From a news item on the West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust's website...

The West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust has published the minutes of its recent Board Meetings, respectively, from January and March 2022. The January Board Meeting was held on Thursday 20 January 2022 and the March meeting was held on Thursday 17 March 2022.

For links to the documents, please click or tap the button below.

From a news item on the West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust's website...

The Board of the West Somerset Railway Plc has announced that Bob Meanley will be leaving the Board. Bob has had two periods as a Board Member starting in December 2019. He has made an invaluable contribution through the very challenging period of the pandemic, and during the period when trains could not run through to Minehead as a result of the level crossing closure.

For full details and quotes, please click or tap the button below.

Andrew Warner, a Volunteer at Washford Station has set out a couple of fun challenges:

A Day Rover ticket on the West Somerset Railway this year costs £30, so for those intent on getting their money's worth here are two journey suggestions.

Beware: this is not for the faint-hearted, there are no prizes if you complete the challenge and no legal comebacks if you fail and end up stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Attempt the challenge on a Blue Timetable day (a Sunday when I am staffing Washford station would be good) and cross your fingers all the trains run on time!

JOURNEY No1 (the safer option):

Start at Washford station, take the 10.26am train to Bishops Lydeard (arriving at 11.30am). You have one hour to kill before taking the 12.30pm train from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead (arriving at 1.50pm). You now have 40 minutes in which to dash to the seafront, look at the sea and dash back in time to catch the 2.30pm Minehead train to Watchet (arriving at 3.05pm).

You only have a meagre 21 minutes in Watchet (not enough to do the place justice) before grabbing the 3.26pm train to Blue Anchor (arriving at 3.44pm). Once here you have 62 minutes, which is enough time to walk the promenade, go for a paddle or take afternoon tea at the Driftwood Cafe. But do not miss the 4.46pm train to Doniford Halt (arriving at 5.09pm).

Remember to tell the train guard you want to get off at Doniford otherwise the train won't stop. Likewise, the next train will not stop to pick you up unless you wave ferociously at the driver from the platform. You have just 12 minutes at Doniford (which is quite sufficient considering it is an unmanned halt in the middle of a field) before waving down the 5.21pm train back to Washford (arriving at 5.36pm).

JOURNEY No 2 (the riskier option):

Start at Washford station, take the 10.26am train to Bishops Lydeard (arriving at 11.30am). Then take the 12.30pm train from Bishops Lydeard to Williton.

Before you leave Bishops Lydeard, ask the ticket office to phone Williton to warn the station staff you will be changing trains there. If they do not hold the train for you you could end up being stranded in Williton for two hours !!!

Your 12.30pm train from Bishops Lydeard arrives at Williton at 1.06pm – and the train you want out of Williton leaves from the other platform at 1.07pm. This will involve a mad dash using the up-and-over footbridge.

If you survive this manoeuvre the 1.07pm train from Williton will get you to Stogumber at 1.19pm - and you will have 1 hour and 45 minutes to recover. Once you have alighted at Stogumber you have two choices: (i) consume a large cream tea or (ii) spend the next 1 hour and 36 minutes running from Stogumber station to Crowcombe station (three miles) in order to catch the 2.55pm train back again. Commendable, if not totally worthwhile.

Either way, you need to be on the train that leaves Stogumber at 3.04pm and to get off at Blue Anchor (arriving at 3.44pm). You now have 62 minutes to enjoy the sun, sea, sand and...errr surf (?) of Blue Anchor before catching the 4.46pm train to Doniford - remembering to tell the guard that's where you want to get off, see above – then take the 5.21pm train from Doniford back to Washford (arriving at 5.36pm).

My advice: Choose a day when the weather is good and take your bus pass (Service 28 Taunton-Minehead) just in case. As I like a pint, I'd spend my hour at Bishops Lydeard at the Quantock Brewery (just outside the station), but it doesn't open on Sundays and Mondays.

Figuring this out was worse than doing a Sudoku puzzle. There are 10 stations in total, but the timetable won't allow you to visit more than six (including the one you start and finish at). My total admiration goes to anyone who can come up with a route that does more than six. Of course, running from Stogumber station to Crowcombe station takes your tally from six to seven. And if you alighted at Dunster instead of travelling through to Minehead you would have 49 minutes to run the two-and-a-half miles before the train left Minehead again at 2.30pm! That would also make it seven out of 10.

Andrew Warner is a railway volunteer based at Washford Station on Sundays. Anyone attempting the challenge he has suggested above does so at their own risk.

Here is an update from the folks at WSR Wagons:

On 26 March 2022 a small number of us worked away at a few remaining small jobs on PMV no 1464. The vehicle has been requested for use on a Steam Recreations photo charter on Tuesday 5 April, so we aim to have the van finished on the exterior by then. The primary aim of the working party was to fully prep the exterior for a final topcoat of Craftmaster Crimson. This consisted of ensuring all coach bolts were fully fitted with nuts in place ready for painting. Whilst this was taking place, we decided to have a good tidy up on the inside, as from all our time working we'd made quite a mess with various tools and materials all over the place. Some materials were deemed beyond reasonable use and were discarded. Whilst we had the van empty, a good effort was made to get as much of the flaking paint on the ceiling off ready for painting at some point.

Jeff Price, a West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA) Trustee, has news of the Association-funded project for new 'Bristol & Exeter Railway' style signs:

The large and heavy station sign castings have arrived at Minehead.

Minehead's Engineering Department will deal with a funding application to the WSRA for the provision of posts and mounting brackets then undertake the work.

WSR Infrastructure Department will prepare a funding application to the WSRA for the installation of posts and erection of the signs.

The castings are destined for the station platforms at Dunster and Watchet.

An interesting illustrated article - '160 Years of a West Somerset Railway' - is now live on the 'We Are Railfans' website. See link below.

The article also appears on Dovetail Live - a gaming website - to increase historical knowledge and encourage players to play the virtual WSR game.

Great work by 'We are Railfans'.

A big step forward in the reconstuction of GWR Autotrailer no 169. The team say:

Yesterday we went through the final checking and trial fits, today we assembled the main frame of section on the chassis for real. After an early (for us) start we cleared the required space and one of the original vestibule partitions that lay in the way and set about joining the first of the next section sole (bottom) plates in place, soon to be followed by the cross members which have to be assembled prior to the second sole plate to locate it all into the correct position. This is where the earlier trials then pay off and with very little repositioning it all slotted neatly into place. The pictures below show the assembly in various stages of completion with the final shot showing the corner flooring brackets being added. All in all a good start to the next few weeks of fairly intense construction work. Please keep checking back for the latest updates or bookmark G.W.R. Autotrailer 169 News and Restoration Blog [see link below].

A rather special steam locomotive will guest at the forthcoming four day Spring Steam Gala 5-8 May 2022.

We are pleased to announce the first confirmed visiting locomotive to our Spring Steam Gala as Caledonian Railway Class 439 0-4-4T no 419.

Single and multi day tickets available at an advance discount price - click or tap the button below.

Officials at the West Somerset Railway say they are absolutely delighted with the success of their first passenger-carrying services in more than two years to run from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead. Big crowds waiting on the station platform cheered as the steam locomotive pulled in with its train of crowded carriages at the week-end

WSR general manager Kerry Noble said:

There was a fantastic buzz of excitement and enthusiasm not just at Minehead but at all our stations along the line. It really was an extremely successful week-end, and it was so nice to see the trains being very busy with many hundreds of passengers. It was a really good start to our season.

Three trains will also run in each direction next week-end, and the popular 'Quantock Belle' first-class dining carriages will provide a Mothers' Day lunch on Sunday, for which tickets are still available.

The next big event then is the official 'Return to Minehead' ceremony on April 2 and 3, with VIPs invited to help celebrate the re-opening of the resort's Seaward Way level crossing, back in use after many months of modernisation work to install new barriers and lights, which then needed emergency repairs after being badly damaged by Storm Eunice.

The Watchet Town Band will play during the opening ceremony, and groups from the WSR as well as a number of local charities and organisations will be staging displays and stalls on the station platforms.

Other attractions throughout the week-end will include children’s entertainment, live music, vintage bus rides around Minehead and guided tours of the engine shed.

Minehead Station has a large collection of 'WSR logo' clothing, donated by volunteers and staff. This clothing is near new and in some instances has not been worn. Some carries the 'Railway Staff' wording.

Minehead Station Master Alan Smithers adds:

It has all been cleaned prior to arrival at the station, but we would recommend cleaning it again as some has been here since around Christmas and may require a little freshening up.

For the full list, please go to HOPS, general documents, section p, stations. We are asking for a donation to be made to the Station Master at Minehead who will allocate any funds to be used toward work on the West Somerset Railway. We also have a printed list at Minehead station, so please feel free to contact the information office on 01643 704996.

The West Somerset Railway Association's 'WSR Journal' has won the Heritage Railway Association's 2022 'Internal Communications' Award.

Ian Coleby and Keith Smith, from the WSR Journal's Editorial Team received the award at the HRA's Awards ceremony on 19 March 2022. Ian Coleby said:

We are very pleased to have this recognition for the WSRA Journal. It is a collective effort not only by the editorial team of myself, Keith Smith, Ian Tabrett, Allan Stanistreet and Nigel Power, but also by those across the entire railway who submit their pictures and articles for publication.

We are very grateful to them all. We consider the Journal to be the glue that binds the various groups on the West Somerset Railway together and helps foster enthusiasm and motivation among the railway family.

And Jacquie Green, WSR Association General Manager, added:

The Journal has been an important part of railway communications since the 1970s and the WSRA is grateful to the current team for continuing that tradition in superb style. This award is a fitting accolade for all their hard work

The WSR's Gala Planning Team on their Facebook page:

Our 2022 Spring Steam Gala - 5 to 8 May - will see some key WSR gala attractions return. One of these will be 'local' trains working from Bishops Lydeard to Williton and return. This will provide a more frequent service between those stations and allow more flexibility in passengers gala visits.

Train travellers will return to Minehead this weekend as the West Somerset Railway celebrates being able to run passenger services back to the resort for the first time in well over a year.

Work to improve and update the level crossing in Seaward Way meant that last season, trains from Bishops Lydeard had to stop at Dunster station and passengers were then treated to a vintage bus ride to complete their trip. Company chairman Jon Jones-Pratt said:

We're obviously very excited that after a difficult time, steam trains can once again run right back in to Minehead. It's a very important step for the railway and for the local tourism industry.

We're extremely grateful to all our staff and volunteers who've worked so hard over the months to make this possible. Our locomotives and passengers coaches have been given full checks and are looking spic and span and as good as they ever have.

A lot of work has been done by our teams at all the stations, which have been spruced up, the gardeners have been busy, and the whole line is looking wonderful.

And one station that is re-opening after being closed for quite a while is Washford, which is back in business following a revamp. At Minehead, volunteers have even designed and built two new locomotives - in wood as planters to add colour to the platform displays.

Engineering trains have used the Seaward Way crossing for several weeks, but the first passenger service will be the 10.15am on Saturday from Bishops Lydeard, due to arrive at 11.35am. That will be followed at lunchtime by a 'Fish and Chips Special' on which passengers with relevant tickets can enjoy their meal on the way to Minehead, and a cream tea on the return journey.

Services continue on Sunday 20 March, and on the following week-end (26 and 27 March) when Mothers Day itself will be marked by running the line's Quantock Belle first-class dining coaches providing a slap-up three-course lunch.

But the big moment comes on the weekend of 2 and 3 April, when the crossing - repaired after extensive damage by 'Storm Eunice' - will be officially re-opened with a civic ceremony attended by community leaders, and serenaded by Watchet Town Band.

Bookings are now being taken for the Mothers Day dining special aboard the Quantock Belle Dining Train.

Full details and online booking for this special day can now be found on the Quantock Belle webpage on the official WSR website.

The Railway have also announced the Quantock Belle team have been joined by 'Purplespoon Events' - more about this on the Quantock Belle webpage.

The West Somerset Railway say:

Galas are back and tickets are on sale now! To celebrate their return, we are offering some special discounts for pre-bookings and children's Gala Sunday ticket for just £1! See the link below for further information and the chance to pre-book!

Posted on the Rail Riders Club facebook page:

We are pleased to announce that the West Somerset Railway are now offering our members a discount on their railway. We now have the three longest heritage railways in the UK onboard and the WSR is our 65th railway/museum as a partner. We thank the West Somerset Railway for coming onboard with us. To be a member of Rail Riders and take advantage of the discounts on over 110 outlets as well as other members benefits visit the Rail Riders website (click the link below)

The WSR's Gala Planning Team have some good news:

At our Spring Steam Gala (5 to 8 May 2022) we will be reintroducing some regular WSR gala features which we've all missed since the pandemic. One of these will be demonstration goods trains and we are planning that there will be plenty of opportunities to see these at our Spring Gala. All attractions are subject to availability and operational requirements. Information on locomotive lineups will follow in good time.

On Saturday 5 March 2022 the West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust held its first formal meeting of the 2022 season organised by Ian Camp the Museum's curator. The following report is from the Trust's Facebook page:

The meeting was focused on stewarding the Museum, Gauge Junction, the model railway and the Trust education programme. Special thanks to Mike Thompson, Chairman of the Trust for opening the meeting.

Some of the topics discussed explained the reasoning behind the Trust trying to get the museums at Bishops Lydeard and Blue Anchor accredited and what this will mean to the Trust, the collections and the West Somerset Railway. The meeting also heard about the cleaning regime that is to be put into place to manage the condition of the collection. There was much debate, a big thank you for the constructive comments all which have been noted. The Trust looks forward to hearing from stewards, model railway operatives and those involved in the education programme as the season progresses, no doubt the Trust will need to make changes to the arrangements as we move into the season.

We must mention the delicious cakes that were made available baked by Pam Anson - those attending the meeting were spoiled rotten!

The education team has almost finished putting the final touches to the mailboxes rescued from Taunton Station. The old internal mailbox has found a new life in the Gauge Museum as an 'exploratory' for children. They are encouraged to put their hand inside the mail slot and feel what is inside. It may be pebbles as a reminder of seaside holidays, or grain as reminder of the farming revolution that the railway made possible. Other boxes are a miniature diorama of things the railway carried apart from passengers we can see post, passengers' luggage, newspapers, market produce and pigeons.

The team working on the rebuilding of GWR Autotrailer no 169 say:

We have been very busy since the New Year trying to ensure we are as prepared as possible for the upcoming reassembly work on section 3. We are taking our agreed undercover period commencing 28th March and it is our intention to fully utilise the time allowed to ensure we can complete as much as section 3 as we can and do any preparation and dismantling of section 4 as possible during the indoor period. The 3 roof hoops that we will need have now been glued and mortising for the roof spacers is progressing well. These are being hand made. An additional crossmember for section 4 has been made to a help ensure all is mounted squarely on the frames. Pictures [on the 169 website] show the roof hoops nearing completion and the glueing of a section 4 crossmember. We have also made copious amounts of tongue and groove floorboards that will act as a base for the 25mm ply that is the actual flooring.

For more details and how to help, please click the link below.

Following the completion of the upgraded Seaward Way Level Crossing, the West Somerset Railway are celebrating the return of train services at Minehead Station on 2 and 3 April 2022. The Railway say:

On both days there will be a range of stalls on the platform, representing activities on the Railway, and also representative organisations from the Minehead community. At the time of writing those booked to attend include: Minehead Lifeboat, the Regal Theatre, Minehead Museum and Minehead BID. From the Railway we expect to have representatives from Friends of Minehead Station, Foxcote Manor Group, 5199 Group, WSR Heritage Trust, West Somerset Railway Association, the DEPG and the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway.

Minehead Station shop, and the popular second hand book stall, Readers Halt, will both be open. The Turntable Cafe will be providing refreshments. Admission to the Station is free of charge, and is by way of a 'thank you' from the Railway for all the support it has received from so many people during the last couple of difficult years.

A number of special guests have been invited on the Saturday, for the official Seaward Way Level Crossing opening, which will take place at noon. The Watchet Town Band will be in attendance, as will Brunel the Beagle (from the WSR Senior Management!) and Stormy Stan from the RNLI.

And what better way to arrive at the event - on a train traversing the upgraded level crossing at Seaward Way. See link below for more details.

Bob Preston, Station Master at Stogumber, writes:

Sadly, Roy Amory, a former volunteer and ardent supporter of the West Somerset Railway, recently passed away aged 86. He spent many years repairing and repainting mile posts on the entire length of the line, and more recently was a regular visitor at Stogumber Station. Our sympathy goes out to his family and friends at this sad time. Roy's funeral will be held at Watchet Methodist Church on Tuesday 15th March at 1.00pm

The storm-battered level crossing barriers in Seaward Way, Minehead, have been repaired and put back into full working order thanks to a team of West Somerset Railway staff and volunteers.

Storm Eunice in mid-February badly damaged all four of the barriers - two so much that they had to be replaced - and they all had to be removed by a rail-mounted crane. The road had to be closed briefly several times while the operation was carried out.

A WSR spokesman said a detailed assessment of the necessary work had been undertaken soon after the storm, and experienced technical staff from the railway were then called in to carry it out. He added:

We appreciate how substantial the unexpected repairs were and the carefully-planned and highly-skilled job that was carried out by our team in a very short time.

Through their professionalism, the railway will be fully open for passenger train operation from 19 March, and we have a special 'Return to Minehead' celebration week-end of events on April 2 and 3.