West Somerset Express
The unofficial on line newsletter of the West Somerset Railway
Issue 65 – December 2007
Issue 56 - March 2007 Issue 57 - April 2007 Issue 58 - May 2007
Issue 59 - June 2007 Issue 60 - July 2007 Issue 61 - August 2007
Issue 62 - September 2007 Issue 63 - October 2007 Issue 64 - November 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
December 3 - WSRA Taunton Group meeting
December 7 & 8 - Dunster by Candlelight, special trains from Bishops Lydeard to Dunster or Minehead for bus link.
December 29 - Winter Steam Festival
See www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk for details of the Santa trains which run December 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22-24.
Services Train Times on www.wsr.org.uk has full details of the services after Christmas and into the New Year.
Railtours - details of railtours to and from the WSR can be seen on Railtours on the railway's official web site.
Santa Steam Specials
There will be Santa Express where children see Santa on the train and Santa Specials where Santa greets the children at Crowcombe Heathfield or Blue Anchor will this December. For full details see www.wsr.org.uk and www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk
Winter Steam Festival - 29 December 2007
There will be two visiting engines at the West Somerset Railway Winter Steam Festival this year. Following their very popular appearance at the Autumn Steam Gala, and at the forthcoming Somerset in Autumn weekend, GWR 0-4-2T no 1450 and LB&SCR 0-6-0T no 662 Martello will be staying on the Minehead Branch for the Christmas Holiday event on 29 December 2007.
There will be five locos in action selected from 1450, 662, 9351, 3850, 88, 5553, 4160 and 44422 - a real feast of steam in the midst of Winter.
Good news for passengers is that ticket prices will be at standard (not special event) fares, so an Adult Day Rover, for example, will cost just £13. Full details of the Winter Steam Festival are available on www.wsr.org.uk
Heritage Carriage Project
A site has been identified for the carriage shed needed for the restoration of the HCP's rakes of Collett and Toplight coaches adjacent to Bishops Lydeard station, a Planning Application is in progress in conjunction with other developments proposed by a local developer. 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 and the new chord's formation has now reached that of the old Barnstaple line. 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. More recently the High Output Ballast Cleaner train used the new chord line to unload on 25 July then 66616 led it to the current end of the line.
WSR on Microsoft Train Simulator
The West Somerset Railway expansion for Microsoft Train Simulator is now available as a download from
www.justtrains.net for £14.99.
Turntable for Minehead
The installation of a turntable at Minehead will be be going ahead with all external funding now in place. The turntable itself has now gone to a steel company in the Midlands for restoration which is now well advanced. Meanwhile at Minehead the turntable pit has been dug and concrete has been poured!
Visiting Locos
The visitors at present are:
5553 Pete Waterman's ex GWR 2-6-2T small prairie
44422 4F 0-6-0 which will "replace" 80136 for the rest of the year.
In addition two visiting locos which came for the Autumn Steam Gala are staying on for the Winter Steam Festival:
662 Martello LBSC 0-6-0T
1450 GWR 0-4-2T
Resident Locos
The lines resident steam locos currently operational are:
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
6412 ex GWR 0-6-0PT the WSRA's pannier tank is now stopped for her 10 year overhaul at Williton.
34046 Braunton is progressing well, she has been out for tests running light engine but further work is necessary before her return to traffic
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 is now on display at STEAM Museum at Swindon for a year after which she will return for overhaul at Williton.
7820 Dinmore Manor, ex GWR 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 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 is stored at 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, DMBS 51859 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 is now progressing well at Williton.
This Month's Photos...
...are a taste of winter on the West Somerset, first is 9351 at Crowcombe Heathfield with a Santa Special in 2004
The following year saw SDJR 2-8-0 88 working a Santa Special again at Crowcombe Heathfield this time was especially wintry, we actually had snow on the ground!
Now a foretaste of the Winter Steam Festival, the tiny Terrier 662 Martello will be in action, she is seen here at Blue Anchor during the Autumn Steam Gala.
GW 0-4-2T 1450 will again be working with autotrailer 178, the combination is seen approaching Bishops Lydeard in this photo by John Newberry.
A line up of locos at Minehead in November 2007, with no services running Minehead shed was fairly full. Visible are 5553, 9351, 3850, 88 and D2271.
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.
2007
December 3 - Christmas Quiz
2008
January 7 - Member's slides and photo competition
February 4 - WSR - My Perspective with Ian Coleby
For the full programme for 2008 see West Somerset Railway Association, for further details e-mail
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:-
Regrettably, due to unforeseen circumstances, the 2007/8 season of meetings of the WSRA Bristol Area Group, due to start on September 25th, have been cancelled. They very much hope to resume meetings in September next year for the 2008/9 season
Events for 2007
7 & 8 December - Dunster by Candlelight
29 December - Winter Steam Festival
Dates for 2008
8-9 & 13-16 March 2008, Spring Steam Gala
13-15 June 2008, Mixed Traffic Weekend
2-3 August, Steam Fayre and Vintage Vehicle Rally
2-5 October, Autumn Steam Gala
25-26 October, Somerset in Autumn
28-29 December, Winter Steam Festival
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.
The next issue is due 27 December 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.