The West Somerset Railway has announced the first guest locomotive to appear at its Summer Diesel Festival from Thursday, 5th to Saturday, 7th June.

The first guest locomotive to be confirmed is Class 52 Western No. D1015 Western Champion, one of seven preserved Westerns from 74 built by British Railways at Swindon and Crewe.

Western Champion was rolled out from Swindon Works in January 1963.

Western Champion was in charge of the return working of Sir Winston Churchill’s funeral train on 30th January 1965, when it returned mourners from Handborough station near Oxford to Paddington.

Withdrawn from traffic on December 13, 1976, after it sustained damage in a derailment at Castle Cary five days earlier, it was purchased for preservation by the Diesel Traction Group from Swindon Works in January 1980 when it appeared to be in derelict condition.

After being overhauled to mainline standard, which was completed in 2000, Western Champion was certified for mainline running in 2002 and is currently the only Western certified for main-line operation.

A wide selection of locomotives is expected to be seen during the Festival, including visiting and home fleet locomotives looked after by the Diesel and Electric Preservation Group at Williton.

Last year’s Festival was a resounding success, with sales increasing by 10 per cent compared to the 2023 festival.

A second Western on view at the Summer Diesel Festival will be No. D1010 Western Campaigner which is currently under restoration at Williton.

All three days will feature an intensive timetable where visitors can hop on and off as often as they like. Some trains will travel beyond Bishops Lydeard to the very end of the West Somerset Railway where it meets the West of England main line at Norton Fitzwarren, a stretch of the line that is rarely used by passenger trains.

Sunday, 8th June, will be an extension of the Summer Diesel Festival with a Mixed Traction Day featuring both steam and diesel locomotives hauling passenger trains.

‘Kids for a quid’ will be available on this day, but tickets must be pre-booked, and are only available for Child One Day Rovers.

At Williton, the Diesel Electric Preservation Group’s depot centre which helps the Group to maintain and restore its fleet of vintage machines will be open, with admission by donation.