What a show!!

It's nearly a week on from our flagship event, the Summer Diesel Gala, and the general feeling is one of exhausted elation. Exhausted, as the weekend was incredibly busy, warm and predominantly sunny. Elation, because we put on one hell of a show!! Safe to say that it was probably the best gala that I have been involved with since joining the railway in 2013. When you look back at some of the previous events, that is some claim!

The money shot! (Alex Raybould)

Of course, our visitor was a high profile one in English Electric/Napier Type 5, or Class 55, 'Deltic' 55019 'Royal Highland Fusilier' and this probably played a big part in the success of the three days as these locos have a huge following in railway (and non-railway) circles, but it was also the gala debut of Class 20, 20228, although it was a non-runner; the first gala of 47105 since the end of it's comprehensive restoration and, the first gala since 'bubble car', W55003 had been outshopped in it's new coat of BR Green. Beyond that, it was the first Diesel Gala since 2019. 

The main attraction, 55019 enters Winchcombe on 29 July 2022.

Certainly, initial results have given some excellent indications of how successful the weekend has been. Even on the Saturday, our Gala organiser, Peter Smith, was pleased to tell us that the event had broken even on the Friday afternoon!! If the indications bear out then it would not only be a hugely successful event for the department and the railway, but it will be a fitting swansong for Peter who is stepping down as Gala Event Organiser after 10 years.  

Before all of the fun was the preparation. This normally starts the weekend before the Gala itself and goes on throughout the week. This will involve getting the locos looking their best, ironing out any minor faults, cleaning the shed, planning where everything will go (especially for the photo at the beginning of the blog) and then ensuring all rosters and movement orders are printed off. Peter may have been the one to organise the event itself but, without the input of everyone from the Roster Clerks to the maintenance personnel, it truly is a team effort. 

The weekend of the 23/24 July saw the start of the preparation. 47105 had already had a spruce up prior to working it's Diesel Ex and, the weekend saw Class 45, 45149 have it's wash and wax. It is amazing just how much difference a wax can make on faded and weatherworn paintwork. The following photos are by Alex Raybould.

45149 in it's weather-beaten and faded BR Blue. 

After a few hours of combined elbow grease, the 'Peak' gleams in the late afternoon sun.

For those wondering, it is no different to washing and waxing the car.....only a car that is 68 feet long and weighing 139 tonnes!

New volunteer Harry gets to grips with the Turtle Wax and the buffer.

 

Harrison and Tom start from the other end. 

The 'Peak' was also receiving some running repairs after blowing a resistor earlier in the week. This caused the loco to shut down just prior to heading out to work a service train. With the Gala now out of the way, 45149 will be removed from traffic so that work can be started on rectifying an electrical fault at No. 1 end that has left the loco with no working lights at that end - hence the use of a headlamp at that end over the last few weeks. There is also a diesel leak that can also be looked at. 

It was then the 'Wednesday Gang' on the 27 July that then had the job of getting the shed cleaned and the locos being used as static displays were placed in the right places. The previous blog has the details of that, which also culminated in a mass shunt. 

'Welsh Deltic' and 'Deltic'! 37215 and big brother, 55019.

Andy T and Kev J get to grips with cleaning the shed floor and making a start on the exhibits. 

With the cleaning on Road 11 continuing, John G and Paul C get ready to shift 20228 and 37215 out of Road 10. 

A huge shunt was also conducted on the Thursday so that locos would be in the correct places to start on Friday, but to also get the epic photo that you can see at the very beginning of this blog. Six BR Blue liveried locomotives lined up in front of the shed building - is there any other heritage railway that could give a shot like that??

It also allowed for some 'group' shots, too. 55019, 37215, 45149 and 47105. (Alex Raybould)

Know your noses! Each of these locomotives have been queried by people as being a 'Deltic', but only one actually is! (Alex Raybould)

The photo above was taken by Alex in response to a common question we get asked about our locos that have noses......'is that a Deltic?' On one of our service trains prior to the Gala, one punter was heard to exclaim very loudly on seeing 45149 that 'the Deltic had arrived early!' 

For those who don't know, from left to right we have a Class 45 'Peak', a Class 37 'Tractor/Growler' and the real 'Deltic', the Class 55, on the right. 

In all seriousness, and with tongue firmly removed from cheek, most of our visitors wouldn't know the difference from one loco to the next, so part of the Gala experience is to educate so that people are a little more knowledgeable of the differences. This also includes the component parts of the loco, the differences in design or engines and the loco classes and uses. Over the Gala we had a number of exhibits that people could visit and get up close and personal with. This included having Class 26, D5343 and Class 37, D6948 as exhibits in the diesel shed and offering visits to the engine room (Class 26) and cab (Class 37). 

Being part way through it's overhaul, D5343 gave a great opportunity to demonstrate the level of work that goes into restoring these locos. It also gave the opportunity for people to get up close to the engine. 

D6948 was used for cab visits while it awaits it's body lift and repairs. 

Not only were these two locos used as static exhibits, we also had some engine and ancillary parts on display for people to look at and read about. This included some reclaimed items from Class 37, 37207 that the Growler Group purchased to back up their own spares. 37207 is being used as a donor for a new hybrid diesel/battery loco experiment and is being completely re-engined...hence the availability of these spares. 

A brake cylinder from a Class 45.

Blowers from 37207 that will be used for spares on 37215 and D6948. 

Compressor from a Class 37.

A pair of exhausters from a Class 37.

We also had other exhibits that ranged from other loco owning groups, model shops and railwayana sellers. All to raise the profile of the diesels on the GWSR and other railways. Finally, Class 20, 20228 was placed outside the old Goods Shed, over the coaling and disposal pit, so that visitors could see the final stages of the comprehensive restoration of the 'Chopper'. 

20228 sits in the morning sun at Toddington on 29 July 2022.

At various points during the Gala, the other Class 20, 20137, was stabled in front of 20228 to give a glimpse into the eventual pairing of the locos when the restoration is complete on 'the blue one'.

In contrast, 20228 and 20137 stabled up for the night on 30 July 2022.

So, onto the Gala itself. Friday is, historically, the 2nd busiest day of the Gala however, by 0930, the car park at Toddington was half full! Rather than have an empty car park and use the adjacent field, it was decided to keep the field as back up and, although it wasn't used, we still needed to open up the area in front of the old Garden Centre which is normally reserved for coaches! The weather was glorious, continuing the trend of the previous month or so and, despite a few scattered showers on Saturday and Sunday, it stayed that way for the whole weekend. Very rare! 

The Deltic was one of the first locos off shed so that might have been a good reason for the early arrivals!

37215 on the back of a Broadway bound service as 45149 arrives with a mid-morning service for CRC. You can see that there were already a huge number of attendees. 29 July 2022. (Alex Raybould)

The first ever arrival of a 'Deltic' on a service train at Cheltenham Race Course! 29 July 2022. (Alex Raybould)

I didn't get the opportunity for many photos on Day 1 as I was crewing on 37215 for the first time since the repairs to its generator were completed. 

37215 ready for departure from Broadway on 29 July 2022. 

On arrival at Toddington, 47376 'Freightliner 1995' was attached to the back of the next north-bound service. 

One great thing about Gala's is it gives an opportunity to meet up with people that you may not have seen for some time. This Gala gave us a double whammy. Two of our longstanding volunteers from within the Cotswold Mainline Diesel Group had, at different times, to stand down from their respective activities due to serious health issues. Mike Pember and Richard Graves were both instrumental in restoring and operating both D5343 and 45149 after their arrivals on the railway and it was absolutely fantastic to see them attend Day 1, and both look so well. Mike was to pop in for Days 2 and 3 as well.  Safe to say it gave everyone a lift to see them both. Alex captured a wonderful photo of both at Broadway on 45149.

Mike Pember (l) and Richard Graves reacquaint themselves with old friend, 45149. Both had worked on the initial restorations of 45149 and D5343, as well as being footplate crew until being medically retired.  

Day 2 carried on from where day 1 had ended. Despite the heritage bus operator dropping out at the last moment, and several mainline TOCs on strike, the car park at Toddington was again half full by about 0930 - and was completely full by about 1030. Again, I was rostered, this time on 45149 on the early turn. 

What a line up to arrive to! It could almost be a depot open day in the 1970s!

Class 122, 'bubble car', W55003 was supposed to be at Toddington as part of the static exhibits following its external repaint. However, asbestos was identified as being still present internally and so it remains at Winchcombe until the experts can come in and remove it. However, it made for a a great sight on arriving at Winchcombe from the north as it was parked in the bay. 

W55003 sits at Winchcombe on 30 July 2022.

The 'bubble' looks fantastic in it's new green coat and, hopefully, it will be ready in time for next years running season. 

One of the challenges on Gala or three-plus train operating days is the double token exchanges at Winchcombe and at Gotherington. Winchcombe is a normal event as you generally cross the other service there. However, Gotherington is normally switched out on two-train days and so token exchanges don't happen. Gotherington has a big issue for both crews and the signalman....the token exchange platform! It requires both the signalman and the secondman of the loco to be slightly off balance when performing the exchange and can cause a token to be dropped. 

Signalman Robin Walker stretches up towards the cab of Class 24, 5081 for the double exchange. The northbound exchange is much easier as the token is passed out of the box window!

Whilst waiting for 5081, a prime opportunity for a quick photo! Note the lamp on the left hand side above the buffer. The lights at this end don't work for some reason so this requires the use of a lamp.  

One of the bonuses of the Saturday is the evening Beer-ex which is usually hauled by the guest loco. It was also decided to have a bit of a barbecue on the mezzanine of the Good Shed mess room. The Steam Department had acquired a large BBQ barrel and so we asked if we could use it also. Chef Alex was in charge of the cooking while some of the department went off for a spin behind the 'Deltic'. 

BBQ and BR Blue!

With no reported digestive problems, the Sunday got of to another great start. Usually the quietest of the three gala days, it was difficult to see that this was going to be any quieter than the previous two days. In fact, in conversation with one of the Station Master's at Toddington, it was revealed that as many tickets had been sold on the Sunday as we saw on the Saturday! Unheard of. One reason may have been the fact that the Great Central Railway were also running a DPS-owned Deltic, 55009 'Alycidon' on the Friday and Saturday, so people may have gone to that first before heading to the GWSR. 

55019 arrives into Toddington with the first northbound service of the day. The heavy clouds in the background were testimony of a slight change in the weather. 

I was rostered on an early turn again, this time with Class 20, 20137. We were rostered to drop on to the back of the first northbound service to Broadway. This was hauled by the visiting 'Deltic'. This gave the unusual occurrence of a English Electric Type 5 on one end and an English Electric Type 1 on the other. 

After dropping the 'Deltic' off at Toddington, 20137 gets ready to head back north from CRC. However..... 

After two days of little in the way of problem, 20137 decided to throw a little spanner in the works. Having run around at Cheltenham, we went to pull away when given the 'Right Away' but did not move! The vacuum had gone completely! After a quick check of things, my secondman, Adrian, and I narrowed it down to the vacuum pipe at the blunt end. It had slipped off it's housing and was slowly leaking off. During our midday break, a quick chat with owner, Steve M, led to a quick rectification that held tight for the rest of the day. Luckily, it didn't knock the timetable out and it ran to time throughout the three days. 

Elsewhere on the Sunday, we had a visit from a certain social media star and his entourage. Francis Bourgeois was in attendance with Ryan Windridge, chaperoned by our own Jack Boskett. Now, I don't know anything about Tiktok or Instagram so these guys are new to me, but apparently they have a bit of a following!

Social media 'star' Francis Bourgeois at the controls of 55019 on a brief visit. The loudest thing in the loco was that jumper! (Alex Raybould)

Later in the afternoon the weather decided to offer up some much needed precipitation, although the humidity stayed very high. It didn't, however, dampen the buzz around the railway. 

From one Sulzer to another. In a brief shower, 45149 passes 47105 at Winchcombe. (Alex Raybould)

As quick as a flash, the Sunday had come to an end and the three days had reached it's conclusion. However, it wasn't quite home time just yet. Locos needed to be moved around again so that they were in the right places. This included moving the order of locos in the shed. Whilst Adrian and I were out with the Class 20, those on an early finish had already started the shunting at Toddington. By the time we got back it was all done and we could park up, dispose and go. 

55019 arrives back on shed as 45149 looks on. (Alex Raybould)

Here are a selection of other photos from myself and Alex Raybould from across the weekend....

47105 at Winchcombe (AR)

55019 at Toddington. (AR)

47376 at Winchcombe. 

37215 at Winchcombe.

55019 at Toddington with Richard Scott about to take the token for Winchcombe. (AR)

37215 at Winchcombe.

With the Gala over for 2022, the collective view returns to the remainder of the running season. Of course, we have another impending event with the Deltic Day on Friday 19 August 2022. Details can be found here - https://www.gwsr.com/Deltic_Running_Day_19th_August--post--123.html 

We have agreed with the Deltic Preservation Society (DPS) to host their 40th Anniversary event showcasing both 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier' and 55009 'Alycidon' running on one day on the GWSR. This event will commemorate both locos being the first of the class to enter preservation at Doncaster Works on 20 August 1982. They will operate a standard two train timetable exclusively hauled by both 'Deltics'. One of them is also scheduled to operate the diesel turn on the Purple timetable on Saturday 20 August and the diesel turn on the Pink timetable on Sunday 21 August.

We also have an event running at Winchcombe from the 6 Aug to 21 Aug called 'Wild at Winchcombe' for children - https://www.gwsr.com/Go_Wild_at_Winchcombe_A_Bugs_Life_6_to_21_August_2022--post--114.html 

The loco roster for August is as below, with the usual caveats for availability. Tuesday 09 August has been changed to a Pink timetable day due to staff availability. 

Sat 06 Aug		5081
Sun 07 Aug		5081
Tue 09 Aug		37215
Wed 10 Aug		37215
Thu 11 Aug		37215
Sat 13 Aug		20137
Sun 14 Aug		5081
Tue 16 Aug		37215
Wed 17 Aug		37215
Thu 18 Aug		37215
Fri 19 Aug		55009 AND 55019
Sat 20 Aug		55009 OR 55019
Sun 21 Aug		55009 OR 55019
Tue 23 Aug		5081
Wed 24 Aug		5081
Thu 25 Aug		5081
Sat 27 Aug		5081
Sun 28 Aug		47376
Mon 29 Aug		47376
Tue 30 Aug		20137
Wed 31 Aug		20137