West Somerset Express

The unofficial on line newsletter of the West Somerset Railway

Issue 26 – September 2004

Issue 15 - October 2003  Issue 16 - November 2003  Issue 17 - December 2003

Issue 18 - January 2004  Issue 19 - February 2004  Issue 20 - March 2004

Issue 21 - April 2004  Issue 22 - May 2004  Issue 23 - June 2004

Issue 24 - July 2004  Issue 25 - August 2004

West Somerset Express homepage

This page is part of the newsletter archive, photos of the year on the line can be seen on

WSR 2004  Spring Steam Gala 2004  Autumn Steam Gala 04  Diesel Gala 04

 

 

Dates in September

3 September:- ‘Murder on the Minehead Flyer’. 6.45pm from Bishops Lydeard. Steam hauled. Murder Mystery evening, with Sausage & Chips

6 September:- WSRA Taunton Group, Adrian Vaughan - Confessions of a Western Signalman

11 September:- Jazz Evening Special with Grenada Jazz Band. 6.45pm from Bishops Lydeard. Diesel hauled. Sausage & Chips. Train to run to Minehead in conjunction with Somerset CAMRA Weekend. Guest Real Ale

11 & 12 September:- CAMRA Real Ale Festival at Minehead Station, also Service Train Buffets will have Guest Real Ales on board

25 September:- Fish & Chips Special from Bishops Lydeard and Coastal Belle from Minehead.

28 September:- WSRA Bristol Group, Bristol Temple Meads & Isambard Kingdom Brunel - Peter Harris

 

Regular services continue, plenty of chances to enjoy Steam and Somerset Scenery, most days have 2 steam turns and a DMU.  Train Timetables and other Services on www.wsr.org.uk has full details for the year.

 

CAMRA Beer Festival

The fifth Somerset CAMRA Real Ale Festival extravaganza in partnership with the West Somerset Railway will be held on 11 and 12 September 2004 at Minehead Station. The festival will again feature at least 35 real ales and ciders, many from award winning local Somerset breweries such as Cotleigh, Cottage, Exmoor, Glastonbury, Moor and RCH. In addition to these will be a selection from around the British Isles, showcasing the incredible diversity in flavour and style produced by the ever expanding army of micro breweries.

Plenty of beer for the CAMRA Festival

 

Autumn Steam Gala

This years ASG is on Friday 1, Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 October.  Visiting locos confirmed are LBSCR "Terrier" 32678 Knowle and Large Prairie 5199.  A further large visiting loco is planned but is yet to be confirmed.  The Terrier will be in passenger action on the Friday between Minehead and Blue Anchor and will work the Dunster Goods on the Saturday and Sunday.  Auto Trailer 178 will return for the Gala and will be on workings similar to those during the Spring Steam Gala.

 

Grand Trains Extravanganza

This years event is on 23-24 October, it will have a similar format to last year's events, further details in the next issue of WSE.


Volunteers

The line is always looking for new volunteers for just about any task you can think of, from gardener to guard via firemen, ticket inspectors, buffet staff, station staff, p-way, S&T...

 

You can join us at any time of year, if you would like to know more please write to: The Volunteer Co-ordinator, The Railway Station, Bishops Lydeard, Taunton, Somerset, TA4 3BX, visit www.wsra.org.uk, e-mail the West Somerset Railway Association or Tel: 01823 433856.

 

Visiting Locos

The visitors at present are:

80136 BR Standard 4MT 2-6-4T which is on the line for a long stay.

5553 ex GW 4575 Class 2-6-2T from Waterman Railways.

4936 Kinlet Hall has recently arrived on the line for a stay until September.

 

Resident Locos

The lines resident steam locos currently operational are:

5542 ex GW 2-6-2T small prairie

6412 ex GW 0-6-0PT back "home" for much the of this year.

 

The creation of a small-boilered "Mogul", a locomotive designed by the Great Western Railway but never built, continues to make progress with entry into service planned this year.  At present the only outstanding work is apparently the boiler cladding and some fiendishly difficult to shape steam pipes!  We now know she will be 9351 as her number plates have been cast!  Good progress is also being made with the S&D 2-8-0, 53808/88 which is also in the works at Minehead.  Work is also progressing on 34046 Braunton at the WSRA's works at Williton.

 

Large prairie 4160 is now away at Buckfastleigh on the South Devon Railway for overhaul, which is about halfway through now.  7828 Odney Manor is at Minehead, she has now been bought by the WSR plc and her overhaul will commence once 9351 has been completed. Small prairie 4561 is on display in the Gauge Museum at Bishops Lydeard while she awaits her turn in Williton Works.  7820 Dinmore Manor, ex GW Manor Class 4-6-0, is also now awaiting overhaul as her boiler ticket has expired.
 

Diesel Locos

The line's resident operational mainline diesel locos are:

Class 52 D1010 Western Campaigner

Class 35 Hymek D7017

Class 25 D7523 / 25 173

Class 33 D6566 / 33 048

Class 14 D9526

The other resident Hymek, D7018, is undergoing a major overhaul at Williton.

 

Auto trailer 169 Project

The group who own 5542 have launched a new project, the restoration of ex GWR auto trailer 169.  See their web site www.loco5542.co.uk. for further details of of this exciting development.  169 is a year older than 178 which has been on the WSR and is expected to return this autumn, slightly shorter but otherwise pretty much the same.

 

This Month's Photos...

...are a bit of an assortment, starting with high season visitor 4936 Kinlet Hall gleaming in the sun at Minehead

4936 Kinlet Hall at Minehead

 

5542 Group's auto trailer project is mentioned above, this is 178 with 5542 at Crowcombe Heathfield

Auto trailer 178 at Crowcombe Heathfield

 

An interior view of auto trailer 178 during last years Great Trains Extravaganza, this sets a bench mark for this restoration of 169!

Inside auto trailer 178

 

A final one of 178, this time at Stogumber with 5542 during a photo run past.

5542 and 178 at Stogumber

 

Now for this years Steam Fayre and Vintage Vehicle Rally, starting with a 1903 Ransome-Simms & Jefferies 6nhp general purpose engine now owned by Ron Bond of Chard.

Ransome-Simms & Jefferies traction engine

 

Next a 1921 Foden C type 3 way tipper in the colours of its original owners colours, those of local quarryman W J King who used to send stone by rail over the West Somerset many years ago.

Foden steam lorry

 

Now a new addition to the WSR's departmental stock, a 15" gauge steam crane which will be visiting many rallies in the future.

15" gauge steam crane

 

These photos and many more are on West Somerset Railway and West Somerset Railway on the Web..

Note: you need to be connected to the Internet to view these photos. 

 

West Somerset Railway Association

Area Group Meetings:

Taunton Group:

In 2004, meetings will be held on the first MONDAY of the month (July & August excepted) at the usual venue – the Great Western Staff Association Club (at the north east corner of Taunton station) – starting at 7.45pm.

 

6 September - Confessions of a Western Signalman with Adrian Vaughan.

4 October - More Main Line Steam Videos - P.S.O.V.

1 November - Roaming the Regions - Richard Icke

 

For the full programme for 2004 see West Somerset Railway Association, for further details e-mail

peter.darke@virgin.net.

 

Bristol Group:

The Bristol group meets on the last Tuesday of the month between September and April at the BAWA, Southmead Road, Filton, Bristol starting at 7.30pm for 7.45pm:-

 

28 September - Bristol Temple Meads & Isambard Kingdom Brunel - Peter Harris

26 October - The Aust Ferry - Tim Ryan

30 November - The Vision of the WSR x 2 - Mark Smith/Humphrey Davies

 

For the full programme for 2004 see West Somerset Railway Association, for further details email.

 

Events for 2004

The next major event is the Somerset CAMRA Real Ale Festival on Minehead station on 11 & 12 September.  The next fully railway event is the Autumn Steam Gala on 1-3 October followed by the Grand Trains Extravaganza on 23-24 October.

 

The full programme for the year is now available on Events 2004, now you can plan ahead to get to all of the West Somerset's great events!

 

 

Groups on the line which would welcome support include:

West Somerset Railway Association

5542 Limited
Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust

Diesel & Electric Preservation Group
Dinmore Manor Locomotive Ltd
4160 Limited

Friends of Minehead Station
Friends of Blue Anchor Railway Museum

West Somerset Steam Railway Trust - icoleby@tiscali.co.uk
 

Telephone the West Somerset Railway on 01643 704996 for contact details of these groups.

 

WSR Links:

West Somerset Railway - an unofficial site full of information and photos of the West Somerset

West Somerset Railway Association - the Association is the main support group on the line.

The Official West Somerset Railway Web Site - for trains times and fares etc.

West Somerset Railway, heritage steam and diesel trains - pages of photos of the WSR.

Diesel & Electric Preservation Group Ltd (DEPG) - the diesel group on the line.

West Somerset Express Archive

wizzer.me.uk is a new site about the West Somerset Railway by a fellow volunteer, Jon Tooke. He often finds odd places to take photos from and even odder things to take them of so check it as it grows!

 

The next issue is due 27 September 2004.

 

 

 

 

© 2004 Steve Huddy.  This newsletter is independent of, and is not officially supported by, the West Somerset Railway plc or any of the affiliated organisations, unless specifically mentioned in the appropriate article. All information is believed correct but neither the publisher nor the Railway can be held responsible for any errors.