25th Sept 2013

American railroading in deepest Somerset! Foster Yeoman famously turned to the USA for its motive power requirements, not just for the mainline, but also for internal movements around its vast Merehead complex. No. 44 "Western Yeoman II" is a virtual straight-off-the-shelf EMD SW1001 switcher, with just a few amendments from the standard locomotive, such as buffers and UK coupling equipment. Otherwise it's a pure American switcher, and as such, outside of the loading gauge for the UK. So Merehead has been its home ever since it arrived in the early '80s. Today finds me at the gate just off the A371 at 09.45 to watch no. 44 manoeuvre a rake of Mendip Rail JNA bogie boxes and drag them into the quarry for loading.