This week has certainly an eventful one; some good (or better!) and some bad. Surprisingly, I managed two visits to Toddington this week, so a fair amount to include, coupled with a few updates.
Firstly, Friday 16th August, originally set for the 60th Anniversary celebration of Class 37s, D6948 and 37215, will now be a joint running day with colleagues from the Cotswold Mainline Diesel Group who will have a special train (Train 2) hauled by Class 45, 45149. As these are separately organised events, and not a GWSR event, tickets for both trains are available from the respective owning groups' websites but will not be transferable between trains. If you wish to travel on both trains you will need to buy a ticket for each event. The railway will also be a closed site so no tickets, or public access, will be available on the day for either train. For tickets, you can go to the following websites:
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With our Class 37s on Train 1 for the Growler Group's event on Friday, 16 August, the CMDG will be utilising Train 2 with 'Peak', 45149.
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The day is set up to be a great celebration for two of our groups so whichever groups/class you are affiliated to come along and enjoy the festivities!
Originally, the CMDG were going to have their event earlier in the year and utilise one of the PINK TT Sundays however, in early April the GWSR PLC Board decided that the timetables required amending due to 'staffing issues' in some departments and reduced the length of the running day by one round trip. This has meant that the Department loses some running (and associated fees) as the PINK TT drops to 69 miles instead of previous 84 and the diesel turn on the PURPLE TT now starts and finishes earlier. Therefore, Visit the GWSR website to view the new running times....https://www.gwsr.com/your-visit/timetables
This change will not affect special events, such as our rapidly approaching Gala which will have an enhanced timetable.
More on the Gala hopefully in the next few weeks as plans are finalised. We have sadly had a bit of hard time securing a guest loco, given the increasing costs of road transport, however a loco has been agreed in principle but contracts are yet to be signed. As such, an announcement will be forthcoming when discussions are completed. Don't forget, the dates of the Gala are the 12 - 14 July.
Another, more recent, timetable change has been necessitated due to the Class 117 DMU developing a number of issues that require immediate attention. This has caused it to be pulled out of traffic and the BLUE TT on Thursdays will now be PINK TT day. D6948 worked the first one on the 9th May and 47105 will work the next on the 16th May.
As for the Class 117, W51363 needs to have some structural repairs completed as a consequence of longstanding water ingress and will be removed from the set and replaced by W51360 which has had some door repairs and was turned, utilising a low loader that had arrived with a new coach on hire from our friends at the West Somerset Railway, to allow it to take '363's place. However, the Class 122 overhaul took another solid step as the interior panels were fitted next to the bubble header tanks. This means the team can soon fit the header tanks and get back to mechanical and electrical testing.
So, this week saw 'Shunty', or D2280, break cover in its new paint scheme. The Class 04 is privately owned but has had its repaint completed by a number of members of the Department as a collective effort, and it is safe to say that it is a job well done!
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Only a couple of weeks ago, D2280 after the black of the wasp stripes had been completed.
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Only a couple of weeks ago, the Class 04 was still minus it's side doors and the wasp stripes had just been applied to the nose ends. The cab end solebar had also been given its first coat of red paint.
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Helen just clears off some of the masking tape having just finished tidying up the solebar .
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Fast forward to Wednesday 8 May.......on arrival, I was asked to fire up D6948 (our other Class 04 was being used by our P'Way colleagues to move around some wagons) to undertake some shunting - primarily to free D2280 from the back of the shed and move it outside so that it could be given a clean.
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Hugh puts the finishing touches to the handrail.
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With Hugh finished touching up one of the handrails, I wandered down to prep the Class 37.
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D6948 gets warmed up ready for its service duties later in the day by moving fellow Class 37, 37215, and Class 24, 5081 outside.
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With D6948 all prepped and Dave S, our HoD ready to manage the shunt, it was time to move sister Class 37, 37215, and Class 24, 5081, outside. 5081 was being moved so that it could have a clean and scrub ready for its approaching turns, although the main reason was to extricate D2280 from the shed.
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The new transfers applied to the cabside of D2280.
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Its time in the diesel shed had come to an end so, to finish the job, it was to be shunted into the David Page Shed at the end of the day. For the majority of the day, however, it was to bask in the sunshine and receive admiring glances. It won't be too long before 'Shunty' is back in traffic.
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......and here it is! It really is a great job...and a stunning day on which to reveal it to the outside world.
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Basking in the sun, D2280 in its new coat of BR Green. 5081 gets ready for its scrub in the background.
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5081 will be in use over the next few weeks and up to the Diesel Gala before being withdrawn from traffic for some engine repairs to be completed. These are residual repairs that are needed after the completion of the engine governor repairs a couple of years back.
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The sun creates a halo at the bottom of the pic of 5081 as it rests over the pit with Keith and Mark E part of the way through the wash and brush up.
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Another overhaul reaching its final throes is that of our newest arrival, Class 20, 20228. The 'chopper' has now received its own decals.
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Class 20, 20228 has been resurrected in its 1980s Eastfield guise.
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Owner, Steve M, has moved to the final stages of the bodywork and has now progressed on to preparing the nose end ready for the fitting of the locos overhauled exhauster. The exhauster has been stripped, cleaned, tested and reassembled ready for refitting when the pipework has been cleaned and the electrical feed tested.
On Wednesday, Steve was busy clearing the blower/exhauster compartment at the end of the nose.
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The exhauster covered and stored under one of Steve's makeshift workbenches.
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As I was at a loose end after the shunt, I assisted Steve by repainting the seat frames for the cab. Steve had already given them a coat of paint at home but the paint had become contaminated when drying so he wanted them smoothed down and repainted.
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Take 2 on the seats. Mark S had already completed the seat bases ready for assembly.
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Once finished, I had a fair bit of paint left over so the cab steps were given a once over with top coat.
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The cab steps get a touch up.
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The aim is that 20228 will make its bow at the Gala and join its sister 20137 running in multiple. There hasn't been a pair of Class 20s pass through since the Gala in 2017.
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| D8098 and D8137 head away from Toddington on 30/07/17. (Courtesy of the late Malcolm Ranieri) |
On to Friday 10 May where D6948 was utilised on a Driver Experience day. Six eager participants took on the controls under the guidance of yours truly and Kev J, one of the locos four owners. One of the participants was our very own Non Exec Director, Colonel Mike Bennett OBE DL.
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Best behaviour on the footplate as GWSR PLC Non-Exec Director, Col. Mike Bennett OBE DL took on the controls from CRC to Broadway. Its always great to see members of our board take an interest in the diesel locos.
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Mike was a top gent and a very assured driver, even though this was his first experience of driving a diesel loco - he admitted to doing a steam experience many years ago - and certainly enjoyed his 14 miles at the sharp end. It was a stifflingly hot day on the footplate but everyone enjoyed the experience, despite the heat, and the loco performed faultlessly.
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D6948 at a very summery CRC before the last Driver Ex train to Broadway.
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So, with the changes in timetable here is the current roster until the end of May....
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Date
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TT
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Rostered
Loco
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Tues 14 May
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47105
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Weds 15 May
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47105
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Thur 16 May
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47105
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Sat 18 May
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5081
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Sun 19 May
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5081
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Tues 21 May
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20137
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Weds 22 May
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20137
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Thurs 23 May
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20137
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Weds 29 May
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47376
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Thurs 30 May
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47376
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We will also be on 'Thunderbird' duty during the Steam Gala over the late-May Bank Holiday. D6948 is rostered on the Saturday. Others are TBC.
