With my photographer pass in my hot
little hand and a 'high vis vest', after reporting my presence to the signalman
at Williton, I duly made my way up the trackside to what appeared to be a good
vantage point. This effort was duly rewarded by the site of Mogul 2-6-0 No
9351 departing from Williton Station. And for all the small boys out
there, who don't know why a ride on a heritage railway is accompanied by the
'diddley bonk' noise that you hear the end of the above video clip will show
them!
A further exploration of the area
around Williton led me to a location on the A358 road from Williton to Taunton.
It seemed like a suitable climb to be a good place to video a train.
(Apart from the wind and traffic noise!) However my efforts were duly
rewarded with the above clip of GWR 2-8-0 No. 3850 climbing easily up the bank
on its way to Bishops Lydeard with the 14.48 from Williton.
A general view of Williton Station
on the Minehead platform. In a conversation with the signalman, who
preferred to remain nameless. The signal box was built in 1897 and there
was an ugly rumour doing the rounds that the Stationmaster was even older!
At the back of Williton Station and
on the way to the workshops stood a row of heritage diesels. Pictured is
D6566 a Class 33 also known as
Cromptons. The link will take you to a site for more information on
the engines.
Last in the line and by no means
least the 'Hymek' engine D7017 sits in it blue BR livery. The
Diesel and Electric Preservation Group have pages with more information on
this engine and others in preservation. The
West Somerset Railway
also has details of the engine.
Inside the signal box apart from all
the signalling frames (left) and the block equipment (right) was a very friendly
and informative signalman who also preferred to remain anonymous. However
I would like to use this page to record my thanks for giving me the time for an
informative chat. He was also one of the railway's full time employees.
I understand that there are enough of these to run a skeleton service. The
standards of safety operated by the line are exactly the same as Network Rail
operate nationally. As he explained; "This is not a toy railway by
any means". In August the WSR was to commence a through train service from
Taunton to Minehead targeting the Butlins visitors as potential customers.
This 'joint working' was creating a good deal of interest and excitement
locally, as indeed it should as a ground breaking agreement.
Inside the Williton workshops West
Country Class Braunston continues being overhauled and made ready for main line
running. The picture on the right is a cylinder and valve gear casting
during the machining stages. Takes me back to the days of my miss-spent
youth when I was an apprentice engineer! I must also thank Geoff for his tour of the works and explanation
as to what was being achieved at the Williton works. The workshop company,
unlike the railway, is a charitable organisation devoted to "... keeping
traditional engineering alive and flourishing in Somerset ...". The works
function as a engineering works employing people on work experience placements,
volunteers and employed persons in the restoration of railway engines, carriages
and other sub contract engineering work. For more information visit the
West Somerset Railway Association pages
on this link.
