After seeing the railway going through numerous infrastructure changes, financial difficulties, and global issues which were out of their hands, The West Somerset Railway finally get their train services up and running in 2021. The reopening date was later than other railways opening in May, but it's been a long time coming for the West Somerset Railway.
The engine in charge of the first public trains of the year was Great Western Railway resident numbered 9351. The engine itself is not an original design, this locomotive was actually converted from a 5101 class numbered 5193. When the West Somerset Railway bought the locomotive in 1998, two years later, they decided to convert the Large Prairie into a 9300 class. The change from a 2-6-2T into a 2-6-0 tender locomotive meant it would provide the railway with better operating flexibility due to its larger water and coal capacity. Since then it's been part of the hard working fleet for many years.
The day was expected for some good action from the loco up the steep Somerset Hills. The timetable for the reopening was just from Bishop's Lydeard to Williton, However, with a lot of locations to choose from along the stretch of the route meant that shooting wasn't that difficult at all. I decided to try and get as much of her as I could and I thought it came out very well.
Here are the locations filmed in chronological order:
Whiskey Trail Crossing - 00:00
Castle Hill - 01:54
Woolston to Cottiford - 03:11
Churchlands Bridge - 06:06
Cottiford Lane - 07:10
Bicknoller - 08:35
Nornvis Bridge - 10:08
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