HST Swansong in Somerset

Only days before most of the GWR “Castle” sets are stood down, and just a fortnight before the final scheduled XC HST workings, seemed like a good moment to pay my respects by trying to see and photograph most of the two working HST fleets in action.

Picking a day of fine sunny weather (5 September 2023) my plan was to spend time at Taunton, Bridgwater and three other stations on the route to Bristol Temple Meads when, with luck, I would be able to see six of the seven diagrammed GWR sets in action, and both the XC sets.

What I had not realised was that this was the final day in scheduled service for the retro-liveried pair of XC power cars, so it was a rather poignant moment seeing 43008/007 speed through Bridgwater’s historic station with 1V50 from Edinburgh Waverley to Plymouth.

From what I have read, the current fleet of ten GWR Castle sets (covering seven weekday diagrams) will be reduced to reduced to four (three daily diagrams) with effect from 10 September 2023, while the two scheduled XC HST workings will finish on 18 September, with a farewell special to Swanage the following week (26 September).

 Having not previously tried photography in the vicinity of Taunton station, a look at the invaluable Google maps showed a promising looking footbridge west of Taunton station and a road bridge over the line not far beyond.

The modern green footbridge is only a few minutes’ walk from the station and offers a great view back towards Taunton station, although the strong late summer sunshine made it impossible to get a decent shot in that direction.

But looking in a westerly direction there was a good view of the line as it curved left under the two spans of the Staplegrove Road over-bridge, from where there was also a great view looking west, as the main line ran alongside the extensive Fairwater Yard.

Moving on from Taunton I next took a ten-minute trip northwards to Bridgwater aboard 800004 to this delightful Grade II* Listed station, though disgracefully unmanned for the entire week, according to a notice on the ticket office door. On a sunny day the only decent shots were those looking north, with a good view of trains passing the station from the south end of up platform 2 and a footbridge at the end of the platforms. 

Having got a shot of 43008 heading its final southbound working of 1V50 from Edinburgh Waverley to Plymouth, I continued on by catching a GWR HST set formed of 43042/010 to Weston-super-Mare, where once again the best vantage point seemed to be on the lengthy main up platform (2) where there is a view looking towards the single track section of line to Worle Junction.

After another short stop at Worle, a busy and newish station that seems to be served by all trains to and from Weston, my final port of call was Yatton, another well-preserved station, where my final sighting of a scheduled XC HST in action, was of 43303/304 passing through the station at 100mph with 1E63 from Plymouth (15.27) to Leeds. 

For a refreshing interlude between HST action I can recommend the Commercial Inn, just over the footbridge south of Bridgwater station, where Old Speckled Hen was £3.60 a pint and the Railway Inn outside Yatton station, where a fine pint of Butcombe Original (4.0%) cost rather more (£4.65).

The six GWR Castle sets I saw in action were 43153/155 (Diagram 1), 43098/188 (Diagram 2), 43042/010 (Diagram 3), 43029/198 (Diagram 5), 43016/189 (Diagram 6) and 43094/122 (Diagram 7). XC Diagram 1 was covered by 43321/378 while XC Diagram 2 southbound had 43008/007 southbound and 43303/304 northbound.