West Somerset Railway General Discussion

The green loco is Vulcan and that was at the WSR 1977 - 1986. The other loco is Jennifer and that was at the WSR 1982 - 1993 I think. So I would say the photo was sometime between 1982 and 1986.

 

Mixed livery sets were perfectly prototypical in pre-preservation days, so why should it be problem now?

Tom

 

Because we don't like to, and it appears to our sensibilities to do so! GWSR only have two liveries which is feasible to keep uniform. Eventually we plan to have two maroon and two C&C rakes which can be interchangeable. We found threw was two much, hence B&C was scrapped.

 

The second one was TSO Buffet 4346.

 

The second one is TSO 4346 which has been converted to a buffet. I haven't been to the railway for a few weeks, so I'm guessing that BSO 9227 is currently being repainted, as the Ops Notice does not show it in the three rakes presently operating, and it had patches of paint peeled off revealing rust most of this year.

The full list of dual-braked coaches is TSOs 4346, 4875, 4876 (which has been adapted for wheelchair use), 4909, 4956, 5002, 5025, 5030 and BSO 9227. It can be seen that there are more dual-braked coaches than would normally form one rake. At the beginning of each season, three rakes of 6 coaches are formed up, one of which would be all dual-braked, and these would be added to as loadings dictate during the season, therefore vacuum-braked coaches could be added to the dual-braked set during the season, and a couple of dual-braked coaches are quite often found in one of the vac-braked sets - it also depends on what toilets are available in coaches and how they can be best incorporated in a train to give a good distribution! So it's not going to be possible to strictly segregate the two liveries.

The 'core' part of the three main sets is TSO (wheelchair) - BSO or BSK - buffet, but as 4876 was converted and repainted only two or three years ago, I don't expect it to be high on the list for the new colours. I would imagine that the priority would be to get 6 coaches painted.

 

Hello,
Were the trees at Crowcombe felled because of disease?

Or were they a nuisance?

Nick

 

The roots were undermining the track, and interfering with both the drainage and a duct carrying the operating wire for the down starter signal under the platform. On felling, they were discovered to have some rot in the trunks too.

 

Thank you everyone for the information regarding the dual braked coaches. One thing that is interesting is that most of those coaches are later build ones (formica interiors in the saloons), and that will mean that the other two sets will be formed of mostly earlier build coaches (wooden interiors).

On the subject of the later build TSOs (4830 - 5069), does anyone know what the interiors would have originally looked like when the coaches were built please?. I know that they had florescent lighting and the later style seat headrests, but how much of the interiors would have been varnished wood? I have looked in books and on the internet, but cannot find much information.

The reason I ask is because there seems to be so much variation in the surviving examples (due to refurbishments by Network Southeast, Intercity etc), and I am utterly confused! I am starting a small model railway, and I have some N scale TSOs which need their interiors painting. While I could just have earlier build TSOs (which I know were basically varnished wood all round except the ceilings and toilets), due to the time period of my layout I am starting (about 1964), at least a couple of these TSOs do really need to be later build ones.

I best describe what I have noticed in the coaches I have seen on various preserved railways, so that everyone gets an idea of what I am on about.

While most seem to have varnished wood in the vestibules, the saloons seem to be a law unto themselves! All seem to have white formica around the side windows (apart from coaches fitted with totally new interiors like buffet 4987). Some of the lower numbered ones I have seen (from the M4830 - M 4899, W 4900 - W 4917 batches) seem to have their saloon partitions (and sometimes the seat side panels) in wood. In the case of the higher numbered ones (4918 upwards) I have seen the partitions in the saloons done in formica ranging in colour from cream to pale grey to white to "phlegm" green. Sometimes the side panels on the seats are white or cream or upholstered over. Moquette is yet another minefield! I think the original might have been the grey "trojan" one, but as 4830 - 4899 were built in 1959 and "trojan" came in in the 1960s, that batch could have had one of the dark red moquettes.

If anyone knows anything, I would be grateful, thank you in advance.

 

For Moquettes, I assume you have seen these pages:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/extension3363/sets/72157626661385666/
http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/cw/MOQUETTE/1950s.html
http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/cw/MOQUETTE/1960s.html

http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/cw/MOQUETTE/

Tom

 

Gosh, you are dedicated - painting the interiors of N scale coaches!!! At my age, life is too short!! Good luck, anyway.

 

Hello,
Many thanks for the answers.

Are the PLC going to replace the trees?

Nick

 

Not as far as I am aware. If you look at pictures from 50 years ago the iconic fir trees were very much smaller, and the trees on the sides of the cutting didn't exist. Drainage at Crowcombe has become increasingly problematic, with the autumn leaf fall and tree roots causing blockage problems, so the Plc decided the trees had to go. It will certainly make the station look a lot different to how it has in recent years, but in reality its back to how it was in BR days.

 

Unless the stumps of the trees are removed, or killed of they will re-shout again from the base and form a thick clump.

 

Yes, I have seen the moquettes page on the Bluebell Railway site, but thank you anyway. Interestingly, a while ago I saw a picture in a magazine of TSO 4277 (same batch as 4260 on the WSR) taken in the 70s, and that coach had the "Boomerang" moquette visible through the windows, so from that, it can be assumed that 4260 would have originally had the same moquette.

 

Under certain lighting the interiors became very visible, so I have to paint at least the basic colours for the partitions, seats and any tables.

 

Santa tickets remaining from Bishops Lydeard and Minehead. Follow link for availability. Ring 01643 704996 to book

Santa Tickets Remaining
(15/12/2015 @ 10:39:00)

Our Santa trains have been selling out fast this year, please see the below for our remaining tickets.

Santa Special Bishops Lydeard:

22 December 2015 at 1pm 17 tickets remaining.
22 December 2015 at 3.10pm 70 tickets remaining
23 December 2015 at 1pm 39 tickets remaining

Santa Special Minehead:

19 December 2015 at 10.30am 93 tickets remaining
19 December 2015 at 12.30am 119 tickets remaining
19 December 2015 at 2.30pm 42 tickets remaining

20 December 2015 at 10.30am 38 tickets remaining
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24 December 2015 at 10.30am 39 tickets remaining
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Santa Express Bishops Lydeard

FULLY BOOKED

Santa Express Minehead:

22 December 2015 at 1pm 50 tickets remaining
22 December 2015 at 3.05pm 111 tickets remaining

23 December 2015 at 10.45am 51 tickets remaining
23 December 2015 at 1pm 50 tickets remaining
23 December 2015 at 3.05pm 90 tickets remaining

Sherry and Mince Pie Bishops Lydeard:

19 December 2015 at 10.10am 46 tickets remaining
19 December 2015 at 2.45pm 39 tickets remaining

20 December 2015 at 10.10am 50 tickets remaining
20 December 2015 at 12.25pm 37 tickets remaining
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Sherry and Mince Pie Minehead:

22 December 2015 at 10.45am 48 tickets remaining
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Tickets remaining correct at the time of creation. Please contact our main office on 01643 704996 to book or to check availability.

 

Footplate rides available during the 2015 Winter Steam Festival. Just one participant per trip. All trips start from Minehead Station.

Monday 28th December
11.45 from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard aboard GWR 4-6-0 no 7828 Odney Manor
12.45 from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard aboard GWR 4-6-0 no 6960 Raveningham Hall

Tuesday 29th December
12.45 from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard aboard GWR 4-6-0 no 7828 Odney Manor
13.45 from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard aboard GWR 4-6-0 no 6960 Raveningham Hall

£150 for single trip - book by calling 01643 704996

(info from WSR Plc)

 

The cab roof was refitted to Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway class 7F 2-8-0 no 53808 on 17 December 2016. Andy Forster, WSR's Chief Mechanical Engineer adds: "With the firebox lagging and cladding in situ, work is now concentrated on the boiler barrel lagging and cladding. All is on target for completion in mid-February ready for the West Somerset Railway's grand Somerset & Dorset Gala on 5, 6, 10,11,12, 13 March 2016."

(info from WSR Plc)


(pic by Andy Norman)

Steve

 

The WSR's Publicity Officer, John Simms, writes: "Two of the planned 'guest' locomotives for the 2016 Somerset and Dorset commemorative gala (March 5th & 6th and 10th to 13th) are now confirmed. 34053 Sir Keith Park will be coming from the Severn Valley Railway and 34070 Manston* from the Swanage. Thanks go to the locomotive owners and the host railways for making a Bulleid presence at the Gala possible."

Steve

* subject to completion of repairs

 

Two excellent reports released by the board of the WSRplc.

DJB.