Weekend of mixed trains brings visitors flocking to West Somerset

NEARLY 3,300 passengers visited the West Somerset Railway’s ‘mixed traffic weekend’ from June 15 to June 17 to enjoy a mixture of vintage diesel and some steam locomotives in action.
The theme of the weekend was ‘Western Region in 1965’, the period when steam was finally giving way to diesels in the Westcountry.
To this end, the WSR turned out a fleet of diesel locomotives appropriate to the period.
D1010 ‘Western Campaigner’, Class 14 D9526, Class 47 D1661 ‘North Star’, and Class 25 D7523 were all part of a collection by the Diesel and Electric Preservation Group, based in Williton, while guests D832 ‘Onslaught’ and Hymek D7076 were hired from the East Lancashire Railway, and Class 14 D9520 came from the Nene Valley Railway.
Two of the WSR’s resident diesel shunting locomotives worked passenger trains between Minehead and Dunster on the Saturday and steam duties were undertaken by GWR engines 4160 and 5553.
In addition, D1015 ‘Western Champion’ made a visit to the line with yet another excursion train to Minehead on the Saturday from the national network.
The West Somerset had not held a diesel themed event since 2005 and it was pleased with the number of passengers who travelled.
WSR general manager Paul Conibeare said: “Our event coincided with a diesel weekend on the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire and we did have some concerns if this would affect the number of visitors we saw, but obviously the attraction of our line-up of machines that are no longer seen on the main lines proved a hit.
“The West Somerset will remain predominantly a steam railway, but clearly there is a good market for us in special, suitably-themed, diesel special events.”

• Our photograph (top) shows diesel locomotive D1010 and a steam train at Blue Anchor Station. Photo by Beverley Zehetmeier, courtesy of www.wsr.org.uk.
• Our photograph (below) shows a diesel locomotive D7076 in a cutting. Photo by Dean Fisher, courtesy of www.wsr.org.uk.

Spring gala is huge success for heritage railway

THE West Somerset Railway’s six-day Spring Steam Gala event was another highly successful ‘launch’ to the main season for the award-winning heritage line.
Passengers flocked over two weekends to travel behind an array of steam locomotives working an intensive train service between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard.
General manager Paul Conibeare said: “We had a very pleasing first weekend with over 3,000 people travelling over the two days, and the second weekend also saw good levels of business.
“The sunshine on the second Saturday brought out both the enthusiasts and the general public and we had one of our busiest days ever.
“We were also pleased to welcome 395 visitors who travelled on an excursion train from Sheffield and had an enjoyable afternoon either on the railway or in Minehead.
“It will take us a couple of days to finally ratify the passenger figures for the gala as a whole, but we are delighted with the results.”
Apart from the line-up pf historic engines, which included seven ‘guests’ hired-in especially for the gala, there were plenty of other factors which brought the visitors to the railway and the surrounding area.
Amongs them was a Virgin Trains ‘Voyager’ which ran a shuttle service between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard, while a free vintage bus service also linked Dunster Station with the village and its castle.
Artist Alan Ward put on an exhibition of his work at Bishops Lydeard, and four new railway books were on sale for the first time, including ‘Return Ticket To Minehead’.
Taunton Model Railway Group also opened its clubroom to visitors, and there were special openings of the locosheds and workshops at Williton and Minehead.
Mr Conibeare paid tribute to the WSR workforce: “Our volunteers and staff put in a lot of hard work in the three months leading up to the gala and during the actual operating days the first workers are on duty at 4 am and the last make their way home around 10 pm.
“It is rewarding to see their efforts producing such satisfactory results for the railway.”

• Our photographs show (top) a steam train preparing to depart Bishops Lydeard and (bottom) a Virgin Voyager alongside Great Western pannier tank number 6412, the first working Great Western steam locomotive purchased by the West Somerset Railway Association. Photos submitted.

Steam railway celebrating tourism milestones

THE West Somerset Railway, one of the district's most important tourism businesses, is celebrating passing three important milestones during the past year.
For the first time in its 30-year history, the railway’s turnover exceeded £2 million in 2006, while for the second successive year the number of passengers topped 200,000, and, for a third time, it won a prestigious national railway award, this time as Independent Railway of the Year 2006.
With the figures for the year now in, the growth in passenger revenue was matched by increased receipts from catering and shop sales.
Railway general manager Paul Conibeare said: “For the railway, 2006 was a great year.
“We are being successful in developing the attractiveness of our line with more than train rides, and people have flocked to our special events and activities, such as steam engineman courses and other areas of the business.
“We have been delighted to be able to support the local community by providing services for Dunster by Candlelight, the RNLI raft race, beer festival, and many other events, including the railway’s own steam rally in August.
“However, the demands on our finances are also growing continuously.
“High costs are inherent in running a business whose core operation revolves around the regular use of vintage machinery, and at the same time the demands of the modern world, such as rising fuel bills, insurance costs, and the like cannot be ignored.
“We also have a series of expensive commitments to meet in order to see further successful development of the railway’s business, the most readily visible being the overhaul of steam locomotive 7828 Odney Manor and our contribution to the installation of the new turntable at Minehead.
“As always, the hard work of our staff and volunteers is the key ingredient in developing our income, but the hard fact of the outgoings cannot be avoided either.”
Photo submitted.

Drink-drive Christmas campaign

A HARD-hitting Christmas campaign is being used by Somerset County Council to remind drivers in West Somerset of the tragic consequences of drink-driving.
The Somerset Road Safety Partnership is sending graphic posters to pubs, clubs, and off-licences throughout the county in the run-up to the festive season.
One shows an overturned car with the caption ‘There are never any winners in the drink drive lottery – it’s a Christmas rollover’.
In another poster, paramedics are dealing with a casualty beside their ambulance, with its flashing blue and red lights, and the words ‘Not the sort of lights you’d like to see this Christmas. Just a small amount of alcohol can lead to tragedy on rural roads’.
The posters will also appear on roadside hoardings and the rear of buses– and will be backed up by a radio advertising campaign.
County Councillor Hazel Prior-Sankey, who is chairman of the road safety partnership, said: “This is a time of year when many people will be attending parties and functions.
“We do not want to spoil their fun, but would ask them to be sensible and to avoid drinking and driving.
“Alcohol impairs a driver’s reactions and judgement and can lead to a crash in which they, and other innocent road users, could be seriously injured or even lose their lives.”
Councillor Prior-Sankey advised party-goers to use public transport or taxis, or to nominate a designated driver who stayed on non-alcoholic drinks all evening, to make sure they arrived home safely.
The partnership was launched two months ago by the county council, in conjunction with the police, the fire and rescue service, and health authorities, to reduce road casualties in Somerset.
In the three weeks immediately before Christmas last year, there were 184 drink-drive arrests in Avon and Somerset - 24 more than in the same period of 2004 - and 103 of those arrested were under the age of 30.

SLINKY bus comes to West Somerset

WEST Somerset residents can now make use of the SLINKY bus on demand door-to-door transport service.
The distinctive silver buses operate without a fixed route for people who do not have access to a regular bus service or a private car.
Passengers book in advance and are picked up from their homes.
Somerset County Council portfolio holder for transport, Councillor Tony Shire, said: “We are delighted to be able to extend the SLINKY bus’s coverage.
“The service is already a hit with people in Taunton and Wellington and has really helped people spread their wings and be more independent.
“It is amazing the number of rural people who say the service has changed their lives.
“They do not have to rely on their children or neighbours to get out and about any more.
“There is also the comfort factor. Elderly people get to know a regular driver who will help them on and off. Passengers get that little bit more than with a regular bus service.”
SLINKY is available to anybody who does not have access to transport for a journey - but if there is a public bus running that can be used by the passenger, or if they have access to their own transport, then the SLINKY is not suitable.
Buses operate Monday to Saturday, excluding public holidays, and provide wheelchair access, space for shopping, mobility equipment, and prams, and there are concessionary fares to travel pass holders on the same basis as public transport.
The new bus service is part-funded through the Local Transport Plan, the county council's five-year transport and road improvement plan.
The booking line is 01643 707090 and is open 9 am to 4 pm from Monday to Friday, and on Saturday from 9 am to 12 noon.

• Photo shows one of the distinctive SLINKY Bus fleet. Photo submitted.