Draft:Diesel and electric preservation group

The diesel and electric preservation group was set up in 1972 to promote interest in the then modern locomotives. Originally called the diesel & electric group(D+EG) it published articles in an early diesel magazine “Inter-City Express”. Their first move towards preservation of diesel locomotives was running the railtour on 22 September 1973 as a farewell to the beyer peacock class 35 Hymeks. It ran from Paddington to Hereford via Didcot, visit the steam centres at Hereford and Didcot in case there were not enough diesel locomotives to fill the tour. The tour sold out and the locomotives involved were D7001 and D7028 double heading.during the tour, a group of D+EG members decided to preserved a hymek. Money was collected quickly and they purchased D7017 in July 1975 from where it moved to Minehead on the West Somerset Railway. In 1977 the group was also offered D7018 for preservation which moved to Didcot railway Center where the group had their other base.

In 1979 the group moved from Minehead to Williton where the WSR had made the old goods shed available to the D+EG. This shed was then extended the same year to accompdate D7017. The locomotive ran first in August 1985 after a 8 years of repairs to working order. The next locomotive to be acquired was a class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’D9526 in 1980. The locomotive entered service on the West Somerset Railway on 14th July 1984 after 4 years of restoration. In 1982 the group bought the WSR’s class 103DMU to restore it to help support the railway. The DMU then ran for 2 years until it became surplus to requirements and was donated to the Nascent Helston Railway, where it still runs today. In 1979 the group moved from Minehead to Williton where the WSR had made the old goods shed available to the D+EG. This shed was then extended the same year to accompdate D7017. The locomotive ran first in August 1985 after a 8 years of repairs to working order. The next locomotive to be acquired was a class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’D9526 in 1980.the locomotive entered service on the West Somerset Railway on 14th July 1984 after 4 years of restoration.

In 1982 the group bought the WSR’s class 103DMU to restore it to help support the railway. The DMU then ran for 2 years until it became surplus to requirements and was donated to the nascent Helston Railway in Cornwall where it still is today.

In 1985, the group based at Didcot approached Foster Yeoman and requested to return class Western’ D1010 ‘Western Champion’ which was disguised at the time as D1035 ‘Western Yeoman’ to working order. The company agreed to a 3 year loan period to return the western to operational condition. Work began to return the locomotive to be moved on the mainline. She moved for the first time under her own power in preservation in 1987 although only one engine was operational. custody of the locomotive was extended to 1993 and the locomotive bought the locomotive from foster yeoman.

In 1986 the group got formal ownership of the Williton goods shed allowing them to invest ima me develope the site. In 1987 the group changed their name to the Diesel Electric Preservation Group and in 1988 became an official charity. After several years of work, the Williton site was ready to accept D7018 and D1010 from Didcot in 1991 so that all recourses were focussed at Williton. Over Christmas 1990 the Western made the move from Dicot to Williton via Cardiff Canton and Merehead. D7018 followed in July 1991 and arrived on 18th September that year. The Hymek entered service on the WSR during their Spring Diesel Gala of 1992. In Aughust 1995 the locomotive tragically suffered a major engine failure in traffic and did not return to service until 2019, 24 years later! It returned during the West Somerset Railway’s “Disels to the seaside” gala in June 2019. In 1997 group recourses and a donation by the national lottery heritage fund helped construct a purpose built maintanance facility and education sit. The Diesel diesel visitor centre opened in 2002. in 1997 the British Steel Company's Port Talbot works donated 2 Brush Bagnall 0-4-0 diesel electric locomotives numbers 501 and 512. these locomotives were in the master and slave locomotives. The DEPG cosmetically restored locomotive 501 and put it on displayb in the diesel visitor center whikst the slave locomotive, 512, was left in store. after a lengthy staywith the group, British STeel Company requesed the locomotives back and so the DEPG returned them.

In 1997 Clive Burrows, one of the DEPG's founding members, bought diesel elctirc clas 33 D6566(33048) from the Birmingam Railway Carriage and Wagon Co and the locomotive became the fisrt of its class to haul a train in presevation shortly after it wa bought. It ha worked ever sice, hauling many of the named "Fish and Chips Specials". Clive Burrows then bought, sister locomotive D6575(33057) in 2005 as a spares donor for 33048. the locomotiv had suffered a traction motor fire whislt on the mainline in 1996 and when it arrived at Williton in 2005 it was a wreck. the locomtoive however luckily was not used as a spares donor and instead restored to operational condition, the restoration mainly being undertaken at Cranmore traincrae depot with input from the DEPG. the loco's overhaul was complete in 2011 and it entered service on the WSR in 2012 in BR two tone green with small warning panels. the other locomotive, 33048 then took its place at Cranmore in 2013 as it was shwoing its age after more than 15 years of service. 33048 returned to ervice on the WSR in 2018 and both locmotives are still running in service well.

In 2007 the DEPG bought Crewe-built class 47 D1661(47077) "NORTH STAR", a famous locomotive at the time which increased its fame by haulig the last loco-hauled Cross Country express from the west country to the north. this locomotive was used frequently by the WSR tohaul their heavier services like steam hauled excursions, taking over at Bishops Lydeard. tge locomotive was withdrawn during 2018 due to detireation of the bodywork. it re-emerged in BR blue in 2021 before it moved to the NYMR under a 5 year lone period to help earn some revenue for the group. It was withdrawn for repair in 2023 but returned to service in december of the same year. in 2011 the group aquired a seccond class 14, number D9518 from the Nen Valley Railway where ithad been stripped of almost all parts to keep their own locomotive(D9555) running. when arrivijg at the group's Williton base it wa in a delapidated and worn state as it was when it finished its service with the National Coal Board in 1986. the locomotive's parts are all being retsored but there is no date for a return to service as it is listed as a long term project but the group said that it could return in under 5 yeras if funding is good and none of their other locomotives require any major refurbs.