6th May, 2025
We are very pleased to announce our final visiting locomotive for our Summer Diesel Festival which takes place between Thursday 5th and Sunday 8th June 2025.
Class 25 No. 25185 courtesy of South Devon Diesel Traction will join previously announced Class 45 No. 45108, Class 50 No. 50015 Valiant’ and Class 52 No. D1015 “Western Champion” at the event.
This year, the event is particularly special, with it being a major part of the Railway 200 celebrations - a nationwide event celebrating the 200th anniversary of the modern railway. At this event, we will be representing the Western Region, with a selection of locomotive types that would have been seen in the Western Region.
Class 25s were first allocated to Western Region depots in late 1971, to replace Class 22’s. The 25’s were versatile machines that were working a wide variety of passengers and freight services all over the British Rail network until the last of the class being withdrawn in March 1987.
Despite this, an astonishing 20 members of the class have survived into preservation, their versatility making them ideal locomotives for heritage railways.
So why not come and join us at our Summer Diesel Festival, to again experience the sight and sound of a small Sulzer through Somerset Countryside!
Other highlights include:
- Intensive ‘high mileage’ timetable operating on all four days, with all 23 miles of route in operation.
- A mix of visiting and home locomotives in action, including both diesel electric and diesel hydraulic locomotives
- For the first time, utilising spare timetable paths, experience the front seat views from one of our heritage goods brake vans (additional T&Cs apply)
- Pairing of Diesel Hydraulics
- Cider Festival at Minehead on the Saturday and Sunday
- The Williton Depot Centre of the DEPG will be open during the event. Admission is by donation, which helps the Group to maintain and restore the fleet of vintage machines.
You can purchase tickets in advance (with pre-book discount) via our website: https: https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/events/view/summer-diesel-festival-2025