This page provides some brief snippets of early diesel news from 1978-1986. The second part of this brief history from 1986 onwards will be added soon.
A detailed group history is provided in the ‘history’ section however lets just recap the Groups early events on the West Somerset Railway. In July 1975 D7017 was purchased and towed to Taunton before being transferred to Minehead on 25th March 1976. The first train she hauled on the railway was the Quantock Flyer on the 19th March 1977. The other half of the DEPG was based at Didcot, this article covers the Williton division.
1978
On the 7th May a ‘Gala Day’ was held. The group provided D7017 to work one round trip from Minehead-Williton with six coaches. In addition the Railway ran a diesel railcar on the Williton-Stogumber section of the line, the first time a passenger train had traversed this section since BR closed the line. At this time loco hauled operations were limited to the Minehead-Williton section due to lack of run round facilities at Stogumber and the rest of the line from Stogumber-Norton Fitzwarren receiving work to make it ready for passenger operation.
1979
Around June the line from Stogumber-Norton Fitzwarren was passed for passenger operation. D7017 first traversed this section on a passenger train on the 9th June standing in for ‘Vulcan’ on the 1035 from Minehead during a ‘Gala Weekend’. The following day saw D7017 work the 09:40 Bishops Lydeard-Minehead as part of it’s diagram. The Group left Minehead for a new base of Williton this year.
1980
Saw the Group acquire Class 14 D9526.
1980 also saw the arrival of a Class 07 D2994. This locomotive was used regularly on the railway for a range of mixed traffic duties. This unusual locomotive had a 275 bhp Paxman 6RPH V6 engine in it.
1981
Work was carried out on D7017’s engine to improve performance over the Winter whilst work continued on stripping down D9526 during overhaul. Early June saw ‘Railway Power Services’ purchase Class 14 D9551 From BSC Corby for immediate use on the railway. It’s first solo return trip from Minehead-Bishops Lydeard was on the 7th June with three coaches in tow. The loco was owned by a consortium of DEPG and WSR members who formed RPS. The loco was put on standby duties for Steam and DMU trains on the railway. The ‘Quantock Pullman’ first class dining train (forerunner to todays Quantock Belle service) was often Class 14 hauled on a Saturday during the Winter of 81/82.
October the 10th saw a diesel day with Hymek and Class 14 hauled trains. In addition the Class 07 was used for shunting demonstrations.
1982
January saw the Group celebrate its 10th birthday.
The Group launched a preservation fund to save a Park Royal DMU for use by the railway following restoration work.
February 20th saw one of the heaviest service trains to date run. The train was nine coaches in length and was Hymek hauled.
May saw privately owned Class 04 diesel shunter D2271 move onto the railway from Butterley.
In July D7017 underwent general repairs following the discovery of a fractured transmission heat exchanger. Frost was to blame. Work was also undertaken on D9551 to carry out minor repairs to a defective exhauster and repaint the loco in green.
1983
Class 14 D9551 re-entered service on the 26th March and worked the railways ‘shareholders special’ for the benefit of those attending the annual general meeting. In addition the locomotive took part in the ‘Easter Fair and Transport Rally’ held on the railway, the first special event for three years. The Class 07 was also in use.
The Park Royal DMU was repainted restoring its worn green livery this year. Much work including engine replacement would be required to get the unit running again.
Work continued on D9526 and repairs to D7017.
Class 04 D2271 carried out a trial run in October from Williton-Stogumber. The locomotive received much work by the owner at Williton to make it ready for traffic.
October work week saw repairs to D7017’s control circuits.
1984
During the previous season Class 14 D9551 clocked up 1816 miles partly through working twelve ‘Qauntock Belle’ dining trains. The locomotive continued to see regular use for the railway throughout the season working permanent way or engineering trains.
During spring work week in Spring 1984 D9526 was given test runs in preperation for re-launch during a Diesel Weekend held on the 14th/15th July that year. D7017 was also in action over this weekend carrying out three round trips. The Sunday of the Diesel Weekend saw Class 14 D9551 pair up with sister loco D9526 for a double headed working on the 18:10 Minehead-Bishops Lydeard. Class 04 D2271 and Class 07 D2994 were paired up also over this weekend to work Minehead-Dunster shuttle trips using the Park Royal DMU as the stock for this train. October the 7th saw D9526 and D9551 work a special train that traversed the Bishops Lydeard-Norton Fitzwarren section of the line. This was the first loco hauled working over this section since a Hymek hauled a Butlins charter train in 1970.
1985
By Spring the Park Royal DMUs engines were nearly ready for installation back into the unit. The Class 07 D2994 was given a repaint and overhaul this year following five years continuous use. On Sunday 28th July the Park Royal DMU moved for the first time under its own power for four and half years. The unit carried out a ‘faultless’ test run from Williton-Bishops Lydeard.
Over in Didcot on the 24th August Hymek D7018 was started up for the first time following a major engine overhaul. Summer ‘85’s Journal reports Hymek D7018 as having had a full re-paint prior to an appearance at the Great Western Railways 150th Anniversary celebrations in Swindon. D9526 also attended the event. In October of this year a Sentinel Diesel Hydraulic Shunter was purchased by a band of Williton volunteers from Stanton Iron Works in the Midlands. The locomotive was based at Williton and following restoration was used on works trains and as a yard pilot.
During December Class 14 D9551 failed while working a Santa Special train.
1986
During early January an old aircraft hanger was offered to the group at Doniford Holiday Camp. The condition of having the hanger was that the Group had to dismantle the building and move it to Williton. This was done over many weeks but the components stored back on site at Williton.