News Archive for October 2005

Published on 15th October 2005

Taunton Station has only witnessed a handful of locomotive/ unit naming's over the years, often these events are held at major stations and locations where train services remain static for longer periods of time to allow for speeches and the photos to be taken.

On the 15th October 2005 Wessex Trains named a two car Class 158 unit in Platform 6 at Taunton as 'Spirt of the South West'. Chris Irwin (South West Travelwatch) and Andrew Griffiths (Wessex Trains General Manager Devon and Cornwall) jointly named No.158861.

This naming was carried out 20 years after British Railways named No.47603 in the same platform at Taunton as 'County of Somerset'.

To view the gallery, please click here.

Published on 15th October 2005

The 15th of October 2004 provided the second stock movement onto the West Somerset Railway of former Virgin Trains HST powercar No.43093.

The powercar was hauled to Bishops Lydeard by Freightliner Class 47/0 No.47150, operating as 5Z43 11:18 Derby - Minehead. The pair arrived onto the line during the late afternoon/ early evening and were held to wait for the Quantock Belle to arrive from Minehead (hauled by 0-6-0T No.6412) before being allows to proceed forward. Once at Minehead the locomotive was uncoupled and the powercar driven onto the same siding where the previous HST set had been positioned.

Published on 1st October 2005

The 1st October 2005 and 15th October 2005 provided a pair of Class 50 locomotives from The Fifty Fund supporting 'Steamy Affairs' charters in the southwest.

The locos were used to haul diesel legs of 'The Devonshire Riviera Express' charters. On the 1st October the large-logo Class 50s hauled the Northampton - Bristol leg of the charter before LNER A4 No.60009 took over for the run to Kingswear. The Class 50s passed Taunton light engine shadowing the train before later returning the charter to Northampton later that day.

Two weeks later the pair were back hauling 1Z84 Ashford International - Kingswear where they met up with No.60009 and the A4 hauled the charter through to Westbury before the Class 50s took over for the final leg to Ashford.

We have provided a selection of images from the operations in the Taunton area over the two weekends.