West Somerset Railway General Discussion

Had a pleasant afternoon at the gala yesterday. We only managed one part trip (from Williton to Bishop's Lydeard) due to the cost, though. It's expensive with a family - the WSR charges for children aged 3 and above, unlike the national network where children travel free up to the age of 5.

 

I know there were a few who were not happy at having D7018 running at the gala which baffles me. The DEPG have done a superb full restoration over the last two decades and as a loco that almost certainly ran on the line in Western region days, it really looked and sounded the part, and more than deserved a place at the railway's Autumn gala. It should also be noted that this train was packed full, so to say that people turn their noses up at a diesel was complete nonsense in this case.

Star of the show for me, seen here at Bicknoller on a Minehead- Bristol train circa 1961 ...


Welcome back D7018 by Phoenix Images, on Flickr

 

Bob, I tread warily ( I am not a fully paid up member of the GWR genuflecting society ) but you
could argue that the 94xx are a tank version of the 2251 0-6-0's. The first 10 94xx carried the standard
No.10 KA boiler as per the 2251 class ( the remainder had no SH ie No.10KB ). The No.10 has a max
evap c. 15% greater than the No.21 PH carried by the 57xx panniers,

There are 32 logs on the RPS data base with 2251 0-6-0s ( but eight of these are with 3205 on the
Llangollen ). The remaining 24 involve 16 different locos, the earliest log (15/10/1938) being
with 2200 and a three coach train running Oswestry Welshpool in 24mins 5 secs,
with a maximum of 55 mph reached in the first three miles from the start.

Although 24 represents a small sample the 'normal'maximum speeds lie in the 52-55 range
( ie allowing for the respective coupled wheel diameters comparable with the 57xx )
The highest in the collection are: 2217 (20/7/60) with 6 carriages running Aberystwyth
Dovey Junction with 63 mph before the Borth stop and 58 before Glyndyfi, only just
maintaining schedule. No.2240 on an Ilfracombe Taunton ( 29/7/61) with 4/120/140
reaching 60 between Venn and Wiveliscombe and 55 before Norton Fitzwarren.
Maxima on services between Hereford and Gloucester and Newport and Brecon were
inevitably lower.

A route that has always interested me is the Barmouth Ruabon (ex Cambrian to
Dolgellau and GWR to Ruabon). An interesting working was the summer 07.20
Pwllheli to Paddington which ran via Barmouth and Ruabon. There is a
log from 1957 when 2296 piloted 'Dukedog' 9004 and dropped time on the
10 mile climb from Dolgellau to MP35, (a vertical rise of 700 feet with gradients
up to 1/50) the load was 10 coaches 332 tons tare 360 gross, average EDHP
being c.750, the Corwen water stop ( schedule 83 minutes from Barmouth )
was reached eight minutes late.

By 1960 the train was rostered for a pair of 2251 0-6-0s. Nos. 2286 and 2202
with 10/334/365 kept time to Corwen despite initial delays, EDHP on the climb
c. 1000. Four weeks later (22/8) 2222 and 2214 with 9/303/330 reached
Corwen 11 minutes early ( plenty of time for both locos to leisurely take water)
with an average EDHP 1100-1150 on the climb and a max of 1160-1180 near
the top. The highest figure I noted for 3205 when it was on the WSR in the
1997-2000 period was c. 520EDHP sustained for a nine minutes period.

The first time I travelled on the WSR was twixt TN and WN en route to scout
camp at West Quantoxhead in 1949. The Down journey for a kid was boring, a
small prairie with non corridor stock, but the return behind a 2251 and corridor
stock quite memorable. The journeys to and from Taunton with Castle haulage
are a mist !

Michael Rowe

ps As an after thought. I think seventy with an 0-6-0 was a rarity, the Fowler
0-6-0's were timed at 66-67, both on Blackpool excursions and on the LT&S
St Pancras services, Mr Bulleid rode on the footplate of a Q1 at 75 mph to
prove to doubting enginemen that the Q1's were equally stable whether smoke
box or tender first ( in normal service I recorded 63 behind a Q1 but this was
I think as high as it got ) and there is a record of a brave soul on the footplate
of an ex L&NW 'Cauliflower' touching 80 descending from Penrith to Carlisle.

Mr Bulleid is reputed to have whispered after the 75 demonstration words to
the effect "I shall not be doing that again". Personally years past I found 35
tender first on a Q1 footplate quite exciting !

 

News from the West Somerset Railway Association.

Rail Renewal fundraising project
''The West Somerset Railway Association, in partnership with WSR Plc and the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust, have updated the running total which today stands at just over £75,000 - that's 30% of the target of a quarter of a million pounds. A truly excellent effort. Around a tenth of this amount has been raised via the online donation page''.

Steady progress. <BJ>

 

Yes, some of the Hymek hauled trains were well filled, but most of the ones that passed me over the four days were only about half full.
In fact none of the trains I travelled on over the four days were really packed full and I had no trouble getting a window seat, and often an entire table, to myself.

 

I have been away a few days so may have missed someone else posting this link already. Nice to see the WSR doing some good publicity !

 

The highest 64xx speeds I can find from c. 30 logs on the RPS data base are 54 behind 6414 (with the auto 2/63/70 )
in 1954 between Saltash and St.Germans and 53 with 6420 in 1948 between Somerton and Charlton Mackerell
with the TN to Castle Cary auto (2/57/60). However I do not doubt the 60mph running, by the very nature
of auto duties inter station stop distances were short, the above two instances representing comparatively
lengthy stages.

At times in the past when 6412 was resident on the WSR acceleration with an auto coach was quite exciting.

Michael Rowe

 

About 20 years ago I've had a rather how do I put this, a rather exhilarating journey trying to make a connection on the big railway with a Pannier tank, these things can shift, especially when the crew are trying to make it back in time for last orders!

 

Ditto when making sure that Balmoral passengers got back to Minehead on time

 

Your luck is in. Here's your once in a lifetime chance of become a managing director at the WSR. Please stand in an orderly queue. <BJ>

https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/news/detail/managing-director-vacancy

 

http://www.wsr.org.uk/cgi-bin/snap.cgi?h=Snapshot&p=2019/09/212
I thought that the webcams are not not allowed to show the field on the upside of Williton?
The webcam has the top RH corner masked off.

 

Am I missing something?

That looks more like a drone shot than a webcam to me.

 

Surely we all saw the view from the south-facing camera when it was first connected? I believe it showed a view from the footbridge, looking towards and under the road bridge over the line, across the old level crossing.

The pic mentioned was from a drone camera, or maybe Robin was working on low flying along the line. I expect all the web cams here are tethered firmly to the ground.

 

No mention of a familiar phrase from past days, when I was young enough to be searching the job ads - 'Previous candidates need not re-apply'.

 

"while railway experience is preferable, this is not a requirement."
It surely is a requirement to be able to manage a large number of people, most of whom are volunteers who need to be managed without being demotivated. Apart from other preserved railways there can't be many organisations like that.

 

Not necessarily: I suspect the general model of “small core of paid staff, addition of paid seasonal temps plus large number of volunteers” is widespread in the heritage / museum sector, not just on railways. Just visit your average National Trust property.

Tom

 

Agreed, whilst it might seem odd to say railway experience not necessary, I think it's far more preferable to have someone with experience of managing a large volunteer workforce than someone who knows about railways but has only ever dealt with employed people.

 

Agreed Tom. It was certainly the case at a heritage museum operation that I used to volunteer at.

 

No more than two pages for a CV? Obviously not looking for anyone with a broad range of knowledge or skills then