Eight volunteers formed a working party on 27 November 2016 to replace damaged covers on Collett BTK no 5131 which had been damaged by the wind in this exposed spot. Serious damage was also discovered to the cover on the adjacent coach, Toplight TK 2578, which will have to be dealt with in the ‘closed’…
The West Somerset Steam Railway Trust
Year: 2016
The West Somerset Steam Railway Trust is in the process of formulating a business plan, as below. Your views and comments would be welcome in helping us complete the plan. All comments need to be submitted by 31 January. These can be emailed to the Trust at info@wssrt.co.uk or sent by post to the Trust’s…
The West Somerset Steam Railway Trust are looking for volunteers to assist with the staffing of its Museum on Blue Anchor Station. This is not an onerous task and requires a person to open up the Museum and then to be available during the opening hours to answer any queries. Full training and crib sheets…
With the Gauge Museum and sleeping car open on all four days of the Autumn Gala, and with 6705 available to visit on the Saturday and Sunday at Williton, we were pleased to receive a steady flow of visitors to both venues. The number of people showing interest in 6705 at this year’s Gala was…
The Steam Trust have set its meetings for 2017 all at the Gauge Museum Bishops Lydeard as follows: Board meetings All Thursdays at 10.00 am 16th February 6th April 13th July 14th September 16th November Annual General meeting Saturday 22nd April at 2.30pm Claire Sheppy 19th of October 2016
This particular update centres very much on the internal work being carried out on 6705 currently. On-site today (Tuesday 6th of September) and working towards the completion of the internal compartments were Ray Walter, Allan Howles, Roger Legge, Derek Blazdell and Greg McNelly. Work continues on the completion of the internal panelling, as you can…
After its excursion to the Steam Fayre, 6705 is now back at Williton. See the photo showing it being shunted back into place by class 33 diesel D6575. (Photo courtesy and copyright Allan Howles) 6705 and sleeping car 9038 attracted an estimated 500 to 550 visitors throughout the two days of the rally. Also, a…
The Trust will be at the Rally, less than a week away now, which takes place on Saturday and Sunday the 6th and 7th August, as will the sleeping car and 6705. We will have our gazebo there too, with displays and books for sale. Volunteers will be setting up on Friday 5th and stewarding…
West Somerset Steam Railway Trust Newsletter number 6 is now available to read on this website. Claire Sheppy
Work on 6705 continues apace with much work being done on varnishing of the internal compartments. We have also seen a rise in the number of volunteers, and at the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust board meeting held on 4th of July, after balloting the various volunteers for their views, have decided upon the recommencement…
“Concour’s d’Elegance. The stylish lines of 1930s engineering reflected in the quality products of Rolls Royce and the GWR.” The picture taken by Chris Austin at Williton last Thursday 26 May 2016 shows a 1936 Rolls Royce being overhauled, in front of 6705, which dates from 1938.
The minutes of the Annual General Meeting for the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust, as held on 23rd of April 2016, are available here (opens new window) Claire Sheppy
The West Somerset Steam Railway Trust AGM was held on 23rd of April 2016, at the Gauge Museum, Bishops Lydeard. There was a very pleasing turnout in terms of numbers of people attending to this meeting. Turning now to the West Somerset Railway Spring Gala 2016, which has been widely acclaimed as being the best…
The formal notice calling the AGM of the Steam Trust, to be held on 23 April, has now been issued along with the supporting document. Both papers can be found on the Documents page.
At the Board meeting on 21 March, Claire Sheppy and David Baker were co-opted to the Trust’s Board of Directors. Subsequently, David Williams has tendered his resignation as a Trustee and as Company Secretary. Announcing the changes, Chris Austin, Chairman of the Trust, said: “My fellow Directors and I welcome Claire and David to the…
Preparing and varnishing interior door panel mouldings of GWR BCK no 6705 at Williton on 28 February 2016. Pic by Mike Dunse. Spring cleaning the first class compartment of GWR BCK no 6705 at Williton on 28 February 2016. Pic by Mike Dunse. Washing down the gleaming exterior of GWR BCK no 6705 at Williton…
The Annual General Meeting of the Steam Trust will take place on Saturday 23 April 2016, starting at 1400, at the Gauge Museum, Bishops Lydeard Station. The formal notice and papers, including the Trust’s annual report and accounts, will be circulated in March and also posted on the website. The Trustees look forward to…
The latest newsletter is now available. This includes items discussed by the Trustees at their meeting on 10 February, including adoption of the report and accounts for 2014-15, a policy on reserves and revised membership rules. Under the new membership rules, you can now join the Trust for a minimum donation of £1 a month….
Claire Sheppy writes: In recognition of the the 50th Anniversary of the closure of the Somerset and Dorset Railway in 1966 , the modelling magazine “British Railway Modelling” will be carrying several S and D slanted articles in the March issue, now on sale. Included in the magazine will be articles on the models of…
No 7740 now wearing its new tarpaulin at Dunster West Sidings on 4 February 2016. Picture by Chris Austin.
On Thursday, 28 January 2016, a working party visited Dunster West sidings. The work involved replacing the degraded tarpaulin on Toplight coach CK no 7740 which is stored there. She dates from 1911, and was latterly the staff training coach at Minehead. With the tarpaulins removed, GWR CK no 7740 is revealed – a gem…
Steam Trust backs implementation of The Way Ahead The West Somerset Steam Railway Trust supports the call by the Reform Group for an Extraordinary General Meeting of the West Somerset Railway Association to be held at an early date to ensure that the key recommendations of the Coombes report The Way Ahead can be agreed…
Claire Sheppy writes: With most of the work completed to the outside of 6705, work has returned to inside, where various improvements and rectification work continues to the windows, window surrounds and panelling. But work has also turned to the picture frames for the pictures which were such a feature of Great Western Railway coaches…