West Somerset Express
The unofficial on line newsletter of the West Somerset Railway
Issue 40 – November 2005
Issue 36 - July 2005 Issue 37 - August 2005 Issue 38 - September 2005
West Somerset Express homepage
This page is part of the newsletter archive, photos of the year on the line can be seen on
WSR 2005 Spring Diesel Gala 05 Spring Steam Gala 2005 Autumn Steam Gala 2005
The West Somerset Railway - Heritage Railway of the Year 2005
Dates for your diary
29 October - Halloween Murder Mystery from Bishops Lydeard
7 November - WSRA Taunton Group meeting
27 November - Santa Special from Bishops Lydeard
29 November - WSRA Bristol Group meeting
Note: the above special trains need to be booked in advance.
Regular services are Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until 30 October, they then resume on 27 December until 2 January 2006. In the meantime there are the Santa Specials and Santa's Express, Train Timetables on www.wsr.org.uk has full details.
Dunster by Candlelight
The railway's own services on 2 & 3 December are filling up fast but there is a through special from Weston, Bristol, Bath and other stations on Friday 2 December operated by Past-Time Rail
Future Events
There are Santa trains from Bishops Lydeard on 27 November, 4,10,11,17,18,23,24 December and from Minehead on 11,18,24 December, also the Carol Trains on 12 & 13 December.
The Winter Steam Festival is on 29 December, lots of steam trains for a day out between Christmas and the New Year - further details in the next issue of WSE.
Lord Nelson
The overhaul of ex SR 4-6-0 850 Lord Nelson, which is expected to be "run in" on the West Somerset next year, has made major progress with the overhauled boiler having been returned to Eastleigh.
Spring Steam Gala 2006
This will take place over two weekends, 18/19 and 23 - 26 March which will hopefully spread the load at this increasingly popular event which will have a "Somerset & Dorset" theme for 2006.
Volunteers
The line is always looking for new volunteers for just about any task you can think of, from gardener to guard via firemen, signalmen, ticket inspectors, buffet staff, station staff, p-way, S&T...
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, visit www.wsra.org.uk, e-mail the West Somerset Railway Association or Tel: 01823 433856. There's more about volunteering on a new site, WSR Volunteers .
If you can't give the time but would still like to support the WSR why not join the association? Details from www.wsra.org.uk
Visiting Locos
The visitors at present are:
80136 BR Standard 4MT 2-6-4T which is on the line for a long stay.
5553 Pete Waterman's ex GW 2-6-2T small prairie
Resident Locos
The lines resident steam locos currently operational are:
5542 ex GW 2-6-2T small prairie
6412 ex GW 0-6-0PT the WSRA's pannier tank
9351 WSR rebuild as a 2-6-0 mogul of 5101 class prairie tank 5193.
88 ex S&DJR 7F 2-8-0 (BR No 53808) has started running in and should soon be in regular service.
Large prairie 4160: The overhaul continues to progress well and is running close to budget so far. No predictions of a steaming date yet, but it can't be too far away. New livery will be BR lined green with late style crest.
7828 Odney Manor is in Minehead Works for her overhaul, there is an appeal for funds for this, see below for more details. Small prairie 4561 is on display in the Gauge Museum at Bishops Lydeard while she awaits her turn in Williton Works - which it is hoped will be early 2006. 7820 Dinmore Manor, ex GW Manor Class 4-6-0, is also now awaiting overhaul as her boiler ticket has expired, she should go to Tysley for this on the same lowloader that brings 3850 to the WSR.
3850 - As is often the case the last part of the overhaul is taking longer than expected and she won't be on the WSR for a short while. However Dinmore Manor Locomotive Limited are confident that she will make her WSR debut during the Winter Steam Festival if not before.
No 3850 will run with the same 3,500 gallon tender restored by DMLL to run behind the Group’s other engine, No 7820 Dinmore Manor. The tender has recently been repainted at Williton.
Diesel Locos
The line's resident operational mainline diesel locos are:
Class 52 D1010 Western Campaigner - currently stopped for repairs
Class 35 Hymek D7017
Class 25 D7523 / 25 173
Class 33 D6566 / 33 048
Class 14 D9526
The other resident Hymek, D7018, is undergoing a major overhaul at Williton.
D6575/33057 has arrived on the WSR, initially as a source of spares for D6566, it will be assessed to see if it can be restored in time.
There's plenty of opportunities if you'd like to be involved with the DEPG's fleet, see their new web site at DEPG
Auto trailer 169 Project
The group who own 5542 have launched a new project, the restoration of ex GWR auto trailer 169. See their web site www.loco5542.co.uk for further details of of this exciting development. 169 is a year older than 178 (which has recently been back on the WSR), slightly shorter but otherwise pretty much the same. Restoration work on 169 has now started in earnest at Williton.
This Month's Photos...
...are of the Autumn Steam Gala and the Grand Trains Extravaganza starting with this one of the Beattie well tank 30587 approaching Blue Anchor with a short passenger train - plus a milk tank.
From a small visitor to a large one, 35005 Canadian Pacific leaving Williton double heading with resident mogul 9351.
The other large visitor was ex LNW Super D 0-8-0 49395 seen here arriving at Williton with an Up train.
Another view of the Super D, this time stood in the loco yard at Minehead
Resident pannier 6412 and visiting autotrailer 178 were also on Minehead loco, the pannier is currently facing Minehead instead of Taunton as she usually does.
Restoration work is now underway on autotrailer 169 in the Swindon Shed at Williton, it is seen during the Gala when the Shed was open to visitors.
A longer term visitor, Pete Waterman's small prairie 5553 at Williton about to leave for Bishops Lydeard with a goods train.
A last one of the ASG, 35005 waiting to come off shed at Minehead as 30587 sets off for Blue Anchor
To finish, a couple of the Grand Trains Extravaganza, first Class 14 D9526 and Class 08 D3462 in Up Sidings at Bishops Lydeard.
A last one, 30587 arriving at Bishops Lydeard with a short goods train.
These photos and many more are on West Somerset Railway and West Somerset Railway on the Web..
Note: you need to be connected to the Internet to view these photos.
Funding Appeal for Odney Manor
The WSR Plc have launched an appeal to raise funds to help bring No 7828 Odney Manor back to "active steaming life" on the West Somerset Railway. Cash donations are required and for subscribers, a number of benefits are available. All donations of at least £20 will receive a commemorative Odney Manor certificate; for donations of £200 and £1,000, the certificate plus two tickets for the "Odney Manor Return to Steam Celebration Train" awaits, whilst for £1,000 donations the two tickets are First Class Dining seats plus a trip round the workshops. Top treatment for donations of £10,000 who receive four First Class Dining tickets on the Celebration Train, plus a full day Steam Engineman course driving and firing Odney Manor and arrangements to visit the loco during overhaul. For full details and conditions, look out for the leaflet or ring 01643 704996 for more details.
West Somerset Railway Association
Area Group Meetings:
Taunton Group:
In 2005, 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.
7 November:- "Somerset Stations" - Mike Oakley
5 December:- Annual Christmas quiz
For the full programme for 2005 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 May at the BAWA, Southmead Road, Filton, Bristol starting at 7.30pm for 7.45pm:-
29 November:- "Longmoor Military Railway" & "Carriage of Tanks by Rail" with Mike Walshaw
31 January 2006:- "Broad Gauge Journey - Part 1: Paddington to Carmarthen" with Brian Arman
For the full programme for 2005 see West Somerset Railway Association, for further details email.
Events for 2005
November 27, December 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24:- Santa Steam Specials
December 2-3:- Dunster by Candlelight
December 29:- Winter Steam Festival
Further details on these will be in future issues of West Somerset Express.
Groups on the line which would welcome support include:
West Somerset Railway Association
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.
WSR Volunteers - a new site with lots of info for those thinking of volunteering
West Somerset Railway, heritage steam and diesel trains - pages of photos of the WSR.
Diesel & Electric Preservation Group Ltd (DEPG) - the diesel group on the line.
wizzer.me.uk is a new site about the West Somerset Railway by a fellow volunteer, Jon Tooke.
The next issue is due 27 November 2005.
© 2005 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.