WSR Spring Steam Spectacular - Fri 2nd May to Mon 5th May 2025

Yes, today much better, I was told that the fault on the QB was the brake coach which the WSR is in short supply of - hence the QB set had to fail and the rejigging of carriages.

I rode Bahamas to MD first thing and she hardly seemed to notice the gradients, had a stop over in Williton and then a terrific run from there back to BL behind 6695.

I doff my hat to one and all in organising and serving this gala, a really good day for the WSR.

 

Even if there had been a spare brake vehicle, then there would have been no catering because the QB brake carries the generator which provides the power for the set.

 

It's not only the WSR that has experienced lineside fires - it was the turn of the big railway this afternoon.

Cardiff: Major rail disruption after blaze close to tracks - BBC News

Many thanks to the staff and volunteers at the WSR for organizing such an enjoyable event.
Despite the delays on Friday I thought the gala was excellent. A donation has been forwarded. <BJ>

 

Monday 5th timetable - 6695 has failed Amendment no3 to STN 0125 merged.pdf

 

Here's my footage of the Gala filmed on Friday and Saturday in beautiful weather. Full credit goes to the West Somerset Railway for a magnificent gala despite various delays on Friday caused by lineside fires and problems with the QB coaches. They managed the gala really well by amending the timetables to suit the day and reduce delays in the process. I hope you enjoy it.

 

Plenty of great performances from across the weekend, despite the issues encountered this was another top notch event with superb weather.

 

I had a very enjoyable day out on Sunday, the highlight was a fantastic ride sat in a compartment of the newly restored GWR 6705 passing through the wonderful sunlit countryside from Williton to BL behind Fenchurch

Many thanks to all the volunteers and staff involved, the gala certainly had it's challenges ... Thank you!

 

And here's another video, taken on the Friday and Saturday...

 

Busy Time by Matt Spencer, on Flickr
Star of the Show by Matt Spencer, on Flickr
Country Goods by Matt Spencer, on Flickr
Rural Freight by Matt Spencer, on Flickr
Saintly Arrival by Matt Spencer, on Flickr
Small but Mighty by Matt Spencer, on Flickr
Shooting at the Manor by Matt Spencer, on Flickr

A few photos from Saturday in between riding the trains. An excellent day out.

 

The coupling parted between two coaches upon departure in the station of the 13.20 from Minehead this afternoon behind 2807, the train immediately ground to a halt as expected, loss of vacuum. Passengers were transferred to the 3 car dmu waiting in the adjacent platform to form a shuttle to Blue Anchor and back. This became a delayed full line train to Bishops L. Full marks for improvisation. We left at this point, long journey back to Bury!

 

I wondered what had caused yesterday's changes, thanks Britfoamer. I'd switched to coming back for the afternoon rather than the morning and popped Railcam on at lunchtime to check how things were running and was very surprised to see the DMU at Williton. It did make me waver on whether to go back in case things were really disrupted but I ended up having a brilliant afternoon chasing things and around working out what loco might appear where (e.g. the unexpected 2807 + 2999 double-header). Ending the day watching 45596 charge out of Williton and then 7812 on the tail end give a banking shove was a lovely finale.

I didn't manage to see the Fireless at work or get haulage from 1857, but hopefully there'll be further chances for those, and otherwise across my two visits I ticked off and thoroughly enjoyed everything I'd had in mind despite the various changes.

Considering the fires, losing two sets of stock in the end and a loco failure too, I felt the organisers did brilliantly to keep replanning on their feet and deliver so much still. This gala is a real highlight of the year now under its current leadership, and the fact we're getting an extra WSR steam gala in October this year is great news too (already aiming for Friday at the October event before heading east for a Bluebell, Spa Valley and Romney combo over the Sat/Sun).

 

https://www.flickr.com/gp/16582147@N07/99559L81LP

Enjoyed Bahamas' first morning run to Minehead on Sunday. Took some photos from the lineside but would have liked to photograph 2807 at Castle Hill where I saw it hauling a train in 2011, but ended up at Crowcombe Heathfield to see it with the goods.

Thanks to all at WSR and elsewhere for a splendid gala.

 

This gala really does seem to have been a triumph, very sorry I missed it, but with the trip down to the Mid-Hants the previous week I couldn't justify this one as well.
Some of the YouTube videos have been very special, the one uploaded by 'The Southerner' worth a watch purely for the stunning glint shot of 2807 arriving at Blue Anchor. Bahamas sounded fantastic climbing through the Quantocks too. Well done all for a spectacular event.

 

Now I've recovered from the long drive home yesterday I want to say how much I enjoyed the gala. In spite of quite a bit of adversity the WSR came through and put on a really good show. It helps of course that the weather and the landscape were both so great but the atmosphere throughout was positive and no-one seemed too bothered about the delays, even on Saturday when the double-header I was on had to do a fair bit of using the degging pipe to put out and damp down several fairly bothersome lineside fires.

All in all, this was the WSR at it's best and that's why I keep coming back. Thanks to one and all who organised and delivered this, I doff my hat to you all.

 

I don't think there has been any mention of recent restored West Somerset coach G W R 6705, making its first public run, coupled with on loan from the S V R , GWR Collett third corridor 1086. When the four day timetable was first published there was only one booked working with a G W R loco ,that was on the Monday with 7812 , on the 08.20 Bishops Lydeard to Minehead. This was booked non stop, but due to a request by several passengers did actually make a stop. (not sure where.)The two coaches ,set E, in the four day timetable , were mostly timetabled to shuttle on local trains top and tailed by smaller loco's ,but due to timetable changes on Monday, a DMU worked the shuttles and set E worked one round trip MA to BL by 2988(2999) renamed Robin Hood .Two photo's attached ,both taken on the Minehead side of Blue Anchor.7812 was very tight for the light, the sun coming out at the last moment ,the usual story when not wanted.

 

Echo what has already been said in above posts, excellent event, pulled out the stops when stock and loco failures happened. We had four days of riding, stepping down each day for a photographic and tea break. Sun was a little awkward on some stations , more challenging. Had a superb ride on Monday from Norton all the way back to Minehead behind our Lanky tank, well mastered the six coach load.
Below a handful of shots of the various loco's around the railway. Look forward to the autumn event.

 

My video from across Saturday, Sunday and Monday, as usual edited in time of day sequence. We had a fantastic weekend, huge thanks to everyone involved, I noted the timetable for Monday said version 8 so clearly a lot of time was spent ensuring everything kept running. We spent Saturday at Watchet then Blue Anchor, Sunday took a round trip from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard and return behind 2999 and 7812 & 2999 on the return before watching the comings and goings at the station for a couple of hours in the late afternoon. Monday was spent lineside at Minehead and Washford before an hour at Crowcombe Heathfield on the way home. A great selection of locos working hard in glorious scenery, a really lovely few days, already planning a return visit for next year! Photos to follow.

 

After a thoroughly enjoyable and successful gala, a message from Seb Welsh at the gala planning team. <BJ>

''From myself as Gala Planning Team Chairman and all my team, thank you so much for attending or volunteering at the Spring Steam Spectacular 2025. We are taking a week or so off and then will continue planning for the returning Autumn Steam Weekend, starring LSWR 4-4-0 T3 no.563 and further guests to be confirmed. Get the dates in your diary Friday 17th to Sunday 19th October!''



''Start of a fantastic Friday morning with Fenchurch on the GW set with a top link loco crew. No fires here...''



''Finally a group pic of the four of us. Between us we plan nearly all of the event in our limited free time. We are always after more help, so please do let me know if you wish to apply to be part of the team.''

 

Am gradually going through my shots from the weekend but a couple here that I have managed to sort.


Multi-regional representation with 11456 and the goods at Woolston Court Farm.


9351 approaches Tribble Bridge with the penultimate passenger departure from Bishops Lydeard of the weekend.

 

Photos from across Saturday-Sunday-Monday....
https://www.flickr.com/photos/alts1985/albums/72177720325968941