News Archive for March 2018

Published on 30th March 2018

The 2018 West Somerset Railway Diesel Gala is heading on the right track with the announcement of their event which will run from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th June 2018.

The theme of 'Vintage Diesels to the Seaside' is planned to celebrate the 1970s and 1980s when a great variety of diesel locos were called on to haul holiday trains to the seaside all over the UK. On the Friday and Saturday all services will be diesel hauled with a limited number of steam hauled trains booked for the Sunday along with the diesels.
Guest locomotives attending the event have now been confirmed as Class 20’s 20189 & 20205 (courtesy of Michael Owen) hauling Class 45 No. 45041 'Royal Tank Regiment' (Courtesy of Peak Locomotive Company), Class 50 No. 50035 'Ark Royal' (courtesy of Class 50 Alliance) and Deltic Class 55 No. 55019 'Royal Highland Fusilier' (courtesy of the Deltic Preservation Society). All these visitors carry British Rail Blue livery. GBRf will be providing transport for these locomotives to the WSR from their various locations around the UK.

The DEPG 'home fleet' is hoped to be back to full strength after huge efforts by the volunteers at Williton. Class 14 No. D9526, (making its return to traffic after a heavy overhaul), Class 33s No.D6566 (No.33048) & No.D6575 (No.33057). No.D6566 itself re-entering service after a heavy overhaul. Class 35 Hymeks No.D7017 & No.D7018 will be in action, with No.D7018 making its first public runs after 23 years out of service and a full engine rebuild by the DEPG team. The ever popular Western Class 52 No. D1010 'Western Campaigner' will also be back on the rails with it's twin maybach engines in action. These locos will also be joined by Class 09 D4107 which will operate shuttles between Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren.
A big feature of the 2018 event is a brand new timetable, which should bring far more interest and dynamic travel to the discerning diesel enthusiast.
The gala will also be complemented by a Beer Festival which is being planned for the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust site at Washford to run over the weekend. It is planned to have a good number of real ales available from both local west country breweries and some from further afield to cater for all tastes. Food will also be available at the festival. All trains will call at Washford to enable diesel gala visitors to indulge in a pint or two in between their haulage runs. Please note that there will be no car parking available at Washford and all visitors are encouraged to travel by train.

Published on 29th March 2018

Two further GWR HST sets went off lease during week commencing 26th March.

On Tuesday 27th March powercars No.43140 and No.43149 worked 5Z43 10:15 Laira - St Philips Marsh with stock (LA09) 42574 42072 42325 42269 42267 between them. On Wednesday 28th March No.43127 and No.43145 followed working the same diagram with stock (LA10) 42288 44024 41134 42276 42576 42275 42277 41130 44032.
Some of the coaching stock will be taken to Ely for long term storage, while those coaches entering traffic with Scotrail will be put through Doncaster Works for door conversions and toilet tanks to be retro fitted.
One coach of particular interest is TGS No.44032 is thought not to be transferring to Scotrail but instead will be transferred to Network Rail for a refit and conversion for use within the Network Rail New Measurement Train.

For more information on exactly which powercars and coaching stock have been taken off lease by GWR and news on all the current HST transfers please see HST-info.co.uk .

Published on 29th March 2018

The final two car sets of Class 150/1's operating for First Great Western left Bristol St Philips Marsh on Thursday 29th March and traveled to Newton Heath depot where they join their new stable mates and sub class members working for Northern Trains.

Class 150 No. 150130 'Severnside Community RAIL PARTNERSHIP' and No.150131 were the final two car pair to leave following thirteen other GWR examples which have made the same journey. The only remaining Class 150/1's are currently formed up in a hybrid formation with parts of 150/2's. In due course these sets will also be split up. Three car No. 150925 'The Heart of Wessex Line' will revert to two car No.150125 and three car No.150926 will revert to two car No.150126. These two sets will then return to Northern Trains in 2019. The two centre cars 57209 & 57212 will become a reformed to make a new version of No.150209. Northern Trains will then transfer No.150207 from its fleet to GWR. This then finally means that at some point in 2019 GWR's Class 150/2 fleet will be standard once again.

Published on 26th March 2018

The West Somerset Railway Spring Steam Gala weekend was held between Thursday 22nd and Sunday 25th March 2018 .

This year's theme for the event is 'Great Western Routes and Branches between 1923 & 1948'. Steam Locomotives visiting the line included the unique USATC S160 No.6046, along with more traditional Great Western locomotives in the shape of GWR 57XX 0-6-T Pannier Tank No.7714 & GWR 14XX 0-4-2T No.1450 along with Auto-trailer No.178 (from the Severn Valley Railway), GWR 4-6-0 Hall No. 6990 'Witherslack Hall' (from the Great Central Railway). GWR 0-6-0T No.9466 completed the visitor line up. These locomotives operated alongside those from the ‘home fleet’ which included GWR Modified Hall 4-6-0 No. 6960 'Raveningham Hall', and GWR Manor No. 7822 'Foxcote Manor'
One of the highlights of the four-day event was the USATC S160 No.6046 hauling a military train, which has been specially prepared, and would of been typical of the sort of trains the class would of hauled during World War 2. The train looked fantastic loaded with jeeps, military equipment and period dressed military personnel. A lot of time and thought had gone into presenting a period train for use on the line which added to the atmosphere. The Quantock Belle dining set was also in operation on selected services, passengers Were able to enjoy a cooked breakfast or lunch on a first come first serve basis.
The event worked incredibly well and it was great to see such a dynamic timetable allowing space for small trains such as No.1450 and its Autotrailer and the Military Freight to mix in with the main services operating over the length of the line. This is exactly the sort of additional interest which provides such enjoyment for those who attended the gala event. It was also great to see the hard work of the newly formed wagon repair group which has been working behind the scenes to breath fresh life into previously stored and unloved wagon types which reside on the line and form up period wagon rakes.
We have included a set of images from various photographers below, and more will be added into a dedicated gallery for this event.

To view the gallery, please click here.

Published on 18th March 2018

Taunton was plunged into a winter wonderland for the second time in one month on the 18th March 2018 with the arrival of the so called 'Beast from the East - Part 2', having only recently had the largest snow fall in ten years, the latest blast of cold weather arrived on the 17th/ 18th March.

This time the snow fell perfectly to allow the majority of trains services to operate, as many staff were already at work (or operating trains) as the snow fell.

We have provided a selection of snow images below taken in Creech St Michael as the snow was falling, creating what is hoped to be the last Winter scenes before Spring is allowed to arrive.

Published on 13th March 2018

Rail Operations Group Class 47/8 (and former First Great Western Locomotive) No.47813 transferred the first rake of modified GWR Mk3 coaching stock over night on the 12th/13th March.

The modified coaching stock now features new electric operated sliding doors along with a full internal refit . The 5V24 18:45 (Mon) Doncaster Works to Laria passed Taunton at 01:10 hauling Barrier Car 6340 four refurbished and renumbered Mk3 trailers 48101 (ex 42168), 48102 (ex 42177), 48111 (ex 42093), 49101 (ex 44055) and Barrier Car 6344. The first four car set will now undergo operational tests and training before entering service. Of not is the Guards door in the TGS Trailer will remain as an original 'slam door' and is not electrically operated.

No.47813 later returned north through Taunton having collected an additional barrier vehicle. The 5Z59 15:28 from Laira operated to Leicester with barriers 6330, 6344, and 6340.

Published on 3rd March 2018

With a drastically reduced Saturday timetable operating in the South West after Cross Country cancelled all it's workings becuase the points front at both ends of its Central Rivers depot near Burton on Trent, and GWR cancelled the majority of the Taunton - Bristol/ Cardiff stopping services, Taunton was left with HST's operating on the main trunk routes between Penzance and London Paddington.

Network Rail's 'Orange Army' made a great effort overnight to make sure the damage at Dawlish was cleared up which allowed the line to re-opened through to Penzance. We have featured a few of the images captured during the 3rd March 2018 before temperatures increased to allow the first thaw to take place.

Published on 1st March 2018

It's perhaps not what you expect on the first day of Spring, but having watched other parts of the UK get heavy snow fall during the week and the inevitable media hysteria and panic buying which accompanies such an event it's perhaps easy to wonder what all the fuss was about.
Even on Thursday morning the predicted snow fall from 07:00 was little more than a light flurry which made many question the Red Weather warning which was issued.

It wasn't until 15:00 that Storm Emma the so called 'Beast from the East' arrived into Taunton. Passenger services throughout the day were subject to alteration and cancellation but on the whole the majority of services were operating, at least until later in the day when the full force of the snow started to hit the South West.

Passing one of the two Network Rail drift ploughs Class 220 No.220032 operates the 1Z48 09:28 Derby - Plymouth service through Silk Mills on the 1st March 2018.

GWR Hitachi Class 802 No.802101 made another trip to Penzance on Thursday 1st March 2018. On the first day of Spring in blizzard conditions as Storm Emma dropped snow and freezing temperatures on Taunton the unit passes 40 Steps entering Taunton Station while working the 5X82 11:10 Penzance - Stoke Gifford test run.

Class 220 Voyager No.220001 (formerly named Somerset Voyager) departs from Taunton with the 1V54 10:03 Darlington - Plymouth service on the 1st March 2018. The Cross Country diagram should of originated from Edinburgh but was cancelled and re-started at Darlington. Running just 26 minutes behind schedule the Voyager passes 40 Steps.