The running season beginneth!

Where has the last couple of months gone?

The weekend just passed (10/11 March) saw services resume again for the 2018 timetable, and the countdown to Broadway well and truly in sight....less than 3 weeks! The Class 117, fully kitted out with its new refreshment area, was out keeping 'Foremarke Hall' company on the Light Blue timetable. The unit was running with the two DMBS trailers, W51363 and W51360, as the formations' DMS, W51405, is still awaiting a little more TLC courtesy of 'Dr.' George and the DMU team and, our colleagues at Carriage and Wagon.

In the late afternoon sun, W51360 leads the DMU back into Toddington. Messers Kirwan and Carr at the helm.

One of the two 'latest' DMU arrivals, W51370, has disappeared to pastures new. The remaining Class 117 DMBS, W51372, and Class 107 DMS, Sc52029, await the call to restoration when time allows.

The job awaiting the DMU team when W51372 is called to the restoration line.

Saturday 10th saw 8 of us working on the Mainline locos undertaking final preparations for re-awakening the fleet for 2018. Despite a fairly warm outside temperature, the shed was still a little frigid. Many of the locos were showing condensation on their bodysides, giving indication of the cold temperatures experienced in recent weeks, hopefully, giving way to more Spring-like conditions.

D6948's body side and cab side window showing signs of the increasing temperature coupled with the cold atmosphere in the shed.

Work has continued to progress on the Class 24 bogie refurbishment and the end is now in sight for the work to be completed on the first wheelset. Most of the frame has now had a coating of primer, undercoat and, now, top coat and, most of the brake rigging has now been refitted to the frame. Most, if not all, of the springs are now in place and it can't be too long before the frame is lowered back on to its wheels and, the Traction Motors are re-sited.

The frame of 5081's No.1 end bogie is almost all in black top coat, or in grey undercoat.

Still in primer, the brake rigging is re-sited onto the frame. 

The Class 47's saw Tim, 'H' and Dave undertaking various tasks. 47376 'Freightliner 1995' is due to be rostered in April and, with the temperature in the shed rising suitably quickly, Dave was able to progress with the painting of the buffer beams and solebar at both ends.

47376's no.1 end buffer beam. The buffer beam and pipe heads in undercoat. Just the top coat to go. 

47376's no.2 end buffer beam and pipework. The buffer beam is also awaiting its top coat as the pipe heads have been striped back to the metal work and await primer and undercoat.

Dave undercoating the pipe heads at no.2 end.

Tim and 'H' continued with 1693's long term restoration and the repainting of the injector heads ready for refitting to the Sulzer engine. More preparation was also undertaken on the body sides ready for more corrosion to be cut out and repaired.

Out on the apron of Road 11, Class 20 'donor', 20035 sat minus about a third of its nose. This loco was bought by the owner of D8137 (who also owns Class 73, E6036, and Class 20, 20228 at Barry) to be sacrificed as spares. Having had its radiators and the cooler group equipment removed it is now awaiting the time where the power unit and bogies to be removed and the body grounded for eventual scrapping. This isn't going to be immediate as some alterations to the storage areas around the shed need to be completed to allow for safe, secure storage.

Something appears to be missing!

50+ years of heat, oil and grime stains one of the inner walls of 20035.

20035's salvaged remains....or, at least, the first lot!

Out in the yard, Tony, Richard G, Ian and myself headed over to Class 26, D5343, to finish a couple of small jobs and to start cleaning her up ready for the trip to Dereham and the Mid Norfolk Railway where the loco is due to star in the MNR's Spring Diesel Gala. D5343 was being collected on the Monday, 12th March so needed to be ready for movement into the car park at Toddington by the end of Sunday. First thing that needed to be done was to secure the metal flooring in the engine room so as to limit trips. After searching the for the pot containing the screws, and finding there were a lot fewer than we needed, started fitting the plates together and hunting out holes in the floor to secure the plates to.

Tony's legs do a very passable impression of the adjacent fire bottles! 

Once we had managed to secure enough of the plate to the frame of the engine room it was time to start cleaning the cabs of rubbish, tools and flies! One of the more unpleasant sides of the preservation environment is the incursion of all manner of small (and not so small) animals and insects into, what you think, are secure locomotives. It is a well known fact that some species of fly need places that are moist and warm to breed. Locomotive engine rooms, especially if stabled outside, seem to fit this bill perfectly - especially in the filter sponges. D5343 is no exception and a valiant, if futile, effort was made to try and eradicate as many as possible. Windows and doors were opened in the vain hope that the obstinate insects would like to experience the wider world of Toddington yard with only minor success!! We tried! However, it isn't just flies that get into the confines of the locos as was testament to the amount of bird 'leavings' adorning the cab surfaces. With D5343 and, moreso, 45149, it is not unusual to find nests and the like in and around the bogies and external bodywork but more unusual to find evidence of them INSIDE the locomotive. Armed with some heavy duty cleaner, blue roll and builders wipes the four of us set to work cleaning down both cabs.

During a lull in fly swatting, a quick photo of our colleagues in P' Way working on the new south turnout at Toddington. Doing a cracking job, fellas!! 

The McRat being readied for another trip away from the GWR.

As well securing the metal floor in the engine room, Richard wanted to see about securing some of the cab flooring that was floating freely on the bulkheads running through the floor. So many holes but hardly any lined up with each other!

Richard plays 'Russian Roulette' with the cab floor.

Surely the locomotive wasn't delivered from Eastfield by UPS??! A random label addressed to a member of the CMDG at Toddington found under the cab desk.

Also found, pictures of 26043 in the David Page shed shortly after arrival from Scotland. Its amazing to see how far the loco, as well as the inside of the Steam Shed, has come in 13 years!! 

After the cleaning of the cabs had been done Tony and I returned to the engine room to give the engine itself a bit of a clean. Over the Winter the engine room had taken in quite a lot of water. We weren't sure if this had come through the roof or there was a leak interally. No sufficient hole could be found in the fibreglass roof or in the seals around it, but, given the amount of standing water, was it too much for an internal leak - especially as the loco had not run since before Christmas. We cleaned it up as best we could and referred it onto Andy, Simon and Curly who were in on Sunday.

Tony starts mopping up.

Elsewhere, in the yard, 'DES' was parked behind 45149 as it awaits the work to commence on repairing its axles. The owning group hve had a number of quotes and are looking at progressing the work as soon as funds allow. The likelihood, though, is the reliance on the Class 04 as sole Toddington shunter will continue for the near future at least. Although, not quite as long as we were anticipating (cue the suspense!)!

Behind 'DES' was positioned another shunter. One I have seen a few times, although usually parked at the back of the steam shed. I am not quite sure the history of this one. Previous incarnations of the GWR website listed a a shunter by the name of 'Daisy' and with the running number 21 but I have never seen any loco carrying either moniker since I joined the railway in 2013. Other than that, I know nothing other than it is......

......a John Fowler & Co 0-4-0 diesel shunter. As you can see from the photo it was built in 1957 - potentially making it the oldest diesel locomotive on the railway. I am sure there is someone in the Motive Power Department who would be able to enlighten us further!

The 0-4-0 is obviously having some work done on its engine.

In the immortal words of CAT from Red Dwarf......'What is it?'

Sunday, 11th March was another fine day. I was only at Toddington briefly for a Diesel Group meeting. One of the major points from the meeting was a resolution to our potential shunter problem. With 'DES' not available for traffic for the foreseeable future and 11230 playing freely with its reliability, the railway (read Motive Power department) took the decision to actively look for another option. This has been found in the shape of another Class 04 shunter that is being purchased privately by an active GWR volunteer - this one being from the BR order rather than being an industrial version masquerading as a BR Class 04, as 11230 is. We have no further details as yet, so watch this space.

We also had some good news on a couple of larger projects that we hoped to have completed during 2018 with funding secured. Shed lighting has arrived and will hopefully be installed in the Diesel Shed during 2018, as will the concreting of the apron outside Roads 10 and 11 with a view to the Gantry Crane being installed in the future. In addition, the loco pit in the yard (in front of where the Class 26 is positioned) has had a new pump fitted with a view to pumping out the near 2 foot of filthy water contained therein and putting it back into full use.

We also discussed the Summer Gala and the possibilities for visitors. There were a number of options centered around four possibilities. Sadly, one of those possibilities, D1010 from the DEPG at Williton on the West Somerset Railway is now unavailable but, the remaining three options are now being investigated with a view to having one guest loco in the Summer for our first Diesel Gala to be running to/from Broadway. Further details will be announced in the near future.

After conclusion of the meeting, I had a quick scan round to see what was happening before heading back home for a Mothers Day meal with my Mam. 37215 had been pulled out of the shed and fired up by Kev and Mark S. It was so nice to hear the EE 12CVST engine shattering the peace of the Cotswolds once more!

37215 basks in the sunshine as she is started up for the first time in 2018.

BR Blue in Toddington Yard...along with rusting CFD orange.

D5343 was having its final checks before being hauled into the car park ready for picking up on Monday, 12th March for its trip to the Mid Norfolk Railway. Curly, Simon and Andy checked the underside of the loco including the brakes and general condition. She is due back at the GWR in mid-April.

Curly emerges from under D5343 as he inspects the underframe ready for the locos visit to the MNR.

'Peak' 45149 was also receiving some attention to its compressor at no.2 end. This compressor had failed in 2017 amd was repaired during the close season. With the 'Peak' due to be used in the first week after Easter a full shake down was required to ensure the locomotives' fitness to run.

With the 2018 season now underway the diesel fleet will be in use on the following days through March and early April....

Light Blue Timetable - Toddington - Cheltenham RC - Toddington

• Saturday 17th March - Class 117 DMU
• Sunday 18th March - Class 117 DMU
• Saturday 25th March - Class 117 DMU
• Sunday 26th March - Class 117 DMU

Easter Special Timetable - 1600 Toddington - Cheltenham RC; 1705 Cheltenham RC - Toddington

• Friday 30th March - Class 37, D6948
• Saturday, 31st March - Class 37, D6948
• Sunday, 1st April - Class 37, D6948
• Monday 2nd April - Class 37, D6948

Purple Timetable - 1535 Toddington - Cheltenham RC; 1630 Cheltenham RC - Toddington

• Tuesday, 3rd April - Class 45, 45149
• Wednesday, 4th April - Class 37, 37215
• Thursday, 5th April - Class 45, 45149
• Saturday, 7th April - Class 37, 37215
• Sunday, 8th April - Class 37, 37215
• Tuesday, 10th April - Class 26, D5343
• Wednesday, 11th April - Class 26, D5343
• Thursday, 12th April - Class 26, D5343

Pink Timetable - Broadway - Cheltenham RC - Broadway

• Saturday, 14th April - Class 47, 47376
• Sunday, 15th April - Class 47, 47376

Usual caveats apply - locos may change depending on operational availability.