News Archive for April 2017

 West Somerset Railway - 2017 Spring Steam Gala

(Photo: Thomas Courtney)


Published on 30th April 2017

The West Somerset Railway held their Spring Steam Gala between the 27th - 30th April 2017.

The preserved line was blessed with good weather and a wealth of steam locomotives in action. One of the visitors to the line was Standard 4MT 2-6-0T No.76017 which is pictured here in glorious afternoon sunshine passing Longlands Farm between Norton Fitzwarren and Bishops Lydeard on the 29th April 2017.

To view the gallery, please click here.


 Powercar Move

Published on 29th April 2017

GWR have been transferring HST powercars between Plymouth and South Wales with some regularity of late.

During Saturday 29th April No.43036 returned 'Building a Greater West' liveried powercar (No.43146) back to Laira. No.43146 was the powercar featured earlier this month on this page with some serious exhaust issues. The 0Z77 09:35 Landore - Laira movement is pictured passing Creech St Michael on the approach to Taunton.

To view the gallery, please click here.

(Photo: Brian Garrett)


Memories of British Rail


Published on 24th April 2017

You would probably be correct in thinking anyone wanting to put money on a pair of BR Blue Class 20s passing Taunton during April 2017 could be classed as mad, but where the UK railway scene is concerned then it's probably a fair bet.

Monday 24th April 2017 provided the incredible sight of BR Blue Class 20s No.20205 & No.20189 working light engine through Taunton. The 0Z20 move operated from Kidderminster departing at 09:00 and headed to Okehampton in order to collect three locomotives from the Dartmoor Railway. Having visited the edge of Dartmoor the British Rail Blue pairing returned north through Taunton hauling Class 45/0 No. 45060 'Sherwood Forester', Class 47/8 No.47828 and Class 33 No.33035. The locomotives had been on the Dartmoor Railway since before Christmas 2016 when they were operating Polar Express services on the line. Class 20 No.20189 and No.20205 lead the 5Z47 14:00 Okehampton to St Philips Marsh on the return.

To view the gallery, please click here.

(Photo: Chay Farzenah)

(Photo: Chay Farzenah)

(Photo: Chay Farzenah)



 Weekend Engineering

Published on 23rd April 2017

EWS liveried Class 66/0 No.66034 returned the long welded rail train back to Eastleigh from Cornwall on Sunday 23rd April 2017.

The set had worked down to Truro during Saturday evening where it unloaded rails for future replacement. The empty train returned as the 6W98 08:00 Truro - Eastleigh Yard seen here at Marlands on the Sunday morning.

(Photo: Simon Harling)


Spring Steam Gala Arrivals

(Photo: Brian Garrett)

Published on 22nd April 2017

Locomotives will soon start arriving for the West Somerset Railway Spring Steam Gala, one such visitor to the line has been operating trains for around the past week or so. 2-6-2 Large Prairie No.5199 visiting from the Llangollen Railway will also be taking part in the forthcoming event.

On the 22nd April 2017 the locomotive was used to haul the 12:40 departure from Bishops Lydeard. The train had two additional coaches added to the consist running a memorial event for the late WSR Association founder member John Pearce who passed away aged 79 in February.


 Powercar Move

Published on 22nd April 2017

GWR moved a pair of their green liveried powercars from Laira Depot (Plymouth) to Landore Depot (Swansea) in a rare Saturday morning diagram on the 22nd April 2017.

Powercars No. 43041 'St Catherines Castle' and No. 43188 'Newport Castle' are seen passing Norton Fitzwarren while working the 0Z86 from from Plymouth to Swansea.

(Photo: Adam Hiscock)


DB Cargo Red

DB Cargo provided a splash of colour on Saturday 22nd April 2017, with newly painted Class 66/0 No.66041 top and tailed with EWS liveried No.66024 while working the 6W11 14:40 Westbury - Bristol East Junction via Fairwater Yard. The trainload of new concrete sleepers are pictured passing Bathpool on the approach to Taunton.

(Photo: Adam Snow)


The 6W11 14:40 Westbury - Bristol East Junction engineers train passing through Taunton Station entering Fairwater Yard on the 22nd April 2017. Here the train changed direction with No.66024 to lead the train to Bristol East Junction where it would enter the engineering blockade and eventually be unloaded of its new sleepers.

(Photo: Adam Hiscock)



Published on 22nd April 2017

DB Cargo provided a splash of colour on Saturday 22nd April 2017, with newly painted Class 66/0 No.66041 top and tailed with EWS liveried No.66024 while working the 6W11 14:40 Westbury - Bristol East Junction via Fairwater Yard.

The locomotive hauled a trainload of new concrete sleepers to Taunton before No.66024 hauled the train north to Bristol where the train entered a weekend engineering blockade for the sleepers to be unloaded and new track to be fitted.

To view the gallery, please click here.


The Cathedrals Express

(Photo: Jamie Waters)

Published on 20th April 2017

The first steam of the season arrived into Taunton with LMS power on the front end of the train on the 20th April 2017.

'The Cathedral Express' operated from London Victoria through to Minehead operating as the 1Z60 08:43 departure from London. The train was formed of No. 46100 'Royal Scot' and coaching stock 35451 5249 5200 5171 9104 13440 99352 99347 13320 1666 5236 5237. West Coast Class 47/7 No.47760 was marshaled on the rear end of the train. In good light the consist passes's Cogload Junction on the approach to Taunton.


Smoking MTU

(Photo: Thomas Courtney)

Published on 19th April 2017

We all forget that in this day of modern clean diesel engines that smoke (or 'clag') emitting from the exhaust of a HST powercar was once a perfectly common sight.

In the modern age it's very much a sign that GWR powercar No.43146 may well be taking a visit to Laira depot very shortly for some attention to its MTU power unit. No.43146 is pictured departing Taunton working the 1U03 07:00 London Paddington - Paignton service on Wednesday 19th April 2017.

To view the gallery, please click here.


 Reformed Class 150/2

Published on 17th April 2017

GWR's latest reformed unit has appeared as a 3-car Class 150/9 numbered No.150916 the set is formed of No.150216 and half of No.150212 (52216 57212 57216).

The set is pictured at Taunton ready to work the 2U26 17:06 Taunton to Cardiff Central on the 17th April 2017. The rouge centre car No.57212 was previously sandwiched in 150926 which has now revered back to No.150126.

To view the gallery, please click here.

(Photo: Nathan Williamson)


Easter Engineers


Published on 17th April 2017

Easter Monday 17th April 2017 provided a mid afternoon Network Rail engineering train returning to Westbury.

Running two hours behind schedule Class 66/5 No.66596 leads the 6Y56 13:03 North Somerset Junction - Westbury via Taunton. Class 66 No.66/5 66520 was coupled to the rear. Having changed direction in Fairwater Yard the train then returned north before swinging east at Cogload Junction and heading for Westbury.

To view the gallery, please click here.

(Photo: Simon Harling)

(Photo: Simon Harling)



 Steam Archive

Published on 16th April 2017

We are pleased to announce a second batch of previously unseen 1940's / 50's images from Taunton have now been added to the Archive Steam page.

These images have taken a considerable while longer to repair and return to a view-able condition, with several other projects having taken priority. Three of the images now uploaded took over ten hours to repair. Removing dust, scratches, discoloration, and grime accumulated in the past fifty or so years. The information shown in the captions is currently all the information we have researched and will be updated if more accurate or confirmed information is able to be confirmed in due course. Why not have a look at our Steam Archive page and take a look at these uniquely historic images.

To view the gallery, please click here.

(Photo: Taunton Trains Collection)


Aggregate Industries

(Photo: Simon Harling)

Published on 10th April 2017

Aggregate Industries liveried Class 59/0 No. 59004 'Paul A Hammond' 'Paul A Hammond' added a splash of colour to the 10th April 2017 making an appearance on the Exeter Riverside stone contract.

The clean locomotive is seen hauling the 7C28 13:45 Exeter Riverside - Whatley Quarry up Whiteball Bank on the 10th April 2017 returning to Westbury.

To view the gallery, please click here.


 Colourful Powercar

Published on 9th April 2017

GWR powercar No.43127 provides another splash of colour passing Cogload Junction wearing 'BRISTOL 2015 European Green Capital' colours assisted at the rear by No.43131 passes Cogload Junction on Sunday 9th April 2017 with 1C76 09:06 London Paddington to Plymouth service for GWR.

(Photo: S A Ginn)


Weekend Colas Engineers


Published on 9th April 2017

Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th April 2017 provided a day of summer sunshine and temperatures providing ideal conditions to record engineers trains returning to Westbury from Bath.

A selection of trains visited Taunton during the day to change direction and head back to Westbury having exited the engineering blockade.


Two of the latest Class 70s to arrive with Colas fresh from the GE Test Track in the United States.

(Photo: S A Ginn)

(Photo: Wayne Potter)

(Photo: Darren Harris)


(Photo: Lee Robbins)

(Photo: Brian Garrett)

(Photo: Thomas Courtney)



 GWR Class 150 Refurbishment

(Photo: Brian Garrett)


Published on 8th April 2017

GWR Class 150 No.150002 often operates between Cardiff Central and Taunton, on Saturday 8th April 2017, the newly refurbished unit passes Creech St Michael while working the 2C75 12:00 Cardiff Central to Taunton via Weston-super-Mare local stopping service.

To view the gallery, please click here.


To view news stories from March 2017 click here, or for news from May 2017, click here.