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| • North Star under North Hill...
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At about 2.30pm on Monday 28 May 2007, a classic diesel locomotive rolled to a stand at Minehead at the head of an excursion from Derby. Thus ended a long mainline career as Brush Type 4 D1661 (47840) North Star arrived under North Hill to start a new life on the West Somerset Railway. After a few short moments an official handing over ceremony took place with contributions by the General Manager of the WSR Plc and representatives from various mainline companies. The result of a lot of hard work and organisation which will ensure many years of useful duties in so-called retirement in Somerset - but that did not stop the locomotive being pressed straight into service hauling a heavy engineers train from Minehead to Norton Fitzwarren...
29 May 2007
Details from DEPG
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| • Turning the locos at Minehead...
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A once in a generation opportunity. That's how the WSR Plc Chairman, Chris Austin, describes the Minehead Turntable project. Much of the overall cost of £632000 may be met by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) providing the Railway can complete the work by March 2008. The Railway Company is contributing the turntable itself and other materials, along with a substantial cash input, and is seeking financial help from shareholders. The County Council are providing the land and also some gap funding which must be repaid. Construction is likely to commence in July. A turntable is already on site at Minehead, having been recovered in the 1970s from Pwllheli. It will require extending and some repair. An alternative 65' turntable, presently at Swindon, is also being considered. The turntable will provide much needed loco turning facilities which is sure to help attract visiting steam excursions and bring much needed revenue for the local economy. The location will be very visible to visitors who will be able to view the turning procedure at close quarters.
25 May 2007
Details from WSR Plc
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| • The WSRA take on more space...
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The West Somerset Railway Association is pleased to announce that they have added a new building to their infrastructure. The WSRA have taken over a two year old industrial unit on the Broad Gauge Business Park at Bishops Lydeard, approx 250 yds from the station. The building which includes offices and a conference room will be used to store a large variety of equipment needed to keep the Railway going. Restoration areas for small station items such as signs and trolleys by the railways Restoration and Maintenance Service (RAMS) and for the S&T department will be set up inside along with a storage area for the railways catering department. A large area for general storage is available with industrial racking which will enable the railway to further tidy up areas visible to the public and bring vulnerable items under cover. The moving of some of the workshop facilities currently located at Bishops Lydeard station will enable the Gauge Museum to expand the display areas for its growing collection. It is also planned to restore the former cattle dock area and goods office to show visitors what such a facility looked like in times past. Some office and admin function may also move to the new facility and regular management meetings are already held in the conference room. The railway is delighted with this latest acquisition as it will provide better facilities for volunteers and staff to work in and enable them to further improve the West Somerset Railway for the benefit of all concerned and most importantly our passengers.
25 May 2007
Details from WSRA
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| • Pannier to visit the Flatlands...
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The WSRA-owned GWR 0-6-0PT no 6412 is to visit Cambridgeshire. The Nene Valley Railway have advised that the popular Pannier tank will visit the Wansford-based line in from 10 July to 11 September. No 6412 is sure to be highly suited to the Nene Valley Railway. The NVR website comments "Like the various GWR locos to have visited the NVR in previous years No 6412 is likely to become a firm favourite with visitors and enthusiasts alike".
23 May 2007
Details from NVR
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| • Western gets a good test run...
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A sight sure to please diesel hydraulic fans. On a day when a few gentle test runs were expected, all part of a scheduled return to service after a long overhaul, things got very interesting for the Diesel and Electric Preservation Group's mighty diesel hydraulic no D1010 Western Campaigner when, together with Crompton D6566, the loco hauled a rake of passenger coaches. The opportunity came about when stock from a Steam Engineman Course ended up at Williton and required moving to Bishops Lydeard...
18 May 2007
Details from local correspondent
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| • How close can you get...
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If you have ever wanted to live close to a top heritage railway then here is an opportunity of a lifetime. The Bishops Lydeard Station Master's House - still sporting Bristol & Exeter Railway bargeboards - has become vacant and is available to let for six or twelve months. Although dating from the opening of the line in 1862 the property has, of course, been modernised. For full details, contact David Pattemore at West View, Minehead Road, Bishops Lydeard, Taunton, Somerset, TA4 3BS.
18 May 2007
Details from West Somerset Restoration
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| • Every little helps...
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Now you can convert your Tesco Clubcard points into tokens for a day out on the West Somerset Railway. As the blurb has it "Why not unwind as the steam trains of the West Somerset Railway take you on a leisurely 20 mile journey between Bishops Lydeard near Taunton and Minehead on the Somerset coast. Your journey will take in the sights, sounds and the unmistakable smell of the golden age of steam." The tokens can be exchanged for tickets on normal service trains but not during special events or on special trains and tokens cannot be used in food outlets or shops. Best to check out the train service details on the official West Somerset Railway website and the supermarket chain's Days Out promotion webpages.
16 May 2007
Details from WSR Plc and local correspondents
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| • Turning the clocks back for Fathers Day...
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Just the ticket for fathers - and grandfathers - who were taking an interest in the railways of the West of England during the 1960s. Father’s Day on the West Somerset Railway this year will bring back a host of memories on Sunday 17 June. The twenty mile long line between Bishops Lydeard, near Taunton and Minehead is holding a Mixed Traffic Weekend between Friday 15 June and Sunday 17 June and will be setting the clock back to 1965 and the period when British Railways was converting from steam to diesel power. With this in mind the majority of the trains will be hauled by vintage diesel locomotives, although there will also be two steam engines in action. West Somerset Railway General Manager, Paul Conibeare, commented about the possibilities for a family outing on Sunday 17 June, "We will have seven diesel hauled trains and four steam headed locomotives travelling over the line on Fathers Day and there is plenty of opportunity to alight at one of our stations and take in a walk and a lunch in a pub or restaurant along the way as well as riding the trains", he said. "And for anyone who really remembers the '60s there is the chance to alight at Crowcombe Heathfield for the site where Ringo famously rode the bicycle along the station platform in the Beatles film A Hard Day’s Night." More...
14 May 2007
Details from WSR Plc
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| • Unique opportunity to visit No 6705...
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The Collett BCK carriage no 6705 - for so long exiled in the USA, now back in Britain and currently stored at Crewe - is confirmed as being open to the public to visit over the weekend of 11-12 August 2007 by kind permission of "The Railway Age"Trustees and LNWR Heritage Ltd. No 6705 offers a unique opportunity to look back to 1962 when it was sold out of traffic to an American collector and was shipped across the Atlantic. The new owners, the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust, have had numerous requests to visit it and this will be a once only opportunity to see it before restoration starts. "The Railway Age" is open 10am to 4pm (last admission 3pm) on each day and admission is £4 for adults and £2 for children. Please note that access to the carriage will be by steps at either end of the coach and the visit will not be suitable for those with mobility problems.
14 May 2007
Details from WSSRT
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| • Sign up for Electronic Trust News...
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Now you can get all the latest news from the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust buy subscribing to an electronic newsletter. With so much happening especially with the Heritage Carriages Project it does seem at time difficult to keep up! It's a free service although donations are always welcome. All you have to do is send a request by email to the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust and simply await your first copy...
14 May 2007
Details from WSSRT
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| • Spring Steam Gala DVD now on sale...
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The new DVD from Andrew Fisher filmed during the recent Spring Steam Gala is now available from shops on the West Somerset Railway. The "Summer Saturdays In the West" DVD is priced £15.99 including post and packing. The footage features the full line-up of guest engines including Nos 34007 Wadebridge, 5051 Earl Bathurst, 7802 Bradley Manor, 7822 Foxcote Manor, 4247, 88, 4160, 80136, 5521, 5553, 9351, 3850 and 6412 plus ;Kilmersdon, two Class 47 diesels on the incoming excursion train on 24 March and the Virgin Voyager on the Taunton-Bishops Lydeard shuttles. Filming is from locations all along the line, plus some footplate footage taken from Nos 88 and 9351 and the total running time is 87 minutes. The DVD can be obtained from the Bishops Lydeard Station Shop and also from the Buffer Stop Shop at Minehead...
12 May 2007
Details from WSR Plc and WSRA
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| • Jazz on the Minehead Branch...
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After a gap of a year the West Somerset Railway is once again running Jazz Trains this year. The format of the evening has changed since the last time this form of music was heard along the lines. Rather than the musicians playing on the trains the Jazz train will run non-stop from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead where the band will play on the platform of the station, taking advantage of the large covered area under the station canopy. The first night of the new format takes place to start the Bank Holiday Weekend on the evening of Saturday 26 May 26 when the music will be supplied by the Pete Barnard Jazz Band. The train will steam out of Bishops Lydeard at 6.30pm and once it is underway passengers will be served a traditional meal of fish and chips (or a vegetarian alternative if preferred). An hour later the train will arrive at Minehead, the music will start and the bar on the platform will open. The train will depart again around 9.15pm as the sun is going down for the journey home through the Somerset countryside. The cost of the evening by train is £22 which includes the round trip over the branch, the food and the music. Booking must be made in advance. Jazz enthusiasts who live in Minehead or on Exmoor and would like to come along can do so for an admission charge of £5 payable at the gate on the night. More...
11 May 2007
Details from WSR Plc
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| • Ultrasonic comes to the Minehead Branch...
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The Network Rail Ultrasonic Test train took a trip along the Minehead Branch on the evening of 8 May 2007. The three-car diesel unit carries a device that scans the rails checking for tiny cracks, noting the location so that remedial work can be carried out if necessary at a later date. It is believed this is the first time such a device has been used on the Minehead Branch and is an indication of the ongoing approach to safe working on the award-winning heritage line.
8 May 2007
Details from local correspondent
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| • New Kitchen for Old..
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Turning a railway station kitchen from the Nineteenth to the Twenty-First Century. That's the latest project for the hardworking team at Crowcombe Heathfield Station on the West Somerset Railway. Whilst planning is proceeding a-pace, the little matter of fundraising is also being attended to. The team are arranging a special evening event at Cannington including a cold collation supper and a demonstration of a rarely-seen "O" gauge garden model railway.Tickets are £7.50 each and booking forms are available from WSR stations or from The Rectory, 27 Brook Street, Cannington, Bridgwater TA5 2HP. Around £6,500 is required for the refurbishment and the team hope the "One Tea, Milk and no Sugar" event will go some way to realising the dream...
6 May 2007
Details from Crowcombe Heathfield Station
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| • No 6705 gets a Spring clean..
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The recently repatriated ex-GWR coach no 6705 has had a Spring clean. Heritage Carriage Project leader, Robin White recently spent two very intensive days cleaning No 6705 at LNWR Crewe. Robin was please to be joined for part of one day by Andrew Forster (WSR Chief Mechanical Engineer) who was at Crewe for WSR Plc loco engineering purposes. Between them, over 20 dustbin bags of rubbish and broken glass were filled and removed. The coach is now much safer to visit and much more respectable. Robin comments "It was amazing to be vacuuming the dust from the upholstery and watching it change from brown to red and gold". Much interesting detail is now revealed by the close inspection this process has entailed. The corridors and third class compartments were floored on what appeared to be black lino but when polished a sample showed the usual brown colour. First class gets a scumble pattern sky blue lino - at one time covered by carpet, of course, the remains of which were present. The first class lavatory features light blue rexine as a wall-covering. There has been considerable interest in the coach as something of a timewarp from the early 1960s and subject to agreement by the management of "The Railway Age" in Crewe, the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust intend to open it to the public to view in its present (unrestored) state, probably over the weekend of 11-12 August. This should allow curiousity to be satisfied in a controlled way, and should garner some donations towards the coach. Volunteers to help man the coach over that weekend are welcomed. For lots more about the Heritage Carriages Project, visit the WSSRT website...
6 May 2007
Details from WSRA
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| • Models promote Steam Rally..
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Two models are promoting the Steam Fayre and Vintage Rally which will be held at the West Somerset Railway over the weekend of 4-5 August 2007. The models in question are a custom liveried steam lorry and a Morris Minor light van which are now on sale at the WSR Association's Shop on Platform Two at Bishops Lydeard Station. The shop is open every day from May to September (excluding 4, 11, 14, 18, 21 May). A picture of the Steam Lorry can be see here and a picture of the Morris Minor van can be seen here
5 May 2007
Details from WSRA
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| • Update from Norton..
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An update from the Norton Project. HOBC deliveries restarted yesterday morning after the month's outage for crew holiday. During the break work on site has slowed but the second culvert has been completed, concreted and is ready to have the bank built across it and ballast laid. Apart from the culvert the western chord is now fully ballasted for approximately 50% of its extent with two breaks; one for the culvert and one waiting dismantling of the 33kV overhead. Western Power have installed the new underground cable and the process of backfilling the trench should now be completed. Once completed and tested the new line will be connected and commissioned and the old overhead dismantled. This is due to occur in about ten days time. Once the Contractors have completed the earthworks for the western chord we plan to extend the short track spur already laid around the first part of the triangle itself.
2 May 2007
Details from WSRA
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| • Great news for WSRA gardeners..
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Excellent news for the WSRA gardeners. Monkton Elm Nurseries have agreed to sponsor the West Somerset Railway Association to the tune of £150 in the form of gift vouchers. This will provide for flowers at Bishops Lydeard and First Group's WSR supported beds at Taunton Station - the WSRA has asked by Taunton Deane to tend an extra garden at the mainline station. A graphics board depicting the West Somerset Railway Station Gardens in being produced. The special Station Gardens week is being held on 15-22 July 2007.
2 May 2007
Details from WSRA
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| • DEPG take ownership of No 47840
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Celebrity Brush Type 4 diesel-electric locomotive no 47840 North Star arrived at Brush Works, Loughborough for corrosion repairs, cab internal repaint, external repaint into two-tone green and headcode box fitment. At noon on 1 May 2007, No 47840 (D1661) became the property of the Diesel & Electric Preservation Group Limited. The next trip for North Star will be self-delivery to WSR on 28 May 2007 on a Derby to Minehead Heartland Tours excursion...
2 May 2007
Details from local correspondent
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