PREPARATIONS for the WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY SPRING STEAM GALA! Finishing touches at MINEHEAD & MORE!

The West Somerset Railways Spring Steam Gala gets underway tomorrow with a great mix of guest locomotives in all shapes and sizes, ranging from small industrial locomotives, to large steam engines, hauling passenger and freight trains along the 23 mile stretch between Minehead, Bishops Lydeard and in some cases onto Norton Fitzwarren across the four days!

This week the railway has seen the influx of these visiting engines, and we begin with a shot filmed a few days prior of LMS 45596, which starred at the recent Severn Valley Railway Spring Gala https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu3i4dKdWyQ&t=5278s heading through Bridgwater on the mainline, bound for its starring role.

The following day Locomotive Services Southern Bulleid Pacific 34046 ‘Braunton’ headed to Bishops Lydeard from Southall, not for the gala but for a forthcoming railtour this Saturday, which she will join at Taunton, using WSR facilities to stable between mainline duties.

Then onto today, where on the eve of the event, 11th hour preparations were well underway, with a few interesting moves taking engines to where they needed to be for the Friday of the gala diagrams, we firstly see Hudswell Clarke built 0-6-0T Works N.C.B Coal Tank No. 1857 and Andrew Barclay Works No 1984 Boots No 1 0-4-0F arrive at Minehead from Williton, before performing a series of complex shunting movements with resident WSR Mogul 9351 and visiting GWR Saint 2999 ‘Lady of Legend’ currently stripped of its nameplates, ready to masquerade as long scrapped classmate 2986 ‘Robin Hood’ over the gala!

We also see LBSCR Terrier No. 72 ‘Fenchurch’ visiting from The Bluebell Railway, with two vintage GWR coaches, one of which itself visiting from The Severn Valley! This was working the West Somerset Railway Heritage Trust special Charter Train between Bishops Lydeard and Minehead & return for Trust members and friends with Trust’s newly restored Collett heritage coach 6705 and Collett coach 1086 on loan from the SVR.

Between watering and coaling we see the terrier restart its train back to Bishops Lydeard, and finish with the shot of the L&Y saddle tank 11456 arriving at Minehead with a short goods, having been moved from the mid hands railway where it starred in their gala last weekend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAeU515qpDY&t=3s

The unseasonably hot weather did produce a few line side fires but volunteers worked hard to keep everything under control and on time and this is certainly shaping up to be a brilliant four days at The West Somerset Railway!

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