'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.

Excursion trains and motorcyclists bring visitor boost to Minehead

TWO of the busiest days of the year so far were experienced on Saturday and Sunday by the West Somerset Railway as it welcomed 1,000 visitors on excursions to Minehead.
With the sun shining and its own steam trains also running with excellent loadings, the railway’s staff and volunteers had a busy build-up period and weekend which also provided an economic boost for other local businesses.
Saturday was enlivened by the arrival of two excursion trains from the national main line network.
Two Class 67 diesels worked a special from Altrincham on behalf of the Mid-Cheshire Rail Users Group, which was making its second trip to West Somerset.
The second train was a First Great Western local excursion from Westbury, Bath, Bristol, and Weston-Super-Mare, which was a charity fund-raiser for the Railway Children charity which helps orphaned and homeless children who live at railway stations in the developing world.
First reports suggested the special train, where First Great Western staff worked for free, had raised more than £8,000.
On Sunday, there was a return by the members of the Westland Vintage Motorcyclists, whose 2008 visit was in total contrast to last year - exchanging the hottest Sunday of the year for the wettest.
The bikers began their day with a snack breakfast at Bishops Lydeard station at 8 am before riding to Minehead, some by WSR trains and others on their own machines. The railway also ran a special train from Minehead to Blue Anchor and back for the club members, who, after spending time in Minehead, continued their ‘Spirit of the 60s’ day out with a run over Exmoor before heading back to South Somerset and Dorset.
WSR general manager Paul Conibeare said: “We had to do quite a lot of stock movements and shunting before the weekend.
“This was to clear enough space in the sidings at Minehead to allow us to welcome the trains and then keep their stock stabled while the passengers were enjoying themselves in the town and our own steam services were coming and going, bringing in more visitors.
“However, when we saw the platform full of happy faces it felt a very worthwhile exercise and a nice foretaste of the busy summer to come.”
The next special event on the Minehead Station platform will be on Saturday, May 24, when the railway will host a jazz evening featuring the Tone Valley Jazz Band. Later in the summer, the first of the year’s two steam-hauled excursions to Minehead will arrive.

• Our photographs show (TOP) two excursion trains and platform full of people at Minehead on Saturday. Photo by Martin Southwood; (BELOW) the First Great Western charity train passing through Crowcombe Heathfield. Photo by Cameron Walker.
  

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.

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.