David Rayner Photography

WSR steam locomotives

WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY STEAM LOCOMOTIVES [v18.03, 4 new additions]
The West Somerset Railway was at one time a branch line of the Great Western Railway. The branch first ran from Taunton to Watchet and later was extended to Minehead. The then British Rail line was closed in 1971 but was reopened in 1976 as a heritage railway running first between Minehead and Blue Anchor. The route was steadily extended and Bishops Lydeard was opened in 1979. Today the WSR runs on the trackbed of the original West Somerset Railway and the Minehead Railway with regular services between Bishops Lydeard and Minehead. The WSR line accesses the national network at Norton Fitzwarren thereby enabling both access for visiting locomotives and trips to other parts of the country. A turning triangle, located to the east of Bishops Lydyeard, close to Norton Fitzwarren, recently has been opened for general use. The new WSR (20.5 miles Minehead to Bishops Lydeard, 22.7 miles Minehead to Norton Fitzwarren) is the longest standard gauge heritage railway in the United Kingdom.
This gallery contains photographs of a selection of the WSR home fleet and visiting steam locomotives seen over recent years. Diesel locomotives and trains also operate on the railway but are not covered in the gallery.
NEW ADDITIONS v15.03: BR '7MT Britannia' 4-6-2 No 70021 Morning Star (name plates etc. fitted to No 70000 Britannia for the 2015 Spring Gala); BR-LMS 'Ivatt 2MT' 2-6-0 No 46521; GWR '42xx' 2-8-0T No 4270; SDJR Trust 'Peckett Saddle Tank' 0-4-0 Kilmersdon (private industrial shunter).
NEW ADDITIONS v16.03: BR 'Standard 9F' 2-10-0 No 92214; BR-LMS 'Stanier 8F' 2-8-0 No 48624; BR-SR-SD 'Bullied Light Pacific' 4-6-2 No 34053 Sir Keith Park; Saddle Tank 0-4-0 Caledonia Works; SDJR-LMS '7F' 2-8-0 No 53808; SDJR-LMS '7F' 2-8-0 No 53809. ALSO:
1) BR 'Standard 4 Tank (4MT)' 4-6-2 No 80043 was actually No 80072 with number changed for the 2016 Spring Gala - 80043 worked on the Somerset and Dorset Railway [SDJR] but has been scrapped).
2) For the latter half of the Gala No 34053 Sir Keith Park appeared as the long-time scrapped No 34098 Templecombe – also a 'Bullied Light Pacific' that gave service on the Somerset and Dorset.
3) A more recent photo of BR-LMS 0-6-0 No 44422 has also been included.
NEW ADDITION v16.10: LMS-BR Princess Royal 4-6-2 No 6201 Princess Elizabeth made a visit from Paddington on 22 October 2016. For further information please see the ‘WSR in Operation’ gallery.
NEW ADDITION v17.09a: BR-GWR 'Manor' 4-6-0 No 7820 Dinmore Manor – the flagship locomotive of Dinmore Manor Locomotive Ltd.
NEW ADDITIONS (2) v17.09b: Several days visit of BR-LNER 'A3' 4-6-2 No 60103 Flying Scotsman. First locomotive to exceed 100 mph. Also another ‘Manor’ - BR-GWR 'Manor' 4-6-0 No 7822 Foxcote Manor.
NEW ADDITION (1) v17.12: A very old photo find at Minehead (1990). GWR – South Devon Railway, ‘2251’ 0-6-0 No 3205.
NEW ADDITIONS (4) v18.03: Spring Gala. 1) GWR ‘57xx’ 0-6-0 PT No 7714. 2) GWR ‘94xx’ 0-6-0 PT No 9466. 3) GWR ‘6959’ 4-6-0 No 6990 Witherslack Hall. 4) USA ‘s160’ 2-8-0 No 6046. The latter was one of several locomotives built in the USA and shipped to Europe during WW2.