A SOMERSET & DORSET JOINT RAILWAY 7F CLASS 2-8-0 locomotive run by the West Somerset Railway (WSR), venting steam in Watchet.
A SOMERSET & DORSET JOINT RAILWAY 7F CLASS 2-8-0 number 88 locomotive run by the West Somerset Railway (WSR). WSR The West Somerset Railway (WSR) is a ( km) heritage railway line in Somerset, England. The freehold of the track and stations is owned by Somerset County Council; the railway is leased to and operated WSR plc; which is supported and minority owned by charitable trust the West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA). WSR plc operates services using both heritage steam and diesel trains. It originally opened in 1862 between Taunton and Watchet. In 1874 it was extended from Watchet to Minehead by the Minehead Railway. Although just a single track, improvements were needed in the first half of the twentieth century to accommodate the significant number of tourists that wished to travel to the Somerset coast. The line was closed by British Rail in 1971 and reopened in 1976 as a heritage line. It is the longest standard gauge heritage railway in the United Kingdom. Services normally operate over just the miles ( km) between Minehead and Bishops Lydeard. During special events some trains continue a further two miles to Norton Fitzwarren where a connection to Network Rail allows occasional through trains to operate onto the natio Number 88 is one of two surviving members of an original class of eleven designed for working heavy freight trains over the Mendip Hills although they were also used on holidays trains between Bath and Bournemouth. The engine was built by Robert Stephenson and Sons in 1925 and originally carried a non-standard 5 feet 3 inch diameter boiler. This was removed during an overhaul at Derby in the 1950’s and was replaced by a standard one from withdrawn "Midland Compound” 41097. The loco was withdrawn from British Railways service in 1963 as 53808 and spent time in the scrapyard at Barry before being purchased by the SDRT as part of the abortive "Radstock Prokect” in the late 1960's.
Size: 3056px × 4576px
Location: Watchet, Somerset, UK
Photo credit: © Derek Gale / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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