Headaches all round!

The weekend just passed (25th and 26th September) saw our post-Covid 2021 Diesel Gala. A low-key affair with just our serviceable home fleet out to play. But, nobody told the 'Fates' and the two days were far from low-key and certainly pushed the organisers and Management close to the edge!

Before that, let's head back a week to the continued saga of removing the Compressor motor from the No.2 end of 45149. If you have read last weeks' brief blog then you would know that myself, Dave S and Alex R removed the motor from the nose and left it in the cab ready for the Sunday where Simon T would organise the forklift to remove the motor from the loco. The loco was shunted into the car park at Toddington so that it could be dealt with on reasonably level ground and not the ballast in the yard. Alex was on hand to get a couple of snaps...

The forklift has been edged up to the cab door ready to receive the motor. (Courtesy of A. Raybould)

The motor is carefully eased on to the forks of the forklift ready to be lifted out and placed in the boot of Simon's car. (Courtesy of A. Raybould) 

The motor is now off to be assessed and a plan for repair drawn up. On this subject, don't forget that there is a running day being planned for Friday, 15th October to raise funds for the Cotswold Mainline Diesel Group to help with the continued running of 45149 and D5343. This has been organised by long time 'Peak' enthusiast, Andrew Piper and is a private, ticket only event, not a GWSR event. No ticket - No entry to the site.  You will be able to purchase tickets on the day from the organisers. There will also be buckets on the train for donations. Come along to enjoy 84 miles of 'Peak' haulage and also help out the smallest group on the GWSR. 

The CMDG's other loco, Class 26 D5343, has also continued to have its overhaul of its body work. Time is running out for the loco to be undercover in the David Page shed and so a lot of the work has gone in to making the loco as weatherproof as possible to go back into the yard. This has included the re-fitting of the body side window glass, although the first effort didn't go quite to plan. However, the remainder of the welding has been completed and the focus has now turned to the underframe areas.

D5343 in the confines of the DP shed. By the end of the weekend the loco had been moved to Road 9 so that the remainder of the work requiring the loco to be inside can be completed. 

Friday 24th saw the final preparations for the Weekend festivities. A few members of the department, including Alex, Steve M and Simon T, descended to get the locos in the correct positions - including to pose those that were to be static displays....D6948 was to be shunted into the Car Park at Toddington for cab visits and D8137 and 20228 were to be shunted onto Road 9 so that they could be photographed together in public for the first time. This was to witness possibly the first run of 20228 on GWSR rails since its move from Barry, as Steve decided to use his BR Blue Type 1 as the shunter.

Class 20, 20228 is fired up. Although still not ready for traffic, owner Steve M took the opportunity to get some running in done using the '20' as yard shunter. (Courtesy of A. Raybould)

20228 eases over the pointwork in Toddington yard. (Courtesy of A. Raybould)

Although 20228 is not ready for service a short running stint like this would allow Steve to check for any faults that may still be present after work has been done on the loco. It is still hoped that the 'chopper' will be ready for service later in 2022.

20228 eases its larger, louder cousin, D6948 into the car park at Toddington. Steve and Simon are locked in discussion. (Courtesy of A.Raybould)

  

A sign of things to come! D8137 and 20228 are eased back onto Road 10 ready to be posed for photographers. The hope is that, on special events, the 'choppers' will be paired in multiple to evoke memories of when they worked over the line on coal services. (Courtesy of A. Raybould)

Onto the Saturday and Day 1 of the 2021 Gala. D6948 was being readied to receive its visitors and an impromptu sales stall for the CMDG was set up next to it. The Green Machine's sister, 37215 was already on its way to Winchcombe to pick up the 3rd rake and the remainder of the serviceable locos were being prepped ready to go. The weather hinted at a cracking day - a very unusual event for a Diesel Gala. Perhaps this would lure us all into a false sense of security, as the day certainly wouldn't be all sunshine - even if the weather would be!

Low cloud over the Cotswold hills set a very picturesque scene.

Whilst HoD, Andy D wrestled the access steps on the other side I decided to nip round to get a photo of D6948 with the sun on it. Damn the yard light shadow!

With the steps in place next to D6948 we were open to take visitors. Derek and Mary had opened the CMDG stall and Class 24, 5081, was on its way with the first train south. Star of the show, 47105, was waiting on Siding 1 to take its place on the maroon rake to work the next service south. 

Steve M and Alex R get 5081 under way on the 0900 to CRC. 

Star of the show, 47105 shunts over the pointwork to couple up to the maroon rake in Platform 2. 

With everything seemingly running well, the numbers of cars in the Toddington car park steadily increased and the visitors to the bottom of the car park started to keep myself, Dave S and Andy T busy with questions. However, it wasn't long before the first spanner made its way into the works! Word came through via our Department Whatsapp group that signalling at Gotherington had failed. The Covid layoff has not been good to the signalling at Gotherington and a number of faults have been identified within the box itself. In this instance Stephen H, the rostered Gotherington Signalman, was unable to 'pull off'' signal 4 - the down section signal - and so all Cheltenham bound services would need to be stopped and then authorised to pass the signal at danger. Not a major issue in itself, but would lead to slight delays to services heading south.   

Not long afterwards, Richard S, who was rostered as the Driver on 45149, rushed over from the new mess block and asked if anyone knew where the First Aiders were. On asking why, Richard mentioned that Tony R, his Secondman, had had an accident and cut his head open. After treatment, Tony was taken to A&E for his wound to be glued, This meant a new Secondman had to be rostered but the only person available was our HoD, Andy D....who had only just got back from his holiday and was looking forward to a nice relaxing day! So much for easing back into it!

With 47105 delayed by the signalling issues at Gotherington and Tony R now at A&E in Tewkesbury, Richard S and Andy D have prepped 45149 ready to drop on the back of the next service to Broadway. In the background 47376 'Freightliner 1995' has just arrived with a southbound service.

47105 meets sister 47376 at Toddington. 

As often happens in this situation, a certain level of 'gallows humour' begins to permeate and idle talk moved onto what might next go wrong! After all, bad things go in threes, don't they? Little did we know!

My stead for the afternoon, although on this run 37215 was in the very capable hands of Mark W. 

47105 (with 45149 on the rear) makes a start for Broadway. 5081 has dropped off the back of 47376 which has departed for Cheltenham. (Courtesy of A. Raybould)

45149 brings up the rear. (Courtesy of A. Raybould)

After taking the reins of 37215 at 1340, myself and Secondman, Phil S, headed off to Cheltenham. At Gotherington we were stopped by Signalman, Stephen H, at the token exchange platform with 45149 sat in the loop. On the way down Richard S had reported a track defect on the 'main' at Gotherington. For those unfamiliar with the track layout at Gotherington, after the station the track splits into 'main' and 'loop' lines. These were originally placed when the railway reached Gotherington as the terminus before reaching Cheltenham in 2003. The loop would allow locos to run round the stock to head back north. Now, it was a convenient crossing point when running a three or more train timetable. The 'main' line had suffered from subsidence for a little while, but it was not deemed serious with a small dip in the track adjacent to the errant Signal 4. Richard had reported that this had got worse - it had also been reported on the previous Thursday. We were asked to inspect and proceed if considered safe, reporting our findings to Gotherington and Cheltenham signallers. P'way had also been notified and had left a job at Greet tunnel to come and check. Phil and I agreed that we would proceed at walking pace, with Phil on the ground to check for any further movement as the train rolled over. Phil noticed no further movement and so I notified Stephen in Gotherington box and, on arrival at Cheltenham, notified the Signalman there. We were instructed to run round but we would not be released back north until P'Way and Mark Y (DOO for the day) had decided what to do. It would be around 20 minutes before we were released however, P'Way and Mark had agreed that the 'main' would be closed for further inspection and all services would now have to use the 'loop'. This meant that the timetable for Sunday would now need to be hastily rewritten to remove services crossing at Gotheringon as well as a new operation order being issued to notify traincrew of the temporary changes to signalling and operating procedures when passing through Gotherington. 

Now that the 'main' was closed at Gotherington all services now had to cross at Winchcombe, meaning a long wait for down trains. With yours truly in the Driver's seat of 37215, we cross 5081 with Alex occupying the Secondman's side of the 'Rat's' cab. (Courtesy of A. Raybould)

Back at Toddington, Andy D was now liaising with Peter S (who had organised the event and the timetable) and Mark Y to sort out how the timetable for Sunday would operate now that services could not cross at Gotherington. By the end of the day, a new, special timetable had been created but Andy was beginning to feel the strain and was probably wishing he was back on holiday. However, without his dedication - and that of Peter and Mark - the Sunday may well have been caped. 

The final service of the day was the 'Beerex' although, with most services returning people back to their starting points later than planned, the 47-hauled service was a little light on travellers. However, after the craziness of the day myself, Alex and Dave S decided we would partake in a rare night-time thunder through the Cotswolds. Its a well known fact that Diesels are always louder in the dark and the GWSR takes on a different aura at night. Personally, I would love to have more later running as it brings a different set of driving challenges, however not everyone is willing to give up a late evening and we are perhaps not at the same level as our friends at the SVR in being able to undertake overnight services - even once in a while. 

47105 and 47376 'Freightliner 1995' at Toddington at 2130 on the Saturday night after arrival from Broadway. (Courtesy of A. Raybould)

The culmination of a very long and eventful (stressful?) Day 1 of the 2021 Diesel Gala. 'H' supervises 47376 and 47105, in the hands of Dave M and Chris W, back into the shed at Toddington. 5081 rests on Road 10 ready for Sunday's services. (Courtesy of A. Raybould)

Luckily, the Sunday ran reasonably smoothly and certainly didn't have the same 'excitement' of the Saturday. For those of you who like to get rare bits of track into the book, the next few weeks might give you the opportunity of working 'wrong line' (or 'bang road' if that is your preferred parlance) through the loop at Gotherington - not something that passengers would get an opportunity to do under normal circumstances!

A further collection of pictures from Sunday courtesy of Alex Raybould. 

45149 awaits the passing of 37215 at Winchcombe. 

45149 basks in the sun. 

45149 returns down the unloading road after shunting 5081 into the car park ready for its trip up the M5 to Kidderminster. 

5081 sits in the car park as it awaits its chariot to take it for its weekend away at the Severn Valley Diesel Gala next week.

On Monday, the '24' was picked up by Allely's and tripped up the M5 to our friends at the Severn Valley Railway where she arrived safely. Below is a picture of her loaded and ready to go, courtesy of Kev Jarvis. 

5081 all loaded and ready for its journey to Kidderminster. 

Don't forget, the fun doesn't stop just yet for the Diesel fleet. We still have a number of PURPLE timetable days through the end of September and October with the mainline locos operating the last service to/from Cheltenham. We also have the DMU back in action through the week on the BLUE timetable during October. Diesels will also be used on Santa services this year as the track will be lifted beyond the road bridge at Winchcombe to allow works on the bank slip to begin. This means that there will be no run-round facility and so services will be top and tailed with steam and diesel. 

Our last 'special event' of the year is the biggy!! The GWSR 40th Anniversary Gala takes place on the 6th and 7th November and will see all motive power resources used on probably the most intensive timetable the railway has had. The DMU will be used on shuttle services, there will be a steam hauled freight as well as an intensive passenger service which, it is hoped, makes the railway seem like it is back to being part of the main network but also offers something for everyone, and a little more. Come and help us all celebrate what was never deemed possible except by a determined few that soon became a determined many! Tickets and further details are available here: 

 ==> https://www.gwsr.com/enthusiasts/40th_Anniversary_Celebration.html

  

It'll soon be Christmas!

To anybody who is not fussed about the 'festive' period (like myself) I apologise for the title of the blog this time. However, there is no getting away from the fact that the hours of daylight are getting shorter - as I type this at 1925 on a Monday night, my garden lights are already coming on! - and our erratic weather is getting even more, erm....erratic! Winter, and the end of the running season is in sight. But that doesn't mean that we are packing up and settling down to winter maintenance just yet! In fact the next few months will be far from it. 

We aren't quite at this point just yet, thankfully! Although, with our weather, who knows! (Courtesy of Richard Drewitt)

Next weekend - 25th and 26th September - we have our low key, 2021 Post-Covid Diesel Gala. The five serviceable members of the fleet - 5081, 37215, 45149, 47105 and 47376 'Freightliner 1995' - will all be in service running to a modified PINK timetable. It isn't going to be the full-blooded affair we normally have but, the onus is on making sure the revenue we do make from the day is maximised to help the railway, owning groups and owners as we all move on from the pandemic. 

In addition to the locos running, Class 37 D6948, will be in the car park at Toddington so that visitors can get up close and personal with it whilst it continues to wait for the repairs to its air leak and traction motors. There will also be an opportunity to see both of our Class 20's paired up in the yard at Toddington MPD as well as our shunter fleet. 

You can book tickets, see the timetable and, loco rosters here: ==> https://www.gwsr.com/Autumn_Diesel_Gala_25th_26th_September_2021--post--70.html

The first train from Cheltenham is at 1000, from Broadway at 1030, from Toddington at 0910 (to Cheltenham RC) and 0945 (to Broadway). On Saturday only, the last train to Cheltenham is at 1800 from Toddington and will be top and tailed. 

After this, for all you Class 45, or 'Peak' fans, or those who just like to ride behind/support diesel groups around the country, 45149 will have a 'Diesel Day' on Friday 15th October. This is to help fundraise to support the Cotswold Mainline Diesel Group. The group have been hit, not only with the ongoing repairs to Class 26, D5343, but also the 'Peak' needs a costly repair - more on this later. As a small group, the CMDG are not as financially solvent to cover all the costs as The Growler Group or Brush Type 4 Fund, so need a bit of a helping hand. A small band of enthusiasts led by Andrew Piper, have organised this running day as a fundraising exercise. It will not be an open running day so you will need to purchase a ticket in advance for the day as this will allow you entry through the gates and your travel. No ticket - No travel. There will also be buckets on the train for donations. More details will follow, but if you are interested in attending then you can contact Andrew Piper via email (piper127@virginmedia.com) or via the CMDG via their website ==> http://www.cmdg.online/contact-us.html

The fun doesn't stop there, either! Our 40th Anniversary Mixed Traffic Gala has been moved to the weekend of 6th and 7th November. There will be an incredibly intensive timetable utilising pretty much everything we have that moves - including the DMU and a freight train! On top of this, you will be able to see behind the scenes at our Motive Power and C&W Departments. Final details are still being confirmed but, as always, you can get all the latest on our website: ==> https://www.gwsr.com/enthusiasts/40th_Anniversary_Celebration.html

And, finally, for the first time in a while, the mainline diesel fleet will be utilised on Santa Specials this year as well! Due to the long needed embankment works commencing at Winchcombe at the end of November, no services will be able to head south beyond Winchcombe as the track will need to be lifted. It also means that there will be no run round facility, therefore all services will need to be top and tailed. This will give you, or your kids, the rare opportunity to see 'Santa' by diesel as well as steam. The usual DMU Santa services will also be running. 

Right, sales pitch done, now lets get back to the diesels!

All operational members of the fleet have had running throughout September on both the PURPLE and PINK  timetable days, racking up the mileage. 37215 also got an extra day when it was pressed into service at the last minute to cover for a failed 7820 'Dinmore Manor'. 

37215 sits on P1 at Toddington with the 1000 to Cheltenham on 2nd September, covering for the failure of the rostered steam engine. (Courtesy of Kev Jarvis) 

The weekend just gone was all about 45149 as it was rostered on both the Saturday and Sunday. However, there was a little bit of work to do before it left the shed on the Saturday. A few weeks ago, 'Benson', as 45149 is colloquially known due to the amount of smoking it does, suffered a compressor failure. Luckily it has two of them so is able to remain operational on just the one, however this puts severe pressure on the remaining unit. No.2 end compressor was the one that failed and this had gained a reputation as it was incredibly noisy! So much so, you couldn't have a conversation in the cab when it kicked in! However, it had not long received attention so it was a surprise that it failed. The offending part was diagnosed as the motor so this meant it needed to be removed. Alex R and I set about removing it from the nose end, with a little help from Dave S. 

The whole compressor seen from outside. The compressor is sited on the floor of the nose, with the motor nearest the cab door. 

Bearing in mind, I am used to working in the spacious surroundings of a Class 37, having to work in the stumpy nose of a Class 45 was going to be interesting, as I am a big (wide, as I am often reminded 😉) chap, let alone that it was a two man job! On a Class 37, the access door for the nose opens into the cab....the Class 45, however, opens into the nose, thus reducing the room in there. Poor Alex, being the thinner and younger of the two of us, had to contort himself into the gap between the nose wall and the compressor. 

Alex has wedged himself into the gap between the nose end wall and the compressor.  

He did have a lovely view over the running line across to Stanway! (Courtesy of Alex Raybould)

Armed with sockets and wrenches we set about unbolting the motor from the compressor and from the mounting on the floor. Between the two of us this didn't take too long. A good thing really, as it was very warm in the nose end, even with the side vents opened up. 

The offending motor, in situ. Unscrewing everything was the easy bit. (Courtesy of Alex Raybould)

Once the bolts had all been removed it was then time to remove the motor from its stand and get it into the cab. On the Sunday, Simon and Dave S would then use a forklift to lift it out through the cab door. 

The motor and casing weighs a significant amount and manhandling it was compounded by the confined nature of the nose end. With a bit more dexterity needed than I could provide, Dave S came to give Alex a hand to get it into the cab. 

Alex and Dave try to figure out how to manoeuvre the motor through the door and into the cab. 
 

After much banging and cursing, standard requirements for working on any of the locos, the motor was on the floor in the cab. It was a relief all round as it was getting very close to Alex and Dave having to get ready to prep the loco for service along with Traction Inspector, Tony B. 

The motor is out and ready to be sent for repair. 

The void where the motor will usually sit. From this angle you get an appreciation for just how cramped it is in the nose end. (Courtesy of Alex Raybould)

With lunch done, it was time for Dave, Tony and Alex to go and get the loco prepped ready for service. One of the requirements of a loco only running on one compressor is that each time you change ends, you need to change the compressor changeover dial settings to reflect the need to keep the operational compressor running. This is easy to forget when busy with other operational duties, especially as it happens infrequently, but is reasonably easy to diagnose that you haven't done it....you won't get air!

With Alex now at the controls, under instruction from Tony B, 45149 is eased on to the back of the 1450 to Broadway.

Elsewhere, Dave S had been continuing with his work on Class 26, D5343 before giving Alex and I a hand with 45149. After coating the fibreglass roof section in a new coat of resin, Dave had replaced the missing roof spur and drilled new securing holes for the bolts when the roof section goes back on. This is vital as these are where a lot of the previous water ingress had occurred.

D5343's repaired roof panel. The new roof spur is at the top right.

The loco's time within the David Page shed is coming to an end and it is now a case of getting the '26' as water tight as possible before it is shunted back in to the yard. Dave had completed most of the welding on Saturday with a small amount left to do on Sunday, so it was time to get the grinder out on the welds to smooth the knots down. 

Primer has now been added to the areas that have been smoothed down. 

More needle gunning has also been done on the sole bar, bogies and buffer beams to take it back to the metal work. This will also be primed in due course and repainted. The loco itself will eventually be repainted using the paint left over from the repaint of 47105.

October sees the mainline fleet stood down, except for PURPLE timetable running on Saturdays. The BLUE off peak timetable is in operation throughout the month with DMU getting back in on the action. The DMU Group have been busy readying the Class 117 set for its return to service. A suspected failed alternator on one of the engines was traced to a loose wire whilst the lubricants and oils were topped up and the brakes tightened. 

The Class 117 is placed over the pits so that it can be checked over prior to starting back in service. (Courtesy of the GWSR DMU Group) 

Whilst this was being undertaken, Kevin and Bryan were continuing to fit more door backings on the Class 122. 

One of the shiny new door backings on the 'Bubble'. (Courtesy of the GWSR DMU Group)

September Summer Sun

The weekend just gone was unseasonably warm giving one last hurrah for those enjoying their 'staycations' before the kids go back to school. This meant that numbers at the railway were, again, pretty good and encouraging from a financial point of view. The preceding week was also pretty busy and even saw an impromptu diesel turn on Thursday, 2nd September when the rostered steam engine, 7820 'Dinmore Manor' failed on shed. Although 45149 was rostered to work the final trip, the booked crew were not present to get it prepped so 37215, along with Kev J, was pressed into service for the whole day and the 'Peak' missed out. However, the weekend was all 'Peak' action with the Saturday PURPLE and Sunday PINK timetables both rostered for 45149. 

On Saturday, I was rostered with our Traction Inspector, Tony B, to take on the last round trip. The 'Peak' is currently running on one compressor after the failure of its second one a couple of weekends ago and so prepping took a little longer than we thought as we waited for the air to build sufficiently. Despite this, and a little (non-loco related) issue leaving Broadway, the loco worked without problem...as it also did on the Sunday. 

On arrival at Broadway, 45149 awaits the return to Cheltenham. 

On arrival at Broadway there was a regular visitor sat next to the station building...

Former LT Routemaster, RL2478. Complete with bicycle 'friend'.

Former London Transport Routemaster bus, RL2478 was parked up with its owner enjoying a cuppa from Broadway buffet. This classic vehicle is a common visitor to the Bus Galas that are run at the railway and was also a regular as Bertie the Bus when we ran our 'Thomas and Friends' events. 

On getting home, I was met with a fantastic comparison of how the railway looked in 1967 and how it looked on Saturday. Whilst on duty with P'Way, Andrew Stratford had taken a photo of 45149 heading past the temporary speed restriction at Station Road bridge, Bishops Cleeve on its way to Cheltenham and posted it on social media. This was followed by a post from long time department member/supporter, Tom Cullimore, containing a photo from the collection of the late Bill Potter. This photo showed D86 (later fellow ETH fitted, 45105) passing the exact same spot with a Derby to Bristol TM working on the 28 May 1967....54 years earlier! Both pictures are posted below, courtesy of Andrew and Tom. Thanks chaps. 

45149 on 04/09/2021.

D86 on 28/05/1967

What a difference!!

The yard at Toddington was rather busy on Saturday with lots going on as usual around the Class 26 and on the Class 47's. Dave M and Ian R were busy with some minor maintenance tasks on 47105 in readiness for its upcoming use during the week and over the weekend. 

A hark back to any BR depot in the 1980s. 47105 and 37215, both with domino headcodes, sit at the front of the diesel shed.   

Work on the Class 26 was back in the hands of Dave S, Gareth J and Ian C. Dave had finished the repairs and restorations on the fibre glass roof section which was laid out between 47105 and 37215 (you can just see it in the photo above) to rest and harden. The roof section has had the corners repaired with new fibre glass whilst the whole section has been recovered in resin to stave off water ingress. Gareth was back to the sanding whilst Dave carried on with some of the outstanding welding. 

D5343 sits in the David Page Shed as work continues on the body work. 

The loco has also had a start made with priming the body sides as the metal work is smoothed down and filler added where necessary. The loco's tenure in the DP Shed is slowly coming to an end so the race is on to make it water tight for the winter.

Elsewhere in the yard, a couple of Mk.1 coaches had turned up. One, 25646 'Tina' the former Steam Department mess coach, has been sold and is due to leave the railway soon to become a Café at Lyme Regis. This was parked in the Parlour siding next to Toddington Station. This has been shunted out from its resting place next to the Goods Shed on siding 2. God only knows how long it had been there! We also had another in the yard. SK 25501, which is off to become an 'orangery/lounge....apparently!

SK 25501 waits for the off to its new home. 

The DMU's have also been seeing some significant work, particularly with efforts to get L425 ready for its first use since 2019. The Class 117 set has had some attention to its body work to ward off some of the corrosion that has appeared whilst it has languished in the yard. It will need an FTR exam and a spruce up before its first run out at the end of September to allow the Traction Inspectors to get back into competence for assessing the Drivers for the upcoming services in October. 

The Class 117 set basks in the glorious September sun. It returns to action in October on our BLUE off-peak timetable.

The Class 122, W55003, has also had work continuing on it. Kevin and Richard glued up a few more of the window frames before modifying the jig to suit the smaller half windows. These are the last ones to glue. Bryan worked on fitting nut inserts to the doors to secure the new door panels. Spare Class 117, DMBS, W51360, also received some anti corrosion work courtesy of Tom. Photos below are courtesy of the GWSR DMU Group Facebook site. 

W51360 receives some of the anti-corrosion treatment. 

On Sunday and Monday, Class 20, D8137 was prepped and the Traction Motor install was completed using the A-Frame in the David Page shed. The bogie was shunted into the shed before the traction motor was manoeuvred in to position. Loco owner Steve M, ably assisted by Kev J and Mark E, had the motor in by the end of the day. It is now hoped that, with successful proving, the loco can be reunited with its bogies and a full test can be done before the end of the year. Below are some pictures, courtesy of Kev Jarvis, of the lift. 

Steve M prepares the axle and motor gearing ready to receive the traction motor.

The motor is carefully lifted and moved into position. 

The motor in situ. Plenty is still to be done before testing can take place. 

Finally, a reminder the the weekend of 25/26 September sees our Diesel Gala featuring all of our serviceable home fleet. We will also have cab visits with D6948 in Toddington Car Park, as well as having D8137 and 20228 posed in the yard for photographs. Details are on the GWSR website including ticket booking, the timetables and loco rosters. 

 

Our '40th Anniversary' event has also been pushed back to the weekend of the 6/7 November, due to a conflict with a racing event at Cheltenham Race Course. Again, full details can be found on the GWSR website.