Published on 16th May 1992
A group of Enthusiasts from the Lancashire Locomotive Society visited Taunton during the early hours of the 16th May 1992 as part of a three-day trip around the south west visiting various railway locations.
The Lancashire Locomotive Society was a northwest based group that in its heyday (70s-early 80s) used to run actual railtours, during the 1990s it was just coach-based trips with permits arranged. As an example, trips could start off at Blackpool picking up at places like Wigan, Preston, Manchester, Stockport filling a 56-seater coach and in summer months there would be Friday night pickups travelling north or south with hotel stops on the Saturday getting back Sunday night. winter trips were usually just day tours. The society had members from all walks of life and railway interests, the society chairman was a financial advisor with his own business, there were a few married couples, bus spotters, wagon collectors. The trips always had a great atmosphere. The visit to Taunton in 1992 was a Friday night departure from the North West, a dinner stop at Michael Wood Services (M5 southbound) reaching Taunton after midnight to capture some of the overnight mail and sleeper services which would be calling at Taunton. Taunton Yard shunter No.08801 was also present stabled in the bay platform. The group recorded several images at Taunton including No.47580 on a southbound mail/ TPO service. Leaving Taunton, the group would continue to Exeter, Meldon Quarry, Penzance (where they had arrived at the same time as the mail train they captured at Taunton earlier in the night), Plymouth, Laira (Depot Visit), Exeter, and Whatley and Merehead (Depot Visit), Westbury, Cardiff Canton (Depot Visit), and Newport before returning home on the 18th May. A total over 186 locomotives were captured during the three day trip and 55 Diesel Multiple Units. We would like to thank Paul Gabbay for this persimmon display these images captured at Taunton, for those with access to Facebook please see the following link the Paul Gabbay Collection
