The Winter 2017 edition (Issue no 9) of the Trust’s newsletter has been published. It is available on the Newsletters page of this website.
The West Somerset Steam Railway Trust
Year: 2017
The Sleeping Car in the Gauge Museum at Bishops Lydeard on 9 December 2017. The picture shows the paintwork repairs expertly carried out by Duncan Hensley and Harry Spencer from West Somerset Restorations. A topcoat of varnish has left the car gleaming and ready for 2018!
The Trust prepared its first three year Business Plan in 2017, which was adopted by members at the AGM. The plan is rolled forward annually, and the draft plan for 2018-2020 is now being published for consultation. Anyone with an interest in the West Somerset Railway is invited to comment. Comments should be sent by…
The draft minutes of the most recent meeting of the Board of Trustees are available here. The meeting approved a revised Volunteer Policy and also Artefact receipt and exit forms. These are available on the documents page.
The first picture shows Toplight coach 7740 (built in 1911) stored at Dunster West siding. Storm ‘Brian’ stripped off parts of the cover, requiring it to be cut back to avoid passing trains. Her classic lines are revealed to passing passengers until the Heritage Carriages team can get out there to replace the cover to…
West Somerset Railway supporters have brought a unique Great Western Railway signal box name plate back to the popular heritage railway. Minehead signal box closed in 1966 and its nameplate was sold. Railway volunteers clubbed together to buy the nameplate and bring it back to Somerset. Rapid work by 22 supporters, and the Friends…
Minehead Signal Box closed in 1966. Since then the original cast iron signal box name plate has been in private hands. The owner has now offered the West Somerset Railway the chance to acquire this relic, which is in original condition, just as it was removed from the signal box. If the funds can be…
Newly upholstered seats have been received for BCK no 6705. The first picture shows the blue first class seats and the second picture the red third class ones (they are propped up in the image, and not in their final position). The remaining seats have now gone away to be covered.
One of our volunteers, Claire Sheppy, has, with members of her family, rebuilt a large Hornby O gauge layout created originally by her father. Exhibited this weekend for charity at Sevenoaks in Kent, it features a model of our own 4160. The first picture shows 4160 awaiting its next turn of duty in the…
The first class seatback and a selection of headrests and armrests from 6705 which are being re-upholstered in Abingdon. There is several weeks work to do to complete the task after which they will be returned to Williton for fitting in the coach. Words and pics by Chris Austin
Two new documents have been added to the website: Minutes of Trust meeting on 13 July 2017 Museum Making project: a statement on the next steps
Following the visit to the Gauge Museum by volunteers from the Swanage Railway Museum last November, Chris Austin, Geoff Evens and Chris Bolt made a return visit on 30 May, hosted by Gavin Johns (chairman of the Swanage Railway Trust) and several of the museum volunteers. We were shown round both the Purbeck Mineral and…
Today Jacquie Green, WSRA Manager has completed the Association move into their new office adjacent to BL2 and handed back the office keys to Chris Austin WSSRT Chairman. The WSSRT and WSRA had agreed that the WSRA could use the office in the Gauge Museum until the new Association office was ready. Chris…
Issue No. 8 of the Steam Trust newsletter has just been published. Included are reports on: February and April Board meetings (Geoff Evens) The Annual General Meeting (David Baker) Progress with Collett BCK 6705 (Chris Austin) Museums in Somerset (Chris Bolt) Museum Making: Project to Refresh the Gauge Museum (Chris Bolt) Model Railway in the…
The Trust’s GWR Sleeping Car no 9038 was returned to Bishops Lydeard on 19 May 2017 after its starring role at the Antiques Roadshow event at Minehead Station. The Sleeping Car made a fine sight behind GWR Hall 4-6-0 no 6960 “Raveningham Hall” on the twenty mile journey along the Minehead Branch. The pictures by…
The Trust’s 1897 Sleeping Car featured extensively in the filming of the Antiques Roadshow at Minehead Station on Wednesday 17 May 2017 with many visitors shown round the inside of the Car. The Sleeping Car was used for three of the evaluations with filming taking place inside the passenger saloon. Rupert Maas discussing a…
The Steam Trust submitted a proposal to the Heritage Lottery Fund in March to improve the displays at the Gauge museum at Bishops Lydeard and to instal interactive interpretation displays designed to attract younger visitors, with wi-fi to allow visitors to use their i-phones to give an audio tour. The £65,000 bid (with an extra…
GWR Sleeping Car no 9038 was removed from the Gauge Museum at Bishops Lydeard on 10 May 2017. No 9038 later travelled to Minehead, attached to a service train, to star at the forthcoming filming of the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. Pictures below by Chris Austin. The last picture shows a rather empty Gauge Museum at…
The draft minutes of the Annual General Meeting and of the April Board meeting, both held on 22 April, are now available on the Documents page on the website.
Steam Trust volunteer Peter Thompson on 25 April 2017 cleaning the steam heat gauge from the brakevan of GWR BCK no 6705 prior to refitting – and using an impromptu seat provided by a loco wheelset. Picture by Chris Austin Steam Trust volunteers Greg McNelly and Roger Legg (top) unsealing the gangway door…
The museums at Blue Anchor and Bishops Lydeard will be open throughout the gala on all four days, as will the GWR sleeping car at Bishops Lydeard. The model railway in the Gauge Museum at Bishops Lydeard will also be open each day and our young volunteers here are looking forward to welcoming visitors. There…
The Steam Trust AGM is being held this year on Saturday 22 April, in the Gauge Museum at Bishops Lydeard, starting at 1400. Click here for the formal Notice and papers.
Tickets for the September visit of Flying Scotsman to the WSR will be on sale for members of the Trust (alongside staff, shareholders and members of other support organisations) before they go on sale to the general public. Details are attached [here]. Trust members can also now benefit from discounted travel on the WSR, except…
The Trust has now signed an agreement with the PLC covering the two museums at Blue Anchor and Bishops Lydeard, on access at Williton for carriage restoration, on storage of heritage carriages pending restoration and on the use of carriages once restored. The agreement can be read under ‘Documents‘ on the Trust website. The…
The Steam Trust has now submitted its application to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a grant of £65,000 to refresh the Gauge Museum at Bishops Lydeard. A decision is expected by the middle of May. If successful, the grant – with additional Steam Trust resources and volunteer input – will enable the Trust to enhance…
At its meeting on 16 February, the Trustees agreed to invite Geoff Evens to join the Board, and they are pleased to confirm that he has agreed. He will be recommended for formal election by members at the AGM on 22 April.
On Sunday 26 February 2017 a Trust gang replaced the covers on CK 7740 at Dunster West. The picture shows the new cover in position, protecting the coach pending its restoration. The gusting wind is flattening the cover against the bodyside, so that every detail of doors and windows can be seen. The work was…
The draft minutes of the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust Board Meeting on 16 February 2017 are now available on the website.
Following the transfer of management of the Gauge Museum at Bishops Lydeard to the Trust, work is progressing on a grant application to the Heritage Lottery Fund. The current plan is to submit the application around the end of February. If the application is successful, work to improve the displays will be carried out over…
Following an approach from WSR signalmen, the Trust agreed last year to establish a new Restricted Fund with the aim of acquiring heritage items for WSR signal boxes. The Trust has now agreed a set of rules which set out how the Fund will be administered. A number of signalmen are already making contributions to…