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End of the line for this website in this form
The website becomes mainly pictures only from this evening. The welcome improvements made from 2011 to the official WSR website have made much of the old wsr.org.uk redundant. At the same time I needed to reduce the time taken to maintain what was becoming a very extensive information base along with a growing number of existing and new functions, many of which are available and more properly managed on other WSR websites. So, I have reduced the content to a level I believe I can manage. The changes will also affect the mobile website which will be discontinued; the same fate awaits the Android app and the Facebook app. Brief news items will still appear via a twitter feed and the loco rosters will be retained to help the army of WSR photographers. The Bishops Lydeard webcams and YouTube videos can also be found on the new website - check the Galleries page for the links. The old website is no longer maintained but it can still be viewed from a link on the new About page. I hope the new website continues to attract viewers and continues to raise awareness of the most excellent West Somerset Railway.
30 April 2012
Details from wsr.org.uk
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Bad weather fails to stop the West Somerset Railway
The weekend gales brought a few delays to trains on the Minehead Branch. On Saturday 28 April 2012 the first train from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead encountered a large tree fallen across the tracks near Waterdene Farm. The train, headed by BR(W) 2-6-2T no 4160, was safely halted and waited whilst the tree was removed. As one commentator put it "I've heard of leaves on the line but they are not normally still attached to the tree." Then the overnight rain proved too much for the Doniford Stream which broke its banks north of Castle Hill leading to flooding at Williton Station. With rain falling throughout much of the Sunday, the effects of the flooding on the tracks was closely monitored with trains carefully passing through the floodwater at reduced speed. Nos 4160, 88 and 6960 being likened to paddle steamers as they each took their trains through the watery scene. Well done West Somerset Railway for professionally dealing with the effects of the weekend's weather and keeping the trains running and passengers happy.
30 April 2012
Details from local correspondents
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Groupon offer discounted WSR tickets
Discounted tickets for a trip on the West Somerset Railway are available but just for today. The blurb says "Steam Engine Trip For Two (£13) or Family of Up to Six (£18) at West Somerset Railway (Up to 62% Off)" and amusingly continues with "Before the steam engine, people fixed wheels of cheese to cows and travelled by cream engine. Moove back in time with today's Groupon from West Somerset Railway." No rivet counters at Groupon, then! For details please click here.
26 April 2012
Details from local correspondent
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Exmoor Rail 2012 - a date for the diary
The 2012 show will offer around twelve high quality working layouts, demonstrations and full trade support. Excellent hot and cold refreshments will be available throughout the day. The central, fully disabled-friendly venue is only five minutes walk from the WSR station in Minehead. Parking is available opposite (pay and display), plus free parking in adjacent streets. This is a very friendly show and all are very welcome. The show will be on Saturday 4 August 2012 at the Methodist Church Hall, The Avenue, Minehead, Somerset, TA24 5AY. Opening times are 10am to 4.30pm. Admission is £3 (adult); £1 (child) and £7 (family).
23 April 2012
Details from wsr.org.uk
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Changes afoot for this unofficial WSR website
Significant changes are well advanced for wsr.org.uk and it will soon be recast as a images-only website. We feel a picture-only website better fits the much improved family of WSR websites which already provide a wealth of online information about the West Somerset Railway. The new website, with new symbology and much reduced content, will continue to show the full range of pictures, including the archive. And of course a link to the existing site, much of which will remain viewable. The dynamic pages - latest news, latest videos, train times, events, events, loco roster - will not be maintained so in time will not display correct or current information. The Android app will also be revised.
21 April 2012
Details from wsr.org.uk
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Making light work of a heavy overhaul
The remarkably rapid progress with the overhaul of GWR 2-6-2T no 5542 continues. The 5542 Ltd website  reports "Today [14 April 2012] was a day of good steady progress as the team continues the process of reassembling the engine ready for the forthcoming final boiler tests. It is good to already be putting back all those components we removed as recently as last October. The all-important steam fountain and the right hand injector were reinstalled and much of the associated pipework was annealed by heating and quenching and a start made on reconnecting the tanks to the boiler. Now that the cab is back in situ the many bolts that fasten it and the tanks to the frames are now secure." See 5542 Ltd website for report and pictures.
15 April 2012
Details from 5542 Ltd
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The Railway reduces gala rover ticket prices
Reduced prices for rover tickets for gala events for remainder of 2012. Commencing with the Mixed Traction Weekend (15-17 June) the West Somerset Railway has reduced prices for Rover Tickets during Gala Events for the rest of this year. Mindful of the costs involved in simply getting to a Gala either by private vehicle or public transport the new Gala prices (which will apply to the Mixed Traction Weekend and the Autumn Steam Gala) are as follow - Three Day Rover Adult and Senior: £48.00 on the day or £43.20 in advance; Two Day Rover Adult and Senior: £36.00 on the day or £32.40 in advance; One Day Rover Adult: £24.00 on the day or £21.60 in advance; One Day Rover Senior (60 and above): £21.50 on the day or £19.35 in advance; For children aged 5 to 15, Rover Tickets cost half the adult rate. Rover Tickets for Galas are purchasable in advance up to 7 days before the Gala starts. Telephone 01643 704996 for details of how to book advance tickets.
13 April 2012
Details from WSR Plc
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Spring Steam Gala 2012 DVD now available
Now available - the West Somerset Railway Spring Steam Gala 2012 DVD. This DVD contains footage from both 2012 Spring Gala weekends, and brings together beautiful scenery, outstanding soundtracks, amazing weather conditions and steam locomotives hard at work on this challenging 23 mile railway. Brief commentary and on-screen titles and locations are featured on this video. Running time 85 minutes. An Oldham Videos production. Includes the footage of the first locomotive to turn on the new triangle at Norton Fitzwarren and brief scenes from the Winter Steam Festival. The DVD sells for £16.00 and is available from the online shop or by phoning 01643 700387.
13 April 2012
Details from WSR Plc
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Open Day for potential WSR volunteers
Volunteering your time to help the Railway and help preserve the past for the future. Come along to the next Open Day for Potential Volunteers on Sunday 22 April 2012. Email the Coordinator or telephone 01823 433856 to leave your details and will then get back to you with full information. The West Somerset Railway is currently looking to recruit volunteers specifically for the Day Out With Thomas weekend and for the Steam Rally to help with setting up for both events and helping during the events themselves. Please email the Coordinator for more information. In general, lots of different skills are required for a wide range of tasks including restoration of wooden heritage carriages.
More information...
13 April 2012
Details from WSR Plc
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Rebuilding the cattle dock at Stogumber
Following fund raising the Friends of Stogumber Station have manage to raise sufficient funds for work to start in earnest on the cattle dock and goods lock up. Work has progressed steadily and today, Ken Davidge, has finished three days of work that included building the shuttering and casting half a ton of concrete to re-establish the apron ring beam. It was the failure of this beam many years ago that had allowed the core of the cattle dock (just packed soil and pebbles) to wash out and there was a danger that the dock could be lost. The necessary engineering bricks were purchased along with sand, cement and ballast. The wall, which is triple brick thick, has been rebuilt and today the concrete was mixed and poured by hand. The engineering bricks are the type with through cavities which has allowed the concrete mix to permeate into the top course and will form a strong bond. Reinforcing wires have been included in the apron. The apron should now be good for another 100 years. Next step is to backfill and ram the core and put the surface bricks (all collected before work started) back in place before casting the concrete which creates the water run-in at the edge of the dock. This will be followed by the re-erection of the cattle pens. This work and the replacement of the building (next phase) will add and additional 60 odd feet to the area of Stogumber's station where visitors will be free to walk and examine our only fully restored cattle dock. More on the Stogumber Station website.
13 April 2012
Details from Friends of Stogumber Station
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Work Starts on Williton Footbridge Roof
Work started today on preparatory work for the fitting of the footbridge roof. The Williton Station Maintenance Team started priming the 7"x2" fascia boards which the guttering and dagger boards will be attached to. This is the first job to be undertaken in the new maintenance hut which now has power and lighting installed. On Monday 16 April the scaffolding will be erected and be completed on 17 April when work on site will start. The main contract is being undertaken by John Farley, who as well as owning a building company in West Wales, is also a steam engine driver on the West Somerset Railway. The electric work is being undertaken by Stuart Freeman a Williton based electrician, steelwork is in the hands of West Somerset Restoration and RAMS are producing and painting the dagger boards together with some miscellaneous work. The contract is programmed for completion in four to five weeks. More on the Williton Station website...
10 April 2012
Details from Williton Station Master
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Class 04 no D2205 is up for sale
Privately-owned diesel shunter Class 04 0-6-0 DM no D2205 is available for sale. The Drewry-built loco is currently out of use and is stored at Williton. Built in 1953 D2205 was allocated to Thornaby for most of its BR days, and worked on Middlesborough Dock, initially on hire from BR, but from July 1969 under ownership of the Tees and Hartlepool Port Authority. Originally preserved at the K&ESR until 1989 when it was moved to the West Somerset Railway (thanks to Preserved Shunters for the information) Please contact the WSR General Manager for further information.
9 April 2012
Details from WSR Plc
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A golden fishplate completes the East Chord
The volunteer permanent way gang have completed tracklaying along the East Chord at the Norton Triangle. The short gap was closed by the gang and a "golden" fishplate was installed by Angela Randall to complete this section and in doing so completing the Inner Triangle. More work is required of course to level, pack and slew the track ready for ballasting and tamping. The West Chord (26 chains) and East Chord (16 chains) are entirely new sections of railway.
See map of the Norton Triangle.
7 April 2012
Details from local correspondent
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No 5553 reaches the end of the road
No 5553 has been withdrawn from traffic after ten successful years of operation on the WSR. At 5.32pm on 6 April 2012, GWR 'Small Prairie' 2-6-2T no 5553 hauled its final service train into Minehead Station. The locomotive which is owned by The Waterman Railway Heritage Trust has been on hire to the WSR since 2002 and in that time has been used on WSR services including Quantock Belle dining trains, Steam Experience courses, goods trains, passenger trains and charter operations. In the ten years it has run 49,358 miles with brief periods away visiting other railways. No 5553 was the last locomotive to leave Dai Woodham's scrap yard in Barry from which so many locomotives in preservation were saved. It now requires a full overhaul before it is again able to return to active service. The log entry for the final day reads "5553, 80 miles, No new faults found, Goodbye old timer, miss you" An interesting coincidence has emerged - in March 1962 this loco was sent to Barry for scrap; fifty years on and the loco is withdrawn again, this time for overhaul.
7 April 2012
Details from WSR Plc
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Taunton-Bishops Lydeard for Mixed Traction Weekend
The return of the Taunton Shuttle for one weekend in June. In partnership with First Great Western a train service will be provided on the Saturday and Sunday of the Mixed Traction Weekend which runs over three days in June. The special event is being held on 15, 16 and 17 June 2012 and in addition to the Taunton Shuttle there will be a Driver for a Fiver event and Brake Van rides. It is not clear yet which of the seven operational home-based mainline diesel locomotives will be in action although newcomer Class 33 no 6575 is almost certain to appear. Times of the Taunton Shuttle will be confirmed in due course here
6 April 2012
Details from WSR Plc
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David Williams is new WSRA Chairman
David Williams has been unanimously elected by the Directors of the West Somerset Railway Association as their new Chairman. David has been the Railway’s Journal Editor since December 1995 and an Association Director since January 1996. David is currently the longest-serving WSRA Director, and is also a Director and Secretary of the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust.
Speaking of his appointment, David said, "I am extremely pleased that my colleagues on the Board have elected me to this position. We had a very positive first meeting and I look forward to all Board members working together to further the interests of the Association and the Railway as a whole." Full details.
5 April 2012
Details from WSRA
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Travel behind the King over the Easter Weekend
GWR 4-6-0 no 6024 will be in service on the Minehead Branch right through the Easter Weekend. Here is the last chance to ride behind Great Western Railway 4-6-0 no 6024 King Edward I before the loco begins a major overhaul. No 6024 will be in service from Friday 6 April to Monday 9 April inclusive on the following services - 10.25am Bishops Lydeard to Minehead; 12.25pm Minehead to Bishops Lydeard; 2.20pm Bishops Lydeard to Minehead; 4.05pm Minehead to Bishops Lydeard. It also means that the King will head the Dunster Castle Express (the 10.25am from Bishops Lydeard) on Saturday 7 April giving passengers the chance to travel with a King to a Castle.
4 April 2012
Details from WSR Plc
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Wizzer Walk helps Heritage Carriages Project
Much needed funds were raised through the 2011 Wizzer Walk. Wizzer Walk organiser Mike Webber writes: "The Wizzer Walk which took place last November has raised just over £2,600. The deadline for receiving the sponsorship money was on the 31st March. The organisers have looked at the sponsorship forms for each walker and following their wishes, a proportion of the funds will go to the St. Margarets Hospice, Somerset. Back in November last year over 90 people took part in the walk on an exceptionally sunny day for the time of year enjoying the stunning scenery that the railway has to offer. The organisers wish to thank once again all those walkers who took part and for their efforts in raising these funds!" Find out more about the Heritage Carriages Project from the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust
3 April 2012
Details from WSSRT
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Blessing of the Memorial Gardens at Stogumber
Celebrating and remembering at Stogumber Station. As part of the WSR 150th anniversary celebrations on 31 March 2012 the Friends of Stogumber Station welcomed the Rev Val Plum, the Vicar of Stogumber, to perform the Blessing of the Memorial Stone, and the garden and medlar tree planted in remembrance of James Willis, a young WSR volunteer who sadly passed away in 2009. A gathering of many people were joined by James' parents to take part in a moving ceremony. For many WSR people like me, the very thought of the ever-smiling and much missed James brings both a tear and a smile. For details of the Memorial Gardens visit the website of the Friends of Stogumber Station For pictures of the various anniversary events along the line click here.
2 April 2012
Details from FoSS
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GWR BCK no 6705 takes a spin with the King
Progress on the heritage carriage GWR BCK no 6705 has leapt forward during the last two weeks of March. To the delight of many the historic vehicle was ready to participate in the 150th anniversary of the opening of the railway to Watchet on 31 March. No 6705 was hauled by no less than GWR 4-6-0 no 6024 King Edward I from Williton to Crowcombe Heathfield, continuing to Bishops Lydeard after the evening celebrations. To achieve this, work on bolting down the body to the chassis was completed, the extended drawbar and couplers were fitted, and this required the reinstatement of two stretcher bars between the main frames which had been removed when the autocouplers were fitted in the USA. This work was completed just in time for inspection on 27 March and being passed fit to run for the event on the Saturday. Three days of painting followed. Chris Austin, Chairman of the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust said "Thanks are due to the WSR Association for meeting the cost of the paint, and particularly to Ray Waldron and the team at West Somerset Restoration without whose help and advice we would not have completed the mechanical work in time. Thanks are due too to all the volunteers who have spent so many hours in rubbing down and painting to provide a quality finish. Further painting will be needed, but this will take place after the other work on the coach has been undertaken. Attention can now move to preparing and painting and varnishing the compartments, restoring the toilets and refurbishing the bogies and brake gear." For pictures of the various anniversary events along the line click here.
2 April 2012
Details from WSSRT
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The 150th anniversary celebrations at Crowcombe Station
In the early evening of 31 March 2012, the Friends of Crowcombe Heathfield Station gathered to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the first public trains to use the station. Most guests arrived in the packed Auto Coach powered by GWR 0-4-2T no 1450. Guests included Sheila Dibnah, widow of the well known steeplejack and steam enthusiast Fred Dibnah, along with Walter Harris and Mike Hodge joint Station Masters for over 30 years, Mike's wife Jean, and the lad porter Ted Cubitt. Introductions by WSR General Manager Paul Conibeare were followed by the ceremonial cutting of the magnificently iced cake by Sheila.
As a huge bonus GWR 4-6-0 no 6024 King Edward I pulled into the Down line heading GWR BCK no 6705. This historic coach has been restored by volunteers of the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust as part of the Heritage Carriages Project. For the full story see the website of the Friends of Crowcombe Heathfield Station For pictures of the various anniversary events along the line click here.
1 April 2012
Details from FoCHS
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