All maybe calm on the surface......

Like the proverbial swan, things may appear calm and quiet on the surface but things are going 100mph under the surface. Maintenance-wise, things have been 'operationally calm' (it's a jinx to use the 'Q' word!) and, outside of the three overhauls that are ongoing, only sporadic work has been required to keep our serviceable locos in A1 condition. 

26043 is rapidly nearing completion of the external work to return it to service. The bodywork has now been completed and the first applications of top coat paint has been applied to both flanks and the front ends. As we don't have a designated paintshop, the work has been completed to an incredibly high standard via a combination of roller and brush.  

26043 in the unfamiliar surroundings of the Diesel Shed whilst it undergoes its repaint and the finishing touches to its overhaul. 

Although the picture above doesn't really show it, the new coat of blue and yellow really does shine and is huge testament to the guys in the CMDG that have worked on the overhaul. The areas below the solebar are also nearly complete with all the pipework now painted. Some areas around the fuel tank and on the bogies are still awaiting a coat of Chassis Black paint and will completed when the areas above have been finished. Snowploughs have been borrowed from the Growler Group and are in the process of being refurbished before being fitted. The air tanks have also been tested to ensure they are safe and passed their relevant examinations. Hopefully, with the cabs being reassembled, a full start up isn't too far away.    

How 26043 will look when finished......

As you can see from the picture above 26043 is likely to return in its 1980s Haymarket TMD condition complete with fitted snowploughs and HA 'Castle' depot sticker. The 'McRat' will hopefully be operational for the Gala although, for insurance, it may run with another locomotive - just in case. 

Class 24, 5081 is also rapidly progressing through its engine overhaul and cab refresh. During last week (w/e 02 June) the loco was prepped for the liners to be refitted to the engine block. This required having the loco positioned under the A-Frame gantry over on siding 5 - where the 'Peak' and Class 26 are usually parked up. 

5081 resting in the shed prior to being shunted around ready for its excursion over to siding 5. 

The cab refresh is also continuing with new partitioning being erected along the rear bulkhead and cab wall. This area probably hadn't been touched for many years and so was in need of replacing. The Class 24 will be on static display in the Diesel Shed during the Gala. Come and pay it a visit!

The other overhaul that is nearing its completion is on the Class 122 bubble car, W55003. With the Class 121 now returned to its home on the Chinnor and Princes Risborough the need to get W55003 ready for service in quarter 3 of this year now means that the overhaul has to clog on a bit. 

Seats are in!

That has happened and, in recent weeks, the seats have now been fitted and work can now focus on other areas. The seats were covered by our talented Upholstery Team within Carriage and Wagon.  

The reason I mention our Upholstery Team is that this week (as it is every week) is Volunteers Week in the UK. A week where the rewards of volunteering are promoted and, hopefully, inspire others to volunteer. 

As a predominantly voluntary-run attraction, the GWSR relies on its volunteers to ensure the smooth running, operation and maintenance of the railway and its infrastructure. We are always on the lookout for new volunteers who want to try something a bit different, learn new skills or just do something a couple of days a month just to keep busy. You don't even need to be a railway enthusiast or have any railway experience. For instance, if you enjoy DIY, arts and crafts, or restoring furniture you may be interested in joining our Upholstery Team.

A couple of members of our Upholstery Team get to grips with a new task. (Courtesy of the GWRT Website)

You may prefer working in a face-to-face environment and there are always positions available for working in our station shops, cafe's or on the stations themselves. A great way to build on your customer service, catering or retail experience - if you have been out of work for a while, you just enjoy working with people, or you are looking to work in those areas.

Our shop at Toddington. (Courtesy of the GWRT Website)

 

However, if you are wanting to work on the railways but have no skills or experience, then volunteering for our Permanent Way, Drainage, or S&T Teams could get you the experience to give you a leg up when it comes to applying to organisations like Network Rail. 

Our P'Way Team at Toddington changing a sleeper.  (Courtesy of the GWSR P'Way Team)

As someone who has used his volunteering experience to gain a job with Network Rail, I can personally vouch that it does help! You don't even have to volunteer every week - most of our volunteers might only do one day every fortnight!

If you are interested and want to find out more, go to the GWR Trust website here -  https://www.gwrt.org.uk/volunteering/volunteer

Anyway, back to the locomotives!

Our 2025 Diesel Gala is rapidly approaching (25 - 27 July) and things are starting to take shape. It has been a bit of a challenge for our Gala Team to get organised with lots of hurdles to jump over when  securing a guest locomotive but also exploring changes to make to a format that has served us well for well over a decade. There are still some things to finalise but be rest assured they are in the pipeline. So, what have we got? Well.......... 

Our guest loco for 2025, D6700. (Courtesy of the Heavy Tractor Group)

.....our guest loco for 2025 will be Class 37 pioneer D6700 (37119, 37350) courtesy of the National Railway Museum and the Heavy Tractor Group (GCR) as announced a couple of weeks back. But, cryptically,.......

...might it be this year or next year?

The Gala will also see our blue Class 20, 20228 working in multiple with its sister, 20137 as well as the hopeful return of 26043 back into traffic. 

New for this year, we will also be including some of the shunters in the festivities, after the clamouring grew too loud to ignore. So, get the red pens ready as will be offering brake van rides at Carriage & Wagon in Winchcombe utilising Class 03, D2182 and cab rides at Toddington MPD utilising Class 04, D2280.

Brian and Savita will also be opening their garden at Gotherington station where you will be able to have a ride on Brian's Wickham Trolley or to have a go on the pump truck along the short siding.   

For all the latest information and, when released, the timetables and loco allocations, visit https://www.gwsr.com/galas/diesel-gala

Onto loco maintenance matters and Class 04, 11230 has been running around the yard with the cowling around the radiator intake missing. This is because the cowling has sustained significant weather damage and now requires replacing. Although still available for use, the Class 04 sounds a little noisier without the cowling and needs a little more care when being prepped due to the exposed metal work. 

11230 rests in the yard at Toddington. You can clearly see the lack of the cowling around the radiator. 

47376 'Freightliner 1995' has had some minor attention to its batteries after a small issue was flagged up whilst being prepped for service. It was replaced for that turn by sister, 47105 but is now back in action. It is, however, currently ensconced in the unfamiliar surrounds of the Steam Shed whilst 26043 takes its place in the Diesel Shed. 

47376 stares at the tender of P&O whilst in the unfamiliar environs of the Steam Shed. 

37215 has had a long-standing issue with the amount of play in the brake rigging on the Secondman's side at No. 1 end and, this week (05 June), the Wednesday Gang got to grips with it. It was originally rostered but this was changed with sister, D6948, so that the work could be completed. 

The culprit was identified as the pin that sits through the top of the brake hanger that had excessive wear. To get to it required the removal of the lifeguard. 

With Dave and Phil providing the assistance, Andy gets to grips with the bolts that hold the lifeguard to the chassis. 

This required a lot of jiggling around and some brute force to get the nuts off the bolts. However, after some cursing the lifeguard was off and the pin could be removed. This required the removal of the split pin, jacking up the rigging to stop it dropping and then 'persuading' the pin out of its position. 

Andy uses a 2lb level of persuasion to get the damaged pin out. 

A spare pin had been sourced from one of the scrap bogies we have down in the yard and, when compared, the level of wear was plain to see. No wear was found on any other part of the mechanism and, with the fitting of the replacement pin, the movement was found to be much more within the tolerance levels. Whilst all this was going on, Andy D had brought 'Peak' 45149 over to Road 9 so that it could get a wash. 

45149 sits on Road 9 to get a wash. 

After the Steam Gala a few weeks back, 45149 had acquired a unhealthy covering of coal smut over its roof and, as it is due out this weekend, the opportunity was taken to give it a scrub. 'New' volunteer, Dan, got to grips with the hose and brush.

A couple of weeks back, D6948 and 37215 were chartered for a photo call at Gotherington with Railways Illustrated and Commercial Motors magazines. This was to combine rail and road haulage for a feature being done as joint collaboration. Myself, Paul C, John G and Hugh J were chosen as crew and, after prepping both locos, we headed down to Gotherington with editors Pip Dunn and Will Shiers. 

On arrival at a very spring-like Gotherington.

We arrived just as the 'road' aspect of the photoshoot was arriving in Brian and Savita's garden - two Scania tractor units, a 1969 '140' and a much more modern 660S courtesy of Charles Russell Transport of Cheltenham.

The immaculate Scania V8s! 

Also in tow was GWSR Marketing Manager, Jack Boskett, as well as the human 'model' for the shoot - Francis Bourgeois, along with his partner Amy. Cue a very enjoyable morning of chatting, shunting loco and lorry around and enjoying the salubrious surroundings of Gotherington station on a warm, sunny day. Brian and Savita were incredibly accommodating, giving Francis, Amy, Pip and Will a spin on the Wickham Trolley and on the pump trolley, as well as graciously providing us some refreshment. 

Two Scania V8s and two English Electric V12s!! In the words of one of our famous neighbours....POOOWWWWEEERRRR!!! (Courtesy of Jack Boskett)

With the shoot done, Francis departed back to Toddington in the cab of the '140' but not before he recorded both 37s departing Gotherington, along with Amy, who had joined us in the cab for the trip back. If you want to see the full article, it should be in the July editions of both Commercial Motor Magazine and Railways Illustrated Magazine. 

The men and the machines!! L - R, John Garrett, Hugh Jones, Paul Cronin and myself. We had a great morning and it is always fun to do something a little different. (Courtesy of Jack Boskett)

 

On the subject of D6948, The Growler Group have announced that the 'Green Machine' will be venturing away from the GWSR at the end of September and heading to our near neighbours, and friends, at the Severn Valley Railway to appear at their 'Class 37 at 65' Gala which will take place over 2 - 5 October 2025. 

 

The organisers had requested both D6948 and 37215 however, because of the precarious state of '215s' wheelsets, it was considered a big risk to take it somewhere else. This is the first time that D6948 has been away from home since 2019 when it headed to the West Somerset Railway. Details on the event can be found here - https://svr.co.uk/event/65-years-of-class37/
 

ROSTERS

The updated loco roster for June is below.  

Sat 7 Jun		47105
Sun 8 Jun		47105
Tue 10 Jun		37215
Wed 11 Jun		20137
Thu 12 Jun		20137
Fri 13 Jun	ALE	47105, 47376
Sat 14 Jun	ALE	37215, D6948
Sun 15 Jun	ALE	45149
Tue 17 Jun		37215
Wed 18 Jun		37215
Thu 19 Jun		47376
Sat 21 Jun		37215
Sun 22 Jun		45149
Tue 24 Jun		37215
Wed 25 Jun		45149
Thu 26 Jun		D6948
Sat 28 Jun		45149
Sun 29 Jun		47376

 

July's loco roster is below, both with usual caveats. 

Tues 1 July		37215
Weds 2 July		37215
Thur 3 July		20137
Sat 5 July		47376
Sun 6 July		45149
Tues 8 July		37215
Weds 9 July		37215
Thur 10 July		45149
Sat 12 July		20137
Sun 13 July		47376
Tues 15 July		20137
Weds 16 July		47376
Thur 17 July		D6948
Sat 19 July		45149
Sun 20 July		47376
Tues 22 July		47376
Weds 23 July		D6948
Fri 25 July	GALA	D2182, D2280, 20137, 20228, 26043, D6700, 37215, D6948, 45149, 47105, 47376
Sat 26 July	GALA	D2182, D2280, 20137, 20228, 26043, D6700, 37215, D6948, 45149, 47105, 47376
Sun 27 July	GALA	D2182, D2280, 20137, 20228, 26043, D6700, 37215, D6948, 45149, 47105, 47376
Tues 29 July		47105
Weds 30 July		45149
Thur 31 July		47105

 

Inside the nose of 20137.