THE WEST SOMERSET STEAM EXPRESS - SATURDAY 24th JULY 2021

The West Somerset Steam Express

This series of trains from London Paddington to Minehead features haulage by two steam locomotives in one day. An express steam locomotive will haul our train from London Paddington to the West Somerset Railway at Bishops Lydeard. The Heritage Railway will then provide two steam locomotives to haul our train to Watchet and back. This provides a truly fascinating day out travelling through beautiful scenery to the Bristol Channel coast.

Scheduled to leave London Paddington at around 08:05, steam hauled by Jubilee class steam locomotive No.45596 Bahamas (pic right) and stop at Slough and Reading to pick up more passengers. At Reading we join the Berks and Hants line which runs through picturesque rural countryside, passing the celebrated Newbury Racecourse before making our final stop for passengers at Newbury station. We continue westwards, travelling beside the tranquil Kennet & Avon Canal, and climbing steadily to Savernake Summit. We pass through the Vale of Pewsey, with views of one of the famous Wiltshire White Horses as we approach Westbury and continue through undulating agricultural countryside to Taunton.

Soon after leaving Taunton, we shall arrive at Norton Fitzwarren, where we transfer to the West Somerset Railway (WSR), the longest Heritage Railway in the country. We continue to Bishops Lydeard, where two WSR steam locomotive will take over our train for the remainder of the journey to Watchet. The WSR runs along the edge of the Quantock Hills between Bishops Lydeard and Watchet where it meets the coast. From here passengers will have the option of remaining in Watchet for the afternoon, or travelling to either Dunster or Minehead by coach.

On arrival at Minehead, there will be around two hours to explore this delightful Bristol Channel seaside resort, where the railway station is close to the beach. Passengers will then return by coach to Watchet from where two WSR steam locomotives will haul our train back to Bishops Lydeard, where our main line steam locomotive will take over for the return journey to London Paddington.

ROUTE + TIMETABLE (BELOW)
[45596 Bahamas] London Paddington (pu) - Slough (pu) - Reading (pu) - Newbury (pu) - Westbury - Taunton - Bishops Lydeard [WSR Steam TBA] Bishops Lydeard - Minehead
[WSR Steam TBA] Minehead - Bishops Lydeard  [45596 Bahamas] Bishops Lydeard - Taunton - Westbury - Newbury (sd) - Reading (sd) - Slough (sd) - London Paddington

About The West Somerset Railway

https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/
The West Somerset Railway a true country branch line of the old Great Western Railway is full of fascination whether you are looking for a nostalgic ride back in time through lovely countryside or to study the railway and industrial heritage which our line preserves. The historic steam locomotives, coaches and wagons, and the buildings of our ten unique stations linked by a twenty mile scenic journey will repay hours of exploration. The surrounding countryside is as varied as it is beautiful.

The gently rolling Quantock hills and distant Exmoor, unspoilt villages and farms nestling in leafy lanes, the cliffs and coast of the Bristol Channel with views of distant South-Wales, confident Church Towers, Dunster's imposing castle and Minehead's seaside charm are all waiting to be discovered. Honestly you would want to spend a weekend here to enjoy it all. It's come a long way since I used to visit here with my late father in the 1980's, and even sees occasional services through from Taunton now that the line is connect to GWR main line once more. Though regular steam services are still from Bishops Lydeard station through 20 miles of scenery to Minehead.

NINE YEARS ON. MUCH MISSED AND DEARLY LOVED. RIP DAD Xxx

Mr Geoffrey Tyler

07-02-1934   --   23-07-2012

Miss you every day Dad. Xx

Nine long years might have passed but no matter where I am or what I am doing my thoughts are always with you Dad x

No amount of time that passes will change the way I feel; I hurt, I love, I smile, I cry. It's not all about me, it's about what feelings that I've lost, and how much love I have for both you and Mum too. Dad you taught me to be strong, so am sorry that I am letting you down. I can never be strong enough to accept that you are no longer here, even after seven years the pain is still there.



Dad 
I love you so much xx
Wish I could share just one more day with you. 

N GAUGE SOCIETY - ANNUAL EXHIBITION AND CONVENTION 31st JULY 2021 [Real not Virtual]

Worldwide Group of the N Gauge Society
  - Annual Exhibition & Convention 2021

Saturday 31st July 2021

Location;
Wyllyotts Theatre, Wyllyotts Place, Potters Bar
Hertfordshire   EN6 2HN

OPENING TIMES:  10.30am to 4.00pm

ADMISSION:  Adults £3.00  Concessions £1.00     

A small, relaxed and friendly annual gathering of some members layouts and displays which are all foreign layouts (No British). All the layouts are N scale. Supported by Mount Tabor Models. There will also be a display of DCC control from the N Gauge Society and a display by the Model Electronics Railway Group (MERG) local area group. Refreshments will be available from the theatre café. Only five minutes walk from Potters Bar station, parking on site or at railway station.

List of Layouts Attending:

Bregenbach Im Schwarzwald by Les Richardson;
A new layout by Les featuring modern practices and trains on a line in the Black Forest region of Germany (pictured below and also page top). The location is to the West of Furtwangen on the road that leads over the pass to Freiburg. While Bregenbach isn't a place it seems, but would appear to be the name of the stream that flows through Furtwangen at the bottom of the Bregtal (which gave its name to the Bregtalbahn, the branch line from Donaueschingen to Furtwangen).

Trifolou by Piers Milne;
A layout based on the former Rseau Du Vivarais, a French secondary metre gauge line in the 'Ardche Departement' of south east France.

Ampertal by Roger Sant;
Set in the Austrian Tyrol during the late 1990s through to the mid 2000s.

Vartanakert by Paul Brinsdon;
An Armenian layout named after a ruined ancient Armenian city.

Obertonberg by John Coulston;
A fictitious village near a mainline railway in Southern Germany set in the late 1960s.

Halfway to Paradise by Geoff Latham;
A selection of American T-Trak modules.

Schlusselwert by Sam Boote;
A static display of buildings and stock from Sam's layout and a test track.

Boats and Buildings by Paul Wright;
Items from his Dutch layout.

Nearest Railway Stations:
Potters Bar [0.11 miles]
Brookmans Park [1.74 miles]
Hadley Wood [2.08 miles]
Welham Green [2.92 miles]

MAP: