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| • Seeing double at Williton
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Two 20-ton brake vans have been acquired from the Dart Valley Railway by the West Somerset Railway Association and the Diesel & Electric Preservation Group. After delivery at Bishops Lydeard, both were hauled to Williton by D9526. The WSRA van will later move to Minehead for attention, whilst the DEPG-owned van will be overhauled at Williton before becoming part of the DEPG goods rake. The DEPG van currently retains the DartRail logo. See Latest Pix pages...
29 February 2004
Details from local correspondent
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| • Braunton features in the Gazette
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A rather nice full page spread in the this week's Somerset County Gazette tells the story of the restoration of "Braunton". The ex-Southern Railway loco is undergoing extensive repair - effectively a complete rebuild - at the Railway's Williton Works by the West Somerset Railway Association. To hasten the work, the Association is looking for an engineer to work alongside the team. Anyone with an industrial engineering background who might be interested in the full time job should call the Association on 01823 433856.
27 February 2004
Details from WSRA
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| • The Steptoe Special
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A tidy train - nicknamed the "Steptoe Special" - will run on Saturday 6 March. This will be the only tidy train in 2004 due to the low amount of scrap materials awaiting collection from the lineside and reflects an increasing tendency to collect and dispose of material on a more regular basis leading to a neater, tidier and safer railway.
26 February 2004
Details from WSRA
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| • Taw Valley and no 5552 for Gala
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Also, from the Special Event Planning Team, news that GWR 2-6-2T no 5552 (based at Bodmin) has been confirmed for the Gala in place of no 5553 which left the line in January for attention at Tyseley, Birmingham, and is not expected to return in time for the event.
14 February 2004
Details from WSR Plc, SEPT and local correspondent
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| • Bernard at Taunton
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At the monthly meeting of the WSRA Taunton Group, on 1 March, Bernard Mills will take the audience along "The Road to the Isles". Bernard is an entertaining speaker from Devon, who produces some very good slides. The meeting is the usual venue at the GWR Staff Association Bar, in the north east corner of Taunton Station, starting at 7.45pm...
27 February 2004
Details from WSRA
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| • A Railway Wedding...
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Katie James, who works in the Commercial Department at Minehead Station, has married David Dunster, of the Permanent Way Department. The wedding was held at 12 o'clock at Selworthy Church on 21 February. Transport from the reception venue, Holnicote House, was by two vintage buses from the Quantock Heritage fleet and afterwards the guests were taken to Minehead Station for a trip to Williton and back behind "Dinmore Manor". On return to Minehead, the two vintage buses took the party to Holnicote for the reception. Congratulations to the happy couple...
21 February 2004
Details from Alan Grieve. More pics on newspix page
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| • Douglas Fear
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A notice in the West Somerset Free Press describes Douglas as a founder member of the West Somerset Railway and that donations to the railway can be sent to E White and Sons, Funeral Directors, Taunton.
21 February 2004
Details from Tim King
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| • Virtual West Somerset Railway nearly there...
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A local company, Railwaves, have been working for some months on a WSR route for use with Microsoft's TrainSim program. Railwaves have provided regular updates, with images, of the work in progress on www.railwaves.com. Now the route is nearly complete! News from Railwaves is that the product will be published by Just Trains - a leading railway simulation software publisher. The release date will be announced by Just Trains. Meantime, Railwaves will demonstrating, and taking pre-orders for, the new add-on package at Minehead Station during the Spring Steam Gala.
20 February 2004
Details from WSRA and Railwaves
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| • Under fives get their own tickets...
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In a nice touch, the Railway will be issuing special "Infants" tickets this year. Accompanied under-fives travel free on the West Somerset but have not, until now, been able to have "their own ticket", which is a very important piece of the whole heritage railway experience! Even better, the ticket is one of the real traditional card types - just like the grown-ups. The tickets will be available after the Spring Steam Gala.
20 February 2004
Details from WSR Plc and local correspondent
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| • Bookings for Quantock Belle doing nicely
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Much in demand as a venue for anniversaries, the "Belle" is approaching twenty five years on the Railway, with the first WSR dining train being run on 24 December 1979, so perhaps we will see a "Silver Belle" headboard later this year?
18 February 2004
Details from WSRA and local correspondent
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| • Bert Blake
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It is heartwarming to know that people said good things about Bert during his life as well as after...
14 February 2004
Details from WSR Plc and local correspondents
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| • Here We Go Again
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The 2004 season kicks off on Saturday 14 February with a series of trips between Minehead and Williton. The train is likely to be headed by GWR 0-6-0PT no 6412 with four coaches in tow or maybe "five on" if loadings demand. The week should also see the return of Brake Second Open coach no 9380 looking very nice indeed after overhaul. Click here for train times.
9 February 2004
Details from WSR Plc
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| • Materials stolen from Williton
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On three consecutive nights last week, important aluminium items used for the maintenance of the Diesel and Electric Preservation Group's main line diesel-hydraulic fleet - D1010, D7017 and D7018 - were taken from the Williton Diesel Depot. The loss of certain items could well set back the current repair of D7018. A quantity of copper was taken from the nearby Council recycling depot.
9 February 2004
Details from WSR Plc
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| • Sentinel visits Bristol
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The Diesel & Electric Preservation Group took the Sentinel no DH16 for a birthday trip to Bristol Docks over the weekend. The little diesel did really well all day shunting wagons and trip working up and down the branch line. There are a few photos on the Latest Pictures pages. Very Rev Awdry...
9 February 2004
Details from local correspondents
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| • New Display Unit
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Providing a huge leap in the quality of presentation, the new display unit is unveiled at the Days Out publicity event at Kingston Maurward near Dorchester at the weekend. A large part of the WSR's success in recent years is attributable to the increase in party bookings. Johns Simms of the Railway's Minehead office has used great imagination and skill in fostering this important and growing source of business by approaching coach operators and group organisers direct, and by many other promotional initiatives. Just before the doors opened, John and assistant preparing for the rush. Click here for bigger picture...
9 February 2004
Details from Lumber Jack
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| • Additional Steam Engineman courses
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And now, to help reduce disappointment, two more dates for Course One - 17-18 and 28-29 October 2004.
6 February 2004
Details from WSR Plc
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| • Winter Works Update...
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The Signal &Telegraph Department have now moved into Minehead with their mess coach along with the necessary materials for the new Bay ground frame. These items were loaded and transported by rail to Minehead two days ago - see NewsPix page. The mini-digger - which spent most of January employed digging a very long, straight trench for the new Minehead to Blue Anchor cabling project - will be brought back from Dunster (the present trench-head) to dig the many holes for the ground frame and signalling works. Meanwhile, cable laying will start in the next few days...
3 February 2004
Details from WSR Plc
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