Suddenly summer has gone and as I write this contribution to “Online” our DEPG Heritage Diesel locomotives are out and about for the last time this year operating scheduled WSR passenger services as part of the “Somerset in Autumn” Gala. Looking back over the month of October there appears at first to be little to report on the diesel front as the Team at Williton continue to progress locomotive repairs and overhauls. As usual we opened the Diesel Depot and Heritage Diesel Visitor Centre for the Autumn Steam Gala and over the four days welcomed many visitors to the site. We would like to thank all who generously donated towards the costs of our work. During this event we arranged to store our diesel locomotives in the North Yard so that we could host steam locomotives in the South Yard accessible to visitors on all four days. Berthed outside the Heritage Diesel Visitor Centre was former GWR 0-6-2t no. 6695 plus the designated “Stand By” steam locomotive, both with their footplates accessible to visitors. The plan had been to also display Pannier no. 6412 but in the event she did not arrive at home at Williton on the back of John Antell’s lorry until Friday evening. To avoid any disturbance in the yard in the middle of the Gala we decided to leave the Pannier on display on the lorry over the weekend and then unload early on the Monday evening when Gareth Winter was guaranteed quiet enjoyment of the site. Since then the Pannier has been dismantled and the combined WSRA/DEPG Team worked “as one” to remove the boiler from the frames using the Diesel Depot 10tonne capacity fixed gantry crane late on a Saturday afternoon.
With regard to our diesel fleet, starting problems with our Cl. 47/8 no. D1661 “North Star” have been resolved by changing eight defective battery cells, replacement cells being donated by our Class 52 no. D1010 “Western Campaigner” that will have no need for her batteries until early next year if all goes to plan. Our Class 33 no. D6566 has also shown a reluctance to start on occasions recently that suggests she also may have some weak battery cells and this problem will have to be addressed sooner rather than later. In the meantime Class 25 no. D7523 remains in service as the designated WSR service locomotive with Class 08 No. D3462 as the Bishops Lydeard Station and Depot Pilot.
Progress continues with the rebuild of the Maybach MD870 engine for Class 35 “Hymek” no. D7017 and the plan is now to relocate the engine in the fixed engine stand now that the bottom end of the rebuild is complete so we can complete the topside, hopefully, this year. This move will then allow us to extract the Maybach MD655 engine from the “B” end of the “Western” and allow us to accommodate it in the turnover engine stand so the full strip down can progress. To get the engine out of D1010 and to allow us to complete some other lifting tasks a 50tonne capacity road crane supplied by Somerset Crane Hire is due at Williton on the first Saturday of November.
On the last weekend of October the DEPG provided four locomotives for the “Somerset in Autumn” Gala, Class 14 “Teddy Bear” no. D9526 to work a Heritage Freight Train on the Saturday, Class 47/8 no. D1661 “North Star” and Class 25 no. D7523 to work passenger diagrams on the Saturday and Class 25 no. D7523 with Class 33 no. D6566 to work passenger diagrams on the Sunday. The Diesel Depot and Heritage Diesel Visitor Centre were open on both days and we welcomed a steady trickle of visitors despite the inclement weather.
On the diesel train crew front WSR Diesel Traction Inspector, Julian Bracchi, assessed Robert Tiller and Len Renwick on their Class 47 knowledge and both men are now qualified as WSR Class 47 Drivers with Len Renwick also being assessed on the Class 14 to become another WSR Class 14 driver. Congratulations to both and here’s hoping they will get the chance to drive these locomotives in the not too distant future.
Following the “Somerset in Autumn” Gala we are holding a Williton Autumn Work Week during which we plan to batten down the hatches for the winter closed season so far as the majority of our diesel fleet is concerned. During the next few months we hope to make good progress so that our diesel hydraulics are returned to an operational condition ready to welcome the start of the 2008 season after the Spring Steam Gala. If any of our readers fancies a few weekends on the railway they will always be welcome at Williton where we can usually find them something to do to meet their needs.
John Cronin