The West Somerset Railway is now ready to reopen Washford Station for the new running season, commencing Saturday 19 March 2022. Alan Smithers, Stations Lead for the WSR, writes:

We have a very small number of volunteers available, but we need many more if we are to staff the station every day services are running. If you are interested in joining the team at Washford, you will be very welcome.

Washford is very much a blank canvas and will require a considerable amount of work to bring it up to the same high standard as our other stations along the line. There is a relatively small amount of maintenance required, but it will need cleaning and fitting out, and all important repainting to the GWR livery used by the West Somerset Railway.

As well as volunteer station staff, Washford will need a maintenance and gardening team, and would benefit from the formation of a friends group similar to others that help fund raise for their local stations.

If you think you can help, please contact either myself, Alan Smithers, Minehead Station Master/Stations Lead at alan.smithers@wsrail.net or our volunteer coordinator at volunteers@wsrail.net

GWR coach no 3668 needs to be removed from its current location at Bishops Lydeard on the West Somerset Railway.

GWR Toplight no 3668 was built in 1909 as a compartment third to diagram C28 at Swindon and converted to an ambulance coach during the first world war. It was converted back to a compartment third coach in 1922 and remained in service until 1957 when it was converted to a camp coach and placed at Blue Anchor. Purchased by WSRA in 1997, refurbished and updated by volunteers becoming volunteer accommodation in 2000 at Bishops Lydeard. It has now been withdrawn from use and needs to be found a new home.

No 3668 is complete with running gear, steel underframe, buffers and brake equipment. The wooden body had been rebuilt on both ends and the corridor side during the update in 1997 however the non-corridor side is mainly in the original style of compartment doors and windows.

As currently configured, the internal layout shows access into the kitchen leading to the lounge then a side corridor providing access to three bedroom compartments and a toilet with secondary access from the end of the corridor Extensive work would be required to render the coach suitable for any static application, such as a garden office, a holiday home, a themed catering or sales outlet, or for glamping. If intended for further railway work; a total re-build would be required.

The coach - it is approx 57ft long x 9ft wide x 12ft 9ins high and weighs around 27 tonnes - can be lifted complete from current location and loaded onto suitable road transport;

A new home needs to be found urgently otherwise the coach will be broken up for spares. Expressions of interest with a view to purchase required by 8 April 2022. Inspection by prior arrangement, images available. Please contact Jeff Price (WSRA Trustee) jeff.price@wsra.org.uk or Jacquie Green (WSRA General Manager) jacquie.green@wsra.org.uk

During the exceptional Storm Eunice on 25-26 February 2022, the newly installed barriers at Seaward Way Crossing were badly damaged. The crossing is only a few hundred yards from the sea front and wind not only damaged the crossing but blew a very large bough off an adjacent tree.

The crossing has now been carefully examined by a team from the West Somerset Railway and Somerset County Council and the repairs necessary have been specified and planned. The railway already holds spare barriers and these will be deployed if necessary. This possible need will be clear when the barrier mechanism has been dismantled. This work will take place on Tuesday 1 March, with further work taking place later if it is necessary. Replacement barriers (to replace the spares) have already been ordered. The repair work will be undertaken by technicians from the WSR's Signal and Telegraph Team.

It is envisaged that the crossing will be fully operational again before the planned railway opening date of 19 March. The first major event of the 2022 season is planned for the weekend of Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 April, when Minehead Station features a special 'Return to Minehead' event. Entry to the Station will be free of charge and will include a wide range of stalls on the platform, tours round the locomotive shed, the turntable in operation, music and refreshments. On the Saturday there will be the formal re-opening of the level crossing involving a number of special guests, and Watchet Town Band. Steam trains will be running a regular service from Bishops Lydeard through to Minehead, with train tickets at standard prices.

Fortunately, other storm damage on the railway was very limited. One tree fell on the railway at Crowcombe Heathfield Station but this was quickly cleared.

Mike Sherwood, the Chairman of the West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA), has made an important announcement:

The WSRA have mutually agreed with Mr Crees and Mr Johnson an agreement which benefits the WSRA and Four One Six O Ltd, enabling the Charity and the Company to move forward in a positive way so both can concentrate on their respective heritage objectives.

Following a detailed appointment process and interview, the Board of the West Somerset Railway Plc are delighted to announce the appointment of Kerry Noble as permanent General Manager.

Kerry will be fully responsible to the Board for the operation, commercial success and development of the railway, and for the management of the staff and volunteers. She will be taking up the post with immediate effect.

The West Somerset Railway Association have published a handy synopsis of the main discussion points and decisions at the charity's recent Trustee Board meeting held on 8 February 2022. Please click or tap the button below for more. In the Members area of the Association website, members can also read the published minutes of the previous Board meeting.

The West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA) has reached agreement for the Hawksworth-designed Saloon no W80976 to go to the Blaenavon Heritage Railway (BHR) for an initial three year period.

During this time it will be kept under cover when not running and a programme of work will be undertaken on the vehicle, especially the interior. Initially this will mean sealing the leaks, varnishing and painting the internal panels and cleaning the carpets. The vehicle is planned to run on the BHR this year and WSRA members will be offered the opportunity to ride in it at a discounted price.

Association Trustees believe that this move is in the best interests of the saloon and it is very much hoped that when it returns to the WSR, suitable covered storage will be available.

West Somerset Railway staff and volunteers called out to check damage caused by Storm Eunice, including to three of the four new level crossing barriers at Minehead's Seaward Way crossing which were unable to withstand the battering by gusts thought to be well over 70mph.

WSR communications director Frank Courtney said the barriers were the standard pattern used on the national rail network, designed to fail if hit by a vehicle but were not expected to fail in the way they did.

Spare barriers were held in store and could be fitted but an urgent review was being carried out between the line's officials, the contractors, the project management team and Somerset County Council's highways specialists.

The WSR's passenger train services are to re-start on March 19.

The GWR-designed pannier tank Class 94xx 0-6-0PT no 9466 is to move to join the West Somerset Railway's steam locomotive fleet rom its recent base on the Ecclesbourne Railway, and will remain on the WSR for the two years remaining on its boiler ticket.

The owner of 9466 is Jonathan Jones-Pratt, Chairman of the WSR, and because of that role he stood back from all the discussions. The important analysis of whether 9466 was inside the weight capabilities of the line and its bridges was undertaken by Bob Meanley, WSR Director of Mechanical Engineering, and Paul Dawkins, the board advisor for infrastructure.

A key factor was the force of 'hammer blow' delivered by the driving wheels, and they agreed that taking all aspects into account, including the top operating speed of 25mph, the pannier tank was safe to run.

No 9466, built in 1952, was originally used for shunting, pilot work and local passenger and freight services before being withdrawn for scrap in 1964. It then spent 11 years rusting in Woodham's scrapyard before being bought by the late Dennis Howells MBE and restored to network standard. After his death it was bought by Mr Jones-Pratt and will be a significant boost to the WSR fleet.

Lots of really useful topical information about the West Somerset Railway can be found in the February 2022 edition of the new electronic newsletter. Topics include:

• Message from the WSR Plc Chairman
• Message from the Assistant General Manager
• Return to Minehead
• Thoughts from Andy Castledine
• Three Boards Meeting
• News from the WSRA
• News from the West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust
• News in brief
• Signalling notes
• Update from the Gala Planning Team
• News from the DEPG
• and more...

Click or tap the button below to download and read the newsletter....

West Somerset Railway Association launches the 'Buy a Bag of Ballast' campaign.

Each winter the WSR Infrastructure Team undertakes a programme of work on the track. This includes everything from a complete relay of a section of track to spot repairs. Repairs are also carried out throughtout the year, as necessary. For all of this work they need ballast.

Lots and lots of ballast.

Ballast is purchased by the lorry load but the Association is asking for donations of £10 to buy a single bag of ballast. A lorry load is about 40 bags.

The Association is aiming to purchase six lorry loads of ballast, which cost £400 per load.

You can help by buying a bag of ballast for only £10.

To find out more please visit the Association website - just click the button below or use the QRcode above.

The West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust's Board of Trustees have published a 2022-2024 Business Plan.

The updated Business Plan explains the Trust's work for the past few years, with a future outlook for this upcoming year, 2023 and 2024.

The Heritage Trust remains committed in six areas of activity - preserving and displaying heritage items; restoring its heritage carriages; managing its two museums; promoting the development and education of young people; running its education and learning programme; and supporting WSR Plc in maintaining the heritage and history of the West Somerset Railway.

Volunteers who run the beautiful, secluded Stogumber Station on the West Somerset Railway are celebrating the fact that they have now raised more than £20,000 for their station and the line.

The income has come from subscriptions and donations to the organisation Friends of Stogumber Station (FoSS), all of which goes to improvements at the station, plus the profit from popular cream teas and home-made cakes served to visitors enjoying the colourful picnic area set out where the station’s goods shed and sidings once stood.

Money has been used to buy the wooded hillside behind the station from Somerset County Council to preserve its setting, while sufficient funds have been allocated for the repair and maintenance of all the buildings, fences, benches and other items on the site.

The Friends have also helped the railway through the Covid crisis and put funds towards the renewal of some of the track.

Meanwhile preservation work at Stogumber on the raised platform where cattle used to be penned before being taken by rail to nearby markets has been carried out over several years by a team of volunteers.

The project to restore the iron railings and brickwork has been almost completed, and the official opening is to be marked during the WSR's Spring Steam Gala (5-8 May 2022).

Company chairman Jon Jones-Pratt praised stationmaster Bob Preston and the volunteers for their fantastic effort and their long-standing support of the railway:

This is a great effort which we much appreciate, and is more good news at the start of what we hope will be a highly successful and enjoyable season from the commencement of our train services on 19 March.

A Planning & Compliance Officer (a paid position) and a Civil & Structures Engineering Lead (a volunteer position) are being sought by the West Somerset Railway Plc.

See the links below for details of the vacancies on the official WSR website.

On 4-5 February 2022 the West Somerset Railway hosted one of the HOPS Winter Workshop Roadshows. Here what HOPS had to say about the event:

Thank you to our friends at the West Somerset Railway, Swanage Railway, Lynton and Barnstaple Railway and South Devon Railway for joining us at Bishops Lydeard over the last two days for HOPS Roadshow!

It was great talking to you about HOPS calendars and base timetables, group bookings, Raildays, users, document repositories, ID cards and Time Register, as well as lots of other useful discussion on the wider points of heritage railway compliance and staff management! We hope you all found the days useful and we look forward to working with you again soon.

If you are not yet booked on a HOPS Roadshow Workshop there are some spaces left at future venues. Check out www.hops.org.uk/roadshow and contact us at HOPS to book your place.

On 2 February 2022 the West Somerset Railway Plc published a useful update on the official WSR website. See link below. Here are a few items from the update:

A long length of track between Dunster and Minehead has been relaid and updated.

The railway is ready to begin operating from 19 March 2022 with celebrations marking trains running to Minehead again.

Three return trips a day will run in March, April and October while four trains are timetabled in May, June and part of July, increasing to five each way at the height of the summer.

Discussions have also been going on into the possibility of regular scheduled services between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard and the return of a week-end shuttle service between the two.

Five dates have been announced for special events: 2 and 3 April 2022 for the official 'Return to Minehead' events; 5-8 May 2022 for the Spring Steam Gala; 9-11 June 2022 for the 1960s Diesel Gala; 10,11 September 2022 for the 1940s Weekend; and 29 September 2022 to 2 October 2022 for the Autumn Steam Gala.

To read the full update please use the button below...