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News from November 2006...


				• Here comes the ballast...


				The Norton Triangle received the first drop of ballast on Tuesday 28 November. Under an arrangement with Network Rail, spent ballast from major main line track renewals, will be transported by a High Output Ballast Cleaner, and delivered to the WSR site for the construction of the Triangle embankments. The first train - topped and tailed by Class 66 locomotives nos 66603 and 66611 - was a small trial affair of five wagons with 250 tonnes of aggregrate. Later trains will carry 1000 tonnes in 20 wagons. A second trial train is expected to be run a week later. The main delivery is due to commence in late December or early January. Full story... 28 November 2006 Details from WSRA and local correspondents Submit story to Digg or My Web Yahoo


				• News about Class 47 no 47840...


				Destined for retirement on the West Somerset Railway in 2007, and having successfully passed vacuum and air brakes testing on 22 November, Class 47 no 47840 is expected to leave Brush Traction on Tuesday 28 November 2006. Once VAB certification is obtained, no 47840 will leave Brush to go to Cotswold Rail at Gloucester (Cotswold Rail), thence, the loco will be hauled to EWS Axiom Rail Eastleight, where it will be lifted to complete repairs to No 2 end handbrake pin, under frame cleaning, traction motor inspection with new brushes and a full B7 (13800 mile) examination before returning to Gloucester to enter service with Cotswold Rail.No 47840 will return to Brush in April 2007 for corrosion repairs and full repaint into 2-tone BR 1965 Green as D1661. During the summer, the Class 47 will be moved to Williton. 26 November 2006 Details from local correspondent


				• No 4160 set to return to the WSR...


				One of the favourite WSR locos will be returning to the line, hopefully in 2007. 4160 Ltd, the owners of BR(W) 2-6-2T no 4160, have announced the hire agreement, in principle, has been signed with the West Somerset Railway Plc. The assignment date has yet to be confirmed. The WSR's Chief Mechanical Engineer is expected to inspect the Large Prairie in the early part of 2007. Final acceptance is of course subject to a successful inspection. No 4160 spent ten successful years on the Minehead Branch before being withdrawn for complete overhaul (carried out at the South Devon Railway). The loco returned to steam in 2006 with running-in on the Buckfastleigh line, and has since appeared at the Mid Hants Railway. 24 November 2006 Details from 4160 Ltd


				• To York from Minehead...


				Two early summer excursions from Minehead have recently been announced. The first is on Saturday 28 April 2007 and heads for York, giving three hours in the historic city and magnificent York Minster. A fortnight later, on 12 May, heads for the spa town of Llandrindod Wells. Both trains will be diesel-hauled throughout and will also call at Blue Anchor, Watchet, Williton, Bishops Lydeard, Taunton, Weston super Mare and Bristol Temple Meads. For details and bookings, please contact Hertfordshire Rail Tours on 01332 374517 or visit the Hertfordshire Rail Tours website. 21 November 2006 Details from WSR Plc


				• Christmas Fare...


				If you are short of ideas for Christmas gifts, the West Somerset Railway have a few suggestions. Take a trip to the well-stocked Station Shop at Bishops Lydeard or the Buffer Stop at Minehead which have a wide range of railway-themed goods at sensible prices for all age ranges including books, videos and toys. Gift vouchers are also available from the Railway Company in multiples of £5 - ring 01643 704996 for details. New books always make excellent gifts - "The Minehead Branch", the definitve history of the line, published in 2006 by the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust, is a "must have" for railway historians and those interested in social history alike. And don't forget the Santa Trains and Winter Steam Festival... 20 November 2006 Details from WSRA and WSR Plc


				• How did those station acronyms come about...


				MD DR BA and so on - why did the Railway start using these abbreviations for the WSR stations. The story goes like this. When the "Stored Journey Ticket" was introduced for the diesel railcar service in 1977 - an effort to encourage local folks to use the train on a regular basis - the ticket had to carry the names of the stations between Minehead and Williton allowing ticketing staff to mark the two stations nominated by the passenger. Lack of space on the standard card ticket led to the creation of abbreviations MD for Minehead, DR for Dunster, BA for Blue Anchor, WD for Washford, WT for Watchet and WN for Williton. More... 25 November 2006 Details from local correspondents


				• Mark and the WSR help CLOWNS...


				A rare opportunity to ride on the footplate of a West Somerset Railway steam train is being offered in an internet auction for charity. The eBay auction, which will start on 1 December and run for 10 days, could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for somebody not already connected with the railway. Photographer Mark Stothard, of Timberscombe, is auctioning the WSR footplate pass to try to raise at least �1,000 for West Somerset charity CLOWNS. Mr Stothard approached WSR general manager Paul Conibeare, who agreed to donate the footplate pass for the auction. Mr Conibeare said: "I was very pleased to be able to support CLOWNS like this when Mark came up with the auction suggestion. We all know what terrific and valuable work CLOWNS does with needy young families in communities right across West Somerset". Full story... 22 November 2006 Details from CLOWNS


				• All done and dusted...


				The re-lay of the first quarter-mile or so of the Minehead Branch by Network Rail has been completed nicely in time for the first train due to traverse the new rails. In the early hours of Saturday 18 November, at 3.45am, a diesel-hauled empty coaching stock working will arrive from the main network and travel down the Branch to Minehead. This working is also the first of a long day for the WSR. Upon arrival at the seaside terminus, the diesel will head back arriving at Taunton at 6.55am. A few minutes later, GWR 4-6-0 no 6024 will leave Minehead bound for London Paddington with the "Capital Express". The return diesel-headed working from London rejoins WSR metals later that evening at 8.43pm arriving Minehead at 10.06pm. Quite a first day of work for the new track at Norton... 17 November 2006 Details from WSR Plc


				• A Monarch at Work...


				An ex-GWR express locomotive, a regular WSR visitor, is featured in a new book. A "Monarch at Work" is a glorious pictorial tribute to the class in general and to GWR 4-6-0 no 6024 "King Edward I" in particular. Drawing upon the work of some of the finest railway photographers, the book recalls many of the great occasions on which the locomotive has operated on the mainline. Organised on a day in the life of No 6024, the superb pictures record scenes from the locomotive�s operational career, from the early morning through to the end of the day. Apart from the excellent pictures, the book also includes a narrative of the history of the class and of No 6024�s preservation. A Monarch at Work is a fascinating portrait of a remarkable locomotive. Produced to raise funds for the continued preservation of the locomotive, all royalties from the book�s sales will help to ensure that this superb locomotive remains operational to showfuture generations the grandeur of one of the most powerful express locomotive designs ever built in Britain. More... 17 November 2006 Details from 6024 Society


				• Mr Porter needs some help...


				Oh Mr Porter, I hear you need some help. And not just the porters on the West Somerset Railway. More volunteers are always needed to help run Britain's longest heritage railway. With such a wide range of tasks on offer, there should be something to suit everyone. Some folks like to help operate the trains as guards, drivers and signallers (full training is provided) whilst others may prefer to help in the booking offices, or repair locomotives, maintain the track, clear the lineside or help with enquiries and publicity. Ring 01823 433856 or click here for more details. For downloadable image of the poster shown on the left, click here... 15 November 2006 Details from local correspondents


				• Early start and late end looms...


				The operation of a steam hauled excursion train between Minehead and London Paddington on Saturday 18 November will mean an early start and a late finish for the volunteers and staff of the West Somerset Railway. "The empty coaching stock for the excursion will arrive at Taunton at 3.59 in the morning", said WSR General Manager Paul Conibeare, "and that means our conductor driver and guard will have to be booked on at Taunton ready to join their mainline colleagues for a trip along the branch line to Minehead. And once the train is on to our line the signalmen will have to be in their signalboxes to ensure its safe passage". The train will leave Minehead at 7.00am behind the Great Western express steam loco no 6024 "King Edward I" and is due to arrive in Paddington at 1.00pm. The return journey behind a diesel locomotive begins at 5.30pm and the train is due back in Minehead at 9.30pm. "However" said Mr Conibeare "our day is not over. Once the last of the passengers have made their way homeward the diesel engine and coaches will be heading back to the main line and that means that our crews will be on duty until around midnight before the working day is done.". Tickets are still available. More details... 12 November 2006 Details from WSR Plc


				• The Ditching Boys...


				With the better weather excellent progress has been made at Norton Fitzwarren this week and the triangle is beginning to take shape. The compensation pond has been dug out to a sloping depth of 0.5m and the topsoil replaced to allow it to be grassed. The excavated sub-soil has been used to form the base of the embankments which now stretch from Norton Bridge past the point at which the triangle arms split and onto the two chords themselves. The sub base has been power rolled to compact it. The culvert close to Norton bridge has been installed and will be backfilled this week ready to join the triangle to the end of Allerford siding. Finally the ditch approaching the main drain under the main line has been excavated to ensure water flows away from the site and does not back up unnecessarily. Next week work starts on the unloading area. 5 November 2006 Details from WSRA


				• Holidays in the West...


				Do you remember taking a train to the West Country for your holiday. Well perhaps the 2007 Spring Steam Gala on 17-18 March and 22-25 March next year will rekindle distant memories. The Gala theme is "Holiday trains to the West Country" - showing how the GW, Southern and Somerset & Dorset Railways carried thousands of holidaymakers to West Country resorts throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Visiting locos will include GWR Castle 4-6-0 no 5051 "Earl Bathurst" appearing in BR livery for the last few months of its mainline certificate. Negotiations are under way for a Hall, Manor and West Country class locomotives to also visit plus others to represent all three routes to the West. The SRPS rake of maroon-liveried Mk I coaches will be hired again to help recreate authentic scenes. A number of photo charters are also planned by Steam Recreations... 3 November 2006 Details from Steam Recreations and SEPT


				• A website for the Trust...


				Although the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust is concerned with the past, the Trustees fully understand how the power of the Internet can help communicate the aims and ambitions of the Trust. 2006 brought to public attention two high profile major projects to completion - the outshopping of the superb GWR Sleeping Car no 9038, restored by a small group of skilled volunteers, and the publication of the definitive history of the line, "The Minehead Branch" authored by WSSRT Archivist Ian Coleby. The new website gathers together the story of the Trust, its successes and future plans, along with membership details. Visit the website at www.wssrt.co.uk 2 November 2006 Details from WSSRT


				• Help to rebuild a Manor...


				No 7828 needs your help. The appeal to raise funds to help bring BR(W) 4-6-0 no 7828 "Odney Manor" back to active steaming life on the West Somerset Railway remains open. The Manor class of locomotives was introduced in 1938 by the Great Western Railway for hauling passenger trains of 7 to 10 coaches over secondary main lines such as those of the former Cambrian Railways in Mid and North Wales. This makes them perfect for the West Somerset Railway as, apart from the top speed allowed, they are doing the work for which they are designed. More information... 1 November 2006 Details from WSR Plc and West Somerset Express


				• Roll up for the next Taunton Group meeting...


				The Broad Gauge is the central topic at the next WSR Association Taunton Group meeting on Monday 6 November. The guest speaker, Brian Arman, will present "A Broad Gauge Journey - Part 1". Brian comes with the reputation of being a good speaker with a well-presented topic. The venue, as usual, will be the GWRSA Snug Bar, near the north east corner of Taunton Station, starting at 7.45pm. 1 November 2006 Details from WSRA

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