Published on 19th April 2020
We are currently continuing our progress through the older news pages and have now completed news and over twenty more image uploads for April 2015.
Why not take a look at the April 2015 News Page which is now live.
News Archive for April 2020
800025 named 'Captain Tom Moore'
Published on 29th April 2020
GWR has recognized the achievements of Captain Tom Moor following his recent 100th Birthday Walk for the NHS, which has now raised just short of £30M for the NSH.
GWR named Intercity Express Train No. 800025 'Captain Sir Tom Moore' on the 29th April 2020 for his remarkable fundraising achievements during the #COVID19 pandemic. The naming followed a huge amount of requests from staff and members of the public for him to be recognized for his outstanding achievement.
Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the Class 800 in the Taunton area once the current lockdown rules are adjusted. Anyone wishing to give further donations to the fundraising efforts can do so by visiting Captain Tom's Just Giving Page
As daylight breaks on the 28th February 2018, GWR Hitachi Class 800's No.800025 and No. 800014 'Megan Lloyd George/Edith New' pass through Cogload Junction while working the 1A09 07:12 Taunton - London Paddington service. The daily diagram is now regularly formed of a pair of Class 800's which work empty stock from Stoke Gifford IEP depot arriving at just before 07:00.
(Photo: Simon Harling)
Can you Help?
(Photo: Taunton Trains)
Published on 28th April 2020
Taunton Trains is aware that in the current climate there are many people at home on furlough trying to find ways to occupy their days while unable to work.
We are appealing for anyone who may be able to help with the ongoing Taunton Trains database project, who may have good typing skills and is able to work with Microsoft Excel and donate a small amount of time.
Over the past two years, we have amassed over 500 handwritten documents that record trains passing Taunton which are in need of being transposed into an Excel File in order for us to import the data into the Taunton Database. These documents are stored in electronic format such as .PDF and .JPG
Are you able to help, by giving a small amount of your time during the lockdown period to help record Taunton's railway history for future generations to view and learn from? If you are interested in helping with this ongoing project please contact info@tauntontrains.co.uk
We would also like to extend our thanks to all those who are already helping or have supplied information for this project. To have put together over 85,000 workings in under two years is a huge achievement.
Weedkilling at a Social Distance
Published on 27th April 2020
As with many industries, companies are needing to reinvent their operations to work with the two-meter rule.
DB Cargo reconfigured their weedkilling operations to allow a driver and weedkilling operatives to be socially distanced. The normal method would have been to have the crew in the same cab of a single MPV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle).
In order to work with the new COVID19 social distancing measures, a Class 66 locomotive was coupled either end of an MPV to allow the crews to be separated. The 27th April 2020 provided the rare sight of Class 66s No.66155 and No.66017 formed either end of MPV DR98906 and DR98956, running as train 3Z15 09.32 Didcot to St Blazey. The locomotives and MPV would then spend the rest of the week on weedkilling duties along the Cornish branches.
(Photo: Phil Izzard)
(Photo: Paul Clarke)
(Photo: Brian Garrett)
News from May 2015
Published on 18th April 2020
During the UK Lockdown periods, we have been working to bring more content and information to the website for your viewing pleasure.
We are currently continuing our revival of archive news pages, and today we have added over twenty images to the website having completed the May 2015 News Page. Why not take a trip down memory lane and view some of the workings and news stories from five years ago.
(Photo: Paul Clarke)
(Photo: Adam Snow)
(Photo: S A Ginn)
39 Years Ago
Published on 15th April 2020
With the current UK lockdown due to the worldwide COVID-19 Pandemic, we have noticed a huge amount of enthusiasts turning to their notes from the past to present a stunning picture of railway operations in years gone by.
Regular readers of Taunton Trains will already be aware of our ongoing Database project which seeks to record as many trains through Taunton to build a picture of railway operations from the past. Those that regularly click on the What's New Page will have noticed an explosion in the archive data which is being added to the website. The increase is partly due to the completion of several ongoing projects, (one of which has taken four months to write up), but also due to the large amount of information being supplied by an army of dedicated enthusiasts who now have more time on their hands. We would like to thank everyone who is contributing to this project.
Today we would like to take you back in time 39 years to the 16th April 1981. Peter Russ has been regularly supplying information from his diligently taken notes and has been able to provide a sample of how a typical day in 1981 would have looked. So please indulge yourself in information provided for your enjoyment and the 83,000 entries we now have stored in the Taunton Trains Database.
Colas send wagons for store
Published on 7th April 2020
Colas Class 70 No.70809 passed Taunton on Tuesday 7th April 2020 operating 6B61 10:35 Balgan Bay - Exeter Riverside with a rake of empty log carrying wagons.
The wagons were being moved by Colas for temporary storage owing to the turndown in traffic because of the Covid19 outbreak. The wagons were taken to Exeter Riverside Yard where they were split into two portions and tripped to Hackney Yard at Newton Abbot where they will be put into temporary storage.
14 Years Ago - First Great Western 'Dynamic Lines'
Not content with 4 new liveries since 1996, First Great Western launched its 6th livery in 10 years on the 3rd April 2006. The special shortened HST set formed of powercars No.43004 and No.43009 sporting the new 'dynamic lines' livery was launched to the public via a special press run from Paddington through to Penzance. The striking First Great Western livery is seen at Creech St Michael operating 1Z30 09:12 London Paddington - Penzance with matching coaching stock (44049 40752 and 41003) with the FGW Press Launch Train, to mark the start of the new Greater Western Franchise.
(Photo: Brian Garrett)
Published on 3rd April 2020
14 Years ago on the 3rd April 2006 First Great Western unveiled its new livery for the Greater Western franchise.
The 'Dynamic Lines' livery featured go faster dynamic coloured stripes down the side of the HST powercar and coaching stock, with a light blue fade top to bottom. A special three coach HST toured the Great Western network from London Paddington ending in Penzance. The livery was actually the 6th version of various FirstGroup liveries which had been applied in 6 years. This striking livery was also short-lived with FirstGroup opting for a darker blue livery and plain powercars with only dynamic lines applied to the coaching stock creating a seventh livery in seven years. The colourful combination is pictured passing Creech St Michael on the 3rd April 2006 formed of No.43004 44049 40752 41003 and No.43009
40 Years of Preservation for D9526
Published on 2nd April 2020
The 2nd April 2020 marked 40 years in preservation for former British Rail and industrial locomotive Class 14 No.D9526 arriving West Somerset Railway to enter preservation under the care of the Diesel & Electric Preservation Group.
The Class 14 had arrived from Westbury cement works transported on the back of a Wynns Heavy Haulage low loader. The oversized load required a police escort for the trip from Westbury to Taunton and was captured by one of the officers providing the escort while waiting in a layby on the A38.
The locomotive has spent 40 years under the care of the DEPG based at Williton and makes regular appearances on the line. It's been restored to pristine condition several times over its 40 years spent on the line, and its condition is evidently more well cared for now than when it was in traffic for British Rail.
D9526 was one of 56 locomotives built at Swindon Works between 1964 and 1965 and was widely used on local pickup freights, however, their usefulness was killed off by the Beeching era when many local lines were closed, so their time working for British Rail had ended in about 5 years. They did, however, find a new life working on Industrial branches and many were staged around the UK working in Docks, Steelworks, Coal Yards, and Cement Works. D9526 spent its remaining operational days at Westbury Cement works before by donated to the DEPG by Blue Circle Cement.
(Photo: Chris Perkins)
(Photo: Brian Garrett)
Prototype DMUs leave GWR for Northern Trains
Looking like it could do with a nice soapy scrub in the train wash pioneer Class 150 No.150001 stands at Taunton on the 19th April 2018. The GWR unit is seen ready to depart Taunton with the 2U14 11:04 Taunton - Cardiff Central stopping service.
(Photo: Paul Clarke)
GWR Class 150 No.150002 often operates between Cardiff 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.
(Photo: Brian Garrett)
Published on 1st April 2020
The last two remaining flat front Class 150/1 three-car units departed GWR for pastures new on the 1st April 2020, with the pair heading to Newton Heath Depot from St Philips Marsh for use with Northern Trains.
Class 150 No.150001 and No.150002 both date from 1984 and were the first two BREL prototype units, they were used as testbeds for the subsequent fleet. 150001 was originally fitted with Cummins Engines with Voith transmission, while 150002 was fitted with Perkins (Rolls-Royce) engines with an automatic gearbox. Both units underwent modifications throughout their lives but ultimately were non-standard to the rest of the Class 150/1 fleet until they arrived with Great Western.
After spending much of their life in the Midlands, the pair of units were transferred to Great Western in January 2012 for use on the Basingstoke - Reading shuttle services to free up Class 165/166 turbos for other duties in the Thames Valley. Over time the introduction of electric Class 387s on the Thames Valley route then re-released turbos for the Basingstoke shuttles allowing both Class 150 units to transfer to their next home in the South West, where they were used on daily passenger duties in Wales, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, Wiltshire, and Dorset. They were one of the only Class 150/1s to still retain their original British Rail 3+2 seating. The pair of units rejoin former GWR stalemates in the north, as Northern Trains now operate the entire flat fronted Class 150/1 fleet.
To view news stories from March 2020 click here, or for news from May 2020, click here.