West Somerset Express
Issue 10 – May 2003
Issue 1 - August 2002 Issue 2 - September 2002
Issue 3 - October 2002 Issue 4 - November 2002 Issue 5 - December 2002
Issue 6 - January 2003 Issue 7 February 2003 Issue 8- March 2003
West Somerset Express homepage
This page is part of the newsletter archive, photos of the year on the line can be seen on
WSR 2003 Spring Steam Gala 2003 Autumn Gala 2003 Cross Country Weekend
WSR Rally 2003 Teddy Bear's Picnic Great Trains
Spring Steam Gala
This years event was a great success with 5,600 passengers carried compared to 4,800 last year. There are plenty of photos of the weekend on Spring Steam Gala 2003 and West Somerset Railway on the Web
Cross Country Weekend
The next special event on the West Somerset is on 10-11 May. It is a special diesel and steam event being run in association with Virgin Trains. Virgin Trains have agreed to the re-naming their Class 220 No 220 008 Somerset Voyager on the WSR by Somerset historian and Channel 4 Time Team regular Robin Bush on May 10 before leaving for Bishops Lydeard that weekend, after naming it will be working services on the West Somerset. There will be a variety of other locos, steam and diesel, associated with the Cross Country Network over the years, these will include ex BR Class 46 "Peak" 46035 (D172) Ixion, an EWS Class 47 and a visiting steam loco (yet to be confirmed - might be a Castle) working services alongside our resident steam and diesel locos including D1010 Western Campaigner. An EWS Class 67 will be on display. See below for details of how the Voyager is getting to and from the WSR!
The timetable for the weekend is available on West Somerset Railway on the Web, it includes trains over the Bishops Lydeard to Norton Fitzwarren section - the Voyager on the Saturday, top and tail diesel locos on the Sunday.
Charity Train to raise money for the RNLI
Virgin Trains is to run two charity trains from Bristol to the West Somerset Railway at Minehead to raise money for the RNLI.
A £4m Voyager train will visit Minehead on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 May, giving passengers the unique opportunity to travel direct by train from Bristol to Minehead. At Minehead the Voyager will connect with the West Somerset Railway’s Cross Country steam and diesel gala. On the Saturday the train will be named Somerset Voyager.
Tickets for the trains are £20 and all proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the RNLI. Tickets are available from the West Somerset Railway. The railway can be contacted by writing to West Somerset Railway, Minehead, Somerset TA24 5BG or telephoning 01643 704996. Payment can be made to West Somerset railway by credit card, debit card or cheque.
On each day the Voyager will leave Bristol Temple Meads at approximately 08.00 and depart from Minehead at approximately 16.30. Once timings have been confirmed they will be available from the West Somerset Railway or on the internet at
THE WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY - Official SiteIssued by Virgin Trains Press Office
Dates in May
3 May: Fish and Chip Special from Bishops Lydeard
5 May: Taunton Area Group Meeting - A visit by dmu to the various restoration sites on the WSR
10-11 May: Cross Country Weekend (above)
27 May: Bristol Area Group Meeting - “W(h)ither the Location” Part One – The Withered Arm
Further details of all these events below.
2003 Timetable
The railway's timetable for 2003 can be seen on line at WSR Timetable which also has the dates for all the special events on the line in the coming year.
Visiting Locos
So far the list of guests, in addition to those visiting for the Spring Steam Gala, includes 4936 Kinlet Hall from mid July until the Autumn Steam Gala along with 5224 ex GW 2-8-0T will be with us for the year and 80136 BR Standard 4MT 2-6-4T will be returning for a long stay, probably from April.
Resident Locos
The lines resident steam locos currently operational are:
4160 ex GW 2-6-2T large prairie - will be stopped for overhaul in June.
5542 ex GW 2-6-2T small prairie
6412 ex GW 0-6-0PT will be back for the Thomas the Tank Engine Weekend.
7820 Dinmore Manor ex GW 4-6-0.
The creation of a small-boilered "Mogul", a locomotive designed by the Great Western Railway continues to make excellent progress and the likelihood of an entry into traffic later this year remains good. Good progress is also being made with ex GWR 2-8-0 3850 and the S&D 2-8-0, both of which are in the works at Minehead.
Diesel Locos
The line's resident operational mainline diesel locos are:
Class 52 D1010 Western Campaigner
Class 35 Hymek D7017
Class 25 D7523 / 25 173
Class 33 D6566 / 33 048
Class 14 D9526 - fresh from overhaul
In addition another Hymek, D7076 will be visiting for the high season including a special timetable during the "Swindon Heritage Diesel Gala" on 8 & 9 August.
D9526 made a grand return to traffic with its own special train, photos of it are on Teddy Bear's Picnic
This Month's Photos
Naturally this month's photos are all of the Spring Steam Gala - except the last one!
To start, resident small prairie 5542 awaits departure from Minehead.
Next is a visitor, 0-6-0PT 5786 from the South Devon Railway ready for the off with the 07.45 from Minehead on a misty Saturday morning.
7820 Dinmore Manor arrives at Crowcombe Heathfield whilst visitors M7 30053 and Ivatt 2-6-2T 41312 wait to cross.
Resident large prairie 4160 stands at the head of a down train at Bishops Lydeard as the M7 from Swanage, 30053 comes through ready to double head to Minehead.
There are many, many more photos of the Gala on Spring Steam Gala 2003 and www.wsr.org.uk.
The final view is of another event, the return to traffic of the Class 14 D9526. The special is seen here waiting to leave Bishops Lydeard as the lines other recently returned to traffic loco, small prairie 5542 arrives from Minehead.
There's more photos of the day on Teddy Bear's Picnic
Note: you need to be connected to the Internet to view these photos.
WSR Screensaver
There is a screensaver of views of the Spring Steam Gala available for free download from www.wsr.org.uk. Others will be available of floppy disc or CD-ROM shortly - watch this space!
Fish and Chips
This year the popular Fish and Chips specials are running from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead and back on the following dates:- 3 May, 7 June, 12 June and 27 September. Further details and bookings tel. 01643 704996.
Murder Mystery Specials
In 2003, “Murder Mystery Specials” will operate on 20 June, 11 July and 5 September. For further details see the Events page on www.wsr.org.uk.
West Somerset Railway Association
Area Group Meetings:
Taunton Group:
In 2003, meetings will be held on the first MONDAY of the month (July & August excepted) at the usual venue – the Great Western Staff Association Club (at the north east corner of Taunton station) – starting at 7.45pm.
5 May: A visit by dmu to the various restoration sites on the WSR; a leisurely journey along the line, with bar on the train! Starting from Bishops Lydeard Station at 6.45pm. There is a minimum donation of £3 for WSRA members, £5 for non members for this train - a real bargain. Contact peter.darke@virgin.net for details or to confirm you want to go.
2 June: “The restoration of GWR 2-6-2T No 5542” An illustrated talk, followed by a return trip from Bishops Lydeard to Crowcombe Heathfield behind the engine. Meet at Bishops Lydeard Station Visitor Centre at 7.45pm
For the full programme for 2003 see West Somerset Railway Association, for further details e-mail
Bristol Group:
The Bristol group meets on the last Tuesday of the month between September and April at the BAWA, Southmead Road, Filton, Bristol starting at 7.30pm for 7.45pm:-
29 April: The County of Somerset was criss-crossed with main lines and branches during the heyday of railways. Nearly every town and village had its station or halt, about 150 of them – but what of them now…? Mike Oakley takes on a journey of discovery through the Somerset countryside, visiting as many of the 150 as possible.
27 May: “W(h)ither the Location” Part One – The Withered Arm – slides of the former LSWR lines in North Cornwall, allowed to wither and die after nationalisation. Part Two – Whither the Location – a pictorial quiz to end the season on a lighter note! Howard Sprenger.
For the full programme for 2003 see West Somerset Railway Association, for further details email.
This Year's Events
The programme of special events for 2003, in addition to the regular favourites – including the Spring and Autumn Steam Galas, Thomas, the Steam Fayre & Vintage Vehicle Rally and the Somerset CAMRA Real Ale Festival – three new events are planned for next year:-
“The CrossCountry Network: Past, Present & Future” on 10-11 May - see above for details.
“The Grand Trains Extravaganza” weekend on 25-26 October – deliberately timed to coincide with the school half term week – will be another joint steam and heritage diesel event, with lots of trains, using the Railway’s ‘in-house’ engine/rolling stock resources.
The third new event planned for 2003 is a “Winter Steam Festival” on Sunday 28 December – plenty of steam action, with nice warm, steam-heated trains! Fuller details of the 2003 programme of special events will be announced in future issues of West Somerset Express and on West Somerset Railway Association and The Official West Somerset Railway Web Site.
Volunteers
There are around 400-500 active volunteers whose contribution helps makes the West Somerset Railway 'tick'. Indeed, without their considerable input the West Somerset Railway would probably cease to tick!
There are many different jobs for volunteers on the line, you can join us at any time of year, if you would like to know more please write to: The Volunteer Co-ordinator, The Railway Station, Bishops Lydeard, Taunton, Somerset, TA4 3BX – or e-mail the West Somerset Railway Association.
The other groups on the line which would welcome support include:
5542 Limited
Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust
Diesel & Electric Preservation Group
Dinmore Manor Locomotive Ltd
4160 Limited
Friends of Minehead Station
Friends of Blue Anchor Railway Museum
West Somerset Steam Railway Trust - icoleby@tiscali.co.uk
Telephone the West Somerset Railway on 01643 704996 for contact details of these groups.
WSR Links:
West Somerset Railway - an unofficial site full of information and photos of the West Somerset
West Somerset Railway Association - the Association is the main support group on the line.
The Official West Somerset Railway Web Site - for trains times and fares etc.
West Somerset Railway, heritage steam and diesel trains - pages of photos of the WSR.
Diesel & Electric Preservation Group Ltd (DEPG) - the main diesel group on the line
The next issue is due 27 May 2003.
© 2003 Steve Huddy. This newsletter is independent of, and is not officially supported by, the West Somerset Railway plc or any of the affiliated organisations, unless specifically mentioned in the appropriate article. All information is believed correct but neither the publisher nor the Railway can be held responsible for any errors.