West Somerset Railway Summer Diesel Festival 2026 – 06/06/2026

A wet and windy, but fab Saturday at the West Somerset Railway Summer Diesel Festival featuring…

Visiting locomotives:

• Class 26 No. 26007
• Class 37 No. 37250
• Class 47 No. 47714
• Class 50 No. 50049

Home fleet locomotives:

• Class 14 No. D9526
• Class 33 ‘Crompton’ Nos. D6566 & D6575
• Class 35 ‘Hymek’ No. D7017

Bonus Britannic Explorer departure with GBRf Class 66 No.’s 66744 + 66748 working 1C02 0900 Bishops Lydeard GBRf to Penzance

Two Hours at Kintbury on the Berks & Hants – 12/06/2026

On the morning of 12th June 2026, I dropped Caroline and her friend Fiona at Whitchurch for a tour of the Bombay Sapphire Gin factory. I then drove 25 minutes up the road to Kintbury for a couple of hours spotting trains on the Berks and Hants.

Trains in this video include:

800023 – 1A77 0835 Plymouth to London Paddington

153383 – 2Q64 0934 Bristol Kingsland Road to Oxford Down Engineers Siding

802003 – 1C77 1036 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids

165121 – 2T13 1130 Newbury to Bedwyn

802013 + 802014 – 1A78 0710 Penzance to London Paddington

59004 ‘Paul J Hammond’ – 6A12 0918 Whatley Quarry F Liner HH to Appleford FHH

802103 – 1C78 1103 London Paddington to Plymouth

59001 ‘Yeoman Endeavor’ + 66562 – 6A50 1026 Whatley Quarry F Liner HH to Hanwell Bridge Loop

165121 – 2T14 1158 Bedwyn to Newbury

60055 ‘Thomas Barnado’ – 6M51 1020 Merehead Quarry (FHH) to Quainton Railhead

60029 ‘Ben Nevis’ – 6V95 1008 Willesden Dc Rail Sidings to Merehead Quarry (FHH)

165121 – 2T15 1220 Newbury to Bedwyn

800309 – 1A80 0815 Penzance to London Paddington

800306 – 1C79 1203 London Paddington to Penzance

800317 – 1C80 1205 London Paddington to Plymouth

165121 – 2T16 1252 Bedwyn to Newbury

59206 ‘John F Yeoman Rail Pioneer’ – 6A60 1045 Merehead Quarry (FHH) to Colnbrook Foster Yeoman FH

Loram Class 37 No. 37418 & ‘Caroline’ in Somerset and Dorset – June 2026

This is the first of two videos celebrating “special” workings which visited Dorset in June 2026. Always a favourite of mine is observation coach No. 975025 ‘Caroline’ and I was disappointed to learn she was visiting my home patch while I was away from home.

However we were given permission to share some film of Loram Class 37 No. 37418 ‘An Comunn Gaidhealach’ and No. 975025 ‘Caroline’ working in Somerset and Dorset (that would be such a good name for a railway!)

01/06/2026: Highbridge & Burnham 5Z31 0646 Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Penzance (video courtesy of Ashley Smith)

02/06/2026: Taunton 0730 Penzance to Bournemouth (video courtesy of Ashley Smith)

02/06/2025: Dorchester West 2Z32 0730 Penzance to Bournemouth (video courtesy of Gerry Barrett)

For information, the combo journeyed via the Heart of Wessex line to Weymouth before traversing the South West Main Line up to Bournemouth where they stabled overnight before heading off to Swansea on the morning of 3rd June 2026.

Selected Special Dorset Workings – June 2026

June 2026 was a relatively quiet month. The highlight probably being a visit by Loram operated Class 37 No. 37418 ‘An Comunn Gaidhealach’ with 975025 ‘Caroline’ of course! (See above)

This selection, our second showing special workings in Dorset however, contains the following:

04/06/2026: Dorchester South
Locomotive Services Ltd Class 47 No.’s 47805 ‘Roger Hosking MA 1925 – 2013’ + 47810 ‘Crewe Diesel Depot’ – 1Z47 0640 Peterborough to Weymouth “The Dorset Statesman” (filmed by Gerry Barrett)

10/06/2026: Dorchester West
Colas Class 43 High Speed Train power cars No.’s 43303 + 43274 were allocated to the 1Q22 0751 Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Bristol Kingsland Road test train (filmed by Gerry Barrett)

10/06/2026: Dorchester West
165135 – 2V72 1528 Weymouth to Gloucester (filmed by Gerry Barrett)

29/06/2026: Branksome
South Western Railway Class 450 No. 450118 runs ecs 5B58 2108 Poole S. S. to Bournemouth T&R.S.M.D

29/06/2026: Branksome & Hamworthy
GBRf Class 73/9 No.’s
73961 ‘Alison’ + 73963 ‘Janice’ work the regular Plain Line Patrern Recognition (PLPR) test train 1Q51 1150 Derby R.T.C.(Network Rail) to Eastleigh East Yard

Thanks for reading! We’ll be back again with more of Yoshi’s adventures – be seeing you!