Three-day Diesel Festival at West Somerset Railway

Star of the show to celebrate historic diesel locomotives is the 62-year-old Deltic locomotive No 55009.

The Deltics were designed for high speed running with express passenger trains, and operated mainly between King’s Cross.

Built in 1961, 55009 was based at Finsbury Park depot in North London.

It will be working two round trips each day during the festival.

Another mainline visitor will be Class 50 locomotive No 50008 Thunderer, originally seen heading express passenger trains between Crewe and Glasgow and later on the Great Western mainline and subsequently to the line from Waterloo to Exeter.

Class 25 diesel locomotive No D7659 will be visiting from Peak Rail in Derbyshire. It returned to service in 2021 for the first time in more than 23 years following a comprehensive restoration. It just over 20 years work with British Railways mostly in the Midlands and Northwest and also in Wales and Scotland.

Another visitor will be Class 33 No 33002, the oldest surviving Class 33 ‘Crompton’ in preservation which resides at the South Devon Railway running between Buckfastleigh and Totnes. The locomotive was utilised for British Railways on the Southern region where it could be found on various passenger and freight workings. It will join the two West Somerset Railway resident Class 33 locomotives, D6566 and D6575.

Class 14 No. D9551 will be making a welcome return to the West Somerset Railway in memory of a DEPG Member and volunteer Simon Purvis who died recently. It was based at Cardiff Canton, later moving to Hull Dairycoates before being withdrawn from service in 1968 after under three years in service. In 1981 the locomotive was purchased for preservation by the ‘Railway Power Services’, a group formed from a consortium of West Somerset Railway and DEPG members. It arrived on the WSR from BSC Corby and entered service on 7 June 1981. While D9551 was based at the WSR it was used on works trains and passenger services, particularly the ‘Quantock Belle’ dining trains. Nowadays the locomotive is in ownership SVR Class 14 Company Limited on the Severn Valley Railway.

During the event the Class 14s will carry a wreath and special headboard in memory of Simon who was well respected within the DEPG and throughout the heritage railway sector for his vast knowledge of the Class 14s.

Advanced tickets for the festival can be obtained at www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/events/detail/summer-diesel-festival or by phoning 01643 704996.