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| News page updated Mon 21-Mar-11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
(For older news, go to the News archive)
Gala change of plan |
[21-Mar-11]
The Society was very disappointed to learn from Network Rail on Monday 16 March that it would not be possible for 6024 to move to
the Mid Hants Railway on 21 March to participate in the Railway's Gala on March 25-27, owing to gauging and pathing restrictions en route
between Guildford and Alton. The Society is very sorry to disappoint both staff and visitors to the Gala by the non-appearance
of the engine for reasons outside its control.
| Instead, the Society has now agreed that the engine will move from Bristol to the West Somerset Railway on Monday 21 March, in order to deputise for 34046 Braunton over the second weekend of the WSR's Annual Spring Steam Gala Thu 24 to Sun 27 March inclusive. Following this the engine and support coach will move to the Great Western Society at Didcot in late March or early April.
6024 receives its ticket extension |
[06-Mar-11]
Following its final main line run of the year from Bristol via Hereford to Shrewsbury and return on 27 November 2010, 6024 has been
stabled in its shed at the Bristol Barton Hill depot of Axiom Rail, where winter maintenance has been carried out by the Society's engineers.
On Thursday 3 March and again on Friday 4 March the engine was in steam. Boiler inspections by the VAB and insurance inspectors were
successfully completed and the engine also passed its annual "hot" mechanical examination. On Friday 4th it received a new 12 month
mainline ticket extension allowing it to operate in its eighth successive year on the mainline until 19 March 2012. Its next move (subject to gauging)
will take it from Bristol to Ropley for the Mid Hants Railway Gala on 25-27 March.
|
A busy year |
[02-Dec-10]
In the 12 months to 1 December 2010, 6024 has completed a busy year of operation hauling a total of 18 trains on the mainline
without any significant problems. It has deputised for several other Class 8 engines (35028, 60163, 71000) on a number of trains including the
heavy VSOE pullman service from London to Bristol and return to Paddington, when it gained many minutes on the schedule thanks
to sustained fast running throughout and to an unexpected path emerging on the main line between HST services. It has also worked
throughout from Paddington to Penzance and back on the Steam Dreams Cornish Riviera Express celebrating the 175th anniversary of the GWR.
Its 7year main line ticket is currently due to expire in March 2011.
|
6024 on display at Taunton |
[14-Jun-10]
To mark the 175th Anniversary of the formation of the Great Western Railway company the 6024 Preservation Society Limited,
West Somerset Railway Association and West Somerset Railway plc have arranged a display at Taunton Station featuring 6024
King Edward I together with two coaches. After completing the early season Torbay Express trains on Sunday 13 June, 6024
returned from Bristol to Taunton on Monday 14 June. The engine will be in light steam and available for inspection and footplate
visits in platform 1 at Taunton station from Tuesday 15 to Friday 18 June. The engine will then return to the West Somerset Railway
in preparation for hauling the return leg of UK Railtours "Great Western 175" train from Minehead back to London Paddington
on Saturday 19 June. The outward leg will be hauled by heritage diesel-hydraulic no D1015 Western Champion.
|
6024 update |
| 
[20-Apr-10]
Some attention to a "blowing" left hand outer valve head was completed after Easter, and no 6024 has since seen further service
on the West Somerset Railway including "Steam Engineman's Courses"
on several days during the week commencing Monday 12 April, covering a further 260 miles in the process. The photo, courtesy
of Martyn Bane, shows 6024 piloting 9351 at Roebuck Gate on the 14.10 Minehead-Bishops Lydeard on Saturday 10 April.The engine will be leaving the WSR with the support coach in the early morning of Saturday 1st May and heading to Exeter Riverside Yard where it will take over the Royal Duchy railour via Plymouth to Par, and returning back to Bristol. After this tour, 6024 will be stabled at Bristol Barton Hill Depot. The planned to visit the GWS Railway Centre at Didcot in May has now been deferred until later in the year. There are now no plans to attend the North Yorkshire Moors Railway Gala in May.
6024 in service |
[14-Mar-10]
Following winter maintenance at Minehead, 6024 passed its annual inspection on Friday 12 March and is now cleared for
operation for another year. It will be in service during the forthcoming
West Somerset Railway Spring Steam Gala, which
is being held on 20-21 and 25-28 March. 6024 is expected to run on the Saturday and Sunday each weekend. It's next
mainline railtour is "The Royal Duchy" on Saturday 1st May when it will run from Exeter to Par in Cornwall, and return
through to Bristol. |
6024 marks start of GWR175 |
| 
[17-Jan-10]
On News Years Eve and again on New Years Day, No 6024 worked a private charter train, completing
two round trips each day between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard (160 miles in total). 1st January 2010 marked the start
of the 175th Anniversary Year of the Great Western Railway which was founded by an Act of Parliament
signed on 30 August 1830. The occasion was marked by the headcode carried by 6024, incrementing
from 174 carried on 31 December to 175 on 1st January. 
2010 is expected to be a busy year in celebration
of GWR175,
and no 6024 will be participating in several events. These include attendance at the
Great Western
Society GW175 event at Didcot in May, and partcipation in
Steam Dreams Cornish Riviera Express railtour
over 3-days in June. This will see 6024 running throughout from Paddington to Penzance via the Berks and Hants
route on Sat 26 June, with 5029 Nunney Castle joining 6024 after Exeter. The two engines return together from Penzance
to Paddington via Bristol on Monday 28 June.2010 also marks the 80th anniversary of 6024's entry into service with the Great Western Railway in early July 1930. This will also be marked by a special railtour on Saturday 10 July, details of which will be announced in due course.
6024 in action |
[26-Dec-09, edited 07-Jan-09]
No 6024 moved from the Severn Valley Railway to the DB Schenker depot at Bristol Barton Hill on Tuesday 1st December.
Because of gauging restrictions near Yate, 6024 ran via Worcester, Cheltenham, Gloucester and Newport where it
was turned continuing via the Severn Tunnel to Bristol. The support coach was left at St Philips Marsh depot for
attention on the wheel lathe, courtesy of First Great Western. Then on Saturday 12 December, 6024 headed the
Christmas Bristolian from Bristol to Paddington and return via Swindon. The jourmey was characterised by some excellent
running especially on the return journey. After arrival back at Bristol in the evening, 6024+support coach ran to
Bishops Lydeard on the West Somerset Railway, continuing the following morning to Minehead. | Some links to YouTube video clips of the Christmas Bristolian may be found here: Bathampton - Chippenham & Wantage Rd - Dauntsey - Swindon(am) - Shrivenham - Challow & Twyford - Cholsey - Goring - Tilehurst- Reading - Sonning - Sonning - Slough and Taplow (pm) - West Drayton - Southall - Paddington - Ealing Broadway (pm) - Chrisitan Malford & Tilehurst, Didcot (pm) & Chippenham (pm) - Didcot (pm) and Challow (pm) - Swindon(pm) - Keynsham (pm) - Bristol (pm) Thanks to all the photographers. The engine has been invited to participate in the WSR Winter Steam Festival on Tuesday 29 December and Wednesday 30 December. It is booked to haul the 10:15 from Minehead and the 14:10 return from Bishops Lydeard on Tuesday 29th. On Wed 30th it will work the 12:20pm ex Minehead and the 14:10 ex Bishops Lydeard. After a boiler washout, the annual winter maintenance will be undertaken at Minehead by the 6024 engineering support team, with the kind assistance of the WSR plc.
On the Severn Valley Railway |
[24-Nov-09]
Following completion of the program of Torbay Express trains between Bristol and Kingswear on Sunday 27
September, no 6024 moved engine+support coach from Bristol to the Severn Valley Railway on Monday 19 October.
Unfortunately, owing track problems at Hampton Loade which severly reduced the line capacity, the planned use of
6024 on Severn Valley Services had to be curtailed. However no 6024 hauled the Railway's Severn Valley Limited
dining train from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth and return on Sunday 15 November. Part of the train was chartered
by the Society for the 6024 Annual Members Day which was very well supported. No 6024 will return from
Kidderminster to Bristol Barton Hill shortly, ready for its next main line duty from Bristol to Paddington on Saturday 12
December. Immediately after this it will return to the West Somerset Railway where annual winter maintenance will be
undertaken.
|
At work on the West Somerset Railway |
| 
[28-Jul-09]
After completion of repairs on the firebox tubeplate and fitting of some new tubes to replace those
removed for inspection purposes, 6024 passed its steam test on Monday 13 July. The engine has since been
running in on the West Somerset Railway, and has also hauled a Steam Enginemen's Course special on the line.
The attached photo by Martyn Bane (click on photo for a larger version) shows the engine passing Castle Hill south
of Williton on Monday 18 July. Further pictures of the loco in action may be found at
www.wsr.org.uk under
"Latest Pictures". 6024 is due to haul service trains on the WSR over the weekend of 1-2 August. It is then expected
to leave Bishops Lydeard for Bristol the following weekend to take up its duties on the Sunday Torbay Express trains
between Bristol and Kingswear commencing on Sunday 16 August.
Winter Maintenance |
[24-Apr-09]
A programme of winter maintenance commenced in early January at the workshops of West
Somerset Restoration at Williton on the West Somerset Railway. Most of the work was carried
out by the Society working members, supported by work undertaken under contract by West
Somerset Restoration. Work undertaken has included:
| The planned maintenance programme was completed on schedule at the beginning of March. However an inspection of the boiler at this time raised suspicion of a possible problem with the firebox tubeplate which had not been detected in earlier inspections. So far tests have proved inconclusive and further investigation is required to ascertain if there is indeed a problem or not. The locomotive was therefore unable to participate in the West Somerset Spring Gala. The Society has also withdrawn the locomotive from the three planned mainline railtours in April and May until this issue is resolved. |
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