Departmental Review

Another busy and interesting few months in the departments

Shed Report

No. 5199 returned to Minehead at the beginning of September for a 28-day routine boiler washout and attention to a few minor tasks on the maintenance list. A broken driving wheel spring was then discovered, and this was quickly attended to as suitable spares are held in stock. After a successful steam test, No. 5199 was returned to service. The locomotive returned to Minehead top-and-tailed with No. 9351 on an 11-coach ECS on 2 November after the close of the main running season. No. 6024 King Edward 1: The owners, the 6024 Preservation Society Ltd., report that basically all of the major work to return the King to achieving a new 10-year boiler certificate is complete and they hope that it will be in action in early 2022. Progress has been helped by the easing of working restrictions in Minehead shed, allowing more volunteers to return. No. 7822 Foxcote Manor has generally performed well on the daily service trains. Recent routine work included the replacement of the cast-iron brake blocks, with the middle and rear sets showing greater wear than the leading set. The cost of brake blocks has risen sharply in recent months, now in

Manor No. 7822 Foxcote Manor leaving Crowcombe Heathfield with a down Bishops Lydeard to Blue Anchor service on 3rd October 2021. Photo: Don Bishop

excess of £800 for the set, even before delivery and fitting costs. Other jobs on the work programme included lapping the blower and investigating a leak around the safety valves, but this should be cured when the new safety valve casting is machined and fitted. No. 7822 spent a week in October on driver training/charter duties for a group that normally charter a train on the Severn Valley Railway. By the close of October and the end of the main season for normal service train running, No. 7822 had completed another 28 days in service and become due for another boiler washout, its second. The locomotive owners, the Foxcote Manor Society, then received a request for help from the Battlefield Line at Shackerstone. Their hired-in locomotive No.6989 Wightwick Hall had failed a boiler exam due to broken stays and could not take any further part in their Christmas trains. After checking with the WSR regarding No. 7822's requirements, Minehead were able to release it as our Christmas services, although more intense than previous years, still only required one engine in steam on the majority of days. Arrangements are being made for Foxcote Manor to be on the Battlefield Line until January. After that there is a list of jobs to be tackled during the Winter maintenance programme, but more of that in the next Journal. No. 7828 Odney Manor returned to Minehead during the second week of August for its 28-day routine boiler washout. However, during the mechanical inspection a problem was discovered with its Churchward tender T2206, resulting in it being stopped for repairs. In order for the locomotive to be returned to service as soon as possible a request was made to the Erlestoke Manor Fund to borrow the 4000-gallon tender T2792 that was originally attached to No. 7802 Bradley Manor during its early days in preservation. That tender was missing a wheel set, but excellent work by the Severn Valley Railway resulted in that being located and replaced within a day so that the tender could be dispatched to

Manor No. 7828 Odney Manor passing through Doniford Halt with a Blue Anchor bound service on 1st October 2021. Photo: Don Bishop

Minehead. Some maintenance work was required before it could enter service, including a new axlebox pad which needed replacing. On completion, the tender was weighed and attached to No. 7828, the locomotive then being successfully steam-tested and returned to service ready for the Mixed Traffic Weekend. No. 9351 was sent to Minehead for a routine boiler washout, returning to service just in time for the Autumn Steam Gala. Now that the scaffolding has been removed from the water tower next to the turntable, the opportunity was taken to turn the locomotive on the turntable before it returned to duty. It now faces towards Taunton. It returned to Minehead with No. 5199 as described above. New tender T2061: Work has slowed a little due to other staff commitments keeping the steam fleet active during the peak season. First task was to ensure the side panels were upright, straight, and parallel to each other. This involved use of spacer bars and ratchet straps until the desired result was achieved. The three new transverse baffles were in stock from the laser-cutting specialist, and they had to be trial-fitted. The edges were trimmed to match the profile of the floor plates, the top edge of each baffle needed to be level with the top angle irons on each side. This was needed because the top tank plate will be welded to these. The baffles will then be welded to the side angles, which will be riveted to the side plates to prevent distortion. Saturday 19 September saw volunteers continuing the build by starting the long task of riveting the tender together. As the holding bolts were removed, red-hot half-inch rivets were put in their place. The rear seams and a good number of rivets holding the tender tank to the bottom rail are now completed. October 30 saw the rear sheet bolted into place for the final time, and the left- and right-side corner pieces tack-welded to keep them in position. The corners will be fully welded on, and the top section of each piece will be flared out to match the eight-inch radius of the side and rear sheets. Other work consisted of marking out and drilling for the two rear steps, marking out for the internal water indicator shaft bearings, and annealing the original water feed pipes and modifying their shape to fit between the tank elbows and water valves.

GWR 20-ton Toad Brake Van No.

68765: With the formation of a new working group in Minehead to concentrate on bringing some of our wagon fleet back to life, the first to receive their attention was this 1942-built

Williton Works has 14XX No 1466 under contract restoration. Seen here is the chassis, cab and tanks. Photo: Mike Johns

GWR Toad owned by the 813 Fund. No. 68765 has been completely repainted into the GWR dark grey livery and labelled with OXLEY SIDINGS as its home depot. It left the works at the start of October. PMV 1464: Built to a Southern Railway design at Wolverton in 1951, this privately-owned wagon has jumped the restoration queue over the GWR gunpowder Van W105499. Because of the Christmas Winterlights train venture, a generator van was required urgently, and the PMV was the chosen candidate as it had been mechanically overhaul in recent times and just needed painting. It is to be turned out in BR maroon livery, and being vacuum-braked and through-piped for steam heating, it can be marshalled at either end of a passenger train. TSO W4876: Painted into maroon livery, but as it is dual- braked, should be in the red-and-cream set. However, this is a disabled access vehicle at one end and should therefore be coupled next to a brake coach. As the railway already has a disabled access vehicle (W4875) in the red-and-cream set, W4876 will join the maroon set where it is required. Keith Smith

The mechanically complete chassis for Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T no.1857 is currently parked awaiting its repaired boiler. Photo: Mike Johns.

Williton Works

At the end of October, the following locomotives were in the Works.

GWR 2-6-2T No. 4561:

Steady progress had been made on the chassis which is complete with brake hangers and brake beam in position. It was thought a new axle would be required but fortunately a search found a Swindon document of 31 July 1959 “BR-WR Details of Loco. Axles” which showed scrapping sizes. This confirmed there was enough metal left on the one badly-worn journal to restore its profile for further use. The wheelsets are now at Tyseley for the axle journals and crank pins to be refurbished. Meantime, work has progressed on the coupled wheel axleboxes which are now fitted with new bronze liners and have now to be riveted in place. The next job is grinding the horn block faces true and then fitting each axlebox in position before the wheels are returned. GWR 0-4-2T No. 1466: The mechanically-complete chassis of this locomotive is currently parked behind No. 4561 waiting for its boiler to be repaired. Progress is being made with assembly of the firebox, a new backhead is in position together with new ¾ steel sides and new throat plate. These have been set up ready for welding and/or riveting once approved by the boiler inspector. Following this work, the boiler barrel has to be replaced and new smokebox fitted. The inner copper

Not the Swindon Shed! To save the transport costs for moving it to and from Williton, the Works regular coach painter Harry Spencer spent 10 days at Pontpool re-painting W80977W on site. Photo: Mike Johns

firebox form has been completely disassembled to allow proper access for some welding repairs to be done and full crack testing of the remaining platework. Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T No.1857: The mechanically complete chassis is parked awaiting its repaired boiler which has now been completed and hydraulically and steam tested to the boiler inspector's satisfaction. It now awaits the availability of a crane to enable it to be replaced on the chassis and the locomotive completed.

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 2074

Llantarnam Abbey: The chassis is complete except for re-fitting the eccentric straps and Josh is machining and re-bushing the coupling and connecting rods for which new bronze bearing are on order. The first of the eccentric straps are being machined. The Works is waiting delivery of the boiler which has yet to be overhauled ready for fitting to the frames.

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 2201

Victory Recently arrived and is due a complete overhaul and return to working order.

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 2015

Tom Parry This is currently in the paint bay to receive a cosmetic restoration/overhaul only. The locomotive is intended to go on static display with a group of rail goods vans which have been restored as overnight holiday accommodation.

BR(W) 4-6-0 No. 7822 Foxcote

Manor A replacement “W” valve, part of the lubrication system in the cab, is being machined following problems in service with the existing valve. Class 14 0-6-0DHNo. 9518: The Works has completed the riveting work on the horn blocks of this “Teddy Bear” chassis, which now awaits refitting of its wheelsets by DEPG.

Ex-GWR Inspection Saloon No.

W80977W: To save the costs of moving

the saloon, to and from Williton, the Works regular coach painter Harry Spencer, spent some 10 days at Pontpool re-painting the vehicle on site. Mike Johns

DEPG Williton Depot News

Having reached the end of the running season, it has certainly been an interesting year! At Williton we have returned to our normal regime of work parties, albeit with some minor adjustments to minimise any risk of contracting or spreading the Covid demon. Our regular volunteers can testify to Williton Depot's famous fresh-air environment! Work on restoring Class 14 No. D9518 has continued apace and the team are almost ready to refit the wheelsets to the frames. The wheelsets look fantastic after the attention they've received recently. The frames are now inside the Swindon Shed, and the two refurbished horn guides have been riveted back into place. The next major task is to check the alignment of the horn guides and make any necessary adjustments before the wheels are refitted. We were offered the use of a highly-accurate optical alignment checker, but we declined in favour of the traditional tensioned wire method because of the continued presence of the final drive and jackshaft, which obstructs the laser beam. The components used in tensioned wire, however, can be easily extended or adjusted to work round this four-ton obstruction. There is something rather satisfying about using traditional methods, partly as it was the technology originally used when Class 14s were built, but also it is good to practise the old skills to ensure they survive and are passed on. Rearrangement of large items in our main shed has seen some of the larger lumps of D9518 brought together ready to reattach to the frames. Our other Class

Hymek No. D7018 approaching Leigh Woods Crossing with a down service to Dunster on 1st October 2021. Photo: Don Bishop

14, D9526, has been on hire to the Kent & East Sussex Railway since early July. This has been arranged to cover for K&ESR resident sister loco D9504, which was stopped for a major overhaul. The hire has not been without problems, however, and some small defects have been found along the way. Early on it was discovered that there was an imbalance in exhaust manifold temperatures, so some careful adjustments were required, along with a freshly-overhauled set of fuel injectors. Other defects of a minor nature have been resolved on site by the K&ESR team, but it serves to illustrate the difference in locomotive care that is needed when changing from occasional to regular daily use. Hymek No. D7018 has been a popular locomotive this year with its series of day excursion trains. It has been good to see many of our loyal supporters turning out repeatedly to ride on these trains. The Hymek has also put in appearances to cover a one-day steam loco shortage at short notice and to pad out the Autumn Steam Gala where normally we would have a hired-in loco. Through the coming winter we intend to sort out the reluctance to change gear that we have been experiencing. There’s nothing like a challenge! The two Cromptons both celebrated their 60th birthdays this year, D6566 in August and D6575 in November. To avoid any doubt, we recognise a loco's official date of release to traffic as the date to celebrate. To mark the occasion, the day excursion train on 21 August was topand-tailed by the pair, and their owner was invited to cut a celebratory cake when the train arrived at Dunster. I wish I was able to report some significant news about our Class 47, North Star, but for a number of reasons this has not been possible and we await further news from North Yorkshire Railway as to when and how the

D7018 runs non-stop through the temporarily-closed Washford station with the 11.15 Blue Anchor to Bishops Lydeard service during the Mixed Traction Weekend on 17 September 2021. Photo: Tim Edmonds.

locomotive will move there. As the season progressed here in Somerset, North Star was shunted about to keep it out of the way of everything else that was going on. Every so often we have run up the engine to check that all is still in operable condition, but we have been unable to use it. Already the paintwork is beginning to show signs of being stored outside in all weathers, which is a great shame. We continue to wait for the next stage in this locomotive's career. Hymek D7017 is poised and ready to enter the Swindon Shed as soon as she is called. This will launch the project to replace the springs on both bogies and attend to any other problems we may find underneath. Meanwhile the loco is run up from time to time to keep everything “turning and burning” and otherwise in good order. It also helps cycle the batteries through a proper discharge and recharge sequence, which keeps them in good health. Barclay No. 578, which is the ex-Royal Ordnance Factory Puriton loco that we are looking after, has been inside the main shed for a few weeks and has been receiving some much-needed care and attention. All the wasted metalwork on the bonnet and exhaust stack has been replaced with new metal and is now receiving the attention of the paintbrush. Welding repairs also have been done on the rear corners of the battery compartment and to a crack on the front corner of the radiator bonnet. During our work week, a blitz was carried out on the running plate which was needle-gunned back to bare metal, primed and painted in gloss black. It is good to see new paint being applied as it acts as a spur to get the rest of the job done. Attention has also been given inside the cab, where the doors now have securing latches so they can be pegged open. The instrument panel has had new seals fitted to the air gauges and a repair made to the torque convertor pressure gauge, which appears to have been quietly leaking a tiny amount of diesel into the back of the panel for years. It should be pointed out that this loco uses the fuel as hydraulic oil, hence the reason for diesel in the torque convertor. A repair has been made to the hand throttle governor handle and it is now very easy to start the engine. When it came to us it had a reputation for being totally dependent on Ezy-Start to get it running. This reputation was enhanced by the fact that for MoD service, the engine was fitted from new with a system to inject an ether compound into the inlet manifold to aid starting in seriously subzero temperatures. As far as we know the loco was never sent to work in Norway in winter so the system is essentially redundant. Bleak it may be on the Somerset Levels but it rarely gets below minus 15°C, which is when such a system is needed! Since the repair to the governor, there is no need to use EzyStart at all. During the work week, the loco was called into use several times to shunt our yard, and it is proving itself to be a very useful little loco. The new venture with the Winterlights programme of illuminated trains to be run on dark evenings, the trains are to be top-and-tailed with steam and diesel and run between Bishops Lydeard and Crowcombe Heathfield only. This working is an operational expedient to enable an intensive service to be run without the delays incurred in running round, and it allows a rapid passenger changeover at Bishops Lydeard. Advanced bookings were extremely encouraging so we expect the railway to do well out of it. As for our work week, DEPG usually has one and sometimes two in a year, and it is a good way to make large amounts of progress on a number of fronts. We usually manage to have one or two large projects as the centrepiece, and this year

was no exception. We originally planned this around changing the springs on D7017, but as we got closer to the start date it was clear that we would not have space in the Swindon Shed at the right time to make this work. Instead, we focussed our efforts on a number of smaller but nevertheless significant projects. As well as the good progress on D1010, Barclay No. 578 and D9518, we made more improvements to our shed infrastructure, including enhancing the security of the building itself. The work week is also a good opportunity for some of our volunteers to take a short holiday in Somerset and contribute practically on a level that they wouldn't be able to do on a day visit. Socially, the week is good fun and this year there were a few tired but happy faces when it was time to go our separate ways. Thanks are due to all the volunteers who took part and helped us move things forward. May I also thank all of you who show an interest in DEPG's activities, and wish you all a very merry Christmas and happy New Year. Martin Howard

Auto 169 Notes

In mid-September we decided to dismantle the temporary “wigwam” that we had constructed a couple of years back in the pre-Covid days (remember them?). The object was to get the next section of flooring assembled ready to take the section three bodywork. Work was completed on the removal of the cover and the following day we set to work with the assembly work, which went very well.

New pair of door frames under construction for Auto 169. Photo: John Wood.

One of the main aims at that stage was to ensure the assembled section would fully align with the existing bodywork and that it would all sit squarely and centrally on the frames. Which it does. There are a few components still to finish, and the securing bolt holes need to be marked from underneath and then accurately drilled. The work involved with the onset of winter and the limitations of working under tarpaulins means we have decided that, having identified the remaining work required, we will undertake this in the relative comfort of our workshop. We will attempt to fully construct section three in the early Spring. We have completed the steaming and shaping of the 12 timbers that make up the three roof hoops in section three, and they will be glued in place. Work will continue over the Winter on final work on this

section, along with section four work, which in fact is well underway. The major woodwork is now completed on one pair of the luggage doors on section two, and the other pair should be completed before Christmas We cut the remaining soleplates to length having previously marked the uprights. At the other end of the carriage a number of the main mortises have already been cut. Best wishes to everyone for a pleasant Christmas and New Year John Wood

TRACKSIDE, News from the volunteer cutting back gang

Following a request from our infrastructure manager, Peter Chilcott, the team headed for Minehead on a weekend in August for cutting back near Drift Road crossing. As parking at this location is very difficult, Peter arranged for the team to park in the loco shed car park. The kit was loaded at Seaward Way Level Crossing on to a four-wheeled skate which was then pushed to the site. The purpose was to clear the undergrowth from the up and down sides to enable a track relay to take place. The new track was already laid out on the up side, but the undergrowth was starting to encroach. On the down side, the plan was to clear the undergrowth to allow the existing track to be removed and placed in the cess for subsequent removal. During the weekend, we successfully cleared the undergrowth using brush cutters and hedge trimmers. While using the brush cutters we had to very careful because brambles had grown over sleepers with chairs still attached from previous spot re-sleepering, which could seriously damage the blades on the machine if we hit a chair. Hopefully when the relay takes place the old sleepers and chairs can be removed from the cess out of harm’s way. Vegetation was also removed from around an existing culvert that had become hidden in the undergrowth, to expose the parapet wall and railing. Our weekend of working in September brought a change of venue for the team as we had been requested to cut back vegetation on the up side between Whitehall Bridge and Mineral Line Bridge at Watchet. This work had been requested by the owners of the two adjacent properties as the vegetation had started to encroach on to their gardens. On the Saturday we cleared a strip of vegetation some 150 yards long next to the properties, using a combination of brush cutters, hedge trimmers and hand tools. The next day we concentrated on improving the visibility for the loco crews on the approach to Mineral Line Bridge on the down side, and burning of the brash. In October the team returned to Whitehall Bridge, Watchet, after a request by several property owners at Werren Close, to clear the vegetation between two of them. As well as clearing the vegetation behind their boundary fence, we were asked to clear the coppiced regrowth from the embankment slope. The first day we cut our way down to the boundary fences and then cleared around the coppiced trees, which needed felling because they were shading a number of gardens. The largest trees had been felled by the end of the day. Then on the Sunday, the smaller coppiced regrowth was felled and the embankment tidied up. All of the brash was burned and some of the logs were stacked in the cess for collection. The house owners were pleased with our work, and a small dogwood tree was left in place at the request of the adjacent property owner. Future cutting back dates: February 12 and 13; March 12 and 13; and April 9 and 10. Steve Gooding