West Somerset Express

The unofficial on line newsletter of the West Somerset Railway

Issue 60 – July 2007

Issue 53 - December 2006  Issue 54 - January 2007  Issue 55 - February 2007

Issue 56 - March 2007  Issue 57 - April 2007  Issue 58 - May 2007

Issue 59 - June 2007

West Somerset Express homepage

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

WSR 2007  Spring Steam Gala 2007  Mixed Traffic Weekend  Autumn Steam Gala 2007

 

 

Ian Allan Publishing Heritage Railway of the Year 2006

 

Dates for your diary

July 7-8 - Days Out with Thomas

July 14 - WSRA AGM

July 15-22 - Station Gardens Week

July 28 - Jazz Special from Bishops Lydeard

 

See www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk for details of special trains

 

Services are running daily during June, July August & SeptemberTrain Times on www.wsr.org.uk has full details.

 

Railtours - details of railtours to and from the WSR can be seen on Railtours on the railway's official web site.

 

Days Out with Thomas

This years visit by the little blue engine is on July 7 & 8 when "Thomas" will be joined by "Henry", "Duck" and "Gordon" to the delight of the younger visitors.  Along with the trains there will be many other attractions on the platforms at Minehead.

 

Through Trains to Bristol

The first regular public trains from Minehead to Taunton and Bristol for over 30 years will run from Minehead from Friday 20 July.

 

The trains are the outcome of several months of planning between The West Somerset Railway, Butlins, Mainline Rail and Victa Westlink Rail, the last of whom will provide the train services. There has also needed to be complex negotiations with Network Rail and the Office of the Rail Regulator. The outcome is that services will run on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays between Friday 20th July and Monday 27th August.  The trains will leave Minehead at 11.10 and will call at all West Somerset Railway stations before reaching Taunton at 12.55 and then run non-stop to Bristol Temple Meads, arriving at 13.46. The return will depart from Temple Meads at 14.06 and will stop at Taunton at 14.42 and then all WSR stations to Minehead, where arrival is at 16.25.

The trains will be worked by diesel locomotives and air-conditioned coaches provided by Mainline Rail and will offer passengers from the Wales, the Midlands and North of England the opportunity to travel direct to West Somerset by changing at Bristol, whilst passengers from London and the South East, plus those from the South West of England will be able to change at Taunton.

Return tickets on the trains will be available to Taunton at £16 for adults, £13.60 for seniors, and £8 for children and Local Residents Travel Card holders will be able to travel at reduced rates. No reduced rates will be available for the return fares to Bristol, which will be £21.95 for adults and seniors and £10.95 for children.

Details from www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk

 

 

Mixed Traffic Weekend

This event was a great success with over 3,255 passengers travelling behind the mixture of steam and early diesel locos that were in action.  The hydraulics - D832, D1010, D1015 and D7076 - gave the event a distinctly 1960s Western Region atmosphere and it was also the preservation debut of D1661.

 

Next years event will be on June 13-15 2008 so make a note of the date...

 

Heritage Carriage Project

Two further carriages have recently been acquired for the project, a Collett Brake Third and a Toplight. There is also progress towards  for more details and the latest news on this project see the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust website.

 

Volunteers

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

 

There are regular "New Volunteers Days" every year when prospective new recruits are invited to spend a day on the line – where they are introduced to key personnel, given a guided tour of the line and have the chance of learning more about the voluntary opportunities and what is involved.

 

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.  There's more about volunteering on a new site, WSR Volunteers .

If you can't give the time but would still like to support the WSR why not join the association?  Details from www.wsra.org.uk

 

New web-cam on www.wsr.org.uk

There is now a streaming webcam on the line's unofficial web site, it can also be accessed directly at

http://wsrailway.camstreams.com/

 

Progress at Norton Fitzwarren

Things are really happening at Norton, there is now about 1/4 mile of track laid, the 33kv electric power lines over part of the site have been moved underground.  The project, along with the Network Rail High Output team has won an award from the Institute of Civil Engineers for the exceptional engineering and cooperation across several organisations that has combined to produce two successful projects, the WSRA Triangle and Network Rail's Fairwater Yard.

 

One result is that the WSRA is now able to supply environmentally sourced and sustainable recycled aggregates, more details on http://www.wsra.org.uk/aggregates/

 

Meanwhile there are regularly photos of the progress there on www.wsr.org.uk including some of when 6024 King Edward I became the first steam loco to use the new track when this was the most suitable place to stable the King's unique water carrier.

 

Turntable for Minehead

The installation of a turntable at Minehead will be be going ahead with all external funding now in place.
Completion date is the end of March 2008, so the program is tight but still achievable. It will definitely be the turntable from Pwlhelli extended to 65ft, not the Swindon Works one, as the latter would take too long to organise. £63,000 needs to be raised, the appeal has made a promising start but further funds are required...
 

Visiting Locos

The visitors at present are:

5553 Pete Waterman's ex GWR 2-6-2T small prairie

 

44422 4F 0-6-0 will be coming to the line to "replace" 80136 for the rest of the season.

 

Resident Locos

The lines resident steam locos currently operational are:

6412 ex GWR 0-6-0PT the WSRA's pannier tank.

9351 WSR rebuild as a 2-6-0 mogul of GWR 5101 class prairie tank 5193.

88 ex SDJR 7F 2-8-0 (BR No 53808)

3850 ex GWR 2-8-0.

4160 ex GWR 2-6-2T large prairie is now back from overhaul.

 

5542 ex GWR 2-6-2T small prairie has now left the line and is currently at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway for the main part of year. Later the driving wheel tyres will be replaced at the SDR.  Hopefully she'll be back after this.

 

7828 Odney Manor is in Minehead Works for her overhaul.

 

Small prairie 4561 has now been moved to Williton, hopefully she'll soon be overhauled.

 

7820 Dinmore Manor, ex GWR Manor Class 4-6-0, is also now awaiting overhaul as her boiler ticket has expired.

 

34046 Braunton is progressing well, she has been wheeled, steam has been raised in the boiler - which has now been fitted to the frames.

 

The tender from 35027 Port Line recently arrived on the West Somerset for use behind Braunton while her tender is completed.

 

Diesel Locos

The line's resident operational mainline diesel locos are:

Class 52 D1010 Western Campaigner

Class 47 D1661 North Star

Class 35 Hymek D7017 - stopped for repairs

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.

 

D6575/33057 is initially a source of spares for D6566, it will be assessed to see if it can be restored in due course and has recently been moved to Williton.

There's plenty of opportunities if you'd like to be involved with the DEPG's fleet, see their web site at DEPG which has regular updates of the status of the fleet.

 

DMUs

The Class 117 unit belongs to the Territorial Army and has now left the WSR, the other three Class 117 TCLs are used as hauled stock at peak times.  Of the Class 115 stock DMBS 51880 (nearing the end a major overhaul), DMBS 51859 (being repainted) and TCL 59678 will form the DMU services this year, 51852 and 51887 are out of service.

 

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 is often on the WSR), slightly shorter but otherwise pretty much the same.  Restoration work on 169 has now started in earnest at Williton.

 

This Month's Photos...

...start with 3850 running round her train at Bishops Lydeard before working a "Murder, Mystery" special to Minehead on a Saturday evening.

3850 at Bishops Lydeard

 

Earlier small prairie 5553 was working a "Steam Engineman's Course" and is seen here coming on to her train at Bishops Lydeard.

5553 at Bishops Lydeard

 

After she was coupled up the Class 115 DMU arrived from Minehead, the old meeting the not quite as old!

5553 and Class 115 DMU

 

Now for some of the Mixed Traffic Weekend starting with Class 42 "Warship" D832 Onslaught waiting in platform 1 while Class 52 "Western" D1010 Western Campaigner sets back on to her train.

D832 and D1010 at Bishops Lydeard

 

D832 then came round on the front of D1010 to double head back to Minehead.

D832 and D1010 leaving Bishops Lydeard

 

Another visiting Diesel Hydraulic was Class 35 "Hymek" D7076 which is seen at Bishops Lydeard waiting to depart for Minehead.

Hymek D7076 at Bishops Lydeard

 

At the other end of the line, recent arrival Class 47 D1661 North Star stabled at Minehead with D832 Onslaught behind.  Photo by Jon Tooke

D1661 North Star and D832 Onslaught

 

 

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 2007 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.

 

Meetings resume in September.

 

For the full programme for 2007 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 May at the BAWA, Southmead Road, Filton, Bristol starting at 7.30pm for 7.45pm:-

 

Meetings resume in September.

 

For the full programme for 2007 see West Somerset Railway Association, for further details email.

 

Events for 2007

7 & 8 July - "Days Out With Thomas"

15-22 July - Station Gardens Week

4 & 5 August - Steam Fayre & Vintage Vehicle Rally

5 August - Toy & Model Fair at Minehead

15 & 16 September - Real Ale Festival

4 - 7 October - Autumn Steam Gala

27 & 28 October - Grand Trains Extravaganza

7 & 8 December - Dunster by Candlelight

29 December - Winter Steam Festival

 

Advance dates for 2008:-

8-9 & 13-16 March 2008, Spring Steam Gala

13-15 June 2008, Mixed Traffic Weekend

 

Further details on these will be in future issues of West Somerset Express.

 

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
 

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.

UKsteam.info  has sections on the WSR and on mainline steam railtours

West Somerset Steam Railway Trust is concerned with the historical and educational aspects of railway preservation in West Somerset, especially now the Heritage Carriage Project.

WestSomersetRailway Yahoo! group for discussion and chat about the WSR

WSR Volunteers - a new site with lots of info for those thinking of volunteering

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.

 

The next issue is due 27 July 2007.

 

 

 

 

© 2007 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.