NEWS ARCHIVE January to June 2008

South Devon Diesel Traction, SDDT

These are the stories of whats going on and what we've been up to!

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26th July 2008

33 002 - Well, back to reality now, after our wanderings around the countryside work is now going on in earnest to get her running.

The exhaust is back together, the triple pump has been tested - OK, the water system has been tested - OK, The lub oil & fuel systems have been primed and tested - OK. There has been much de-seizing of contactors and relays and we hope to get the new batteries charged and press that button THIS SUNDAY - watch this space!

20 110 & D7612, along with 37 037, are home at Buckfastleigh now. Please click below for the write up and gallery of their summer holiday:

KWVR/WSR Gala Gallery

Loco Convoy 3 Loco Convoy 4
A DRS 57 Heads the convoy
Back to Devon.
Arriving at Totnes!


These two Pictures courtesy & © Phil Seymour.

13th June 2008

20 110 & D7612 Have arrived at Bishops Lydyeard, along with 37 037, ready for the "West Somerset Railway's" Mixed Traffic Weekend on the 13th to 15th June.

3rd June 2008

20 110 & D7612 Left Buckfastleigh today, along with 37 037 and 31 108 on their Summer holiday trip to Keighley. As I write this, I'm told they are happily stabled at Crewe for the night and will carry on to Keighley tomorrow.

20 110 will be the vacuum translater between a naming ceremony train and the DRS 37 087 that is to be named "Keighley & Worth Valley Railway" on Thursday. Friday to Sunday all these locos will be operating at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Gala and by the following weekend they should have made their way South West as far as Williton, where they will take part in the West Somerset Railway's Transport Gala. For more details, follow the links in the paragraph below.

Loco Convoy 1 Loco Convoy 2
DRS's 37 429 Heads the convoy
Through Kings Norton today.
As seen passing!


These two Pictures courtesy & © Phil Seymour.




29th March 2008

We are off on our most major Summer Tour yet this June: 200110 and D7612 will be joined by The DDS's 37 and 31 108 for a rail convoy to the "Keighley & Worth Valley Railway" for their Diesel Gala on Friday 6th to Sunday 8th June and on the way home they will visit the "West Somerset Railway" for their Mixed Traffic Weekend on the 13th to 15th June. Of course this is subject to availability and the passing of fitness to travel on network rail tests. So June will be an exciting month!

Three more pics of 33 002's turbo & Exhaust Stack goin in, Courtesy and ©Neil Canon
Next the exhaust pipework goes back, yet another heavy job! This is planned for Sunday 30th March.

33 002 33 002 33 002





11th February 2008

33 002 has had it's turbo refitted today. It has been away to a firm in Rotherham to be reuilt into a new casing, purchased from the South East Loco Group at Tunbridge Wells.

Next on the list is to refit the exhaust system, pressure test the water system and test the engine! Then we have a plumbing nightmare with the brake system, finnish off the electrics and it's done! Sounds so simple put like that.......

33 002 33 002 33 002


33 002 33 002 33 002




More pics of W55000, this Sunday the weather was kind to us, unlike it's debut day which was appalling!

W55000 W55000
W55000 runs adjacent to
the River Dart.
W55000 at Caddaford.


W55000 W55000
W55000 departs from
Buckfastleigh
And away under
the signal gantry.


3rd February 2008

W55000, the very first Gloucester RCW class 122 "Bubblecar" DMU was built in 1958.

Sunday 3rd February was a big day in it's history as it was returned to passenger traffic after 13 years of major restoration. It had a succesfull debut day, Neil Canon took the controls for the maiden voyage. It completed all three trips quite happily, despite the foul weather with the minimum of teething problems emerging. This unit was bought from the big railway by our treasurer, David Aldridge, whom with many hours of work for him and a few dedicated followers with many trials and tribulations along the way has finally paid off. To my knowledge, it has had a lot of bodywork attention, 2 rebuilt engines, new(ish) wheelsets and a rebuilt interior. David, Pete Burrow, Neil Canon, Alan Rushworth, Dick Holland and more recently, Tony Mutimer and Ray Lee deserve bags of credit for the fine job they've done.

W55000 W55000
W55000 waits to depart
from Buckfastleigh
W55000 on arrival at Totnes.


W55000 W55000
W55000 back at
Buckfastleigh
The controls of W55000
underway from the back.


These four Pictures courtesy & © Peter Burrow.




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