Bath and West Steam Railway

19/10/2025

Santa will be visiting ESSMEE again this year, get your visit booked early to avoid disappointment.

10/06/2025

We’ve been featured on ‘Have I Got News for You’ - courtesy of the British Army band, who serenaded the many visitors to the Bath and West 2025 show! You can watch the episode on BBC iPlayer here > https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002d3df/have-i-got-news-for-you-series-69-episode-10 with Bath & West Shows British Army

Richard Ayoade is host, with guest panellists comedian Jack Dee and broadcaster Kelly Cates joining team captains Paul Merton and Ian Hislop.

31/05/2025

Bath & West Shows

30/05/2025

Ride behind our new locomotive FIJI - trains run all day 10am - 6pm during the 2025 Royal Bath & West Shows # thBath & West ShowswBath and West Showgroundnd

29/05/2025

A great start to the Royal Bath & West Show 2025. Ride the trains all day 10am - 6pm. Bath & West Shows

25/05/2025

INTERESTED IN MAKING ONE OF THESE? - If you like the idea of learning how to make live steam models, or are interested in model engineering or engineering more generally, the we'd love to hear from you!

The Bath & West Railway is operated, maintained and was built by the East Somerset Society of Model and Experimental Engineers.

The society has over 80 active members who are interested in all aspects of model and experimental engineering. We have a fully equipped workshop and can give training and guidance to anyone who is interested in starting out in mechanical engineering and metalwork.

We also run a specific club day for junior members who are welcome with their parents/guardians - this is normally held on a Sunday morning. At these sessions we teach metalwork skills as to how to use machinery such as lathes, milling machines, pillar drills etc. Members can start to build their own models from published plans or drawings, or alternatively simply experiment.

24/05/2025

The Bath & West Railway is operated, maintained and was built by the East Somerset Society of Model and Experimental Engineers. If you like the idea of learning how to make live steam models, or are interested in model engineering or engineering more generally, the we'd love to hear from you!

The society has over 80 active members who are interested in all aspects of model and experimental engineering. We have a fully equipped workshop and can give training and guidance to anyone who is interested in starting out in mechanical engineering and metalwork.

We also run a specific club day for junior members who are welcome with their parents/guardians - this is normally held on a Sunday morning. At these sessions we teach metalwork skills as to how to use machinery such as lathes, milling machines, pillar drills etc. Members can start to build their own models from published plans or drawings, or alternatively simply experiment.

22/05/2025

Just a note to remind all our junior Sunday Club members that following three hectic days of public running at the Bath & West Show on the 29th to 31st May, in order to give those working during the show a rest, the next Sunday Club won't be on 1st June but will be on Sunday 8th June.

08/05/2025

We took delivery of an additional Club Loco yesterday - 7 1/4" model of Fiji, a Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 tender locomotive, the original of which was delivered to Colonial Sugar Refining's Lautoka Mill in Fiji in 1912.

This excellent model was built by Alain Foote who kindly delivered it to ESSMEE yesterday and following a detailed explanation by Alain we soon had it in steam, George White our Chairman taking charge as we ran it round our track.

17/04/2025

Busy day on the steaming bays, Mendip our club 7 1/4" loco steams for the first time following its 10 year boiler inspection and a general overhaul and upgrade of the blower and steam pipework which should improve its performance.

29/03/2025

We were glad to be able to host the Federation of Model Engineering Societies March 2025 Seminar for Boiler Inspectors at ESSMEE today. 40 delegates from various clubs and groups attended. Many thanks to Peter Squire, Bernard North and Bob Hayter for an excellent seminar. After sessions on the relevent legislation, requirements for Boiler testing, carrying out and recording the tests and inspections, we finished up with practical demonstrat a hydraulic shell test and a steam accumulation test.