First Visiting Diesel Locomotive for the 2025 Summer Diesel Festival Announced

We are excited to announce the first visiting locomotive that will be joining us for our Summer Diesel Festival, taking place between Thursday 5^th and Sunday 8^th June, 2025.

Class 52 ‘Western’ No. D1015 ‘Western Champion’, will be making a welcome return to the WSR, courtesy of our friends at the Diesel Traction Group.

D1015 is one of seven preserved Westerns from the original 74 built by BR at Swindon and Crewe. ‘Western Champion’ was built at Swindon Works and completed in January 1963.

Interesting fact: On 30th January 1965, ‘Western Champion’ was rostered for the return working of Sir Winston Churchill’s funeral train, returning mourners from Handborough station near Oxford to Paddington.

D1015 was withdrawn from traffic on December 13, 1976 due to derailment damage sustained at Castle Cary five days earlier, having amassed 1,296,000 miles in service. The loco was subsequently purchased for preservation by the Diesel Traction Group in derelict condition from Swindon Works in January 1980

The overhaul to main line standard was completed in 2000. ‘Western Champion’ gained mainline certification in 2002 and is currently the only ‘Western’ certified for main-line operation. Since returning to the mainline Western Champion has travelled all over the UK rail network, hauling rail tours as far as Penzance in the South and Kyle of Lochalsh in the North.

Our Summer Diesel Festival will feature a wide variety of Diesel traction, with something for everyone. An intensive timetable will be in operation and with lots of things to see and do, including visiting our own ‘Western’, D1010, ‘Western Campaigner’, which is currently under restoration at Williton – an event you won’t want to miss!

Planning continues, with more guests and details to be announced very soon. You can pre-book tickets in advance (with pre-book discount), via our website: Summer Diesel Festival 2025 - West Somerset Railway