West Somerset Railway General Discussion

This brings to mind the song

Lloyd George knew my father - father knew Lloyd George
repeat to taste

 

Surely you're not expecting Pendon level accuracy from Hornby.

 

WSR Website - Update of Loco information

I have been asked by Dave Horton, the WSR Head of Mechanical Engineering, to help with updating the loco information on the WSR website. Attached is the first example of what we have in mind, in this instance for loco 9351. This has been written by WSR supporter Rupert Bickham.

We would be pleased to have three sorts of help from Nat Pres readers:

(1) checking the information given,

(2) filling in gaps where information is incomplete - in this instance about the time between being bought from Woodhams and entering service on the WSR, and

(3) Photographs. We would like photographs of each loco at each stage of its life. So if you have photos of 9351 (in this instance as 5193) in service on BR, or in service on the WSR, or when visiting the SVR in 2005, then we would be pleased to have them. They will appear (properly credited) on the WSR plc website.

Information in any of the three categories above can be e-mailed to me at robin215white@btinternet.com

I intend to post one loco a week as we work through this process.

Thank you in advance, for your help with this. Feel free to share this post / document with anyone who you think could help.

kind regards

Robin White

 

All change for station lamps at Stogumber – Help needed

Earlier in the year, Station Master Bob Preston carried out a review of the lighting at Stogumber Station and concluded that there should be changes. These are: mounting an additional lamp on the corner of the station building overlooking the car park; removing the two non-railway lamps in the car park and on the down side of the foot crossing to the platform; and planting a new GWR lamp on the down side of the crossing to match the lamp from St Ives which has stood on the up side for some time.

This work is being carried out during November and help is needed on Saturday 25 November, to dig out the old posts and dig a hole for and plant the new lamp. This physical labour is a bit beyond the normal Stogumber volunteers who man the station and provide the public with the cream teas and other refreshments for which Stogumber station is now known. It is hoped that some younger, fitter WSR supporters can offer an hour or two on the day to help. Ample supplies of tea, coffee and bacon rolls will be on hand!

If you can help, please e-mail Robin White at robin215white@btinternet.com. She will be co-ordinating the working party under Bob Preston’s management. The working party will start at 10am on Saturday 25th November.

 

Should the notice be bi-lingual, English & Pheasant?

 

West Somerset Railway - Then and Now #118

Dunster 1975 / 2017

The humble milepost by the Goods Shed has watched the changes at Dunster over the years.

Copyright Tim Venton / Robin White

1975


2017

 

With respect to (3), please note that suitable images on www.wsr.org.uk may be re-used on the Plc website without seeking prior permission, providing the terms of the Creative Commons licence are observed (acknowledgement to photographer/link to the CC licence). See the re-use page for details. Type 9351 into the picture search function. Hope this helps

Steve

 

If someone would like to conduct the exercise that Steve suggests, and come up with reccomendations for images to be used, that would be helpful.

Robin

 

Do deer speak pheasant?

 

All together now :
"Oh, I'm not the pheasant plucker,
I'm the pheasant plucker's son
and I'm sitting plucking pheasants
'til the pheasant plucker comes"

 

No Pheasants were harmed in the writing of this rhyme, ...hopefully...at least not the ones in the picture.....perhaps !!!!!

 

Game pie.....tasty!

Robin

 

If anyone is venturing into S & D territory I can strongly recomend The Pheasants pub at Plush for the excellent food and beer.

 

An excellent idea.

The prototype 'large prairie' No.99 was built in 1903, then 39 more 1905-6 (numbered 3100 and 3111-49,) they were superheated in 1910-2 and were renumbered as 51xx in 1928/9. Six were later given outside steam pipes.

The 5101 Clas were to quote the RCTS in 1962 'an up to date edition of the "5100" (ex3100) and are referred to as the "5101" Class when it is required to distinguish them from the earlier engines'

The modifications AFAIK to the 5101s from the original design post the fitting of SH in 1910-2 were minor eg curved drop ends, framing details, outside steam pipes, modified cab roofs, enlarged bunker, copper cap chimney, brass safety valve cover. They are Churchward designed locos built under the auspices of Mr Collett.

(The only ones that have any material design changes were Nos 4160-79 with a new two row SH arrangement, credit to Hawksworth?)

Regarding allocations: the 51xx were not used on PDN suburban routes (61xx especially designed for this purpose with 225psi boilers to improve acceleration ) The majority of 5101s went to the Wolverhampton district. Only two went to the London division 5179 (PDN) and 5168 (RDG ). In 1954 there was only one in the London Division and that was at Oxford.

5193 post Nationalisation allocations, according to Longworth:
1/48 Stourbridge
10/52 Truro
7/53 St Blazey
10/60 Whitland
10/60 Taunton
11/60 Whitland
3/62 stored
5/62 Severn Tunnel Jct
6/62 Withdrawn

Re passenger workings in Cornwall the only log on the RPS Data Base is for 16/7/56 when 5193 worked the early pm departure from Newquay to Par (13.45) with a three coach non corridor set, weights Tare/Gross 89/90tons ( suggests only a dozen passengers at most). As an aside the morning departure with 3C+ 2L/153/160 from Par to Newquay ( 10.35) had small prairie 5552 ( a good load for a 45xx over the route with gradients as steep as 1/45). Interesting that both 5193 and 5552 found there way into Preservation.

wrt 9351 as a 2-6-0: Andrews 'The Churchward 2-6-0s" p.139 has a Swindon proposal from the 1920s for a "light 2-6-0 with a No.2 boiler" ie 9351. (The SWN Drg is apparently undated, although a similar proposal but using a smaller number 10 boiler is dated January 1929.)

Michael Rowe

 

Many of our number bowl from line to line, many others are well familiar with what's to hand near (or on) their adopted lines. Serious question: Could NP use a thread for mentioning good hostelries?
Input on facilities, sprog and dog friendliness, website .... that sort of thing.

 

I posted somewhat tongue in cheek. However there is so much readily available advice already available online another thread on NP would probably be superfluous.

 

That’s never previously been seen as a barrier!

Tom

(Ps @30854 - try the beer thread in NGC...)

 

Probs right ..... Just thinking of suitably amiable company over brekkies and before turning in after a hards day's railtrotting!

 

Old ones are the best ,
including members of this forum .

 

I see the Blue Anchor webcam is off line, maybe they are fixing the wobbly mounting?