th June and then Saturday and Sunday 29/30th June, under the BLUE timetable. Additional dates will be allocated ASAP. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get the news as soon as it is released.

D7018 – pictured arriving at Minehead with the last service of the day on Friday 7th June 2024, with DEPG Publicity Officer and Secondman Mark Bladwell at the ready and DEPG Chairman Martin Howard at the controls. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco was on display at Williton and available for cab visits, and was well patronised. During the gala, several groups of visitors were taken to the transmission repair area to take a look at the damaged castings and discuss the repair plan with ‘transmission team’ leader Colin F. We have a clear plan and Colin and Geoff were back in action immediately after the gala to make further progress – to be covered in the next edition of ’roundup’.

D7018 – the damaged centre section of the transmission housing was made available for viewing (by arrangement only) at Williton during the gala. Pictured at Williton on 29th May 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the chassis, engine and cab of this major restoration project were on display at Williton throughout the gala and were the subject of much interest, especially as this loco is going to be restored in NCB ‘Ashington Blue’ livery with the running number ‘NCB No.7’. This loco attracted some major donations from visitors to the gala and we are now able to proceed with the completion of the work, without the worry of funding. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SUPPORTING D9518 !

D9518 – some of the team members involved in the restoration work stand proudly beside the chassis of the loco – (L-R) – Tony, Linda, Nick and Gwyn. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 11th June 2024 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco performed perfectly throughout the gala and was also in use on the day before the gala when she lifted the equivalent of a 6-coach trailing load out of Williton station with ease, as part of a positioning move to Minehead. What a show off!

D9526 – on a positioning move from Williton to Minehead in preparation for the gala, Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) and Class 46 ‘Peak’ D182 (46045) were whisked away from a standing start in an impressive demonstration of diesel-hydraulic tractive effort! Pictured at Williton on Wednesday 5th June 2024 by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco has been making frequent appearances on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently and continues to feature on social media channels. Please send us your photos if you are lucky enough to see this loco in action !

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this very useful loco proved her worth again on the first day of the gala when she shunted the failed DMU power car from the south yard to the north yard at Williton. This manoeuvre involved a continues to be busy almost every Saturday, handling the various shunt moves in the yard. This loco will be on display on number 1 road at the depot throughout the gala.

Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF 1) was lavished with attention from Natalie and Tony at Williton on Wednesday 5th June 2024, ready to be put on display and in case of being called into action – which was the case the following day, as reported previously. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG FACILITIES:

Almost the whole length of the south yard was open to visitors, with a dedicated area for seating and a hot drinks and hot snack van available to tempt visitors to stay a while and find out more about what goes on at Williton. The plan was a success and we will be building on this for future galas and events, with more exhibits and other attractions to cater for a wider interest.

This development was only possible because of the hard work of our volunteers in clearing the yard, painting the floors, re-organising our container storage areas and with the help of the WSRA STEAM RALLY team, who loaned the crowd fencing that was essential for maintaining public safety. MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO GAVE THEIR TIME AND ENERGY TO ACHIEVE THIS !

The DEPG loco shed at Williton was cleaned and the floor re-painted in time for the gala weekend. Many thanks to all involved in making the depot safe and welcoming for the many visitors who came along. Pictured on 2nd June 2024 by Paul Tucker © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

It is hard to believe that it was a week ago already, but that means that we only have 51 weeks before we have to do it all again, bigger and better and even more entertaining. We had better get back to work !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post

 

Class 24 D5054 (24054) ‘Phil Southern’ arrived at Westridge, Bishops Lydeard on Thursday 30th May 2024 to take part in the forthcoming WSR SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL that runs from Thursday 6th through Saturday 8th June, with a mixed traction day featuring some of the other visiting locos on Sunday 9th. Photo by Seb Welsh © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

A GWR ‘Castle’ Class HST set will be operating on the WSR during the Saturday of the forthcoming SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL and will also be in use on Sunday 9th. The previous visit of a ‘Castle’ set in September last year showed how popular these veteran trains can be. Power car 43162 ‘Caerhays Castle’ was in the lead approaching Doniford on 23rd September 2023. Photo by Mark Ireland © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

 

There are only five days to go before the start of the WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL so all of our attention is being directed at preparing our locomotives and preparing our depot to receive hopefully thousands of visitors.

The event is going to be action-packed with up to 11 locomotives in operation PLUS a GWR ‘Castle’ HST set on the Saturday and Sunday. The gala event runs from Thursday through Saturday and the Sunday features a significant expansion of the BLUE timetable with the HST and two of the visiting locos in use alongside a steam-hauled service.

NEW FOR 2024, our lineside viewing area at Williton will be set out with chairs and tables where visitors can relax and enjoy drinks and snacks from the mobile catering van ‘Irie 7’ while taking photos from the lineside. We look forward to seeing you at Williton next week !

 

DIESEL LOCO RUNNING ON THE WSR:

The next scheduled diesel running will take place on Saturday and Sunday 1st/2nd June when Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) will be in action on the 80-mile diagram that starts from Minehead at 10:00 under the BLUE timetable. 

Then there is the WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL for which the Gala TIMETABLES are now available on the WSR website – click this link then select the date of interest then click on VIEW TIMETABLE or click on the images below to download a pdf of the relevant timetable page:

 

The mixed traction offering on Sunday 9th has now been firmed up and EXPANDED with three visiting forms of traction in use: the Class 46, the Class 50 and the HST, in addition to both of our Class 33s, so this will be a very interesting day in itself and a great way to end the gala. WELL DONE to the WSR for making this happen – we now need YOUR support to make it a financial success !

 

Beyond the gala, Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 has been rostered for two weekends in June, the 15/16th and the 29/30th being under the BLUE timetable with 80-mile diagrams both days, originating from Minehead. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running. 

 

MESSAGE FROM MARK BLADWELL, DEPG Publicity Officer

The Diesel & Electric Preservation Group are collecting Coins and Banknotes from anywhere in the world, modern and any vintage, as part of their fund raising activities.

We can use any of the following:
– The old (large) 50p, 10p and 5p, together with ½ p
– Old £1 coins together with any old £1, £5 and £10 notes
– Euros & Cents; US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Dollars / cents coins and notes
– Pre-decimal coins (pre 1971)
– Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey coins and notes.
– In fact, any coins and notes from around the world.

A collection jar is at Williton Depot but we will be happy to receive items in the post. Contact Mark at publicity@depg.org  or write to Mark at The Old Goods Shed, Williton Station, Somerset, TA4 4RQ

Please bring your ‘treasure’ along to Williton during the ‘SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL‘ and donate it in support of the DEPG. Thanks !

 

VERY IMPORTANT DATES:

 

WSR DIESEL GALA 2024 – Thursday 6th through Saturday 8th JUNE

The visiting locomotives are:

• English Electric Class 50 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’
• BR-Derby Class 46 ‘Peak’ D182 (46 045)
• English Electric Class 20 ‘Chopper’ 20189 (D8189)
• English Electric Class 20 ‘Chopper’ 20142 (D8142) ‘Sir John Betjeman’
• BR-Derby Class 24 D5054 (24054) ‘Phil Southern’
• GWR ‘Castle Class’ HST set on Saturday and Sunday

MAKE A NOTE OF THESE DATES and do your best to attend. It is definitely going to be a great event !

An additional bonus on Saturday 8th June will be a presentation by former BR Fleet Manager GEOFF HUDSON entitled ‘FIFTY YEARS WITH FIFTIES‘, taking place inside Williton Diesel Depot with 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’ stabled outside the shed as a backdrop. Click here or on the image below for more information about this special event. Late night services depart from Williton in both directions after the presentation (click here for the Saturday timetable).

 

DEPG SUMMER RAFFLE 2024

Last summer’s DEPG Raffle was reasonably successful and resulted in donations to our two main restoration projects D1010 and D9518 totalling around £1000, but this year we are DOING MUCH BETTER, probably because we have opted for cash prizes that will be of interest to all.

As you will see from the ticket image above, the draw will be made on Saturday 8th June at Williton Diesel Depot at 16:00 on the DEPG sales stand inside the main shed. Click here or on the ticket image to buy your tickets online, or use our CONTACT FORM to request paper tickets by post (although time is running our for the postal option). THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT !

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the two Bristol Siddeley Maybach MD655 engines are ready to be lifted out of the loco, but with the gala fast approaching, we will have to defer such work until after the event. Meanwhile, there are other tasks to be progressed, such as the loosening of the bogie secondary suspension spring hanger nuts while the loco weight is holding everything down. These massive nuts have been in an exposed position for 50+years so they are not going to give up without a fight – and that is exactly what Colin F and Tim gave them, but to no avail.

At the ‘A’ end of the loco, Gordon was at work preparing for the air tank inspection and removing the flexible hoses that all need to be replaced before the loco returns to service. Considering the air hoses, hydraulic hoses and fuel hoses, that amounts to a lot of replacements – but is a necessary expense to achieve reliability in the future.

A big THANK YOU to all of our volunteers for progressing these tasks.

D1010 – the nuts that adjust the suspension ride heights have 2″ BSW (50mm) threads, and such massive nuts take some shifting, especially after being exposed to the elements and untouched for 50+ years. Volunteer Tim tries out his rowing technique at Williton on Tuesday 28th May 2024. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

D1010 – the speedometer sensors (one per bogie) have been disconnected by Gordon in preparation for the lifting of the loco body. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

As stated previously, we will need MORE HANDS to help us get the work done. If you want to see this locomotive back on the rails soon, then PLEASE COME ALONG AND HELP US WITH THIS WORK ! There is a wide range of tasks that need to be done, so simply reply to this email or use the CONTACT FORM on our website if you can lend a hand.

 

Sponsorships for patches on D1010 continue to come in, for which we are VERY grateful indeed. We have many more patches waiting for sponsors, so please support the CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER and click here or on the image further below to get your name engraved into the metal of the locomotive. We will be holding ‘live’ engraving sessions during the gala, so please come along to find your existing patch and sponsor another one !

Sponsorship includes a photograph and a certificate via email, but we can print the certificates on photo paper and mail them out upon request, in which case we will be asking for an additional £2.50 donation per certificate to cover photo paper, ink and postage. We can even put them in frame for you.

The drawings that have been developed in parallel will provide a formal record of the position of each sponsored patch and this will allow sponsors to look up the location of their patch when they visit the depot at Williton during the WSR SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT – and your PATIENCE !

Click the image below to sponsor a patch:

See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details. We still have a lot of work to do on this massive locomotive, so PLEASE DO COME ALONG AND HELP IF YOU CAN !

 

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is based at Bishops Lydeard and will be working ‘top and tail’ with Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 on a ‘DMU Drag’ on Saturday 8th, departing Bishops Lydeard for Norton Fitzwarren at 12:20 so ’09’ HAULAGE IS ON OFFER ! See the gala timetables for further details.

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is currently stabled at Williton and last week received an overhauled Driver’s Safety Device (DSD) timing valve in response to the reports of ‘fierce’ engagement of the DSD (aka ‘Deadmans’ pedal). The issue has now been fully resolved and the loco is ready for a wash and brush up before returning to service during the gala.

D6566 (33048) – this loco is ready to return to service after undergoing maintenance at Williton followed by an ‘A’ exam. Volunteer Tom was pictured with the loco (and a few choice weeds) at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – currently stabled at Minehead, this loco will operate the weekend services from Minehead on the 1st and 2nd June and will be the standby loco for the duration of the gala, returning to action on Sunday 9th June. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco has undergone an oil change and just needs her oil filters renewed before being passed as ready for gala service on Friday 7th and Saturday 8th June. We have also rostered this loco for two weekends of public services in June, the first being 15/16th June and the second being 29/30th June, under the BLUE timetable. Additional dates will be allocated ASAP. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get the news as soon as it is released.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – this loco will be missing the gala, but will be on display at Williton and available for cab visits. The ‘transmission team’ have progressed with their disassembly and examination of the transmission and have discovered several broken bolts in addition to the sheared studs that we pictured last week. Work continues to identify all of the issues and the extent of the damage. The disassembly of the spare transmissions will be undertaken after the gala so that the condition of our spare parts can be established.

D7018 – one of the M16 bolts that has been sheared by the excessive forces that were applied to the drivetrain when the directional clutch failure occurred. The castings will need dye penetrant inspection to determine the extent of the damage. Pictured at Williton on 20th May 2024 by Geoff Miles © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – the ‘rusty spare’ Mekydro K184u transmission that was acquired via a scrapyard many years ago – and was found to be full of water. The castings may be OK but will need disassembly and dye penetrant inspection. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Although we hope to be able to use spare parts that we have available, we will still need to replace seals, bearings, gaskets as necessary and we also need to replace the oil. All of these things cost money. PLEASE HELP by making a donation of £10 or by buying our 64-page A4 HYMEK D7018 BOOKLET (£10) which covers the history of this locomotive from build through to her return to service in 2019 following her major overhaul. THANK YOU VERY MUCH !

 Click here or on the donation image above to go to the donations page on our website. If you feel able to donate more than £10, simply increase the quantity when on the donations page. Thank you in advance for your support !

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the diversion of effort to prepare sister loco D9526 for gala duty has had some impact, but there has been plenty of progress on the cab restoration, as the below photos show:

D9518 – the cab locker has been fully restored and is ready to be re-fitted to the loco. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – more excellent workmanship is evident in these cab panels with their wooden surrounds and grey ‘Formica’ coverings. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – more wires can be seen sprouting from every piece of cable conduit as electrical system re-wire makes steady progress. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the driver’s master controller has been wired up and the engine start and stop buttons have also been wired up, although the restored panel is awaiting final installation. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

This loco is the subject of a fundraising appeal so please follow this link to find out more. We need your help ! In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Teddy Bears’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D9518 to fully operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is stabled at Williton and is ready for the gala action, having undergone some checks and a tidy-up in the hands of volunteers Terry, Nick, Linda and Colin G.

D9526 – the connecting rods received special clean-up attention from Terry at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

D9526 – looking the part and ready for her appearances at the gala (apart from that oily hand print!). Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

D9526 – ready for the gala – let’s hope that the seagulls turn their attention elsewhere ! Pictured at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco has worked several services between Pickering and Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently and we continue to received plenty of feedback on our social media channels, proving that this loco is actually the most popular member of our entire fleet ! We would welcome some more photographs though !

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this useful little loco continues to be busy almost every Saturday, handling the various shunt moves in the yard. This loco will be on display on number 1 road at the depot throughout the gala.

 

If you can help by donating your time to any of these projects, then please JOIN US and come along to the depot for an introduction to what we do and how we do it. We currently have people on site from Saturday through to Tuesday and we can open on other days if we can be sure of getting at least two volunteers on site at all times, so there is plenty of scope. We have tasks of all types to suit most capabilities, both skilled and unskilled.

Many thanks to all of our volunteers who give up so much of their time to work on the cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !

 

 

BOOK REVIEW – we have just received stock of PART 2 of ‘WATERLOO TO THE ATLANTIC COAST’ by Bernard Mills and have just added it to our website. Part 1 of this series has been very well received and we are looking forward to another good read and another decent amount of fund-raising sales. Well done and thank you very much, Bernard !

Price : £19.95 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store

 

In the pre-owned category, we have posted several new titles and they are selling as fast as we are posting them, so PLEASE DONATE YOUR SURPLUS BOOKS so that we can replenish our stocks and keep the funds flowing in. Click HERE for our contact form.

All monies gathered from the sale of pre-owned books go directly to DEPG funds for the upkeep of our locomotive fleet, so we would like to say thank you very much to all who have donated and all who have purchased from our online store. Check our online store regularly and change the ‘default sorting’ to ‘sort by latest‘ to keep an eye on new postings.

 

ON SHED – we will skip this feature this week, due to lack of time and the need to focus on the gala. We will be back with this popular feature in a week or two from now.

 

 

DEPG NEWS – the tidy-up of the yard in anticipation of the crowds of visitors has required an ‘all hands on deck’ approach. So much so, that well-known veteran volunteer MIKE HARRIS had to don his hi-vis and have a go at the weeds that are making a bid to take over parts of the yard. It goes without saying that there might have been some mickey-taking !

D6566 (33048) watches over the northern approaches on a very sunny and pleasant day while volunteer MIKE HARRIS worked on the yard tidy-up. Pictured at at Williton on Saturday 25th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

Thank you very much to all of the new members and new volunteers who have come forward to help and support the DEPG during the last few months. We certainly are very grateful of the additional help !

 

The DEPG is entirely run by volunteers and we need to expand our volunteer numbers if we are going to be able to continue making progress on so many fronts simultaneously. If you have some time and feel able to help, please let us know by responding to this email or by clicking this link to use our online CONTACT form. We look forward to hearing from you !

The DEPG depends on the support of all of our members, so please JOIN US and if you are already a member, please make sure that your membership is up to date. If you want to join or are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to open MEMBERMOJO. It is very quick and easy, and does not require you to remember yet another password. Thank you very much !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post

 

 

Class 47 47077 (D1661, 47613, 47840) ‘NORTH STAR’ has been busy on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in recent weeks due to a temporary shortage of serviceable steam locos. Pictured in the sunshine at Grosmont on 15th May 2024 by Michael David Stuart © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

The countdown to the WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL is well under way and the preparation of our locos and our Williton facilities has become the focus of our activities, as it does at this time every year. This year, we will be placing additional interesting exhibits in our yard, including major components that have been removed from Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ during her overhaul. We will also have locos of several different classes on shed for cab visits, so be sure to allow time to visit our depot and take a close look at the displays. NEW FOR 2024, our lineside viewing area will be set out with chairs and tables where visitors can relax and enjoy drinks and snacks from the mobile catering van ‘Irie 7’. We look forward to seeing you at Williton in two weeks time !

 

DIESEL LOCO RUNNING ON THE WSR:

The next scheduled diesel running will take place on Saturday and Sunday 25th/26th May when Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) will be back in action on the 80-mile diagram that starts from Minehead at 10:00 under the BLUE timetable. This loco will also cover the weekend duties on the 1st and 2nd of June.

Then there is the WSR’s SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL with an ADDITIONAL GUEST for Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th in the form of a GWR ‘Castle’ HST set, courtesy of GWR and certain to be the subject of much discussion regarding the DEPG’s possible role in preserving one of these sets for the long term.

The Gala TIMETABLES are now available on the WSR website – click this link then select the date of interest then click on VIEW TIMETABLE or click on the links below to download a pdf of the timetable page:

 

PDF – THURSDAY 6th June

PDF – FRIDAY 7th June

PDF – SATURDAY 8th June

PDF – SUNDAY 9th June

 

The mixed traction offering on Sunday 9th has now been firmed up and EXPANDED with three visiting forms of traction in use: the Class 46, the Class 50 and the HST, in addition to both of our Class 33s, so this will be a very interesting day in itself and a great way to end the gala. WELL DONE to the WSR for making this happen – we now need YOUR support to make it a financial success !

 

Beyond the gala, Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 has been rostered for two weekends in June, the 15/16th and the 29/30th being under the BLUE timetable with 80-mile diagrams both days, originating from Minehead. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running. 

 

MESSAGE FROM MARK BLADWELL, DEPG Publicity Officer

The Diesel & Electric Preservation Group are collecting Coins and Banknotes from anywhere in the world, modern and any vintage, as part of their fund raising activities.

We can use any of the following:
– The old (large) 50p, 10p and 5p, together with ½ p
– Old £1 coins together with any old £1, £5 and £10 notes
– Euros & Cents; US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Dollars / cents coins and notes
– Pre-decimal coins (pre 1971)
– Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey coins and notes.
– In fact, any coins and notes from around the world.

A collection jar is at Williton Depot but we will be happy to receive items in the post. Contact Mark at publicity@depg.org  or write to Mark at The Old Goods Shed, Williton Station, Somerset, TA4 4RQ

Please bring your old coins and notes along to the ‘SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL‘ and donate in support of the DEPG. Thanks !

 

VERY IMPORTANT DATES:

 

WSR DIESEL GALA 2024 – Thursday 6th through Saturday 8th JUNE

The WSR’s Diesel Gala will take place from Thursday 6th through to Saturday 8th June with mixed traction running on Sunday 9th, hopefully with at least one of the visiting locomotives at work. Our Williton depot will be open to the public from Thursday through Sunday, with a number of unusual and interesting exhibits on display. We are also offering a viewing area with a mobile catering van, so make a plan to spend an hour or two at Williton !

The visiting locomotives are:

• English Electric Class 50 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’
• BR-Derby Class 46 ‘Peak’ D182 (46 045)
• English Electric Class 20 ‘Chopper’ 20189 (D8189)
• English Electric Class 20 ‘Chopper’ 20142 (D8142) ‘Sir John Betjeman’
• BR-Derby Class 24 D5054 (24054) ‘Phil Southern’
• GWR ‘Castle Class’ HST set on Saturday and Sunday

MAKE A NOTE OF THESE DATES and do your best to attend. It is definitely going to be a great event !

 

An additional bonus on Saturday 8th June will be a presentation by former BR Fleet Manager GEOFF HUDSON entitled ‘FIFTY YEARS WITH FIFTIES‘, taking place inside Williton Diesel Depot with 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’ stabled outside the shed as a backdrop. Click here or on the image below for more information about this special event.

 

DEPG SUMMER RAFFLE 2024

Last summer’s DEPG Raffle was reasonably successful and resulted in donations to our two main restoration projects D1010 and D9518 totalling around £1000, but this year we want to DO MUCH BETTER and we have opted for cash prizes that will be of interest to all.

As you will see from the ticket image above, the draw will be made on the Saturday 8th June at Williton Diesel Depot at 16:00 on the DEPG sales stand inside the main shed. Click here or on the ticket image to buy your tickets online, or use our CONTACT FORM to request paper tickets by post. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR SUPPORT !

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – the two Bristol Siddeley Maybach MD655 engines have now been disconnected and are ready to be lifted out of the loco. We will need to hire a mobile crane to do the lifting, but first we need to prepare two engine stands upon which the engines can be placed and still be transportable by forklift. The ‘A’ engine needs attention to three leaking cylinder head rings and the ‘B’ engine needs a new oil drain fitting, so these relatively minor maintenance tasks will be fitted in around the major task, which is the bogie overhaul.

As previously reported, our objective is to lift the loco body and roll out the bogies for overhaul, then lower the body onto stands. When completed, this will result in a sight NOT SEEN SINCE BR SWINDON IN THE SEVENTIES. After putting in a considerable effort to get the work done sooner, we have accepted that we cannot get this work done safely before the diesel gala, but we are aiming at lifting the loco later in June.

Following up on the work started by volunteers James and Thomas, the ‘Tuesday Team’ carried on and cleaned up the other seven lifting points, so we are now ready to fit the complete set of eight lifting brackets that have kindly been loaned by the WLA (only four of which are being planned for use for the lift, but we like to keep our options open).

Gordon and Ian continued their work on the many sub-assemblies that need attention and Steve progressed with the electrical repairs, so a busy time was had by all. A big THANK YOU to all of our volunteers for progressing these tasks.

D1010 – a view of a lifting bracket in position under one of the eight lifting points on the locomotive body. This view shows the 73mm (2.8″) diameter through hole in the bracket that will be used in conjunction with a 50-ton ‘D’ shackle when the loco is lifted. Many thanks to the WLA and DTG for the loan of these essential pieces of specialised hardware. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 14th May 2024 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

D1010 – the valances were removed from the lower front of each end of the loco so that they could be painted internally. These assemblies were repaired extensively and in some cases re-manufactured by Colin F in 2022 so we need to look after them. Pictured with Ian F at Williton on Saturday 18th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

As stated previously, we will need MORE HANDS to help us get the work done. If you want to see this locomotive back on the rails soon, then PLEASE COME ALONG AND HELP US WITH THIS WORK ! There is a wide range of tasks that need to be done, so simply reply to this email or use the CONTACT FORM on our website if you can lend a hand.

 

Sponsorships for patches on D1010 continue to come in, for which we are VERY grateful indeed. We have many more patches waiting for sponsors, so please support the CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER and click here or on the image further below to get your name engraved into the metal of the locomotive. We will be having another engraving session this coming weekend.

Sponsorship includes a photograph and a certificate via email, but we can print the certificates on photo paper and mail them out upon request, in which case we will be asking for an additional £2.50 donation per certificate to cover photo paper, ink and postage. We can even put them in frame for you.

The drawings that have been developed in parallel will provide a formal record of the position of each sponsored patch and this will allow sponsors to look up the location of their patch when they visit the depot at Williton during the WSR SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT – and your PATIENCE !

Click the image below to sponsor a patch:

See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details. We still have a lot of work to do on this massive locomotive, so PLEASE DO COME ALONG AND HELP IF YOU CAN !

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is stabled at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use as the station pilot.

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco was in use on Sunday 19th May on the 12:30 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and return service, after which the loco headed for Williton with the Empty Coaching Stock (ECS) and then handed the baton to sister D6575 (33 057) who worked the ECS forward from Williton to Minehead to position the stock in preparation for the start of the BLUE timetable on Tuesday 21st May.

D6566 (33048) – this loco was in use on public services on Sunday 19th May and then worked the Empty Coaching Stock from Bishops Lydeard to Williton later in the day. Pictured approaching Nornvis Bridge on 19th May 2024 by Bernard Bates © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – currently stabled at Minehead, this loco will operate the weekend services from Minehead on the 25th and 26th May and again on the 1st and 2nd June. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is ready to return to service apart from a very short list of minor issues that will be addressed at Williton over the next few weeks, an oil change being one of the tasks that has now been completed. We have rostered this loco for two weekends of public services in June, the first being 15/16th June and the second being 29/30th June, under the BLUE timetable. Additional dates will be allocated ASAP. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get the news as soon as it is released.

D7017 – Ashley supervises the process as the compressed-air-operated pump transfers the fresh oil from the barrel into the engine. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 18th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘transmission team’ have made further progress in the disassembly and inspection of the transmission, this week reaching down as far as the final drive housing. When separated from the main housing, it became apparent that two dowels, each of 20mm diameter (3/4″) had sheared off, no doubt due to overstress resulting from the control issue that allowed a direction change to take place when the conditions were not right for it. Further investigations will be made and an action plan will be developed to allow this damage to be repaired using parts from our spares stock.

D7018 – the bulk of the main housing became apparent when it was lifted from the final drive housing at Williton on 13th May 2024. Volunteer Geoff was guiding the huge casting as it was being lifted. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – the marker arrow shows the direction of the overstress that caused the 20mm diameter steel dowel pin to shear. Pictured at Williton on 13th May 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Although we hope to be able to use spare parts that we have available, we will still need to replace seals, bearings, gaskets as necessary and we also need to drain the oil and have new oil available. All of these things cost money. PLEASE HELP by making a donation of £10 or by buying our 64-page A4 HYMEK D7018 BOOKLET (£10) which covers the history of this locomotive from build through to her return to service in 2019 following her major overhaul. THANK YOU VERY MUCH !

Click here or on the image above to order your copy of our ‘HYMEK D7018’ booklet, available for £10.

 

Click here or on the donation image above to go to the donations page on our website. If you feel able to donate more than £10, simply increase the quantity when on the donations page. Thank you in advance for your support !

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the work on the cab restoration continues to move forward with more parts being re-installed every week, after they have been careful overhauled in the workshop. The electrical re-wiring has also progressed and more wires appear every week ! Here’s a few of the areas of progress in pictures:

D9518 – the handbrake wheel has now been re-installed in the cab after being restored in every detail The handbrake indicator has also been restored and is correctly showing ‘handbrake off’. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 18th May 2024 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the cab structure received more attention from Andy P and the many coats of old paint were uncovered, the green being from BR days and the blue from NCB days. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 18th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

This loco is the subject of a fundraising appeal so please follow this link to find out more. We need your help ! In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Teddy Bears’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D9518 to fully operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is now stabled at Williton and is ready for action. Keep an eye on our DIESELGEN postings for details of any workings involving this locomotive.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco has worked several services between Pickering and Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently and we continue to received plenty of feedback on our social media channels, proving that this loco is actually the most popular member of our entire fleet ! We would welcome some more photographs though !

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this useful little loco continues to be busy almost every Saturday, handling the various shunt moves in the yard.

 

If you can help by donating your time to any of these projects, then please JOIN US and come along to the depot for an introduction to what we do and how we do it. We currently have people on site from Saturday through to Tuesday and we can open on other days if we can be sure of getting at least two volunteers on site at all times, so there is plenty of scope. We have tasks of all types to suit most capabilities, both skilled and unskilled.

Many thanks to all of our volunteers who give up so much of their time to work on the cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !

 

 

BOOK REVIEW – both of our recently-added books are selling very well and making useful contributions to our loco funds, so if you haven’t already got your copy, then click on the images below to go to our online store to get yours now !

Price : £19.95 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store	Price : £17.50 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store

 

The new book by BERNARD MILLS is a very nice piece of work and is available at £19.95 per copy. We have now replenished our stock so that we can continue to meet the demand. This book provides ESSENTIAL READING for anyone interested in diesel-hydraulics and diesel-electrics of the South-Western varieties.

We also recommend the new book by ROGER GEACH entitled ‘HYDRAULIC MEMORIES’ and we have a BOOK REVIEW from regular contributor Neale Long on this title, and have posted it to our website; click on this link to find out what Neale thinks of this new book.

 

In the pre-owned category, we have posted several new titles and they are selling as fast as we are posting them, so PLEASE DONATE YOUR SURPLUS BOOKS so that we can replenish our stocks and keep the funds flowing in. Click HERE for our contact form.

All monies gathered from the sale of pre-owned books go directly to DEPG funds for the upkeep of our locomotive fleet, so we would like to say thank you very much to all who have donated and all who have purchased from our online store. Check our online store regularly and change the ‘default sorting’ to ‘sort by latest‘ to keep an eye on new postings.

Price : £17.50 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store	Price : £10.00 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store

 

 

ON SHED – last week, we featured two photos from the 1980s photo album of ROB CRISPIN to remind ourselves of the abundance of motive power at BESCOT YARD in the West Midlands. My own experience was that the locos were plentiful but often too far away to be positively identified, but Rob has shown solid evidence to the contrary in the two photos that we share this week. Rob’s narratives have been included below each of his photographs. Many thanks to Rob for sharing his photos with us all. 

Above – I’m providing this photo to show how accessible Bescot locos could sometimes be!!! I’m also providing it as my only example I have of an undated, unlabelled photo! It was literally labelled, “Bescot”. I think I can spot 5 different classes of locomotives and at least two people closer than they should have been to them…..I will guess at 1982. Photo and narrative by Rob Crispin © CC BY-NC 3.0

Above – 58009 stabled at Bescot on 16th April, 1984 next to a Ford Escort 1.3 estate and a Triumph Dolomite Sprint. The Class 58 was just over a couple of months old at the time and was exported to France in 2009. The Ford was likely to have been scrapped around the turn of the century, but the Triumph is still taxed and MOT’d until October 2024!!! Photo and narrative by Rob Crispin © CC BY-NC 3.0

Above – 56048 and 25279 stabled at Bescot on 29th July, 1982. The Class 56 was scrapped almost 15 years ago, but 25279 is based at the East Lancashire Railway. Photo and narrative by Rob Crispin © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

DEPG NEWS – the infrastructure improvements continue at Williton, the most recent being the cleaning and painting of the loco shed floor, in time for the ‘open shed’ event from 6th through 9th June

Williton Depot – the floor in the loco shed has been cleaned and the repainting has begun with the green ‘keep clear’ corridor clearly depicted in bright green. Photo by Paul Tucker © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Thank you very much to all of the new members and new volunteers who have come forward to help and support the DEPG during the last few months. We certainly are very grateful of the additional help !

 

The DEPG is entirely run by volunteers and we need to expand our volunteer numbers if we are going to be able to continue making progress on so many fronts simultaneously. If you have some time and feel able to help, please let us know by clicking this link to use our online CONTACT form. We look forward to hearing from you !

The DEPG depends on the support of all of our members, so please JOIN US and if you are already a member, please make sure that your membership is up to date. If you want to join or are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to open MEMBERMOJO. It is very quick and easy, and does not require you to remember yet another password. Thank you very much !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) was shunted to number 2 road at Williton on Saturday 11th May 2024 to allow sufficient space on number 1 road for Barclay 578 (ROF1) to collect BR ‘Standard 4 Tank’ 80064 from the display area and return it to the ‘Swindon Shed‘. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

The return to ‘normal’ following the WSR’s ‘Spring Steam Spectacular’ event was completed on Saturday 11th May by a yard shunt undertaken by Colin G and Terry using Williton Yard Pilot Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF1) to return BR ‘Standard 4 Tank’ 80064 to the WS Restorations ‘Swindon Shed’ so that it could be prepared for its forthcoming overhaul.

It’s not very often that a steam loco gets to be pictured in the DEPG yard, but in this case the loco was more than welcome as it had provided an attraction that encouraged visitors to stop at Williton and look and learn about the DEPG while passing through.

For the forthcoming WSR ‘SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL’, we will also be placing interesting exhibits in our yard, including major components that have been removed from Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ during her overhaul. We will also have locos of several different classes on shed for cab visits, so be sure to allow time to visit our depot and take a close look at the displays. NEW FOR 2024, our lineside viewing area will be set out with chairs and tables where visitors can relax and enjoy drinks and snacks from the mobile catering van ‘Irie 7’. We look forward to seeing you at Williton !

 

DIESEL LOCO RUNNING ON THE WSR:

The next scheduled diesel running will take place on Sunday 19th May when Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) will be back in action with the 1230 from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and the return service under the RED timetable.

The following weekend will feature two days of diesel haulage using Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) with 80 miles each day, under the BLUE timetable.

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 has been rostered for two weekends in June, the 15/16th and the 29/30th being under the BLUE timetable with 80-mile diagrams both days, originating from Minehead. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running.

 

D1015 ‘WESTERN CHAMPION’

It is great to see D1015 out and about on the main line again. Her latest outing was to Swanage to participate in their Diesel Gala, where she proved her worth and helped to draw in the crowds. CONGRATULATIONS to the DTG for bringing her back into mainline operating condition !

Mainline registered Class 52 D1015 ‘WESTERN CHAMPION’ was pictured when on the approach to Corfe Castle Station while participating in the Swanage Railway’s Diesel Gala on Sunday 12th May 2024. Photo by Gary Lemon © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

MESSAGE FROM MARK BLADWELL, DEPG Publicity Officer

The Diesel & Electric Preservation Group are collecting Coins and Banknotes from anywhere in the world, modern and any vintage, as part of their fund raising activities.

We can use any of the following:
– The old (large) 50p, 10p and 5p, together with ½ p
– Old £1 coins together with any old £1, £5 and £10 notes
– Euros & Cents; US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Dollars / cents coins and notes
– Pre-decimal coins (pre 1971)
– Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey coins and notes.
– In fact, any coins and notes from around the world.

A collection jar is at Williton Depot but we will be happy to receive items in the post. Contact Mark at publicity@depg.org  or write to Mark at The Old Goods Shed, Williton Station, Somerset, TA4 4RQ

Please bring your ‘sock drawer treasure’ along to the ‘SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL‘ and donate it in support of the DEPG. Thanks !

 

VERY IMPORTANT DATES:

WSR DIESEL GALA 2024 – Thursday 6th through Saturday 8th JUNE

The WSR’s Diesel Gala will take place from Thursday 6th through to Saturday 8th June with mixed traction running on Sunday 9th, hopefully with at least one of the visiting locomotives at work. Our Williton depot will be open to the public from Thursday through Sunday, with a number of unusual and interesting exhibits on display. We are also offering a viewing area with a mobile catering van, so make a plan to spend an hour or two at Williton !

The visiting locomotives are:

• English Electric Class 50 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’
• BR-Derby Class 46 ‘Peak’ D182 (46 045)
• English Electric Class 20 ‘Chopper’ 20189 (D8189)
• English Electric Class 20 ‘Chopper’ 20142 (D8142) ‘Sir John Betjeman’
• BR-Derby Class 24 D5054 (24054) ‘Phil Southern’

MAKE A NOTE OF THESE DATES and do your best to attend. It is definitely going to be a great event !

 

An additional bonus on Saturday 8th June will be a presentation by former BR Fleet Manager GEOFF HUDSON entitled ‘FIFTY YEARS WITH FIFTIES‘, taking place inside Williton Diesel Depot with 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’ stabled outside the shed as a backdrop. Click here or on the image below for more information about this special event.

 

DEPG SUMMER RAFFLE 2024

Last summer’s DEPG Raffle was reasonably successful and resulted in donations to our two main restoration projects D1010 and D9518 totalling around £1000, but this year we want to DO MUCH BETTER and we have opted for cash prizes that will be of interest to all.

As you will see from the ticket image above, the draw will be made on the Saturday 8th June at Williton Diesel Depot at 16:00 on the DEPG sales stand inside the main shed. Click here or on the ticket image to buy your tickets online, or use our CONTACT FORM to request paper tickets by post. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR SUPPORT !

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – work continued on the disconnection of the two Bristol Siddeley Maybach MD655 engines to prepare them for lifting out of the loco, to reduce the body weight. The lower the body weight, the lower the stresses that will be placed on the structure while the lift is being undertaken. By the end of Saturday, the air intake ducting had been removed along with various other pipework and connections, so there is not much left to do in this area now.

In addition to the engine work, one of the set of eight lifting brackets that have kindly been loaned by the WLA has been trial fitted to D1010 by volunteers James and Thomas. The trial involved cleaning out the two 5/8″ BSW threaded holes that are needed to hold the lifting bracket in position when not under load, and removing the dirt and debris from the area to make sure that the bracket was properly engaged. The remaining seven locations around the loco will be dealt with by the ‘Tuesday Team’ and will be reported upon in the next roundup.

As previously reported, our objective is to lift the loco body and roll out the bogies for overhaul, then lower the body onto stands. When completed, this will result in a sight NOT SEEN SINCE BR SWINDON IN THE SEVENTIES. We will try and get this work done before the diesel gala, but such things cannot be rushed and we will not take any shortcuts, so we can’t commit to this at the moment. Safety first, not just for the sake of people but also for the sake of our irreplaceable locomotive !

D1010 – volunteers James (L) and Thomas (R) seemed both happy and relieved to find that the lifting bracket fitted exactly as intended (after a bit of preparation work!). Pictured at Williton on Saturday 11th May 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

D1010 – a closer view of the lifting bracket, showing the through hole for the lifting shackle and the integral base plate under which is a concave recess that is designed to mate with the domed head of a re-railing jack. Many thanks to the WLA and DTG for the loan of these essential pieces of specialised hardware. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 11th May 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

As stated previously, we will need MORE HANDS to help us get the work done. If you want to see this locomotive back on the rails soon, then PLEASE COME ALONG AND HELP US WITH THIS WORK ! There is a wide range of tasks that need to be done, so simply reply to this email or use the CONTACT FORM on our website if you can lend a hand.

Sponsorships for patches on D1010 continue to come in, for which we are VERY grateful indeed. We have many more patches waiting for sponsors, so please support the CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER and click here or on the image further below to get your name engraved into the metal of the locomotive. We will be having another engraving session this coming weekend.

The drawings that have been developed in parallel will provide a formal record of the position of each sponsored patch and this will allow sponsors to look up the location of their patch when they visit the depot at Williton during the WSR SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT – and your PATIENCE !

Click the image below to sponsor a patch:

See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details. We still have a lot of work to do on this massive locomotive, so PLEASE DO COME ALONG AND HELP IF YOU CAN !

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is stabled at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use as the station pilot.

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco will be in use on Sunday 19th May on the 12:30 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and return service, after which the loco will head for Williton with the Empty Coaching Stock (ECS) and will then hand over to sister D6575 (33 057) who will then take the ECS forward to Minehead in preparation for the start of the BLUE timetable on Tuesday 21st May.

D6566 (33048) – this loco was in use on public services on Sunday 12th May and will be in use again on Sunday 19th May. Pictured at Minehead on 12th May 2024 by Darren Hill © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – currently stabled at Williton, this loco will take over the role of Duty Loco when sister D6566 (33048) hands over the baton at Williton at approx 17:00 on Sunday afternoon, 19th May. This loco will operate the weekend services from Minehead on the 25th and 26th May. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is ready to return to service apart from a very short list of minor issues that will be addressed at Williton over the next few weeks. We have rostered this loco for two weekends of public services in June, the first being 15/16th June and the second being 29/30th June, under the BLUE timetable. Additional dates will be allocated ASAP. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get the news as soon as it is released.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘transmission team’ have re-assembled the gear trains and completed the checks to ensure that everything at this level of the assembly is OK and fit for further service. The required spare parts have been taken from the transmission that was previously in use in D7018 until 1995. One bearing is beyond further use and will have to replaced, and quotations are being sought for this rather large and expensive part, but the good news is that this is a standard off-the-shelf part. Work continues !

D7018 – the No. 5 clutch has been rebuilt by using parts taken from D7018’s previous transmission. Volunteer Tim was pictured while checking the operation of the clutch actuator fork at Williton on Tuesday 7th May 2024. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – the complete geartrain was trial assembled and checked over before proceeding to the next stage. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 7th May 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – the only bearing that is so far showing evidence of damage is the large diameter roller type at the input end of the primary shaft. The photo shows the significant amount of damage that is evident on one of the rollers. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 9th April 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Although we hope to be able to use spare parts that we have available, we will still need to replace seals, bearings, gaskets as necessary and we also need to drain the oil and have new oil available. All of these things cost money. PLEASE HELP by making a donation of £10 or by buying our 64-page A4 HYMEK D7018 BOOKLET (£10) which covers the history of this locomotive from build through to her return to service in 2019 following her major overhaul. THANK YOU VERY MUCH !

Click here or on the image above to order your copy of our ‘HYMEK D7018’ booklet, available for £10.

 

Click here or on the donation image above to go to the donations page on our website. If you feel able to donate more than £10, simply increase the quantity when on the donations page. Thank you in advance for your support !

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – the re-wiring and re-equipping of the driver’s desk continues, with more parts and more wiring being added every week. The quality of the restoration work is evident in these photos, with almost all of the parts being refurbished from the original 1960s components. Quite a task indeed !

D9518 – the raised centre section of the driver’s desk includes a row of three warning lights with a shroud arrangement that can be flipped over, according to the side that the driver is working from. Simple and effective ! Pictured at Williton on Saturday 11th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – more wiring and more components get added to the desk each week. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 11th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the grey ‘Formica‘ covering has been bonded to the opposite side of the driver’s desk and is covered up to keep it in pristine condition while work proceeds around it. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 11th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – the cab bulkhead is trimmed with grey-painted pegboard and adorned with orange electrical conduits, a caged lightbulb holder and a red fire bell, all of which are original parts that have been restored to a very high standard by Colin G and the team. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 11th May 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

This loco is the subject of a fundraising appeal so please follow this link to find out more. We need your help ! In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Teddy Bears’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D9518 to fully operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is now stabled at Williton and is ready for action. Keep an eye on our DIESELGEN postings for details of any workings involving this locomotive.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco has worked several services between Pickering and Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently and we continue to received plenty of feedback on our social media channels, proving that this loco is actually the most popular member of our entire fleet ! We would welcome some more photographs though !

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this useful little loco continues to be busy almost every Saturday, handling the various shunt moves in the yard.

 

If you can help by donating your time to any of these projects, then please JOIN US and come along to the depot for an introduction to what we do and how we do it. We currently have people on site from Saturday through to Tuesday and we can open on other days if we can be sure of getting at least two volunteers on site at all times, so there is plenty of scope. We have tasks of all types to suit most capabilities, both skilled and unskilled.

Many thanks to all of our volunteers who give up so much of their time to work on the cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !

 

 

BOOK REVIEW – both of our recently-added books are selling very well and making useful contributions to our loco funds, so if you haven’t already got your copy, then click on the images below to go to our online store to get yours now !

Price : £19.95 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store	Price : £17.50 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store

The new book by BERNARD MILLS is a very nice piece of work and is available at £19.95 per copy. We have now replenished our stock so that we can continue to meet the demand. This book provides ESSENTIAL READING for anyone interested in diesel-hydraulics and diesel-electrics of the South-Western varieties.

We also recommend the new book by ROGER GEACH entitled ‘HYDRAULIC MEMORIES’ and we have a BOOK REVIEW from regular contributor Neale Long on this title, and have posted it to our website; click on this link to find out what Neale thinks of this new book.

 

In the pre-owned category, we have posted several new titles and they are selling as fast as we are posting them, so PLEASE DONATE YOUR SURPLUS BOOKS so that we can replenish our stocks and keep the funds flowing in. Click HERE for our contact form.

All monies gathered from the sale of pre-owned books go directly to DEPG funds for the upkeep of our locomotive fleet, so we would like to say thank you very much to all who have donated and all who have purchased from our online store. Check our online store regularly and change the ‘default sorting’ to ‘sort by latest‘ to keep an eye on new postings.

Price : £3.50 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store	Price : £3.50 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store

 

 

ON SHED – last week, we featured a photo by Gary Lemon of Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7026 from 50 years ago, and Gary has kindly provided us with more information about his photo. Many thanks to Gary for providing us with this photo and for the related information.

     “I’ve just browsed the latest weekly roundup, for which many thanks, and noticed my shot of 7026 taken at Ealing Broadway back on Thursday 2nd May 1974. My school was closed that day for local elections, so off I went to Maidenhead/Burnham for a linesiding session. I recall seeing 1059 ‘WESTERN EMPIRE’ on the 08.00 Paignton to Paddington and 1034 ‘WESTERN DRAGOON’ on the 11.30 Paddington to Penzance that day too.”

 

This week, we return to the 1980s photo album of ROB CRISPIN to remind ourselves of the days when blue locos were in abundance. The location of the below photo is Bescot, between Walsall and Wednesbury in the West Midlands, which in my experience always held plenty of loco interest, but often they were too far away from the platform to be able to identify them positively. Here’s the story that accompanies the two photographs:

     “Growing up in Gloucester in the early 1980s, there were several depots and stabling points in close proximity, like Bristol Bath Road, Cardiff Canton and Severn Tunnel Junction. However, by far my favourite ‘local’ place to visit was Bescot because it offered much more variety and interest, in my opinion. I remember taking the photo of 40085 as the driver clearly thought I was too close to the edge of the platform! It was running light towards me at what turned out to be a fair speed and the horn sounded very close! I also remember a noticeable lean of the 40 into the bend when focusing! The locos in the background include 25188 which arrived, also light engine, minutes earlier, and a row of three class 85s, the front one of which was 85027. Second photo is a more close up view of 25188. Photos taken on 14th April, 1982.”

Many thanks to Rob for sharing his photos with us all. 

Above – Class 40 ‘Whistler’ 40085  was pictured approaching Bescot station (now Bescot Stadium station) at speed on 14th April 1982. This loco started life as D285 on 16th July 1960 and worked for almost 24 years before being withdrawn on 30th March 1984. Photo by Rob Crispin © CC BY-NC 3.0

Above – Class 25 ‘Rat’ 25188 (D7538) arrived at Bescot Yard on 14th April 1982 and took up a stabling position in front of the Class 40 on the adjacent line. Typical ! This Type 2 Derby Sulzer had only another four months of service remaining, being withdrawn in August of that same year. Photo by Rob Crispin © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

DEPG NEWS – thank you very much to all of the new members and new volunteers who have come forward to support the DEPG during the last few months. We are very grateful of the additional help !

The DEPG is entirely run by volunteers and we need to expand our volunteer numbers if we are going to be able to continue making progress on so many fronts simultaneously. If you have some time and feel able to help, please let us know by clicking this link to use our online CONTACT form. We look forward to hearing from you !

The DEPG depends on the support of all of our members, so please JOIN US and if you are already a member, please make sure that your membership is up to date. If you want to join or are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to open MEMBERMOJO. It is very quick and easy, and does not require you to remember yet another password. Thank you very much !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) was the vantage point for this shot of WSR ‘Mogul’ 9351 leading BR(W) 7828 ‘ODNEY MANOR’ into Williton Station on the last afternoon of the WSR’s very successful ‘Spring Steam Spectacular’ event. Photo by Natalie Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

The WSR’s ‘Spring Steam Spectacular’ event took place over the the May 3-6th Bank Holiday weekend and the wide range of visiting locos combined with some decent weather to bring in the crowds, with well-loaded trains and busy platforms adding to the atmosphere. The WSR have reported an increase in ticket revenue of 50% compared to the 2023 event, so WELL DONE to EVERYONE involved in putting on this very successful show !

The WSRA had two steam locos on display outside the WS Restorations ‘Swindon Shed’ at the far end of our yard, and these drew visitors into our yard and generated good business for the MOBILE CATERING VAN, in turn generating an income for the DEPG and for Williton Station funds. This same van will be back for the SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL and we will also have a VIEWING AREA marked out with tables and chairs, where visitors can relax with their refreshments while taking photos from the lineside.

The ever-popular Rod Saunders was very busy in our loco shed with his MODEL RAILWAY SALES stand, and our own DEPG SALES STAND was strategically positioned opposite. Over the four days, including profits on sales plus donations and commissions, we will have earned over £1,000 for DEPG funds, from a STEAM gala, plus we met new potential members and volunteers, so not bad at all and well worth the effort.

The scene inside the DEPG’s loco shed at Williton before the gates opened on Saturday 4th May 2024. Left is Class 14 D9518 undergoing a major restoration. The DEPG sales stand is alongside with Colin F, Julie and Paul T (L-R) in discussion, then right of centre is Rod’s huge model railway sales stand. Impressive indeed ! Photo taken from the mezzanine floor by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

A big thank you goes out to the volunteers who prepared the shed, met the visitors, manned the displays and worked the sales stand for four full days, and then tidied up afterwards. Well done all !

 

BR(E) Class B1 4-6-0 61306 ‘MAYFLOWER’ added some colour to the gala and was a very popular visitor. The mainline-registered machine was pictured alongside our smallest loco, Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF1) with Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ in tow on the morning of the first day, Friday 3rd May 2024. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Having the steam locos out of the Swindon Shed for a long weekend opened up an opportunity for us to get Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ into the ‘Swindon Shed‘ and over the pit, so that we could disconnect the thrust brackets that transmit the traction and braking forces between the bogies and the loco body. These large and heavy brackets are only accessible when the loco is positioned over a pit, and even then the job is very hard and unpleasant, the whole area being covered with dirt and grime from many years of operation.

Our intrepid team was formed by volunteers Neil, Colin F, Viv, Paul T and Martin, and they set to work under the loco on Saturday 4th and by the end of the day, all four brackets had been released, with some bolts putting up more of a fight than others. The next loco was shunted back into our loco shed at the end of the last day of the gala, as soon as the sales stands had been packed away and the area cleared. WELL DONE TEAM !

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ was moved inside the ‘Swindon Shed‘ on the morning of the first day of the steam gala, Friday 3rd May 2024 and positioned over the pit. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Left to right, the frames of the WSRA’s GWR ‘Small Prairie’ 4561 were out on display alongside BR ‘Standard 4 Tank’ 80064 for the duration of the steam gala. Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ was pictured while being shunted back to the DEPG yard by Barclay 578 (ROF1) at the end of the day on Monday 6th May 2024. Photo by Josh Brinsford © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DIESEL LOCO RUNNING ON THE WSR:

The next scheduled diesel running will take place on Sunday 12th and again on Sunday 19th May when Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) will be back in action with the 1230 from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and the return service under the RED timetable.

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 has been rostered for two weekends in June, the 15/16th and the 29/30th being under the BLUE timetable with 80-mile diagrams both days, originating from Minehead. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running. 

 

MESSAGE FROM MARK BLADWELL, DEPG Publicity Officer

The Diesel & Electric Preservation Group are collecting Coins and Banknotes from anywhere in the world, modern and any vintage, as part of their fund raising activities.

We can use any of the following:
– The old (large) 50p, 10p and 5p, together with ½ p
– Old £1 coins together with any old £1, £5 and £10 notes
– Euros & Cents; US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Dollars / cents coins and notes
– Pre-decimal coins (pre 1971)
– Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey coins and notes.
– In fact, any coins and notes from around the world.

A collection jar is at Williton Depot but we will be happy to receive items in the post. Contact Mark at publicity@depg.org  or write to Mark at The Old Goods Shed, Williton Station, Somerset, TA4 4RQ

 

 

IMPORTANT DATES:

 

WSR DIESEL GALA 2024 – Thursday 6th through Saturday 8th JUNE

The WSR’s Diesel Gala will take place from Thursday 6th through to Saturday 8th June with mixed traction running on Sunday 9th, hopefully with at least one of the visiting locomotives at work. Our Williton depot will be open to the public from Thursday through Sunday, with a number of unusual and interesting exhibits on display. We are also offering a viewing area with a mobile catering van, so make a plan to spend an hour or two at Williton !

The visiting locomotives are:

• English Electric Class 50 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’
• BR-Derby Class 46 ‘Peak’ D182 (46 045)
• English Electric Class 20 ‘Chopper’ 20189 (D8189)
• English Electric Class 20 ‘Chopper’ 20142 (D8142) ‘Sir John Betjeman’
• BR-Derby Class 24 D5054 (24054) ‘Phil Southern’

MAKE A NOTE OF THESE DATES and do your best to attend. It is definitely going to be a great event !

 

An additional bonus on Saturday 8th June will be a presentation by former BR Fleet Manager GEOFF HUDSON entitled ‘FIFTY YEARS WITH FIFTIES‘, taking place inside Williton Diesel Depot with 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’ stabled outside the shed as a backdrop. Click here or on the image below for more information about this special event.

 

DEPG SUMMER RAFFLE 2024

Last summer’s DEPG Raffle was reasonably successful and resulted in donations to our two main restoration projects D1010 and D9518 totalling around £1000, but this year we want to DO MUCH BETTER and we have opted for cash prizes that will be of interest to all.

As you will see from the ticket image above, the draw will be made on the Saturday 8th June at Williton Diesel Depot at 16:00 on the DEPG sales stand inside the main shed. Click here or on the ticket image to buy your tickets online, or use our CONTACT FORM to request paper tickets by post. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR SUPPORT !

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – as previously reported, this loco was the focus of attention from underneath while positioned over the pit inside the ‘Swindon Shed‘ last weekend. Now that the thrust brackets have been removed, we are able to prepare for the next trick, which is lifting the loco from it’s bogies and lowering the body onto stands. When completed, this will result in a sight NOT SEEN SINCE BR SWINDON IN THE 1970s. We will try and get this work done before the diesel gala, but such things cannot be rushed and we will not take any shortcuts, so we can’t commit to this at the moment. The good news is that several hurdles have already been jumped and we are preparing to jump the last few.

As stated previously, we will need MORE HANDS to help us get the work done. If you want to see this locomotive back on the rails soon, then PLEASE COME ALONG AND HELP US WITH THIS WORK ! There is a wide range of tasks that need to be done, so simply reply to this email or use the CONTACT FORM on our website if you can lend a hand.

Above – Neil and Colin F (L-R) were part of the team involved with D1010 on Saturday 4th May 2024	Above – Paul T, Neil, Colin F and Martin discuss the need for a special tool which Colin F would then make. Volunteer Viv was behind the camera.
Above – Looking upwards under the loco, one of the large and heavy thrust brackets is visible, with the four retaining bolts (the ones with split pins) still in place.	Above – looking upwards at a different bracket after the four retaining bolts have been removed (only two of the bolt holes are visible in this view)

 

Sponsorships for patches on D1010 continue to come in, for which we are VERY grateful indeed. We have many more patches waiting for sponsors, so please support the CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER and click here or on the image further below to get your name engraved into the metal of the locomotive. We will be having another engraving session this coming weekend.

The drawings that have been developed in parallel will provide a formal record of the position of each sponsored patch and this will allow sponsors to look up the location of their patch when they visit the depot at Williton during the WSR SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT – and your PATIENCE !

Click the image below to sponsor a patch:

See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details. We still have a lot of work to do on this massive locomotive, so PLEASE DO COME ALONG AND HELP IF YOU CAN !

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is stabled at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use as the station pilot.

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco will run ‘light engine’ from Williton to Bishops Lydeard on Saturday 11th May to go over the pit in Westridge Shelter for an underframe exam and for lubrication of the bogies and traction motors. The loco will then be ready for action the following day. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – currently stabled at Williton.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is ready to return to service apart from a very short list of minor issues that will be addressed at Williton over the next few weeks. We have rostered this loco for two weekends of public services in June, the first being 15/16th June and the second being 29/30th June, under the BLUE timetable. Additional dates will be allocated ASAP. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get the news as soon as it is released.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘transmission team’ have been making careful progress with the repair of the damaged transmission, retrieving spare parts from an old transmission and checking them very carefully to ensure that we don’t end up with new issues in the repaired unit. So far so good, the retrieved spare parts are in very good condition and fit properly.

The re-assembled shaft will be trial fitted into the transmission housings and if everything checks out OK, we can move on to the next layer in the housing, which includes the oil pumps and the intermediate drive. Fingers crossed ! Here are some photos:

D7018 – the No. 5 clutch that has been retrived from the transmission that last worked in D7018 in 1995 (without issue). The baulk ring is the inner set of dog teeth that are offset from the driving teeth. Pictured at Williton on Tuesday 30th April 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – the baulk ring is a separate assembly that includes a return spring. This photo shows the spring and the retainer, all parts that were smashed to bits in the photos shared last week. Pictured at Williton on Monday 29th April 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – the retrieved spare parts were assembled with the rest of the geartrain so that a trial fitment could take place. Volunteer Tim is pictured at Williton on Tuesday 30th April 2024 while tightening the locknut with a custom-made ‘C’ spanner. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Although we hope to be able to use spare parts that we have available, we will still need to replace seals, bearings, gaskets as necessary and we also need to drain the oil and have new oil available. All of these things cost money. PLEASE HELP by making a donation of £10 or by buying our 64-page A4 HYMEK D7018 BOOKLET (£10) which covers the history of this locomotive from build through to her return to service in 2019 following her major overhaul. THANK YOU VERY MUCH !

Click here or on the image above to order your copy of our ‘HYMEK D7018’ booklet, available for £10.

 

Click here or on the donation image above to go to the donations page on our website. If you feel able to donate more than £10, simply increase the quantity when on the donations page. Thank you in advance for your support !

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – although the ‘open shed’ made working on this loco somewhat difficult, several of our volunteers did make progress on the cab assembly and with some of the metalwork associated with the driver’s desk. More progress will be made this week and hopefully some photos can be provided for next week.

This loco is the subject of a fundraising appeal so please follow this link to find out more. We need your help ! In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Teddy Bears’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D9518 to fully operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is now stabled at Williton and is ready for action. Keep an eye on our DIESELGEN postings for details of any workings involving this locomotive.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco has worked several services between Pickering and Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway recently and we continue to received plenty of feedback on our social media channels, proving that this loco is actually the most popular member of our entire fleet ! We would welcome some more photographs though !

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this useful little loco continues to be busy almost every Saturday, handling the various shunt moves in the yard, with more moves planned for Saturday 12th. Watch the Williton RAILCAM to see this loco in action !

Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF 1) was pictured in the North Yard at Williton on Saturday 27th April 2024 after being used to shunt D1010 into the ‘Swindon Shed‘ (behind) Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

If you can help by donating your time to any of these projects, then please JOIN US and come along to the depot for an introduction to what we do and how we do it. We currently have people on site from Saturday through to Tuesday and we can open on other days if we can be sure of getting at least two volunteers on site at all times, so there is plenty of scope. We have tasks of all types to suit most capabilities, both skilled and unskilled.

Many thanks to all of our volunteers who give up so much of their time to work on the cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !

 

 

BOOK REVIEW – both of our recently-added books are selling very well and making useful contributions to our loco funds, so if you haven’t already got your copy, then click on the images below to go to our online store to get yours now !

Price : £19.95 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store	Price : £17.50 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store

The new book by BERNARD MILLS is a very nice piece of work and is available at £19.95 per copy. We have now replenished our stock so that we can continue to meet the demand. This book provides ESSENTIAL READING for anyone interested in diesel-hydraulics and diesel-electrics of the South-Western varieties.

We also recommend the new book by ROGER GEACH entitled ‘HYDRAULIC MEMORIES’ and we have a BOOK REVIEW from regular contributor Neale Long on this title, and have posted it to our website; click on this link to find out what Neale thinks of this new book.

 

In the pre-owned category, we have posted several new titles and they are selling as fast as we are posting them, so PLEASE DONATE YOUR SURPLUS BOOKS so that we can replenish our stocks and keep the funds flowing in. Click HERE for our contact form.

All monies gathered from the sale of pre-owned books go directly to DEPG funds for the upkeep of our locomotive fleet, so we would like to say thank you very much to all who have donated and all who have purchased from our online store. Check our online store regularly and change the ‘default sorting’ to ‘sort by latest‘ to keep an eye on new postings.

Price : £7.50 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store	Price : £6.00 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store

 

 

ON SHED – this week, we feature a photo that is 50 YEARS OLD depicting Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7026 working a freight train through Ealing Broadway station. By this time, there were only 9 ‘Hymeks’ left in service and D7026 only had five months left to live before her number came up. The BR standardisation curtain finally fell on the ‘Hymeks’ in March 1975, but thanks to the DEPG, the DTG and the BHG, there are four survivors. Many thanks to Gary for providing us with this photo.

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7026 was in fairly good external condition compared to others at that time. Pictured at Ealing Broadway station in May 1974, this loco was destined to work for another five months before joining the scrap line. Photo by Gary Lemon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DEPG NEWS – thank you very much to all of the new members and new volunteers who have come forward to support the DEPG during the last few months. We are very grateful of the additional help !

The DEPG is entirely run by volunteers and we need to expand our volunteer numbers if we are going to be able to continue making progress on so many fronts simultaneously. If you have some time and feel able to help, please let us know by clicking this link to use our online CONTACT form. We look forward to hearing from you !

The DEPG depends on the support of all of our members, so please JOIN US and if you are already a member, please make sure that your membership is up to date. If you want to join or are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to open MEMBERMOJO. It is very quick and easy, and does not require you to remember yet another password. Thank you very much !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post

 

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) was used to shunt BR ‘Standard 4 Tank’ 2-6-4T 80064 from the WS Restorations ‘Swindon Shed’ to the North Yard at Williton on Saturday 27th April 2024, in preparation for the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR event. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

Twice a year, for the steam and diesel galas, we open our loco shed and yard to the public so that we can show our locos and our facilities to the gala visitors and hopefully drum up donations, sales from our merchandise stand, some new members, some new volunteers, ideally all four!

As our depot is normally a working facility, it takes some time to organise it so that the public can access it without risk, and that takes an amount of effort away from our restoration and repair projects. It is, however, a small price to pay because we need the funding to allow our project work to progress. In the words of the early American astronauts, ‘No bucks, no Buck Rogers’ and this applies to loco restoration as well.

The headline photo shows one of the WSRA’s steam locos being shunted from the WS Restorations ‘Swindon Shed’ in the North Yard at Williton to the South Yard so that the loco can go on display at the steam gala that is taking place this weekend. This BR ‘Standard 4 Tank’ loco 80064 is ‘out of ticket’ and in need of a boiler overhaul which is an expensive repair, so it has been gifted to the WSRA (also a registered charity) by the owning group for the purpose of the loco being restored for use on the West Somerset Railway. In fact, one of our regular and long-serving volunteers was a member of the previous owning group and played a major part in getting this sought-after class of loco to the WSR.

The whole of the South Yard at Williton has been opened up for the gala, allowing visitors to take photos from locations that were previously only available to hivis-clad volunteers. A mobile catering van has also been brought in to provide welcome refreshment to those who want to spend some time looking at the many items on display in the yard and in the shed at Williton, so if you are planning to attend at the gala, please plan to make a stop at Williton !

The flower planters at Williton Depot were given a welcome refresh by Linda, just in time for our ‘open shed’ steam gala weekend 3-6 May. Thank you very much to Linda and also to Wendy, who tended them last year and kindly donated towards this refresh. Photo by Linda Trott © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Also in the news last week was Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 which was in use on Saturday 27th April on a ‘pick up goods’ working centred on Williton but running to both ends of the line to pick up and drop off wagons and coaches so that they would be in the right place for the steam gala. As it was almost exactly one year since we lost volunteer Class 14 team leader SIMON PURVIS, these workings were dedicated to his memory and carried his initials (or as close as we could get to them) in the headcode.

Some photos of these unusual workings are included below:

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 was pictured at a wet Williton Station on Saturday 27th April 2024, preparing to haul a van, a coach and a brake van to destinations along the route, including Norton Fitzwarren. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

This photo shows Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 at Norton Fitzwarren after running around the triangle to turn the complete train so that the verandah of the ‘Toad’ brake van is at the southerly end of the line. Pictured on Saturday 27th April 2024 by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 was pictured at Blue Anchor station on Saturday 27th April 2024 en route to Minehead with a train of mixed vans and wagons. The perfect locomotive for the job ! Photo by Terry Deacon © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

DIESEL LOCO RUNNING ON THE WSR:

There won’t be any scheduled diesel loco running during the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR event that is taking place between 3rd and 6th May, but Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) will be back in action the following weekend on Sunday 12th May with the 1230 from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and the return service under the RED timetable.

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 has been rostered for two weekends in June, the 15/16th and the 29/30th being under the BLUE timetable with 80-mile diagrams both days, originating from Minehead. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running. 

 

 

MESSAGE FROM MARK BLADWELL, DEPG Publicity Officer

The Diesel & Electric Preservation Group are collecting Coins and Banknotes from anywhere in the world, modern and any vintage, as part of their fund raising activities.

We can use any of the following:
– The old (large) 50p, 10p and 5p, together with ½ p
– Old £1 coins together with any old £1, £5 and £10 notes
– Euros & Cents; US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Dollars / cents coins and notes
– Pre-decimal coins (pre 1971)
– Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey coins and notes.
– In fact, any coins and notes from around the world.

A collection jar is at Williton Depot but we will be happy to receive items in the post. Contact Mark at publicity@depg.org  or write to Mark at The Old Goods Shed, Williton Station, Somerset, TA4 4RQ

 

 

IMPORTANT DATES:

The first major event of the year is the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR which is taking place throughout the Bank Holiday weekend, 3rd through 6th May, during which our loco shed will be open to the public, with Rod’s Model Railway sales stand alongside our own DEPG sales stand. Click here or on the image below for more information via the WSR’s website.

 

WSR DIESEL GALA 2024 – Thursday 6th through Saturday 8th JUNE

The WSR’s Diesel Gala will take place from Thursday 6th through to Saturday 8th June with mixed traction running on Sunday 9th, hopefully with at least one of the visiting locomotives at work. Our Williton depot will be open to the public from Thursday through Sunday, with a number of unusual and interesting exhibits on display. More details coming soon.

The first visiting locomotive to be announced was English Electric Class 50 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’, no doubt to the delight of the many followers of the class, and the second visitor has now been announced as BR-Derby Class 46 ‘Peak’ D182 (46 045), courtesy of the Peak Locomotive Company and a fine example of another well-loved ‘Type 4’ class. Also visiting, courtesy of 20189 Ltd., are English Electric Class 20 ‘Choppers’ (or ‘Whistling Wardrobes’) 20189 (D8189), in BR blue livery and 20142 (D8142) ‘Sir John Betjeman’, in commemorative London Transport livery. THE LATEST NEWS is that Class 24 D5054 (24054) ‘Phil Southern’ will be joining the lineup, so please MAKE A NOTE OF THESE DATES and do your best to attend. It is definitely going to be a great event !

 

An additional bonus on Saturday 8th June will be a presentation by former BR Fleet Manager GEOFF HUDSON entitled ‘FIFTY YEARS WITH FIFTIES‘, taking place inside Williton Diesel Depot with 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’ stabled outside the shed as a backdrop. Click here or on the image below for more information about this special event.

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – efforts were concentrated on preparing the loco for a short trip to the North Yard at Williton, then into the ‘Swindon Shed’ to position the loco over the pit so that the bogie thrust brackets that transmit the traction forces and braking forces from body to bogie and vice versa can be disconnected. This is a very difficult and dirty job, but cannot be avoided as the brackets must be released before the loco body can be lifted.

Undeterred by the amount of grime and dirt, volunteer Viv clambered into the space that is normally occupied by the transmission and set about scraping the dirt away from several of the areas that we will need to access. There is much more dirt and grime underneath the loco, but that is being saved up for the team who will go into the pit on Saturday 4th May !

Our website now carries a new page, ‘D1010 Progress Report – Jan 2024‘, the content of which will be familiar to DEPG members because it was included in the January Newsletter. This information is now available to all by clicking on this link.

As stated previously, we will need MORE HANDS to help us get the work done. If you want to see this locomotive back on the rails soon, then PLEASE COME ALONG AND HELP US WITH THIS WORK ! There is a wide range of tasks that need to be done, so simply reply to this email or use the CONTACT FORM on our website if you can lend a hand.

D1010 – looking into the gap between the bogie and the underframe, the result of 50+ years of accumulating dirt and grime is evident. This the view before being given the ‘Viv’ treatment. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 27th April 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – and after the ‘Viv’ treatment, some of the main features of the bogie and underframe become clearer, although much more work is still needed. It will become a lot easier when the loco body is lifted out of the way. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 27th April 2024 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D1010 – a sneak preview of things to come – the image shows the loco being towed to the North Yard by Barclay 578 so that it can be shunted into the ‘Swindon Shed’ and positioned over the pit. Williton webcam image captured on Friday 3rd May 2024 courtesy of Railcam UK and the WSR ©

 

Sponsorships for patches on D1010 continue to come in, for which we are VERY grateful indeed. We have many more patches waiting for sponsors, so please support the CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER and click here or on the image further below to get your name engraved into the metal of the locomotive. We will be having another engraving session when the loco return to our yard.

The drawings that have been developed in parallel will provide a formal record of the position of each sponsored patch and this will allow sponsors to look up the location of their patch when they visit the depot at Williton during the WSR SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT – and your PATIENCE !

Click the image below to sponsor a patch:

See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details. We still have a lot of work to do on this massive locomotive, so PLEASE DO COME ALONG AND HELP IF YOU CAN !

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is stabled at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use as the station pilot.

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – now back at Williton for some planned maintenance work which includes replacing the brake blocks and performing an ‘A’ examination.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – currently stabled at Williton as the Duty Loco for the duration of the steam gala. Next in use on Sunday 28th April on the 1230 service to Minehead and return. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is ready to return to service apart from a very short list of minor issues that will be addressed at Williton over the next few weeks. We have rostered this loco for two weekends of public services in June, the first being 15/16th June and the second being 29/30th June, under the BLUE timetable. Additional dates will be allocated ASAP. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get the news as soon as it is released.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘transmission team’ have separated the sections of the damaged geartrain and removed the No. 5 directional clutch which, as expected, was found to be badly damaged and beyond repair. Luckily, we have spare parts from the previous transmission that ran in D7018 back in BR days and for another 20 years in preservation until 1995, when the loco suffered a major engine failure and was withdrawn for heavy overhaul.

The damage to the clutch has led to significant shock loading of the selector arm and slipper plates, all of which show signs of damage. The fork itself is visibly bent and the selector shaft is twisted at the top. Again, these parts are available from the old transmission, avoiding a very expensive piece of specialised forging and machining.

The search for the root cause will continue, because the damage that has been uncovered is most probably the result of something else that went wrong, so we need to work it out and take action before we put it all back together and risk damaging it once again. Spare parts are few and far between. Here are some photos, all taken on 22nd or 23rd April 2024 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0:

D7018 – the shaft with the damaged clutch was lifted out at Williton on Monday 22nd April 2024 using a specially-fabricated but simple lifting beam, adjusted to keep the assembly in balance. The shaft comprises multiple sections that will come apart if lifted incorrectly. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Above – the selector fork for No. 5 clutch is visibly bent (the yellow line has been added for emphasis – it should be vertical).	Above – the inner item is the spring-loaded baulk ring and it has been driven past the control slot and has become jammed.
Above – the small black pieces of wire are the remains of the spring that returns the disengaged baulk ring to the blocking position.	Above – the cage that holds the return spring has been broken into several pieces.

 

Although we hope to be able to use spare parts that we have available, we will still need to replace seals, bearings, gaskets as necessary and we also need to drain the oil and have new oil available. All of these things cost money. PLEASE HELP by making a donation of £10 or by buying our 64-page A4 HYMEK D7018 BOOKLET (£10) which covers the history of this locomotive from build through to her return to service in 2019 following her major overhaul. THANK YOU VERY MUCH !

Click here or on the image above to order your copy of our ‘HYMEK D7018’ booklet, available for £10.

 

Click here or on the donation image above to go to the donations page on our website. If you feel able to donate more than £10, simply increase the quantity when on the donations page. Thank you in advance for your support !

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – further progress has been made with the wiring and pipework, and the team have been busy working on the subassemblies and components that are needed to progress the cab assembly. The need to prepare the depot for the public open days has sapped some of the available resource, but the pace will quicken from next week onward as volunteers return to their restoration tasks.

This loco is the subject of a fundraising appeal so please follow this link to find out more. We need your help ! In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Teddy Bears’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D9518 to fully operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is now stabled at Williton and is ready for action. Keep an eye on our DIESELGEN postings for details of any workings involving this locomotive.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco worked several services between Pickering and Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway during the week and we continue to received plenty of feedback on our social media channels, proving that this loco is actually the most popular member of our entire fleet ! We would welcome some more photographs though !

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this useful little loco is stabled in the yard at Williton and has been busy of late, handling the various shunt moves in the yard.

Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF 1) was active again at Williton on Saturday 27th April 2024 and was used to haul D1010 out of the shed so that the shed could be cleaned in preparation for the Open Weekend. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

If you can help by donating your time to any of these projects, then please JOIN US and come along to the depot for an introduction to what we do and how we do it. We currently have people on site from Saturday through to Tuesday and we can open on other days if we can be sure of getting at least two volunteers on site at all times, so there is plenty of scope. We have tasks of all types to suit most capabilities, both skilled and unskilled.

Many thanks to all of our volunteers who give up so much of their time to work on the cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !

 

BOOK REVIEW – both of our recently-added books are selling very well and making useful contributions to our loco funds, so if you haven’t already got your copy, then click on the images below to go to our online store to get yours now !

Price : £19.95 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store	Price : £17.50 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store

The new book by BERNARD MILLS is a very nice piece of work and is available at £19.95 per copy. We have now replenished our stock so that we can continue to meet the demand. This book provides ESSENTIAL READING for anyone interested in diesel-hydraulics and diesel-electrics of the South-Western varieties.

We also recommend the new book by ROGER GEACH entitled ‘HYDRAULIC MEMORIES’ and we have a BOOK REVIEW from regular contributor Neale Long on this title, and have posted it to our website; click on this link to find out what Neale thinks of this new book.

 

In the pre-owned category, we have posted several new titles and they are selling as fast as we are posting them, so PLEASE DONATE YOUR SURPLUS BOOKS so that we can replenish our stocks and keep the funds flowing in. Click HERE for our contact form.

All monies gathered from the sale of pre-owned books go directly to DEPG funds for the upkeep of our locomotive fleet, so we would like to say thank you very much to all who have donated and all who have purchased from our online store. Check our online store regularly and change the ‘default sorting’ to ‘sort by latest‘ to keep an eye on new postings.

Price : £5.00 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store	Price : £8.50 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store

 

 

ON SHED – this week, we feature a study of D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ by well-known photographer and author ROGER GEACH. This photo was taken almost exactly 49 years ago and shows D1010 over the pit in the running shed at Plymouth Laira Depot, which is another coincidence because D1010 is over the pit in the ‘Swindon Shed’ at Williton at the very moment of writing this roundup.

The headcode depicts 6B09 which suggests that the loco had recently worked the daily milk empties from Acton to St Erth. Many thanks to Roger for providing us with this photo.

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ was pictured over the pit in the running shed at Plymouth Laira Depot on 27th April 1975. Photo by Roger Geach © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

DEPG NEWS – a Board Meeting took place at Williton on Saturday, 27th April. A synopsis is being prepared and will be emailed ASAP to all DEPG members for whom we hold a valid email address.

 

The DEPG is entirely run by volunteers and we need to expand our volunteer numbers if we are going to be able to continue making progress on so many fronts simultaneously. If you have some time and feel able to help, please let us know by clicking this link to use our online CONTACT form. We look forward to hearing from you !

The DEPG depends on the support of all of our members, so please JOIN US and if you are already a member, please make sure that your membership is up to date. If you want to join or are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to open MEMBERMOJO. It is very quick and easy, and does not require you to remember yet another password. Thank you very much !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) was pictured in the company of sister D6566 (33048) on the Allerford Spur (the remains of the former Barnstaple line that closed in 1966) while out on a test run on Saturday 20th April 2024. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

After spending the winter undergoing an exhaust system overhaul inside the loco shed at Williton, Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) has now re-entered service and has taken over the role of ‘Duty Loco’ from sister D6566 (33048). The changeover took place on Saturday 20th April after a test run that involved D6575 running ‘Light Engine’ from Williton to Bishops Lydeard, where she attached to D6566, the pair of them then heading down to Norton Fitzwarren.

The test run involved multiple changes of direction and a test of the multiple working jumper cables. D6575 hauled her slightly older sister uphill for the three miles from Norton Fitzwarren to Bishops Lydeard and this was repeated several times, with the exhaust system being checked for leaks between each test run. The locos were swapped upon their return to Bishops Lydeard and D6566 ran to Williton ‘Light Engine’ to undergo maintenance, which will include a brake block change and an ‘A’ examination.

D6575 hauled the 1230 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and return service under the RED timetable on Sunday 21st and will be back in action on Sunday 28th. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for information about planned public workings.

Congratulations to volunteer loco manager Ian R and his team comprising Tom, Ashley, Tony and Ian F for their great work over the past few months. Well done guys !

 

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6575 (33057) was pictured while waiting in the wonderful countryside setting of Crowcombe Heathfield station on Saturday 20th April 2024, en route to Bishops Lydeard. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

Class 33 ‘Crompton’ D6566 (33048) was pictured at the very end of the Allerford Spur on Saturday 20th April 2024, with the Pontispool Equestrian Centre visible ahead and extending to the left. Today, this is the limit of the former Devon & Somerset route to Barnstaple via Dulverton and South Molton, that line having been closed since 1966. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0 

 

This extract from the WSR Rule Book, Map 10 shows that the Allerford spur is all that remains of the Barnstaple branch. To see the Rule Book maps and many more, go to the wsr.org.uk website by clicking this link. Image courtesy of WSR plc © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

1969 : 55 YEARS AGO

On Saturday 19th April 1969, the very last revenue-earning working of a Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ on BR metals took place in the Northern suburbs of Cardiff, on the former Taff Vale Railway network. Our very own D9518 worked the following trip freight services on that final day:

     06:15 Radyr Yard to Roath Branch Junction and return

     09:35 Radyr Yard to Roath Branch Junction and return

     14:20 Radyr Yard to Maindy and return

The loco was switched off at Radyr in full working order and was moved to Cardiff Canton depot on Saturday 26th April 1969 to join the line of redundant Class 14s already waiting there.

The lineup at Cardiff Canton then consisted of D9500, D9502, D9514, D9518 and D9527. Similarly lined up at Swansea Landore depot were D9521, D9524, D9536, D9538 and D955. All ten locomotives were formally withdrawn from service on 3rd May 1969.

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 was pictured at Radyr Yard, on the northern outskirts of Cardiff on 8th March 1969. This loco was the last of the Class to work a revenue-earning service on BR metals. Photo by Alan Walker © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

 

DIESEL LOCO RUNNING ON THE WSR:

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 will be hauling a ‘Pick-up Goods’ train on Saturday 27th April as part of the preparations for the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR event that will take place next week. Keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details of diesel-hauled public services and sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get advance notice of non-public service running.

 

 

MESSAGE FROM MARK BLADWELL, DEPG Publicity Officer

The Diesel & Electric Preservation Group are collecting Coins and Banknotes from anywhere in the world, modern and any vintage, as part of their fund raising activities.

We can use any of the following:
– The old (large) 50p, 10p and 5p, together with ½ p
– Old £1 coins together with any old £1, £5 and £10 notes
– Euros & Cents; US, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Dollars / cents coins and notes
– Pre-decimal coins (pre 1971)
– Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey coins and notes.
– In fact, any coins and notes from around the world.

A collection jar is at Williton Depot but we will be happy to receive items in the post. Contact Mark at publicity@depg.org  or write to Mark at The Old Goods Shed, Williton Station, Somerset, TA4 4RQ

Thank you in advance for helping the DEPG raise funds for the benefit of our loco fleet.

 

 

IMPORTANT DATES:

The first major event of the year is the SPRING STEAM SPECTACULAR which will take place throughout the Bank Holiday weekend, 3rd through 6th May, during which our loco shed will be open to the public, with Rod’s Model Railway sales stand alongside our own DEPG sales stand. Click here or on the image below for more information via the WSR’s website.

 

WSR DIESEL GALA 2024 – Thursday 6th through Saturday 8th JUNE

The WSR’s Diesel Gala will take place from Thursday 6th through to Saturday 8th June with mixed traction running on Sunday 9th, hopefully with at least one of the visiting locomotives at work. Our Williton depot will be open to the public from Thursday through Sunday, with a number of unusual and interesting exhibits on display. More details coming soon.

The first visiting locomotive to be announced was English Electric Class 50 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’, no doubt to the delight of the many followers of the class, and the second visitor has now been announced as BR-Derby Class 46 ‘Peak’ D182 (46 045), courtesy of the Peak Locomotive Company and a fine example of another well-loved ‘Type 4’ class. Also visiting, courtesy of 20189 Ltd., are English Electric Class 20 ‘Choppers’ (or ‘Whistling Wardrobes’) 20189 (D8189), in BR blue livery and 20142 (D8142) ‘Sir John Betjeman’, in commemorative London Transport livery. THE LATEST NEWS is that Class 24 D5054 (24054) ‘Phil Southern’ will be joining the lineup, so please MAKE A NOTE OF THESE DATES and do your best to attend. It is going to be a great event !

 

An additional bonus on Saturday 8th June will be a presentation by former BR Fleet Manager GEOFF HUDSON entitled ‘FIFTY YEARS WITH FIFTIES‘, taking place inside Williton Diesel Depot with 50033 (D433) ‘Glorious’ stabled outside the shed as a backdrop. Click here or on the image below for more information about this special event.

 

 

LOCO NEWS:

Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – our report this week will be brief because we have been concentrating on the lifting plan and the many activities that have to come together to allow a successful, safe and economical lift. The first step is to disconnect the bogie thrust brackets that transmit the traction forces and braking forces from body to bogie and vice versa. The loco has to be positioned over a pit before these large and heavy brackets can be disconnected, so that is the first of the many challenges that we have to overcome. A window of opportunity may be opening up, and we need to be ready for it. More news will be released as soon as possible.

Our website now carries a new page, ‘D1010 Progress Report – Jan 2024‘, the content of which will be familiar to DEPG members because it was included in the January Newsletter. This information is now available to all by clicking on this link.

As stated previously, we will need MORE HANDS to help us get the work done. If you want to see this locomotive back on the rails soon, then PLEASE COME ALONG AND HELP US WITH THIS WORK ! There is a wide range of tasks that need to be done, so simply reply to this email or use the CONTACT FORM on our website if you can lend a hand.

 

Sponsorships for patches on D1010 continue to come in, for which we are VERY grateful indeed. We have many more patches waiting for sponsors, so please support the CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER and click here or on the image further below to get your name engraved into the metal of the locomotive. We will be having another engraving session this weekend.

The drawings that have been developed in parallel will provide a formal record of the position of each sponsored patch and this will allow sponsors to look up the location of their patch when they visit the depot at Williton during the WSR SUMMER DIESEL FESTIVAL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT – and your PATIENCE !

Click the image below to sponsor a patch:

See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details. We still have a lot of work to do on this massive locomotive, so PLEASE DO COME ALONG AND HELP IF YOU CAN !

 

Class 09 D4107 (09019) – this loco is stabled at Bishops Lydeard and is in regular use.

 

Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – now back at Williton for some planned maintenance work.

 

Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – now based at Bishops Lydeard as the Duty Loco and in use on Sunday 28th April on the 1230 service to Minehead and return. See our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page for details.

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – this loco is ready to return to service apart from a very short list of minor issues that will be addressed at Williton over the next few weekends. We hope to get this loco rostered for some weekend public services in June, so keep an eye on our DIESEL RUNNING DATES page or sign up to our DIESELGEN email bulletin service to get the news as soon as it is released.

D7017 – pictured at Williton on Tuesday 9th April 2024 on the first leg of the three-day test ‘shakedown’ – with Class 33 D6566 (33048) tagging along for extra ballast (and insurance!). Photo by Dean Goodenough © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – the ‘transmission team’ continued their work on the careful disassembly of the damaged transmission, taking great care to ensure that evidence of the root cause is not lost in the process. This methodical approach does slow the progress, but we have to do it so that we can learn and ensure that we make the transmission reliable and fit for the long term. This work is not trivial and we don’t want to have to do it all again.

The damaged clutch has now been exposed by the separation of the casing halves and the next phase of work will be the removal of the geartrains and the separation of the key components, which will give us a look inside the failed No. 5 clutch. Interesting times indeed.

D7018 – the top half of the gear train casing casing was lifted off by Tim and Colin F at Williton on Tuesday 16th April 2024. Photo by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – the concentric input shaft (larger diameter gear wheel) and output shaft (smaller gear wheel) of the Torque Converter are clearly visible in this view, captured at Williton on Saturday 20th April 2024. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D7018 – volunteers James (left) and Barry (right) were pictured at Williton on Saturday 20th April 2024, studying the inner workings of this marvellous example of 1960s engineering. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

Although we hope to be able to use spare parts that we have available, we will still need to replace seals, bearings, gaskets as necessary and we also need to drain the oil and have new oil available. All of these things cost money. PLEASE HELP by making a donation of £10 or by buying our 64-page A4 HYMEK D7018 BOOKLET (£10) which covers the history of this locomotive from build through to her return to service in 2019 following her major overhaul. THANK YOU VERY MUCH !

Click here or on the image above to order your copy of our ‘HYMEK D7018’ booklet, available for £10.

 

Click here or on the donation image above to go to the donations page on our website. If you feel able to donate more than £10, simply increase the quantity when on the donations page. Thank you in advance for your support !

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – following the re-arrangement of the working area on number 3 road within the loco shed, the Tuesday Team were able to re-commence their work on the overhaul of the PAXMAN 6YJXL engine at Williton on Tuesday 16th April 2024 and the first step was to ensure that all parts that had already been removed were labelled and properly organised. The second photo below shows just a small number of the component parts of the engine !

D9518 – the overhaul of the PAXMAN 6YJXL engine was under way in the hands of (L-R) Nick and Terry at Williton on Tuesday 16th April 2024. Photo by Anthony Austin © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

D9518 – Linda had the task of identifying and tagging all of the parts that have been removed from the PAXMAN 6YJXL engine at Williton on Tuesday 16th April 2024. Photo by Anthony Austin © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

This loco is the subject of a fundraising appeal so please follow this link to find out more. We need your help ! In addition to funds, we also need plenty of HANDS. If you love the ‘Teddy Bears’ and you are not already a member of the DEPG, please join us so that you can become one of the team that is going to return D9518 to fully operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.

 

 

Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco has now relocated to Williton and is being rostered for use on several goods trains and positioning workings over the next few weeks, including a full day of work on Saturday 27th April. Keep an eye on our DIESELGEN postings for details.

 

Class 47 47077 ‘NORTH STAR’ – this loco worked several services between Pickering and Grosmont on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway during the week and we continue to received plenty of feedback on our social media channels, proving that this loco is actually the most popular member of our entire fleet !

 

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this useful little loco is stabled in the yard at Williton and has been busy of late, handling the various shunt moves in the yard.

Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF 1) was in the yard at Williton and was pictured after sunset on Friday 19th April 2024 by Jon Tooke © CC BY-NC 3.0

 

If you can help by donating your time to any of these projects, then please JOIN US and come along to the depot for an introduction to what we do and how we do it. We currently have people on site from Saturday through to Tuesday and we can open on other days if we can be sure of getting at least two volunteers on site at all times, so there is plenty of scope. We have tasks of all types to suit most capabilities, both skilled and unskilled.

Many thanks to all of our volunteers who give up so much of their time to work on the cleaning, painting, maintaining, restoring, managing and fund raising for our fleet of heritage locomotives !

 

 

BOOK REVIEW – both of our recently-added books are selling very well and making useful contributions to our loco funds, so if you haven’t already got your copy, then click on the images below to go to our online store to get yours now !

Price : £19.95 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store	Price : £17.50 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store

 

The new book by BERNARD MILLS is a very nice piece of work and is available at £19.95 per copy. We have now replenished our stock so that we can continue to meet the demand. This book provides ESSENTIAL READING for anyone interested in diesel-hydraulics and diesel-electrics of the South-Western varieties.

We also recommend the new book by ROGER GEACH entitled ‘HYDRAULIC MEMORIES’ and we have a BOOK REVIEW from regular contributor Neale Long on this title, and have posted it to our website; click on this link to find out what Neale thinks of this new book.

 

In the pre-owned category, we have posted several new titles and they are selling as fast as we are posting them, so PLEASE DONATE YOUR SURPLUS BOOKS so that we can replenish our stocks and keep the funds flowing in. Click HERE for our contact form.

All monies gathered from the sale of pre-owned books go directly to DEPG funds for the upkeep of our locomotive fleet, so we would like to say thank you very much to all who have donated and all who have purchased from our online store. Check our online store regularly and change the ‘default sorting’ to ‘sort by latest‘ to keep an eye on new postings.

Price : £7.50 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store	Price : £5.50 Click here for a link to the DEPG online store

 

 

ON SHED – apologies but we will have to skip this feature this week due to lack of time.

 

DEPG NEWS – the next Board Meeting is scheduled to take place at Williton from 10:30 on Saturday, 27th April. Please let us know if you have a question that you would like to have placed before the Board. The synopsis of the previous meeting (March 9th) has been emailed to all DEPG members for whom we hold a valid email address. Please let us know by using our CONTACT FORM if you didn’t receive your copy.

 

The DEPG is entirely run by volunteers and we need to expand our volunteer numbers if we are going to be able to continue making progress on so many fronts simultaneously. If you have some time and feel able to help, please let us know by clicking this link to use our online CONTACT form. We look forward to hearing from you !

The DEPG depends on the support of all of our members, so please JOIN US and if you are already a member, please make sure that your membership is up to date. If you want to join or are not sure about your membership status, please click here or on the image below to open MEMBERMOJO. It is very quick and easy, and does not require you to remember yet another password. Thank you very much !

 

Go to the previous Weekly Roundup post