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| News page updated Sun 17-Jan-09 | |||||||||||
(For older news, go to the News archive)
6024 marks start of GWR175 |
| 
[17-Jan-09]
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, 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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