GWR 2-8-0 3850 has a different
'life' on the West Somerset Railway As a freight engine its normal working
life would have been hauling heavy coal and iron ore traffic. It must find
hauling rake of carriages quite and easy life. For a potted history of the
engine, by the West Somerset
Railway, follow the link.
Watchet, and the 2-6-0 Mogul 9351
arrives from Bishop Lydeard with the 13.09 train for Minehead. Then came
the surprise! As I looked for information about the engine, I found it
started its life as a 2-6-2 Prairie tank engine number 5193. Not difficult
to spot the numbering scheme here for a new class! The
UK Steam site on this
link has a picture of the engine being converted.
Class 3 diesel shunter No D2133 hard
at work shuffling carriages about. Possibly for the Kings private charter
the next day and also possibly for the 'Thomas the Tank engine weekend on
Saturday 7 July. Behind every steam train is a diesel shunter at work. So
I don't suppose I should say anything like 'there not as good as a nice little
Jinty'! A brief history and more photo's of the engine can be found at
'preserved shunters' site on the link.
A general view of Minehead Station
with the engine sheds on the right hand side with Prairie Tank 4160 resting to
the left of the water tower outside the running shed. I understand that
all the routine running repairs and maintenance are carried out here. But
all the big restoration work together with sub contract work is carried out at
Williton.
GWR 4-6-0 Dinmore Manor looking a bit sorry for itself, and obviously in
need of restoration work, sits rather disconsolately on the opposite side of the
station tracks from the running shed. For more information about the
engine's restoration plans visit the
'Dinmore Manor (2007) Fund'
website.
Pannier tank engine 0-6-0 also sits
at rest waiting for its next working roster. 6412 certainly seems to get
about a bit. In the last two years it has carried out stints on the South Devon
Railway and Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway. Not to mention the
fact that it also features in my 'Swanage Pages. The engine in the shed whose
smokebox front is just visible is the
2-8-0 S D & J R engine number 88
Meanwhile D2271 sits by watching the
proceeding and probably wishing it could take part! It has a rather
abandoned air about it but apparently was working as recently as 2005. No
doubt someone will put me right if it has worked since then. Again a
potted history is on the
'preserved shunters' site
Having obtained the photographers
permit, and been advised that it wasn't to be used to wander about all over the
Minehead yard, and being a natural pessimist, I expected No 88 to stay in the
shed. Meaning I would get no more than a tantalising glimpse at the
smokebox. But no, and to my delight later in the day it moved out from
the shed.
