LOCO NEWS:
Class 52 D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ – our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER has got off to a great start with £800 raised in the first full week since launch plus a fantastic £1010 donation from a long-term DEPG member. With this kind of support, we can maintain the pace and keep the progress going, so THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all who have donated. We have been experimenting with the engraving on the loco and developing a technique that will allow donor names to remain visible on the base metal even after future repaints, and we will include photos next week. We have also set up a campaign on JustGiving and will be developing that trusted and familiar platform to run in parallel with our own online store. Click on the images below for more details:
In parallel with the fundraising activity, the work continues on the locomotive, with several tricky areas of bodywork repaired. The loco had the benefit of 6 volunteers working on her last Saturday, to really push the pace along, and two volunteers worked on three other days last week to prepare new areas of work along the bodyside. Take a look at the photos below:
D1010 B-end corner was filled and filed by Mike to ensure that the curves are as smooth and graceful as designer Sir Misha Black had intended. Photo taken at Wiiliton on Saturday 5th March 2022 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the B-end driver’s side repairs above cab floor level were complicated and required a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to be developed to mitigate risks. The SOP will allow other complex repairs to be conducted elsewhere on the loco bodyside. Photo taken at Wiiliton on Sunday 6th March 2022 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the centre window on B-side was removed so that a previous repair could be checked and the welds blended-in. Photo taken at Wiiliton on Saturday 5th March 2022 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the progress on B-side now extends to the roof of the loco, after more careful work by Chris at Williton on Saturday 5th March 2022. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D1010 – the wiring in the B-end cab needs to be reinstated after completion of welding work, so Richard made a start by lifting the cab floor and cleaning out the debris that resulted from the bodyside repairs. The next step will be a coat of paint and then the restoration of the cable conduits and wiring. Photo taken at Wiiliton on Sunday 6th March 2022 by Colin Foxhall © CC BY-NC 3.0
To support the work that is progressing in multiple areas on D1010, we launched our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER by offering ‘SPONSOR A PATCH’ where you can donate in support of the bodywork repairs that are taking place on D1010 ‘WESTERN CAMPAIGNER’ and HAVE YOUR NAME ENGRAVED ON THE SPONSORED PATCH or PART.
For the sum of £25, this scheme offers you a chance to sponsor the restoration of this much-loved locomotive, with your personal contribution being recorded and documented on a set of drawings that will be made available at our Williton depot on running days and open days. For those who prefer to remain anonymous, a unique reference number will be allocated and engraved instead.
See our CAMPAIGN for CAMPAIGNER web page for more details !
NOTE: EVERYONE WHO HAS ALREADY DONATED £25 OR MORE SINCE JULY 2021 WILL BE RECOGNISED and will be allocated an appropriate area on one of the patches or parts that have already been applied to the loco. Donations of smaller sums that accumulate to £25 are also eligible, so donate what you can when you can, and we will keep track of your total donations. Use our CONTACT FORM if you want to register your previous donations to D1010 for this campaign.
-
Sponsor a Patch on D1010£25.00 – £40.00
Class 33 D6566 (33 048) – this loco is currently at Williton and was given a wash and brush up by Tom on Saturday 5th March and moved to number 1 road in preparation for some running that is planned for later in the month.
Class 33 D6575 (33 057) – this loco is the WSR duty loco and is currently at Bishops Lydeard, and is ready for action.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7017 – some BIG NEWS on this loco – she has been booked in to the WSR Restorations ‘Swindon Shed’ for the week commencing 28th March to have her bogie springs replaced. This work will be done by Ryan and the team at WSR Restorations with assistance from DEPG volunteers. This is great news and we look forward to getting this loco ready to run as soon as possible.
Class 35 ‘Hymek’ D7018 – after the engine run last week and the yard exercise, this loco had a quiet week because of crew training that was taking place at Minehead. This loco is capable of operating while locked in second gear, but with a restricted load. We intend to resolve the transmission control issue in good time to allow the increased loads that will be a feature of the WSR’s 2022 Diesel Gala.
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9518 – more great progress this week, both on-site and off-site, with the brake cross-shaft being installed complete with new bearings, and more items of pipework and ancillary equipment being fitted. The photos below show the areas that were progressed this week:
D9518 – more items both on and around the frames show the excellent rate of progress that is taking place on this machine. We need fundraising to keep pace and support the unavoidable external expenditure on items such as cardan shafts and heavy gauge electrical cable for batteries and the generator. Pictured from the access platform around D1010 at Williton on Saturday 5th March 2022 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – the buffers have been overhauled, repainted and refitted at both ends of the loco. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 5th March 2022 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – the brake cross-shaft has been re-installed with new bearings that have been carefully adjusted to achieve the correct running clearances. Pictured at Williton on Saturday 5th March 2022 by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – the other end of the brake cross-shaft showing the new bearings that were installed by Simon, Terry and Colin G at Williton on Saturday 5th March 2022. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – more steel panels getting the green primer spray treatment from Colin G at Williton on Saturday 5th March 2022. Photo by Andy Royal © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – meanwhile, at his ‘other’ workshop, Colin G has completed his restoration work on the marker light assemblies and they are now ready to be re-installed on the frames. Note that we have three white and one red, so we need a red lens to be able to finish the set. Can you help ? Pictured on 4th March 2022 by Colin Girle © CC BY-NC 3.0
D9518 – these lamp assemblies are standard on a wide range of locos such as classes 20, 24, 25, 31, 35, 40, 42, 45, 50, 52 and 55. DO YOU HAVE A RED LENS or RED LIGHT ASSEMBLY THAT YOU COULD DONATE TO D9518 ? Pictured on 4th March 2022 by Colin Girle © 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 full operational condition as ‘NCB No. 7‘.
-
Donate £1 to D9518£1.00 -
Donate £10 to D9518£10.00 -
Donate £25 to D9518£25.00 -
Donate £100 to D9518£100.00
Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9526 – this loco is currently based at the Kent & East Sussex Railway and is in regular use, performing a variety of tasks. We hope to share some more photos of this loco in action soon.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 – this loco is currently in the Swindon Shed at Williton receiving attention from the WSR Restorations team and is close to completion. The loco is already wearing her gloss coat of MOD deep bronze green and only needs some underframe painting and detailing before being outshopped and returning to the South Yard.
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0DH 578 (ROF 1) in the paint shop at WSR Restorations, Williton, on Friday 4th March 2022. Photo by Martin Howard © CC BY-NC 3.0
If you can help by donating your time, 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 !
Go to previous Depot News page