THE West Somerset Railway’s June 9-11 1960s diesel gala was well attended with a small, but interesting mix of locos, and live-music entertainment at Minehead.
There were two visiting locos, star of the show being Class 17 No. D8568 from the Severn Valley Railway and Class 25 No. D7612 from the South Devon Railway. The railway is still hampered by a weight restriction which limits which locos can be used.
Performance
Not only was the ‘Clayton’ making its WSR debut, but it was the first time a member of the class has been seen in the South West of England. It was very popular with staff and visitors and stayed on after the gala. The double-ended Bo-BoDE worked the 10.00 and 14.30 Minehead to Bishops Lydeard return timetabled services on June 12 and 18, before leaving the WSR on July 5. It was destined for its former home on the Chinnor & Princess Risborough Railway, to fulfil an obligation for a number of turns outstanding from its long-time loan. Although this visit ran from 1997 until 2019, it had to return to its base on the Severn Valley Railway prematurely for maintenance, and subsequent use. It is expected to return to the SVR permanently, later
