News Archive for December 2023

Published on 31st December 2023

Many consider the Summer months to be some of the busiest of times on the West Somerset Railway, but the Winter months ahead of the shutdown season can often provide an interesting selection of movements with stock needing to be moved to various locations ahead of the Winter shutdown period.

The last two days of 2023 provided an interesting selection of movements using both steam and diesel locomotives over the length of the line, bringing to an end another busy year of the West Somerset Railway.

The DEPG provided Class 33 No.33048 on the 30th December 2023 to move the 'tidy up train' from Bishops Lydeard to Williton. Within the train was WSR Steam Trust coach 3705 making for an interesting consist. No.33048 operated 12:00 Bishops Lydeard - Williton.

The 31st December 2023 provided four movements. First No.33048 operated 13:00 Bishops Lydeard - Minehead conveying the Quantock Belle Mk1 dining set, collecting an LMS brake van on route to Minehead. Upon arrival at Minehead the Class 33 carried out several shunting movements in order to collect Mk3 Caledonian Sleeper coach (10542) and then departed with the late running 15:00 Minehead - Bishops Lydeard. The sleeper coach arrived on the line in 2021, however refurbishment of the coach has stalled due to increased costs. The movement recessed at Williton to change locomotives (a way of getting Class 14 D9526 to Bishops Lydeard), and to allow 'The Train of Lights' to pass.

WSR Mogul No.9351 operated an empty stock movement of coaching stock as the 15:10 Bishops Lydeard - Minehead which passed the Class 33 sleeper movement at Blue Anchor.

The Train Of Lights is at the end of its three year contract and 2023 was its last season operating, as the train has bee confided to operating between Bishops Lydeard and Crowcombe Heathfield during its operating seasons, a special farewell was organized to allow the train to operate over the length of he line with the unique lights on. Hundreds of people braved the weather along the length of the WSR to see the impressive train pass by on route to Minehead as the 16:00 Bishops Lydeard - Minehead.

The 2024 closed season will see the track replacement and work to stabilise the embankment from the previous landslip in 2023. Funds of over £50,000 have been raised to assist with the rebuilding project, which will be a major engineering challenge to rebuild the affected area caused by water run off from adjacent farmland.

Published on 27th December 2023

Christmas engineering work on the Great Western Mainline near Slough over Christmas provided work for the Network Rail HOBC with two portions stationed to operate from Fairwater Yard to Slough and back over the Christmas period.

In preparation for Christmas engineering works in the Slough area, Freightliner moved three Class 66 locomotives from Bristol to Taunton on the 23th November 2023.

No.66536 is pictured leading No.66546 and No.66567 through Bathpool as 0Z72 10:32 Stoke Gifford - Fairwater Yard light engine move.

Operating in truly atrocious conditions during Storm Gerrit on Wednesday 27th December 2023, Freightliner return west to Taunton. No.66546 passes Creech St Michael operating 6Z42 11:38 Theale Loop - Fairwater Yard with an empty HOBC set in tow. A second set followed later in the day under the cover of darkness.

Published on 17th December 2023

GBRf carried out an overnight rail drop on the Barnstaple line overnight on the 16th December and were captured returning north on Sunday 17th December 2023 at Norton Fitzwarren.

No.66719 and grubby No.66728 'top and tailed' an empty rail delivery set having dropped rails overnight. The pair returned as 6G97 08:37 Eggesford - Westbury.

Grubby GBRf Class 66/7 No.66728 has spent the Autumn season operating East Anglian Rail Head Treatment Trains and has been pressed back into regular duties without having found time to meet with a wash plant to remove the build up of Autumn grime which comes with operating RHTT services.

To view the gallery, please click here.

Published on 10th December 2023

GWR brought to a close another era of the HST story on Saturday 9th December 2023.

From the December timetable change on the 10th December all GWR 'Castle' HST sets will operate in Devon and Cornwall. The iconic HST sets have been a feature of Taunton passenger services for the past 48 years.

The last day of HST diagrams operated as follows

43187 43029 2C67 08:00 Cardiff Central - Penzance, 2U26 13:50 Penzance - Newport

43187 43029 2C89 19:14 Newport - Taunton, then Empty Stock as 5C89 21:01 Taunton - Laira.

During the last week of passenger operations we have recorded some of the last HST sets to operate through Taunton Station.

To view the gallery, please click here.

Published on 3rd December 2023

Having completed demolition work sundry buildings extended from the former GWR water tower towards the end of November, work started on the demolition of the original brick and steel construction of the former GWR water tower during the first week of December 2023.

Heavy equipment took some time to penetrate the sturdy structure (which once supported the heavy water tank above). Contractors used heavy demolition excavators to break the structure down while using a former fire engine to douse the structure with water to keep dust and contaminates to a minimum. We have recoded scenes on the 1st and 3rd December 2023 below.