'Duchess' visit previews exciting August for steam railway

AN overnight visit to the West Somerset Railway by the express steam locomotive ‘Duchess of Sutherland’ provided a preview of a more exciting visit to come in August.
The Duchess briefly visited Bishops Lydeard on June 1, the first time in 30 years when the locomotive had been on the former branch line.
It will next be seen at Bishops Lydeard on Wednesday, August 20, when it will arrive with a ‘Cathedrals Express’ from London Victoria, before handing over the train to a West Somerset Railway engine for the onward journey to Minehead.
Railway general manager Paul Conibeare said: “The sight of a ‘Duchess’ making a second visit to the line was one that drew a lot of visitors to Bishops Lydeard station on Sunday afternoon and whetted our appetites both for the engine arriving with a ‘Cathedrals Express’ run by the Steam Dreams operator in August and hopefully a further visit in which it will use our new Minehead turntable.”
Built at Crewe in 1938, number 6233 ‘Duchess of Sutherland’ is one of three surviving members of a Class of 38 express steam locomotives designed by Sir William Stanier to work the heaviest and fastest express trains between London Euston, the North West of England, and Scotland, such as the ‘Royal Scot’, the ‘Caledonian’, and the ‘Merseyside Express’.
They fulfilled this role for a quarter of a century until the first generation of diesel locomotives displaced them in the early 1960s.
Three survive, but ‘Duchess of Sutherland’ is the only one working trains, principally on mainline excursions.
However another of the surviving trio, 6229 ‘Duchess of Hamilton’ has travelled over the whole length of the Minehead branchline, albeit not under its own power.
In 1964, ‘Hamilton’ was taken to the Butlins holiday centre in the town where it was displayed until March 10, 1975, when it was towed back to the mainline by a Class 25 diesel locomotive, a train movement which took place in the period between the closure of the Minehead line by British Railways in 1971 and its re-opening as the modern West Somerset Railway in 1976.
Had the line not been there, albeit ‘mothballed’ and overgrown, it is doubtful that the engine could have been removed along the local roads.
It is now in the National Railway Museum, in York.
‘Duchess of Sutherland’ was initially saved from scrap by being displayed at a Butlins Camp in Scotland, but is now owned privately and is a popular sight with steam enthusiasts across the land and travellers on excursion trains.

• Our photographs show (TOP) ‘Duchess of Sutherland’ at Bishops Lydeard in company with the Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust’s 7F locomotive number 88, which is a regular performer on the West Somerset Railway, and (BELOW) the ‘Duchess’ arriving at Bishops Lydeard with its crew’s support coach. Photographs by Humphrey Davis and Andy Wray, respectively.

New curator takes over at heritage railway museum

A NEW voluntary curator has been appointed by the West Somerset Railway Association for the Gauge Museum, at Bishops Lydeard Station.
Ian Coleby, who lives in Taunton with his wife and teenage daughters, has been a volunteer signalman on the West Somerset Railway for 25 years.
He has been a railway enthusiast since childhood and recently published a book ‘The complete history of the Minehead Railway from 1848 to 1971’ after more than 20 years of detailed research.
Mr Coleby said: “I am honoured to be appointed as curator of the Gauge Museum.
“I have been interested in the history of the railway and the local community for many years and this appointment provides the ideal opportunity to build on that.
“I look forward to building on the good work done in the museum in the past and developing it in the future.”
The Gauge Museum and visitor centre is based in the old goods shed at Bishops Lydeard station.
It houses a collection of historical railway artefacts and archive documentation connected with the history of railways in Somerset.
The goods shed was built in 1862 and thus provides an ideal starting point and interpretation centre for the many visitors to the railway throughout the year.
It is open whenever WSR trains run.
The museum is looked after by a small team of dedicated employees but new faces are always welcome.
Anybody who is interested in helping should contact the curator at Bishops Lydeard Station on 01823 433 856 or museum@wsra.org.uk.

• Our photograph shows Ian Coleby standing alongside a Great Western Railway 1897 sleeping car, which is one of the Gauge Museum’s significant exhibits. Photo courtesy of the WSRA.

Vintage visitors add to busy time for heritage rail line

VINTAGE cars and motorcycles will feature on the West Somerset Railway during the four days from Thursday to Sunday of this week.
On Thursday, May 8, there will be a visit by a group of French Jaguar car owners who will be making a return journey on the steam railway between Bishops Lydeard and Williton.
At Williton, they will be met and given a guided tour of the facilities of the Williton Engineering Workshops which undertake a wide variety of engineering work on vintage machinery and includes cars in its work portfolio.
On Sunday, May 11, members of the Westland Classic Motorcycle Club will be visiting the railway as part of a ‘Spirit of the Sixties’ outing, taking a special train ride from Minehead to Blue Anchor and back as part of a day out which will see their vintage British motorcycles making a round trip from South Somerset and Dorset around West Somerset and Exmoor.
In between the visits, Saturday, May 10, will be notable for the arrival in Minehead of two excursion trains from the mainline network.
First Great Western is operating one of its High Speed Trains from Westbury via Bristol as a fund-raiser for the charity Railway Children, which provides care for abandoned children who have taken up residence at railway stations in the developing world.
All of the First Great Western staff on duty will be doing so on a voluntary basis to help the charity.
The HST is due into Minehead at 12.30 pm and will leave at 5.40 pm, giving its passengers plenty of time to enjoy their day at the seaside.
The second excursion train will come from further afield as the WSR welcomes back the Mid-Cheshire Rail Users Group, which is starting its day from Altrincham.
The train will be ‘top and tailed’ by Class 67 diesel locomotives and is due to arrive at Minehead at 2.10 pm and to leave at 3.45 pm.
WSR general manager Paul Conibeare said: “The range of visiting groups shows the growing appeal of the railway.
“It is a good tribute that we are welcoming back the Mid-Cheshire folk whose last visit was marred by problems on the mainline network, and the motorcyclists from Westlands whose 2007 trip was on the wettest Sunday of the year.
“Despite that, the West Somerset Railway obviously impressed them favourably enough to prompt a return.
“Two special trains in Minehead Station on May 10 will also make for a challenging day for the station staff who will have to work around shunting movements to make sure that rubbish is cleared from the coaches and the water tanks replenished during their time at the station as well as dealing with passenger queries, taking bookings, and other duties during the day.
“And in a final addition to the visitors on the Saturday, members of the Institute of Railway Signalling Engineers will be paying us a visit and looking around.
“It promises to be quite a day.”

• Our photograph shows an earlier visit to the West Somerset Railway by a Virgin Trains HST, pictured passing through Crowcombe Heathfield Station in 2005. Photo by Dr Peter Darke.

Railway's spring steam gala beats inclement weather

DESPITE some less than inspiring weather at times the first weekend of the West Somerset Railway’s Spring Steam Gala was a success with lots of happy faces enjoying travelling behind a fleet of the giants of the steam age.
The railway had hired in no less than seven ‘guest’ machines for the gala and these joined forces with six engines that are normally resident on the line to make up a happy ‘baker’s dozen’ for visitors to see, ride behind and photograph.
Among the stars of the show for many were London and North Western Railway ‘Super D’ number 49395, a heavy freight locomotive whose restoration was largely funded by Pete Waterman and ‘Black 5’ 45110 which was one of the engines that was in service on the last day of British Railways steam on August 11th 1968.
Other attractions along the 20 mile line between Bishops Lydeard and Minehead were book signings, museum openings and art exhibitions.
As is often the case with WSR galas, many local accommodation providers reported ‘full houses’ as visitors flocked from all parts of the country to take part in one is traditionally one of the first major events in the steam enthusiast calendar.
WSR general manager Paul Conibeare was pleased with the first weekend.
He said: “We were sorry that the weather did not allow us to show Somerset in spring at its very best but pleased with the number of people who turned-out to enjoy themselves and to give our 2008 season a very good start.
“The gala will resume on Thursday, March 13, and continues to Sunday 16th, after which we will have a one-day break until the Easter programme starts on March 18.”

• Our photographs show (TOP) three ex-Great Western Railway Prairie tanks numbers 5542, 5553 and 4160, and (MIDDLE) visiting London Midland Scottish Railway Engine 45110 from the Severn Valley Railway waiting to leave Minehead. Photos submitted.

Thomas the Tank Engine cancelled after paedophile scare and rising costs

THOUSANDS of parents are set to be disappointed this year after a decision by the West Somerset Railway to axe the popular annual ‘Days out with Thomas’ weekend.
The weekend traditionally featured visits by the children’s favourite Thomas the Tank Engine and some of his ‘friends’.
Last year, advance tickets for the ‘Thomas’ weekend at Minehead Station sold out and around 3,000 people packed in to enjoy the event.
But now HiT Entertainment, the promotional company which owns the rights to Thomas the Tank Engine, has hiked its fees for granting the West Somerset line a licence in 2008.
In addition, the railway was faced with having to employ tougher and more expensive measures for Criminal Records Bureau checks on all its staff and volunteers.
The new CRB procedures were ordered after the cases last year of two steam railway volunteers, one in Hampshire and one in Gloucestershire, who took part in Thomas the Tank Engine festivals and were later found to be paedophiles.
One of them sexually assaulted a young ‘Thomas’ fan after being allowed to work on the trains without being properly screened first.
After that case, the Heritage Railway Association issued new guidelines to all its members, and at least one Devon railway will now not even allow staff or volunteers to help children on and off trains for fear of assault claims.
This year, the West Somerset Railway will instead organise a ‘family weekend’ to be held on July 5 and 6.
WSR general manager Paul Conibeare said the company had ‘looked long and hard at the implications’ before deciding to drop the ‘Thomas’ event.
Mr Conibeare said the ‘family weekend’ could potentially attract a wider age range to than just the ‘Thomas’ fans and could involve the whole of the 22-mile line rather than being ‘Minehead-centric’.
However, he said the railway was looking for ‘good ideas’ and suggestions as to what could be achieved at each station along the line in order for the weekend to be successful.
Ideas were needed before the end of January in order to allow sufficient time for the initiatives to be properly marketed.
Mr Conibeare said any ideas should be ‘achievable within the existing restrictions on budgets and staff availability’.

• Another regular feature on the West Somerset line which will not go ahead in 2008 is the Sunset Specials which for many years have run on Wednesday evenings between Minehead and Blue Anchor during the high summer.
  Although passenger numbers on the railway reached a new record in 2007, the Sunset Specials failed to carry sufficient passengers to make them commercially viable.
  Commercial manager Martyn Snell said: “It is a great pity that numbers on this particular service have dropped as they have.
  “We have to be realistic, particularly bearing in mind how much time we ask our staff to give to all our train services.
  “We have identified one that is not working well and have decided to stop it. Who knows, it may return in a slightly different guise, but certainly not during 2008.”

Record passenger year in sight for steam railway with winter gala still to come

THE West Somerset Railway is heading towards another record-breaking year as its main 2007 operating season ends and its volunteers and staff prepare for the annual programme of festive season trains in December.
It needs just 2,004 more passengers to break the all-time record of carrying 203,000 passengers in a year, which was set in 2005.
General manager Paul Conibeare said: “At the end of October we had carried 200,000 passengers in the year to date and had already welcomed more people to our trains than we did in the whole of 2006.
“We are also only 3,000 short of our all time record total set in 2005 with the December trains still to run, reflecting another terrific effort by everyone on the WSR in attracting business to the railway and the area and then offering a good day out that persuades passengers to come back again.
“The months ahead will be very busy for everybody on the line.
“We do not run any regular passenger train services for the rest of November but we are busy with bookings for our pre-Christmas Santa trains and work continues with the Minehead turntable preparation work, the construction of the Norton Fitzwarren turning triangle, locomotive and carriage maintenance, and much else besides.
“We always get a lot of quiet amusement when people ask us ‘what do you do all day when the trains are not running?’
“Our 2008 timetables are due from the printers in mid-November and once they are to hand, mailings to coach and holiday companies will begin as we continue to try to build our success story for the years to come.”
The Winter Steam Festival – the WSR’s final steam gala of the year - returns on Saturday, December 29.
Mr Conibeare said: “We are again keen to build-up on the success of previous events, which has seen it grow in stature and make a significant contribution to annual special events programme and a welcome boost to the railway at the end of the year.”
The gala will again be 100 per cent steam with at least five engines in action and working trains.
For the first time at the winter event, two ‘guest’ engines will be in use, nos 1450 and 662 ‘Martello’, with the remaining engines selected from the resident fleet.
It will be a final opportunity to see ‘Martello’ in service on the line before it returns to Bressingham.
As well as the ‘whole line’ trains between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard, the Great Western auto train - with no 1450 and trailer 178 - and the ‘branch line green train’ with the ‘Martello’ will also both be in use.
Mr Conibeare said: “Plans will again be put in place to ensure the sets of stock are steam-heated overnight to ensure passengers are welcomed by nice warm trains – a very important consideration at this time of year.
The museums in Bishops Lydeard and Washford will be open, as will the Diesel Heritage Centre, in Williton, and the Taunton Model Railway Group’s base at Bishops Lydeard.
A free bus service, operated by Cooks Coaches, will link Taunton railway station, the park and ride car park at Silk Mills, and Bishops Lydeard Station.
Rover tickets for the Winter Steam Festival, which can again be purchased in advance, will be available at the standard fare rather than at special event fares.
An adult day rover costs £13. Senior, child, and family rover tickets are also available.
Tickets can be purchased by telephone from Minehead Station on 01643 704996 and through www.ticketweb.co.uk using a credit/debit card.
The lastest date for advance booking is December 17, because of Christmas posting arrangements.

• Our photographs show (top) locomotive 9351 on Santa special duty at Crowcombe Heathfield, and (below) locomotive 44422 at Bishops Lydeard with a train for Minehead. Photos by Alan Meade.

Steam and diesel trains provide views of Somerset in Autumn

THE West Somerset Railway is offering a mixture of steam and vintage diesel hauled trains for its ‘Somerset in Autumn’ weekend of October 27 and 28.
Three of the steam locomotives will be guests from other lines, namely ‘Stanier Mogul’ 42968 from the Severn Valley, the tiny London, Brighton and South Coast Railway ‘Martello’, which dates to 1880 and is on hire from the Bressingham Museum in Norfolk, while Great Western tank engine 1450 will once again recreate the lost branch lines of the West of England with its ‘auto-train’ coaches.
Six steam engines currently resident on the West Somerset line will also see service, five being of Great Western origin and two, numbers 88 and 44422, which saw service on the Somerset and Dorset line.
The diesel engines will come from the fleet of 1960s machines cared for by the Diesel and Electric Preservation Group.
These will include Class 47 D1661 ‘North Star’, which was added to the Williton line-up earlier this year.
Apart from an intensive train service between Bishops Lydeard and Minehead which will run between 9.10 am and 6.30 pm on each day, visitors will find plenty to do and see.
A free vintage bus service will link Dunster Station and the village while the museums along the line and the Diesel Heritage Centre at Williton will be open to the public.
For those who would like to leave their car at home, Cooks Coaches is running a free half-hourly bus service from Taunton Railway Station (under the bridge, near the Booking Office), Taunton Castle Green in the town centre, and the Silk Mills Park and Ride scheme, on both days starting at 9.30 am.
The railway’s shops will be open for those who would like to do some pre-Christmas shopping.
WSR general manager Paul Conibeare said: “We have deliberately timed the Somerset in Autumn event for the half-term holidays and also for the weekend when the clocks go back to give visitors another chance to see both an interesting collection of engines at work and the beauties of the Somerset countryside from the comfort of our trains.
“Our main season ends on November 1 and then we will be hard at work on maintenance and more planning for 2008 in the gap before our ‘Santa Trains’ start on December 1.”

• Our photographs show (top) diesel engine North Star arriving in Minehead, and (bottom) steam engine number 42968 at Williton. Photos by Claire Rickson.