Many people waited on bridges and platforms to see the arrival of Flying Scotsman during its trip from Didcot to the West Somerset Railway on 30 August 2017. Arrival at Bishops Lydeard was on time at around 1.25pm. The loco then retired to the shed. However later in the afternoon, the iconic engine reappeared and make ready to undertake a gauging run to Minehead and back, much to the surprise of many. Word quickly spread and so each station saw a rapid gathering of onlookers and photographers keen to get their first sighting of Flying Scotsman on the Minehead Branch. A number of pictures have already appeared on this website and there are more to be added.

31 August 2017
Details kindly provided by local correspondent

The volunteer Signal & Telegraph team were on site at 9am at Blue Anchor Station on the 2017 August Bank Holiday Monday to identify the rodding damaged during a road traffic accident on the level crossing the previous day. The gate opening mechanism on the Down side, Taunton side, gate was damaged. Eventually, when things were tidied up, it seemed that the only lasting damage was to the rodding that controls both the locking and the rotation of the gates, such that this gate had to be moved by hand.

The team very quickly had the walkway boards up and identified the snapped rod. A welder was not available at Minehead. Enquiries to West Somerset Restoration at Williton found that the Pope brothers were quite prepared to do the job and by noon, the repaired rod was back at Blue Anchor and fitted back in place. On testing, it was found to work perfectly.

The S&T team wish to express their grateful thanks to Ryan and Liam Pope for their expertise.

28 August 2017
Details kindly provided by local correspondent

The West Somerset Railway Plc have advised the following:

Southern Railway 'West Country' light pacific 4-6-2 no 34046 Braunton is now not available for the Flying Scotsman visit in a few days time.

It was planned for Braunton to join other named engines - GWR Hall Class locomotive 6960 Raveningham Hall, and Manor Class locomotives 7820 Dinmore Manor and 7822 Foxcote Manor -one of which will provide the supporting role to the main attraction, Flying Scotsman.

28 August 2017
Details kindly provided by West Somerset Railway Plc

There are just a couple of weeks before the iconic Flying Scotsman locomotive will be running on the West Somerset Railway. Here is an update:

From 5 to 12 September inclusive (except 8 September) Flying Scotsman will be running non-stop up and down the line from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead twice a day, with a full load of pre-booked passengers. There will also be evening runs from Bishops Lydeard to Blue Anchor on the 6, 9, 10 and 11 September.

Another express non-stop train will be running up and down the line and passengers from Flying Scotsman will swop over at Minehead on each trip. This other train will hauled by one of a pool of named locomotives. These include the West Country class locomotive Braunton which was partially restored at Williton, so is not a complete stranger to the railway, but this year she is running under the number and name of a scrapped sister locomotive 34052 Lord Dowding. The locomotive was renamed to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Britain in 1940. (The late Lord Dowding is today generally given the credit for Britain's victory in the Battle of Britain.)

Other locomotives in the pool of named engines will include GWR Hall Class locomotive 6960 Raveningham Hall, and Manor Class locomotives 7820 Dinmore Manor and 7822 Foxcote Manor.

During this period the West Somerset Railway will also be offering a full service of stopping trains. Tickets to travel on these trains can be purchased on board the trains from the travelling ticket inspectors. Platform tickets will be available for all stations except Minehead or Bishops Lydeard for viewing passing trains. Because of the large numbers booked to travel, Minehead and Bishops Lydeard will be closed to all except travelling passengers.

21 August 2017
Details kindly provided by West Somerset Railway Plc

Kate Beard, Retail Manager WSRA Promotions, writes:

The Station Shop at Bishops Lydeard is very pleased to announce that Allan Stanistreet, author of the recently-updated book 'Railways Round Exmoor' will be joining us on Saturday 2 September to sign copies of his book during the Late Summer Weekend. Allan will be with us at the Station Shop, Bishops Lydeard Station, from 10.00am to 3.00pm. Long-standing WSR volunteer Allan Stanistreet has carried out a masterly update and expansion of Robin Madge's original text, with the main emphasis on the Lynton and Barnstaple line and the WSR, where preservationists have achieved so much in the intervening decades. The 128 page book is lavishly illustrated with well-reproduced colour photographs and an interesting selection of historic black and white images.

21 August 2017
Details kindly provided by West Somerset Railway Association

Dave Horton, WSR's Head of Mechanical Engineering, has issued the following update:

In view of the above, late yesterday afternoon [18 August] the Management Team collectively decided that the 'BL2' diagram (1105 ex-Bishops Lydeard etc) will remain diesel-hauled until Friday 25 August 2017. It is felt better to maintain the published yellow timetable with two steam plus one spare (as opposed to three steam plus zero spare), such that we can feel confident of launching back into a reliable three steam operation in time for the forthcoming Bank Holiday weekend and beyond.

Some light engine positioning moves may be seen towards the back end of this week.

On behalf of the Loco Department, thank you for your understanding during this difficult time.

19 August 2017
Details kindly provided by West Somerset Railway Plc

The West Somerset Railway have released a limited number of day rover tickets which can be used for travel on other services during the Flying Scotsman event which is taking place from 5 to 7 September and 9 to 12 September.

All tickets to travel behind the Flying Scotsman and the WSR Express during the day have been sold, but there is still opportunity to travel behind the other services that will be running during this event to get a glimpse of the iconic locomotive. Rover tickets are being sold at the normal price with a 10% discount being offered when purchased in advance through the website.

If you would like to travel behind the Flying Scotsman, there are a few evening tickets which offer a return trip from Bishops Lydeard to Blue Anchor; you have the option of tickets that include fish and chips, a vintage tea or travel only.

For more information on the event please visit the official website on www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk or phone 01643 704996

18 August 2017
Details kindly provided by West Somerset Railway Plc

Some good and interesting news taken from a message posted on the 'WSR Mechanical Engineering Dept News' Facebook page:

It has been agreed that USATC S160 2-8-0 no 6046 is coming to strengthen our fleet for the whole of 2018. Courtesy of the owners and Churnet Valley Railway. Sure to turn some heads, not least for its wonderful chime whistle! But in terms of authenticity, some worked out of Taunton shed during the war, and will compliment our plans to put together a WD-themed freight train. Being air-braked she will also be of value in hauling incoming charter trains.

17 August 2017
Details gleaned from Facebook

The West Somerset Railway have been working hard to try and find suitable areas to observe the Flying Scotsman for those that missed out on purchasing tickets.

It is vital that we do our best to ensure that where possible, we avoid issues on the highways and direct people to suitable spots where parking is permitted. We have been very fortunate that some local land owners have kindly opened their fields for car parking. The fields are situated either in walking distance from the stations or with fantastic opportunities to see the locomotive on the line. The land owners will charge £5 for each vehicle and some have even offered camping spaces for overnight parking which can be pre-arranged. Access to our intermediate stations will be charged at £2 per person on the day only. Please be aware that there is limited capacity on our stations.

Frank Courtney the Chairman of the WSR's Flying Scotsman organising committee said:

We are very grateful to the local land owners for opening their fields to help alleviate the pressures on the highway. Anyone wishing to photograph the Flying Scotsman or view the locomotive without a ticket to travel are advised to visit one of these car parks to do so.

For all the information relating to car parking for the Flying Scotsman please visit the official WSR website

16 August 2017
Details kindly provided by West Somerset Railway Plc

Attention all photographers, say the West Somerset Railway, who explain further:

Is it too soon to mention Christmas? We are looking for a suitably festive photograph of the Railway for this year's Christmas Card. Anyone who wishes to submit a photograph for consideration should email it to anna.forster@wsrail.net

16 August 2017
Details gleaned from the WSR Plc Facebook page

The Quantock Belle Dining Train due to run on Sunday 20 August 2017 headed by Class 35 'Hymek' no D7017 will include two standard coaches as it will be running in the path of the scheduled 2.20pm from Doniford to Minehead; later the Quantock Belle runs in the path of the 5.20pm from Minehead. Both trains will operate as an 'all stations stopper' (open to ordinary ticket holders) from Bishops Lydeard on the outward trip and from Minehead on the later service. Dining passengers booked on the Quantock Belle please note their train will start its journey as advertised at Bishops Lydeard, leaving at 1pm.

16 August 2017
Details kindly provided by local correspondent

On 12 August 2017, the WSR Association van took a trip to the Kent & East Sussex Railway. In the back of the van were four SER-pattern ex-SR benches displaced from Blue Anchor by the arrival of four new GWR pattern benches, giving that station a complete set. The benches loaded at Blue Anchor by Martyn Snell, Brian Jessup and Phil Sizer, and off loaded by local folks at Robertsbridge. We understand the SER-pattern benches will shortly br transformed into K&ESR 'mid-purple brown'.

14 August 2017
Details kindly provided by local correspondent

A synopsis of the WSRA Board Meeting held on 17 July 2017 has been published on the Association website.

The document reveals

• three potential purchasers for the redundant Mk 1 FO no 3131 and one for the BG vehicle; the Board will seek approval from the AGM to sell these vehicles.
• arrangements are in hand for the production of the next issue of the Journal; and the question of its editorship will be considered at the next Board meeting.
• only one member had been nominated for Board membership.

The Documents page also has the Minutes of the previous Board meeting which reported on Communication, "We agree [to] produce a monthly email newsletter. We consider that a new website which permits the provision of a members' only area is essential."

14 August 2017
Details gleaned from the West Somerset Railway Association website

Geoff Garfield, Chairman of the Rally Committee reports on the recent Steam Fayre and Vintage Vehicle Rally:

Our annual Rally took place on the 5th & 6th August this year, and was again very well attended. We are still waiting for final figures, but over 6000 people came through the main gate. This number will be further swelled by those who came by train, and all of our exhibitors and their families

We were very lucky in having mostly fine weather, so the show was not interrupted: some other local shows were cancelled or curtailed as a result of wet weather. Our visitors enjoyed all of the exhibits and entertainments: many have given us great feedback. We also know that there are a number of opportunities to improve for next year: the organising committee will be looking carefully at those, very soon.

See the Steam Rally website for the full report...

11 August 2017
Details kindly provided by the Rally Team

The West Somerset Railway's Head of Mechanical Engineering has kindly provided an update on the current situation...

Just to advise where we are currently with locos and to shed some more light on our current challenges - 7820 in traffic, 53808 in traffic, 44422 now due a washout, 53809 shortly to complete washout, 6960 stopped for attention to springs, whilst waiting for these to be removed and repaired, and because the loco is going to be our 'no 1' standby engine during Flying Scotsman week, we are taking the opportunity to complete some preventative maintenance which was deferred from the winter period - by doing a valve exam (remove valves, inspect, clean up, fit new sleeves, refit). Oh and it's also due a washout now too.

7822 expected to arrive and be in traffic by 28 August, will provide much needed support to the fleet.

Rest assured the loco department is working very hard to overcome the present difficulties. It has been a challenging year for loco availability perhaps without precedent on the WSR in recent times.

Please note: It is mandatory for our locos to be washed out every 28 steaming days in order to prevent the build-up of scale and sludge, which is potentially damaging as it can reduce heat transfer and therefore cause localised heat stress. Also it is necessary to ensure an adequate frequency of boiler internal inspection. Under normal circumstances we look to balance the washouts so that there is never more than one taking place per week, but unfortunately due to various prior circumstances we have three becoming due in a two-week period (53809, 44422 and 6960). A washout normally takes between 5-7 days given our current staffing levels and allowing for the loco to be cooled down and warmed up slowly at either end of it (which is obviously much kinder on the boiler). This is also assuming nothing else is found that needs rectifying during the washout inspection.

If it hadn't been for 6960's broken springs on Sunday, we would have been able to maintain a normal three loco steam service today (7 Aug) and tomorrow (8 Aug).

8 August 2017
Details kindly provided by West Somerset Railway Plc

The West Somerset Railway's Loco Department carried out a major exercise on Sunday 6 August 2017 when the Stone Siding was emptied. Stock moved included a DMU power car and BR Mk 1 coach no 25454. Later the action moved to Dunster West sidings where a number of vehicles were moved. These included GWR well wagon 'Crocodile' no W41945, BR Lowmac no B900118, six wheel tank wagon no ADW 102, six wheel tank wagon 3018, GWR Siphon no W2980, LMS open wagon no 404103, and former DMU power car chassis no 51663. A good number of these will be restored, in time, by the newly formed Wagon Restoration Team. The clearance at Dunster - which extended until after dark - was done ahead of the next day's planned disconnection of the points leading from the main line to the sidings, prior to slewing the main line over the 'newer' River Avill Bridge. Our unofficial hunch suggests the bed of the current track is showing signs of stress (it rests on the original alignment across Dunster Marsh which became the Down line when doubled in the 1930s), and that the long disused Up line trackbed may provide a better base across this one time saltmarsh.

7 August 2017
Details kindly provided by West Somerset Railway Plc

The West Somerset Railway have issued the following statement:

Alan Nicholson has been appointed Chairman by the Board of Directors for the West Somerset Railway Plc. This follows the resignation for personal reasons of John Irven, who has been the Chairman of the Board for the last five years.

Other recent changes at Board level include the appointment of Frank Courtney as Business Planning Director. This follows the resignation of Steve Williams, again for personal reasons. Steve has been instrumental in restructuring the railways Corporate and Business Plans and has become well known in the local business community for representing the railway.

Read the full statement

7 August 2017
Details kindly provided by West Somerset Railway Plc

The Diesel & Electric Preservation Group have announced:

We are pleased to announce that D7017 has been invited to attend the Great Western Railway Old Oak Common open day on Saturday 2 September 2017. This invitation has been accepted and the loco has been taken out of traffic to enable Graham Perry to undertake a repaint. She is due to haul the West Somerset Railway's Quantock Belle Dining Train on Sunday 20 August. The loco will then be moved by road to London by Allelys Heavy Haulage.

We understand both the DEPG and the West Somerset Railway will have trade stands at the event.

Find out more about the Old Oak Common Open Day

6 August 2017
Details kindly provided by local correspondent and Diesel & Electric Preservation Group

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST no 1219 and Pecket 0-4-0ST no 1788 Kilmersdon will be in operation at the Steam Rally this weekend - 5 and 6 August 2017 - offering the rare chance to ride behind these fantastic industrial locomotives.

It is planned to have Kilmersdon running on the Saturday and Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST no 1219 running on the Sunday.

Andrew Barclay Restoration and Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust look forward to a fantastic weekend.

2 August 2017
Details kindly provided by local correspondent

Stogumber's new Station Master, Bob Preston, reviewed the waiting room furniture and decided that two Southern Railway waiting room benches were surplus to requirements. These had come from the Ilfracombe line when it shut, via a long period in store at Barnstaple, seeing the light of day again in the early 1980s.

The benches were offered to the heritage railway community and were snapped up by the Swanage Railway Commercial Manager, Martin Trott, for a contribution to Stogumber Station funds.

The WSRA van was used on 31 July 2017 to take the benches down to Swanage.

It is thought that the benches may change colour fairly soon.

The much-travelled WSRA van has now clocked up two more iconic railway heritage destinations: Swanage and Corfe Castle.

The next part of the great WSR bench shuffle will be at Blue Anchor on Saturday 12 August 2017, when four more GWR benches will replace four SECR-pattern Southern Railway benches which are then heading off to Robertsbridge for the Kent and East Sussex Railway's extension. Some labour is required for the unloading and loading. Could you spare half an hour at Blue Anchor at 9am that morning? If so, please contact Robin White on robin215white@btintetnet.com

2 August 2017
Details kindly provided by local correspondent

The West Somerset Railway's Gala Planning Team has recently been through some changes. The Team were formally known as SEPT (Special Events Planning Team) and have been organising the Railway's galas since the first Somerset & Dorset gala back in 1996. The Team has recently seen its Chairman of the past nine years, John Cronin, retire and the Team would like to thank John for his hard work and contribution over recent years. The now renamed Gala Planning Team will be taken forward by new Chairman Don Bishop. Don has been on the Team since the beginning except for a gap due to business commitments between 2008 and 2015. He is now joined by WSR Head of Operations Richard Jones who was also on the Team from the beginning.

The Team is pleased to announce the loco line up for the forthcoming Autumn Steam Gala between 5 and 8 October. The theme is 'Bath & Beyond' to reflect the available locomotives of both S&D and GW/BR(W) origins. Joining the home fleet of S&D 7Fs nos 53808 and 53809, 4F no 44422 and Hall no 6960 Raveningham Hall will be BR Standard 5 no 73082 Camelot, courtesy of its owning group and the Bluebell Railway, BR Black Manors nos 7820 Dinmore Manor (Dinmore Manor Fund) and 7822 Foxcote Manor (Llangollen Railway), and Bulleid West Country no 34046 Braunton (expected to run as no 34052 Lord Dowding) from the Locomotives Services Fleet based at Crewe. It is hoped to be able to recreate several classic S&D double headed combinations, which when paired with the WSR's recently formed red and cream set looks very authentic.

The Team has also put together a plan of events with themes for the WSR's 2018 gala programme.

• Spring Gala - Great Western routes & branches - 22 to 25 March 2018 - Take a journey back to the days of the steam worked branch lines and routes of the GWR and BR Western Region, when the Minehead branch was one of many former GWR branch lines in the West Country. Visiting and home based locomotives.
• Diesel Gala - Vintage Diesels to the Seaside - 8 to 10 June 2018 - A look back to the 1970s and 1980s when a variety of diesel locomotive types were employed to take holiday makers and day trippers to the seaside. Visiting and home based diesel locomotives.
• Late Summer Weekend - West Country Railways Weekend - 1 and 2 September 2018 - A mix of steam and diesel traction with a more intensive timetable with locos selected from our home fleet with west country links from the past - pretty much any of them.
• Autumn Gala - Cross Country Rail Routes - 27 to 30 September 2018 - A look back at the variety of steam locomotives and trains that ran along the cross country and secondary rail routes that crossed the country between the many towns and cities other than the capital.
• Winter Gala - A branch line in winter - 29 and 30 December 2018 - Come along and experience the feel of steam in deep winter with traditional steam heating and perhaps a mince pie.

Following on from the September visit of no 60103 Flying Scotsman the WSR is in for a busy period with a good variety of motive power to enjoy.

1 August 2017
Details kindly provided by Gala Planning Team

Flying Scotsman Dining Experience 9, 10 September 2017. Enjoy a four-course meal aboard the Quantock Belle on Saturday 9 September or Sunday 10 September leaving at 7pm.

Flying Scotsman Evening Fish and Chips 6, 9, 10, 11 September 2017. A round trip boarding either Coach A or B leaving Bishops Lydeard at 7pm, travelling to Blue Anchor and return.

Flying Scotsman Vintage Tea 6, 11 September 2017. Enjoy a Vintage Tea in true steam style! Board Coach H for return travel from Bishops Lydeard at 7pm.

More information, prices and booking details

1 August 2017
Details kindly provided by West Somerset Railway Plc