Its all about the C (or X)-Word!

Nothing to do with unsavoury language, nor to do with some virus thing that is doing the rounds (you really would have to be living under a rock not to know that one!) but Christmas. Or Xmas, if you prefer the abridged version.

Since the end of November it has all been about the Santa Trains and, this year, we are having to top and tail services between Toddington and Winchcombe 'The North Pole' due to major embankment works that have started on the opposite side of Greet Road bridge to Winchcombe station. For those that remember this is the slip at the site of the old Harvest Home pub that has required the huge 'Lego' blocks to be placed next to the turnout between the bridge and Greet Tunnel. 

On 11th December, Class 24, 5081 and Class 37, 37215 are on the north end of the two Santa sets with steam locos on the south end. Courtesy of John Garrett.

The roster originally had a reasonably equal amount of running for our serviceable mainline fleet with the Class 117 operating the Toddington-Broadway services. However, quick changes have had to be made as Class 45, 45149 was withdrawn from the roster and then 37215 was withdrawn after suffering a power fault that was traced back to the engine governor air piston. Swift repairs meant that 37215 was back in traffic within the week - the picture above being its first day back. In the meantime Class 47, 47376 'Freightliner 1995' had an extra run to cover. Sadly, the 'Peak' is now out of service for the remainder of the year. 

With 37215 having been declared a failure the night before, 47376 was hastily readied on the 4th December to work the Santa Trains. 47105 was originally booked power for Train 2. Courtesy of John Garrett. 

 

47376 sits next to 37215, the loco it replaced on the 4th December. Courtesy of John Garrett.  

The Class 117 set at Toddington on 12 December on the 'Ride with Santa' service. Courtesy of the GWSR DMU Facebook page. 

We have just one week of Santa trains left before the last hurrah for this season with the ORANGE timetable which, because of the works at Winchcombe, means that services will be top and tailed again with services running between Winchcombe and Broadway. 37215 and one of the 47's will be in use for these days, so come join us for some post Christmas mixed traffic action.

Finally, December 5th was International Volunteer Day and, with the GWsR being a 99% volunteer-run railway, it was an opportunity to raise a metaphorical glass to everyone who helps to keep the railway running. On our Twitter feed (@GWSRDiesels), and across the various owning group feeds, there were a selection of photos highlighting the work that the members of the Diesel Department undertake to keep these machines running. A small selection, some stretching back a number of years showing much younger depictions of some of our volunteers, are included below (the first five are courtesy of Richard Drewitt)….

As you can see, it's not all about 'playing trains' and there is a huge amount that goes on behind the scenes. We, as a whole railway not just the Diesel Department, are always looking for volunteers so, if you feel a New Years resolution coming on to get involved, then head over to the GWRT website and express an interest - https://www.gwrt.org.uk/Volunteering.html. 

You may have to be patient for some departments as they may only require volunteers when there is a specific need, but it is always worth getting involved elsewhere and learning how the railway runs - many volunteers have several roles across the railway, if their spare time allows - but others may only do one role and only do a few days a month. There is, literally, something for everyone!!  

Finally, here's hoping you all have a peaceful and joyful Xmas and New Year!

Courtesy of Richard Drewitt.

Get to the chopper!!

An apt phrase from one of my favourite 'Arnie' films, but in this case there is no unearthly killing machine in the general vicinity nor any downed helicopter pre-tense! Instead, the 'chopper' in this instance was Class 20, D8137 and the reason for 'getting to it' was to help out with reuniting it with its bogies after its Traction Motor swap. On the Saturday the loco had been moved in to the David Page Shed and the brackets fitted ready for lifting the body from the accommodation bogies and that was where it was found on the Sunday. 

Tim L has a conflab with D8137's owner, Steve M, about the set up on the synchronised jacks. 

The loco has been out of service since it's Traction Motor on the cab-end bogie failed in 2019. You can see the effects of two years outside in the elements on the yellow nose which has faded to a ghostly lemony colour. 

Once all the jacks had been plugged in to the control desk and checked for correct working the lift was ready to commence. To make sure everything was going well Tim L was given the role of 'Lift Leader' and each jack had one of us checking that everything was all above board. Carefully, the 'chopper' was lifted in stages so that any issues could be identified and rectified quickly. 

With the loco now in the air and clear of the accommodation bogies we could start to move things around. 

With the loco in the air we could then start to move the accommodation bogies away and bring the original bogies, complete with new traction motors, in from the Diesel shed and under the loco. It also gave Steve a chance to go around and check for anything under the loco that may indicate other issues or the potential for issues. 

When the loco is in the air it gives an opportunity to check parts that you don't often see! A variety of fuel and air lines, air tanks, filters and pumps. 

Just to the left of centre you can see the pillar that will sit in the hole on top of the bogie. This needed a little greasing after having accumulated dirt and grease removed. 

After shifting out the front bogie without issue between 5 of us, using brute force, the second bogie didn't want to play ball and wouldn't shift. This required a bit more power in the shape of Class 04, D2280, a long strop and some very careful movements. Once carefully extricated from under the '20', the bogie could then be moved away and the original set brought forward into the DP Shed. 

The first bogie in. In the centre of the bogie is one of the Traction Motors that has been replaced. The brass tipped things sticking up are the electrical cables that will be plugged into boxes under the loco. These take the electrical current from the batteries and generator down to the motors. 

The original bogies were much more agreeable to being moved manually and, within a short time, they were back where they belonged and the loco was ready to be brought down onto them for the first time in two and a bit years. 

Careful!! Careful!!

Contact! The 'chopper' is down. 

The whole process of bringing the loco back onto its bogies took just over 4 hours, however, the preparation had been completed on the Saturday and the final stages will be completed over the coming weeks. This included hooking up all the electrical cables, testing these for correct current and operation, connecting all the brake rigging and pipework as well as then finally doing a full shakedown test. It's then on to the Fitness To Run exams, which will include a full B Exam, so the process is far from completed. However, it bodes well for D8137 to be back in service at the start of the 2022 season. Fingers crossed!

Whilst we were busy with the Class 20, elsewhere on the railway the Santa Season was getting into full swing. Every year (last year excepted, of course) the GWSR offers a local charity for children the opportunity for them to visit to the 'North Pole' (Winchcombe) to meet Santa by train. It gives the opportunity to visit the railway without the hustle and bustle of a normal Santa train which can be intimidating or challenging for children who may be disabled or have sensory issues. This year it was the James Hopkins Trust which is based in Gloucester. They provide support and nursing care for children who have life limiting or life threatening conditions and their families (https://www.jameshopkinstrust.org.uk). This always signals the start of our Santa season and for this year all services, except the DMU services to Broadway, will be top and tailed. Class 37, 37215 was given the honour of providing half the motive power for the charity Santa services along with BR(W) Modified Hall, 7093 'Foremarke Hall'.

With 'Foremark Hall' starting to power away from the token exchange, 37215 plays tail-gunner on the 1300 service to Santa. Safe to say there were lots of smiling faces at the windows - children and parents alike! 

The reason for all services over Christmas and the New Year being top and tailed is that the line is now severed at Winchcombe beyond the Greet Road bridge so that the embankment slip can be repaired behind the new houses built on the site of the old Harvest Home Public House. In order to access the site the contractors have had to lay down some Terram across the tracks and then lay a large amount of spent dirt and ballast on top so that a large crane can be brought in. It also provides a roadway for the construction vehicles rather than lift the tracks completely. You can see some pictures of this on our sister 'Heritage Herald' blog here ==> http://haylesabbeyhalt.blogspot.com/2021/11/getting-wintery-now.html. There is also a section about the rail replacement work at Dixton Cutting - something that has been mentioned in these blogs recently as 37215 and 47105 have both been utilised on rail drop trains in the Dixton and Gotherington locale. 

Meanwhile, back in the yard, at the start of the day a shunt had taken place so that the bogies for D8137 could be rolled out from the back of Diesel Shed. At the same time, Class 26, D5343 needed to be moved outside for Dave S and Alex R to continue more work on the body. The loco has been allowed back into the DP Shed whilst BR(W) Manor, 7820 'Dinmore Manor' is away on holiday, which is somewhat fortuitous with the impending weather forecast for the next week or so!

Whilst 'DES' was being fired up to move the Class 20 bogies, 11230 was used to draw the '26' from the DP Shed. 

By the afternoon the weather had changed from a cold, but bright day to a cold and overcast day. However, the intrepid two-some of Dave S and Alex R continue with the bodywork attention.

More welding work has been completed by Dave S inside of D5343 while more sanding and application of Red Oxide has expanded the patchwork appearance of the body sides. Needle gunning has also taken care of the bogies, buffers and solebar paintwork with grey undercoat now being applied in patches. The no.1 end secondman's cabside has also seen a trial application of BR Blue topcoat. 

With 'DES' fired up, Tim L then pulled Class 24, 5081 and Class 20, 20228 out into the yard to get access to the bogies at the back of the shed. Coupled together, the two locos provide a hark back to the Scottish Highland motive power scene of the 1970s when the classes were often paired on services. 

It could almost be Fort William in the 1970s! 5081 and 20228 in Toddington Yard. 

In the shed, two compressors were parked near the door. They appeared freshly painted, indicating the likelihood that they were overhauled spares. 

Two painted Class 37 compressors. 

In fact, they are two spare Growler Group compressors that it was hoped might be able to be transferred into 37215 in place of the current compressors that are leaking. However, these have been inspected by  Technical Officer, Paul G, and it appears that they are not as complete as had been first thought. What the ongoing plans are are still being discussed, but the compressors on 37215 are likely to be removed during the winter shutdown for a closer inspection of the compressors. A decision on sister Class 37, D6948's ongoing bracket conundrum is hopefully to be made shortly. The loco has been prepped for a lift, bogie refurbishment and repairs to a long standing air leak since before Covid lockdown however the brackets we normally borrow from our friends at Bo'ness are in long term use by their owners. It is likely that the owners of D6948 as well as the Growler Group will consent to the purchase of a set of pins and brackets, however cost is a big factor...especially when the owners of D6948 also have a potentially costly decision to make regarding the loco's boiler coil which failed its steam pressure test earlier in the year. And I thought the costs of running a performance car were bad!! 😕 

37215 back on shed after its Santa exploits. 

Brush Type 4 loco 47376 'Freightliner 1995' was receiving some attention to both of its cabs courtesy of Rich W and Matt P. With the overhaul of 47105 completed it is time to give some TLC to the 47/3 which has been a reliable performer whilst its sister has been out of action. However, of course, that comes at a cost and the cabs have received ongoing attention throughout the last few years to combat the wear and tear of use. During 2021, the cab floors have had attention to repair corrosion damage but also to give the cab area a bit of a tidy up and refresh. 

To round off a busy Sunday, the Class 117 was having some attention after its return to action in October on the BLUE timetable whilst a small band were back at it on the Class 122 as the restoration starts to gather pace on the 'Bubble'. The Class 117 received an A exam ready for its Santa duties along with ironing out a couple of small 'running in' issues from its use in October. 

After the Santa services, at the end of December and into January 2022, the timetable is a special ORANGE timetable to reflect the severing of the line at Winchcombe. Services will be top and tailed and will run between Winchcombe and Broadway. The timetables are available on the GWSR website. The current loco roster is as follows, but is subject to change if failures occur -

27 Dec    - 37215 and 47xxx

28 Dec    - 37215 and 47xxx

29 Dec    - 45149 and 47xxx

30 Dec    - 45149 and 47xxx

31 Dec    - 37215 and 47xxx

01 Jan    - 37215 and 45149

02 Jan    - 37215 and 47xxx

03 Jan    - 37215 and 47xxx

Santa services are all sold out and no tickets will be available on the day, however, if you are planning on attending to take photos of the locos then you will be able to have access to the car park at Toddington or from the usual vantage points along the line. Access to the platforms will be strictly limited to those people with tickets to travel. The loco roster is as follows - 

27 Nov    - 37215 and 47105

28 Nov    - 5081 and TBC

04 Dec    - 37215, 47xxx, DMU

05 Dec    - 37215, 45149, DMU

11 Dec    - 5081, 45149, DMU

12 Dec    - 5081, 45149, DMU

18 Dec    - 37215, 45149, DMU

19 Dec    - 47105, 47376, DMU

21 Dec    - 37215, 45149, DMU

22 Dec    - 37215, 45149, DMU

23 Dec    - 37215, 45149, DMU

24 Dec    - 37215, TBC, DMU

Party Time!

The weekend of 6/7 November was our much anticipated, and rearranged, 40th Anniversary Gala. What a weekend it turned out to be!! After the struggles and strains, disappointments and challenges of Covid this was something that we probably needed to show that things are pretty much back to a level of normality on the railway, and to give one final big blow out before our Winter shut down...particularly important this year as the line will be severed over the Winter at Winchcombe as well as having some major P'way upgrades done.

37215 in Dixton on the first rail drop in October. 

In line with the P'way work, the diesels (particularly 37215 and 47105) have been put to use on rail trains in the last few weeks providing a little bit of difference to the normal routine of passenger services for those crew volunteering to complete the turn. Dixton is seeing a lot of the rail replacement work, and with the line being severed at Winchcombe, this is the only available time we have to get the rails to where they need to be.

47105 dwarfs the P'way Landie at Dixton on the 2nd rail drop on 02 Nov. (Courtesy of Matt Pickford)

37215 out and about again at Gotherington on 09 Nov. (Courtesy Kevin Jarvis)

The work is a little mundane - drive to the site, sit around whilst unloading, move a bit, sit around when unloading and repeat - but, as crew, we have to do things a little differently and there are rules and procedures involved that we don't get much experience in normally. It also gives us a chance to get photos in positions not accessible to the public, or in places we would not normally stop. 

It also gives us the chance to challenge the members of the public that like to use our line as a 'recreational space' when timetabled services are not running. They seem to think that we only run on the days that are publicly advertised! 

In between all this 'fun' there has been ongoing work in the week getting the preparations for the 40th Anniversary Gala completed. Class 26, D5343, has been fitted with a poncho ready for the winter and is now outside in the yard at Toddington. This was, on one hand, to provide space in the David Page shed for the stands and displays for the Gala, but also because the bodywork repairs that needed the loco to be dry have been mostly completed. This will mean attention will turn to the inside work over Winter, with any external work having to wait for days that are of good weather. 37215 was used on the Friday to pick up the wagons from Winchcombe that were making up the freight train. Neil C had the pleasure of this turn along with Mike S from the Steam Department. 

Probably the least photographed of the diesel fleet, Class 03, D2182, shunts the second portion of the freight up to 37215 and the first portion at Winchcombe. (Courtesy of the GWSR C&W Blog)

There was also a shunt undertaken in the Yard at Toddington in order to get locos in the right places for the early starts on the morning of the Saturday - the first train saw 47105 along with 7820 'Dinmore Manor' and 7903 'Foremarke Hall' heading to Winchcombe at 0815. The last thing the crews would want at that time of the morning was to shunt the yard!

Rostered on 37215 on the Saturday, I had the much more pleasant sign on of 0900, although myself, Andy T - my Secondman (or, at least he was at the end of the shift! Congrats, Andy! 👍) - and Tony B - one of the Department's Traction Inspectors, assessing Andy - had a lot of sitting about after prepping the loco before we worked our first service. Just how the timetable fell. With Day 1 of the Gala, 37215 and 47105 were joined by Class 24, 5081, and the DMU. Day 2 would see 47376 'Freightliner 1995' and 45149 replace 47105 and 5081.

While we waited in the Parlour Road, 47105 propels the maroon rake into Siding 1 before joining up with the '24' to head back south. 37215 would then couple to the maroon rake to await a path to Broadway. 

The car park at Toddington was already full by 0900 and cars were being directed to our overflow field. Cheltenham Race Course was seeing a similar number of arrivals which meant that all the trains throughout the day were full. A great reception considering the ongoing doom and gloom of Covid. 

D6948, once again, performed the same duty as it did during the Diesel Gala in September. The loco was placed in the car park and cab visits were offered for a donation. Over the course of two days nearly £300 was received in kind donations. Locos not in use including those that are unserviceable - 20228, D8137, D5343 and the Toddington Shunters - were all placed in the yard so to allow photographs to be taken. The mezzanine platform of 'The Goods Shed' was also opened up to the public so that they could see the railway from a different view point. 

One of the more anticipated parts of the timetable was the running of a Goods service utilising the recently restored (and impressively so!) 'Queen Mary' Brake Van. This would offer those wishing to brave the cold, the opportunity to part with £10 and have a ride on the veranda. Not surprisingly, this was very well patronised but was exclusively steam hauled.

The Goods arrives at Toddington P1 ready to pick up its first customers. 

47105 and 5081 head south following the Goods train.....

     

…quickly followed by the Class 117.

Another highlight was the intensive timetable that was devised by the organisers. This allowed for both shuttle services, generally formed of the DMU, as well as full line services to operate without being obstructive or just a procession of trains. It did give a feeling of a main line still in regular, long haul use. In the run up to the event talk had been about whether it was too ambitious a timetable but, other than an issue at the end of the day with the DMU and Diesel 3 having conflicting moves (easily sorted on the Saturday by an 'on the ball' Signalman), everything ran well and any delays were absorbed in the loco changes and run round times at Broadway and CRC. The biggest concern by the end of Saturday was whether RCS would have enough refreshments for the Sunday!!

At Broadway waiting for the 'RA' to CRC.

The one element that I was particularly looking forward to was the opportunity to run in the dark - not something that we do too often on the diesels - yet, it is a great experience. It tests your route knowledge as well as just giving you a different experience. With the clocks going back on the weekend before meant that it was starting to get dark at just after 1600.

Taken at 1629, you can already see the domino lights starting to shine through. 

By the time we reached Broadway it was dark!

After running round at Broadway, this was taken at 1715 as we waited to leave for Toddington!

Having only had one previous run in the dark, back in 2017 as a Secondman, this was a great challenge for me as well as for Andy, who had successfully negotiated his Secondman assessment and could relax and enjoy the experience. 

1900 - back on shed after running light engine from Winchcombe. If it wasn't for the shed lights on the David Page shed then the yard would have had a very different feeling.

Alex R joined us on the final run (Alex was crewing on the Sunday) to experience the ride in the dark and took a few pics of the trip. 

After arrival at Winchcombe with the ECS. (Courtesy of Alex Raybould)

A view from the cab on run round. (Courtesy of Alex Raybould)

On arrival back on shed, it was time to dispose and lock the loco ready for the crew on the Sunday. Shunting had taken place in order to move 5081 back into the shed and swap 47376 to the front of road 11 with its sister, 47105, going in behind. 

47376 'Freightliner 1995' all prepped ready for the Sunday morning. 

5081 is placed back in the shed in front of the near-ready bogies from D8137.

5081 and 47105 slumber in the shed after their exertions during the day. (Courtesy of Alex Raybould)

Anecdotally, Sunday was a little quieter. However, the initial finances appear to show a significant profit has been made that will see the railway through the major works planned through the winter. Alex has very kindly provided some shots from his turn on the Sunday.

After being on the late finish on Saturday, 37215 was on the early turn on the Sunday. This started with a triple-loco convoy to Winchcombe with Foremarke Hall and Dinmore Manor. (Courtesy of Alex Raybould)

During the day, 37215 was paired with 'Peak' 45149. Seen at Cheltenham. (Courtesy of Alex Raybould)

After 'missing a turn', the 'Peak' and 'Tractor' head back north. Seen at Winchcombe. (Courtesy of Alex Raybould).

On the subject of the Winter season, mainline diesels will be utilised on Santa Specials for the first time in a long while - of course, the DMU is utilised a lot on Santa trains normally. However, diesels will be top and tailing with steam as there will be no running round capability at Winchcombe due to long awaited works on the embankment slip on the tunnel side of Greet Road bridge. This will also mean that our Xmas and New Year timetable will also utilise TnT running between Winchcombe and Broadway on a new 'ORANGE'  timetable. Details of this timetable are on the GWSR website. 

On the maintenance front, Class 20, D8137, progresses further towards its return to service. The wait is on for a window in the diary for the lifting jacks so that the bogies can be replaced back under the loco. This will then allow the reconnection of all the electricals and then a thorough test to take place. Owner, Steve M, is looking to get D8137 back in service early in the new running season. Focus can then switch to Steve's other Class 20, 20228 which still requires some work to complete its overhaul. 

'McRat' D5343, as mentioned, is now under tarpaulin and is back outside in the yard. Work on its bodysides continues with sanding and needle gunning continuing when the weather allows. The welding is complete for now and the glass that has been removed from the engine room windows is due to be replaced. Work has also been continuing internally, however the heavy engine work - replacing the liners - is very much on the cards for 2022. All serviceable locos will have some work completed over the winter shutdown that includes routine maintenance tasks, B Exams, as well as some minor repairs on issues that have cropped up during the running season.