How can it be March already??

It seems only last week was the New Year and we still had a long winter ahead before the start of the running season. However, I must've blinked and missed it all because we are already knocking on the door of the new season!! How?! 

Firstly, lets start BIG!! If you keep up with some of our other media channels then you may have already seen that our visitors for the 2026 Diesel Gala (24-26 July 2026) have all been announced! This is new for us as we are generally left waiting until after the Steam Department have had their Gala, however we are stealing the march on them this time!   

In my last blog I touched on the fact that we had had a regime change within the GWSR PLC (the bit that owns and operates the railway) and that changes were afoot on the timetable front and on how our Gala is organised. Well, this has been a huge change for us as for this year we have been given the budget to go all out and go a bit mad!! This year we will see three......YES, 3......guest locos for the first time ever! We will also have a bit of a theme running which will be 'Small Sulzers' or 'Rats' as we will be joined by:

 Class 25, 25262 courtesy of South Devon Diesel Traction Ltd   

Of the thirteen original 'Eastfield' allocated Class 25s, three survived to the very end of the fleet's active life, March 1987. 25262 (seen above & later to become 25901) was one of those fortunate machines. It is seen here on October 11th 1981 undergoing repair/servicing at Springs Branch depot. (Tony Sayer)

 

Class 27, 27056 courtesy of Northampton Type 2 Group  

Newly refurbished Class 27, 27056 will make its first ever (and first Class visit) to the GWSR for the 2026 Diesel Gala. (Neal Whitehead)

 

For our Hydraulic fans, we will be having Class 35, Hymek. D7018 courtesy of the Diesel and Electric Preservation Group.

D7018 makes a first visit to the GWSR from our friends at the WSR and DEPG. (Peter Smith)

As you can imagine this is pretty ambitious for us but will offer you, the punter, with the only opportunity in the UK to have each Class of small Sulzer, all in BR Blue livery, all in one place! 

And, we haven't stopped there! On the Sunday of the Gala we will be honouring our Gloucestershire neighbours; the one and only Pathfinder Tours, who ceased trading at the end of 2025. Not only does Pathfinder Tours hold many happy memories for many of our volunteers (as I am sure it does for many reading this) but many of our locos worked Pathfinder Tours over the years, including 20137, 37215, 45149, 47105 and visitor 25262! So, on Sunday, not only will Peter Watts and some of the team be in attendance but all locos will wear headboards from many of the tours run by Pathfinder over the last half a century! 

For full, up to the minute information, tickets and timetables (when completed), go to the new GWSR website at  https://gwsr.com/whats-on/cotswold-diesel-gala-2026/
 

As with the last couple of years we will also be offering the pre-Gala Night Photoshoot. If you are interested in attending this go here - https://gwsr.com/whats-on/toddington-diesel-night-shoot/ 

It doesn't end there, either! Apparently there is more to be announced in due course. Safe to say, this years' Gala is going to be HUGE!! 

 

For the first time in a long while we operated over the February half term period. Although this didn't offer any diesel running it was a good opportunity to get some early running in and bring some pre-season money in. However, the later start for the diesels doesn't mean that we are resting on our laurels in the department. Far from it! 

With the season proper starts on Saturday 7th March with our 'BLUE' timetable there was a real urgency to try and get our Class 122, W55003, fit for traffic for the first time in nearly 15 years! As previously mentioned in blogs, the owning group that looked after all of our DMU vehicles had disbanded and uncertainty hung over the future of our 'bubble-car' and Class 117 DMBS, W51360. However, this seems to have all been resolved and an agreement reached between new owners and the Diesel Department to assist in the maintenance of the DMU fleet. From a budget perspective the DMUs do come under the Department responsibility, so it makes sense - even more so when we have bus engine expertise within the Department. 

So, with the new agreement in place, a small group splintered away from those working on the mainline fleet to assist with some of the heavier tasks on the 'bubble-car'. This included fitting of a new fuel tank and, on the 28th Jan the Class 122 was parked over a pit in readiness for the tank to be test fitted. 

 

Class 122, W55003 sits over the pit on Road 8 in readiness for the fitting of its new fuel tank. 

The previous tank had been removed as it had extensive rust and was not really fir for purpose so a new one had been ordered by the new owners. This was winched into the pit where Duncan, Andy D and Keith were waiting fit it. 

Duncan leads the conversation on how can we do this. The new tank is on a pump trolley waiting to go under the unit. 

The test fit was successful; it was a perfect fit and a week later was all fitted and plumbed in ready for use. This coincided with some electrical work in the cabs that had been outstanding for a while. 

The trolley takes the strain as the tank is fitted in place.

 

All this work culminated in a long awaited test run for W55003 which took place on 8th Feb. The test run would see the 'bubble-car' reach Broadway for the first time ever in preservation - it would have worked through Broadway when used on the services from Stratford upon Avon to Cheltenham St James. In face, W55003 was the last unit used on these services but, when the 'bubble-car' last ran on the GWSR in 2012 Broadway was still a pipe dream!

W55003 heads back to Toddington MPD after making several trips up to Broadway and back on it's first test run. (Dave Stanton)

Despite a few minor issues the test runs were deemed successful enough to set up a Driver Training Day on the 21st Feb in between services on the half-term week. With a handful of Drivers successfully re-certified the 'bubble-car' is scheduled to make it's long awaited return to traffic on the 7th March. This will mean that Hayles Abbey Halt will make a welcome return to the timetable after several years without any stopping services and, on busier days, we can look at DMU shuttle returning alongside the main services for the first time in a long, long while.

However, W55003 hasn't been the only member of the Diesel fleet to be out and about during the winter. Class 26, 26043 has been particularly active with a number of test runs undertaken after some minor fettling works. 

On the 18 Feb, the 'McRat' was used to trip a new arrival to Winchcombe for assessment and eventual repair. 

Class 26, 26043 passes Class 04, D2280 with the Inspection Saloon at the start of the trip to Winchcombe. 

 

The railway took delivery of a former BR Inspection Saloon which has been purchased privately by a member of the GWSR. The saloon arrived from Llangollen and will eventually be used for private hire parties. 

The crew of 26043 take the well-used Hayles Abbey Halt opportunity for a photostop during the trip working of the new Inspection Saloon to Winchcombe on the 18/02/26. If only the Saloon was in BR Blue and Grey.....! (Dave Stanton)

 

The 'McRat' has also been used assisting our P'way team with moving materials to worksites along the line at the end of February.

26043 was utilised on a rail drop for the P'way Team on 27/02 at Dixton and Defford. (CMDG FB Page)

 

Inbetween it's excursions, the Class 26 has been having a number of minor jobs completed to make it ready for it's first vacation in over 4 years. The 'McRat' will be heading to the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway for their Diesel Gala over the 20 - 22 March. The loco will also be undertaking a Driver Experience Day at the CPRR on 1st April. See their website for full details - https://www.chinnorrailway.co.uk/

A fluid top up for 26043. 

 Another loco to be utilised on stock moves was Class 37. 37215 which was used to move Rake 1 from Winchcombe to Toddington ready for the February Half-Term services. 

Under unseasonably blue skies, 37215 runs around Rake 1 at Winchcombe before taking the set to Toddington on 14/02/26. (Andrew Stratford)

 

Unusually, both 26043 and 37215 have been the only mainline locos that have spent the winter in operational condition with the rest of the fleet out of traffic for maintenance requirements or having been winterised. 

Both Class 47s have been out of traffic to allow for a number of jobs to be completed that have been outstanding for a while. The opportunity has also been taken to give the cabs a bit of a touch up and spring clean. 

The cab seats in 47376 have been dismantled for a clean and repaint. 

47376 has had its cab seats dismantled and the stands removed for cleaning and a repaint. Over the years they can become pretty grotty and the mechanisms can fail meaning the seats will not adjust. 

Undercoat applied to the first set of seat stands. 

Our BR Blue Class 20, 20228 has had its exhauster fitted and tested in situ. It is hoped that it will now, at some point in 2026, be in a position to run independently on timetabled services  - although it will still run together with sister 20137 in multiple. '137' is in the process of being 'de-winterised' with its AVR being refitted as temperatures now start to rise. 

20137 rests in the yard at Toddington on 11/02 as it works up to serviceable condition ready for 2026s timetable.

 

Work is also continuing on the electrical issues that have kept 'Peak' 45149 out of traffic for most of 2025. This work has had to go on around the continued fettling of fellow CMDG loco, 26043, but it certainly hasn't been forgotten and it is hoped the loco will be fit for traffic soon. One big job undertaken was the refitting of one of the five underframe air tanks that had been sent away for a repair. 

Class 45, 45149 sits over one of the pits awaiting the re-fitting of one of its underframe air tanks. 

 

This was certainly not an easy task as the suspension brackets are in quite awkward places and need a certain amount of flexibility to reach the bolt holes....let alone fit and secure them! And, that is before the pipes are re-attached. Andy D drew the short straw with myself and Tony R bearing the weight and alignment.

The newly overhauled tank awaits lifting into position.

 

However, the big job amongst our locos emerged on Class 37, D6948. At the end of the running year the oil in our locos is tested to identify any issues that may be emerging (such as the presence of any metal sherds or water contamination) or indicating potential issues with engine parts. We already knew of a few small jobs that needed doing with D6948 but its oil sample returned a red flag that had the potential to be pretty major. The sample from D6948 showed that water and coolant had managed to get into the engine oil. This is indicative of a failure in the cylinders and so investigations started quickly to identify any tell-tale evidence of this. 

 

The evidence - B1 cylinder showing clear evidence of water ingress. (Kev Jarvis)

After removing all the engine covers it quickly became apparent that the water was ingressing via B1 cylinder. No other cylinders were showing signs of water ingress but a pressure test was conducted to make 100% sure. This identified that it was only B1 showing any sign of failure and so it was decided by the owners to remove B1 piston and liner to look for damage or signs of failure. 

D6948 is drained of its coolant and water ready for the removal of B1 piston and liner. 

With the loco drained of coolant and water, it was time to prep the loco for the removal of the leaky cylinder set. This required the removal of the rocker head and cover. 

The rocker head is removed to allow access to the piston and liner. The head is in very good condition and should only need a bit of a clean up. 

 

With the head removed it was now a case of waiting for a dry day to get D6948 under the gantry in the yard so that the piston and liner could be lifted out. This takes the use of some specialist equipment that needed to be dug out from wherever it had been stowed away the last time we finished using it!

Dave H tries to remember how it goes together!

 

Luckily the weather has changed a bit over the last month and so it enabled Wednesday 11 Feb to be earmarked for the removal. D6948 was shunted out of the shed and under the A-Frame. Paul G, Keith and Andy T had made a start to enable D6948 to be outside for the least possible time - just in case it did rain! Although it was cold the rain held off!

Andy T oversees the lifting of the piston. Paul G and Keith were in the engine room whilst myself and Hugh were in charge of the shunting!

The end of the day saw both the piston and liner out of the loco and hanging up in the shed. Initial assessments seem to indicate that the piston rings have failed in some way, although it wasn't necessarily evident on the first, quick look. However, it does mean that the loco will be out of traffic until at least the middle of April. Hopefully, it will be back in time for the first 'Double Up Sunday' on the 26th April where it is due to run with sister, 37215. 

Rosters

Services start on Saturday 7 March with Class 122, W55003 making a long-awaited return to traffic after a protracted overhaul. Services will also operate every weekend through March with the 'bubble-car' operating. Tuesday 31 March sees 37215 operate the first mainline diesel turn on the PURPLE timetable.   

Date	TT	Rostered Loco
07 March		W55003
08 March		W55003
14 March		W55003
15 March		W55003
21 March		W55003
22 March		W55003
28 March		W55003
29 March		W55003
31 March		37215

 

   

Here’s to another busy year!

Firstly, a belated Happy Christmas and New Year from all within the Diesel Department at the GWSR. Hopefully, it has been a peaceful time for you all filled with family, food and fun. For those of you who were required to work over the festive period (I am currently writing this on my Night shift in Bristol PSB, although I did not work Christmas itself thankfully), I hope you managed to grab at least some time off to spend with family and friends.  

No winter scene like this in 2025 so we take a look back at the mid-2000s, before the shed was built, and 47105 sits in a snowy Toddington yard. (Richard Drewitt)

So, 2025 is pretty much at an end and we stare down the barrel of a new year full of hope and expectation. For those of you who are well informed about the inner workings of the GWSR you will be aware that we have a new Chairman at the helm of the PLC (the bit that runs and operates the railway) and this has come with some upheavals in the management structure of the PLC. However, change is as good as a rest and 2025 saw increasing rumblings about how the railway had become very stagnant since COVID. Hopefully, these changes will see the railway grow again, continue to prosper and retain levels we saw before the pandemic laid waste to everything.

It certainly seems to be heading in that direction as we will see a number of events return to the calendar that had been mothballed or removed. This will include a Vintage Car/Vehicle event as well as some new and never-before-tried events, such as a Railwayana Car Boot event and the Halloween ‘Spooky Specials’! We will also still have the old favs as well such as the Rail and Ale Festival and the main Galas. You can see the list on the GWSR website – https://www.gwsr.com/your-visit/events-experiences

 

Just some of the confirmed dates for 2026 Events. Not a huge increase for diesel running, but its good to see the events making a return. 

Sadly, the increase in events doesn’t necessarily mean an increase in Diesel running, from our perspective, but we have seen other railways increase the number of ‘family-friendly’ events in order to boost visitor numbers and interaction with railways, and this has led to greater diesel opportunity – so, if these new events become popular, who knows what might happen! Speculate to accumulate…plus, this is very much new territory. Some things might work better with a diesel at the helm!!

One thing that seems a positive from a Diesel perspective is that the way the Diesel Gala is managed by the railway is to change meaning that the potential for a larger, more focused event is possible. Our Gala Teams have done wonders to bring such amazing events to the railway for lovers of all things diesel-electric and diesel-mechanical however, there have always been things that crop up when liaising with the railway management that have prevented the Gala Team from achieving certain goals. Hopefully we will now see a more level playing field in terms of planning, promotion and budget! We’ll wait to see how that pans out in reality!

Hopefully 2026 will be a fantastic year for the railway and for the department!

2022 Gala visitor Class 55, 55019 'Royal Highland Fusilier' sits alongside our own 37215, 45149 and 24081.

 

What about 2025! Well, from a crewing standpoint, 2025 was one of the busiest years since COVID. We had more running days – loosely helped by the lack of a DMU but hugely helped by the fantastic summer which meant that steam locomotives were banned from use due to the perceived fire risks. We saw several weeks of Diesel-only operation over the summer to keep the railway open and generating revenue, although the extreme heat probably had a small impact on traveler numbers.

Of course, 2025 started off with uncertainty over our DMU capability. The shadowy group that owned all the DMU vehicles had seemingly disbanded with the sale of the Class 117 set, L425, to the SRPS at Bo’ness. This left just Class 117 DMBS, W51360, TCL W59505 and Class 122 W55003 as unowned, unwanted vehicles. W51360 is a runner but does not have an additional trailer to work with. W59505 is the spares and tools van for the small team who are currently undertaking the protracted overhaul of W55003 and is therefore not fit for use. At the beginning of the year, the ‘Bubble’ was still some way off being fit for traffic – especially as no formal maintenance agreements had been signed (something that is still rumbling on now!). In February, with no happy ending in sight, the railway went to the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway (CPRR) and asked to borrow one of their ex-Aylesbury based Class 121 Bubble Cars. W55024 would arrive in March on a 3-month loan and would prove particularly popular with punters once it entered traffic. 

Visiting from the CPPR, former Aylesbury resident W55024 has it's batteries charged whilst helping the railway out with it's DMU problem during the early part of 2025.

April would see the mainline locomotives enter the fray and it was Class 37, D6948 that got things started with a Driver Experience day. Our fleet was almost at full strength with only our ‘Baby’ Sulzers out of action – Class 24, 24081 was having engine repairs and cab overhauls; Class 26, 26043 was in the midst of a full restoration.

Our shunters were also getting in on the action with Class 04, D2280 making several forays to Didbrook with flat wagons for our P’way Team who were busy relaying the track through the village.

 

Class 04, D2280 sits at Didbrook during a rare foray beyond station limits at Toddington. 

Class 03, D2182, was to also see a number of trips to and from C&W with coaches that were arriving or departing the railway and being swapped in and out of the main rakes.  

May saw our first Gala visitor announcement…first build Class 37, D6700 (or 37119/37350, depending on your persuasion) would be joining our home pair of Class 37s, courtesy of the National Railway Museum and the Heavy Tractor Group. This would be a bit of reunion as D6700 worked from the same pool of locos as 37215 and D6948 – FPEK Petroleum Pool based at Cardiff Canton. It had been rumoured that we were to get a Class 50 as well, but this had been scotched by the C50A at the Severn Valley Railway. They had a busy few weeks over our Gala and could not spare crew but, come June and the cat was well and truly out of the bag! ‘Rodney’ was returning home!

Our record-breaking 2025 Diesel Gala visitors - D6700 from the NRM/Heavy Tractor group and former resident, 50021 'Rodney' courtesy of Paul Spracklen and the 50021 Locomotive Group. 

May would also see another big announcement; this one of something going away from the GWSR - but only temporarily! The SVR were putting together an event to celebrate the 65^th anniversary of D6700 rolling off the production line at Newton-le-Willows and they had contacted the Growler Group to enquire about having both 37215 and D6948 as visiting locos. The last time either had been anywhere was when D6948 headed to the West Somerset in 2019. 37215 had also last gone to the WSR back in 2015. The group agreed, along with the four loco owners, that only D6948 would go due to the state of 37215’s wheelsets. 

D6948 was to play a starring role at this event at the Severn Valley Railway in October. The first time it had been away from the railway in 6 years.  

The eagle-eyed amongst you would have also noticed that Class 47105 had received a name for a short period during 2025! Not one it had carried in BR days – the loco did receive the unofficial Tinsley name of ‘Goldcrest’ – but a nod to a well-known and respected Class 47 enthusiast who had sadly passed away a short time before the start of the season. The BT4F would run 47105 with the ‘plates’ for several weeks as a tribute to Mark Hare aka ‘Mambo’, who had been a big supporter of the group.

For a short period 47376 was not the only named diesel on the railway. Sister, 47105 was fitted with temporary 'Mark Hare' and 'Mambo' nameplates in honour of long time BT$F supported and railway enthusiast Mark Hare, who sadly passed early in 2025. 

 

Operations were now gaining momentum but so did the need for light repairs and, by June, a few of the fleet had been removed from traffic for minor attention. The brake rigging on 37215 needed adjustments as there was too much play in the slack adjusters. This was traced to the retaining pin having worn out its gasket. Having sourced a spare and adjusted the slack adjuster, the brakes are now much more ‘friendly’ and the rodding isn’t now rubbing on the wheel.

The big challenge was getting both 24081 and 26043 available and in traffic for the Diesel Gala. One of them would make it and it would create a stir – even if it only worked on the Saturday! 

One of the first depot emblems to appear on a diesel loco.....Haymarket TMD in Edinburgh. 

July saw the heat intensify and steam running really scaled back so as not to cause any grass fires. The surrounding areas of the GWSR are all fields and agricultural land and the last thing the railway would want to pay out, when money is already short, is compensation to one or more of our neighbouring farmers for damaged crops! Several close calls an fire brigade call-outs meant the decision was taken to stand down the coal burners and the diesels got the 15 minutes of fame until things cooled down enough to limit fire risk.

However, all eyes were on the 2025 Diesel Gala that would see not one, but two guest locomotives for the first time since 2018 and our first Broadway gala. As mentioned above we obtained D6700 from the NRM/HTG but, as a bit of a coup, we had also obtained Class 50, 50021 ‘Rodney’ courtesy of its owning group. 50021 spent the first two years of its preserved life at Toddington where it was restored by members of the fledgling Diesel Department and worked regularly until being moved away.

The opportunity to have ‘Dave’ (as the loco is known within the enthusiast fraternity – if you don’t know why, watch an episode of Only Fools and Horses!) was a little fortuitous as the loco was at the CPRR before it was due to head back to Eastleigh for a few weeks and then back to our near neighbours at the Dean Forest. A speculative proposition was made by the owning group as to whether we wanted it for a few weeks. Thanks to a member of our P’way Department, Andrew Stratford, contracts were agreed and the Class 50 arrived shortly before the commencement of the Gala. 

Without this man we wouldn't have  had 50021 visit. Andrew Stratford gets a well-deserved cab ride on the final day of 'Rodney' working services at the GWSR. 

 

However, the real star of the show was probably the returning Class 26, 26043 which operated for the first time in 3 and half years on the Saturday of the Gala, alongside fellow CMDG loco, 45149 for insurance. The McRat looked absolutely stunning in its new coat of BR Blue paint, Haymarket TMD embellishments and snowploughs. It truly looked the part! There was a little disappointment that it didn't follow suit on the Sunday but the rostered Driver had a family emergency to attend to and no-one else had been re-certified as competent on the loco. However, it was a very well photographed static exhibit!

The ’Beerex’ on the Saturday would also bring a surprise to everyone as the opportunity to have triple-headed Class 37s seemed to bring all and sundry out of the woodwork. In 12 years of volunteering, I have never seen that many people on the ‘Beerex’!! Some coaches were standing room only and there was a consistent queue for the bar!

These three on one train? Who wouldn't want to experience it?!

 

The Gala would also see two ex-Old Oak locos work together as a pair.` 50021 would work once again with Class 47, 47105 on the Friday of the Gala. Both locos would have worked together back in the 1990s at Toddington - 47105 being another of the early arrivals. Legend has it that back in 1995 both locos worked in a pair on a service to Far Stanley - the limit of the line at the time. On entering Greet Tunnel, and coming to a near stand, both locos were 'opened up', creating an absolute cacophony and soliciting a complaint from a homeowner above the tunnel that the resulting concussion caused their light fittings to vibrate and sway!! We didn't get a complaint on 2025 on trying the same, but the noise created was absolutely fantastic! Marco, 50021's Driver/Rep, didn't stop smiling all the way to Cheltenham!!

Traction Inspector, Tony Boston along with Marco, behind. The support crews we had from the HTG (D6700) and the 50021 Locomotive Group were top chaps and helped to make the Gala a fantastic experience. 

 

The Gala would also see our Shunters get in on the action with Class 03, D2182 operating brake van rides at Winchcomber and Class 04, D2280 operating cab rides at Toddington for a fiver a throw! Something a bit different for people.

D2182 got a Gala outing for the first time operating Brake Van rides at Winchcombe. 

The Gala itself would prove to be the most profitable we had run, beating our previous best from back in 2019 when we had 50035 ‘Ark Royal’ as a guest, although numbers were slightly down on that record year. However, one way to demonstrate that the Gala was a winner was the general feeling amongst the crews and organisers – everyone had a smile on their faces for the whole weekend and even the visiting crews thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

August saw 50021 work its final services on the GWSR before being prepared to travel onward across the River Severn to Lydney. We would also see the return of our successful ‘Double Up Sundays’ which would also include the unusual (unless you lived in Scotland during the 1970s and 1980s) pairing of 20228 and 26043 – both former shedmates of Eastfield TMD in Glasgow. The Class 26 would get plenty of outings through the month and towards the end of the year to rack up the maintenance free mileage after so long out of traffic. Even more important to the CMDG as their other loco, 45149, was withdrawn from traffic with an electrical issue.

24081 was in the final throes of its repairs and August would see a test start up to make sure everything operated as it should. The ‘Rat’ would still be a few weeks off working its first service train again. 

Some final engine elements are lifted back into the engine room of 24081. Tim L oversees the drop while Phil B (on the steps) and Andy D (in the engine room) make the fine adjustments. 

September saw the railway celebrate ‘RAIL 200’ with an event over the last weekend of the month. The event would see a fairly intensive timetable of both Steam and Diesel hauled services, although from a diesel perspective, the timetable was very lopsided – for instance, I was crewing 37215 and spent most of the day being pulled around by a kettle! BORING!! However, we were a further loco down as D6948 had made its journey to the SVR to take part in their ‘65 Years of Class 37’ Gala. 

Although not present for the actual celebrations, D6948 was used on some of the marketing for Rail 200. 

 

However, with one gone on its travels, another one steps up and, after a successful supported dummy run with 20137, 24081 returned to traffic just in time for the last month of operation and the Autumn Extravaganza Gala. By the end of the month the weather had returned to something resembling normal and so steam dominance returned. 47105 was stopped towards the end of the month with a braking issue but was back in traffic shortly after. However, the same issue raised its head again preventing 47105 from taking part in the ‘Autumn Extravaganza’ Gala – 47376 deputised. 

 

24081 sits at Broadway after a successful test run in the company of 20137. This test would bring the Class 24 back into traffic. 

D6948 spent most of October at the Severn Valley. It had traveled 40 miles up the M5 to take part in the rather ambitious ’65 Years of Class 37’ Gala that the SVR had organised. D6948 was joined by 9 other members of the class for four days of Class 37 noise.

 

D6948 sits at Bewdley on the Severn Valley Railway on the Friday night of the 'Class 37 at 65' Gala. 

The loco would also work an extra running day on top of the Gala. A fantastic event that got all locos running hot and to a very intense timetable. 

Shift completed and D6948 rests on Kidderminster TMD on the 11 Oct after the additional running day. 

 

October also saw the end of season ‘Autumn Extravaganza’ mixed traffic event which utilised our smaller locomotives on the Saturday and our bigger ones on the Sunday. It would also include a first – 26043 was afforded the honour of being the first diesel to pilot the GWSR Good Train – normally the exclusive privilege of our steam brethren! It didn’t quite evoke memories of the Speedlink network in the 1980s – the wagons are of the wrong vintage. 

26043 waits to leave P2 at Cheltenham with the freight service back to Toddington on the Sunday of the 'Autumn Extravaganza'. (CMDG)

 

As I type this the Mince Pie specials will be nearly done for another year, and it’ll be back to the maintenance regimen for our diesels until the wake-up call is made in April for the start of the 2026 season – depending on what is happening with the DMU and its ownership/maintenance regimen!

Looking forward to 2026, 26043 works out the last diesel-hauled Mince Pie Special on the 3rd Jan and the new 2026-7 timetable starts on the 7th March. This is due to be a BLUE timetable day but this is very dependent on what happens with the Class 122 'Bubble Car'.

The Class 122 - will it or won't it??

 

As mentioned earlier, diesel turns are pretty much on a par with 2025, although the new events will add something a little extra for us. However, we will have our ever popular Diesel Gala over the 24-26 July. Details on format will be announced as they are released by the Gala Committee but we will need to go some to beat 2025! 

Hopefully, the new dawn will see increased prosperity at the railway in 2026 and we hope to see you at some of the events. 

Fleet Status

Class 03                    D2182

Operational at Winchcombe. Yearly exams to be completed.

Class 04                    D2280

Operational at Toddington. Yearly exams to be completed.

                                   11230

Operational at Toddington. Is currently undergoing body work repairs to its radiator cowling in between its owners’ commitments to the steam department. Yearly exams to be completed.

Class 20                    20137

Stored at Toddington for the winter. The electrical AVR has been removed to prevent frost and cold damage whilst the loco is stored in the yard. Should be serviceable when de-winterised. B Exam needed.

                                   20228

Still in the process of being fitted with its exhauster. Some of the pipework failed and needs replacing before the exhauster can be fitted and tested properly. Loco can run in ‘air’. Hopefully repairs and fitting can be completed before the start of the 2026 season. B Exam needed.  

Class 24                      24081

Engine repairs and cab overhaul completed in late 2025 and loco is now fit for traffic. Renumbered back to TOPS number to bring in line with other members of the fleet that have their TOPS numbers as opposed to pre-TOPS numbers. B Exam needed. 

Class 26                       26043

Restoration completed mid-2025 and returned to traffic successfully at 2025 Diesel Gala. Loco has seen plenty of running since its return mainly due to the unavailability of 45149. Stored at Toddington for the winter. Some interior work is still to be completed after it's return to service. B Exam needed. 

Class 37                        37215

Out of traffic at Toddington. A number of oil leaks need to be traced and repaired before return to traffic.There is also a valve that is leaking air on the outside of the loco under one of the side skirts. Although not affecting the running of the loco, it is causing the compressors to run longer than they should - particularly on loco start up - in order to maintain main reservoir air. The valve is in quite an awkward place so a plan of action is needed to complete a repair effectively. B Exam needed. 

                                      D6948 

The loco is currently out of traffic at Toddington. The loco has had a number of long-standing leaks that have needed a period of sustained down-time for them to be investigated and repairs completed. One is particularly alarming as the oil is dropping/spraying on to the generator casing and is ingressing into the generator commutator itself. The source has been traced, although it is a little concerning as to the presence of oil there, but the initial plan has been to clear the oil form the casing and inside the generator, inspect the generator components and then deal with the leak. The loco also returned from the SVR with a fuel leak, although this appears to be down to perished pipework and should be an easy repair. Most perplexing is the continued Oil Pressure fault the loco has on start up. Every possible cause - bar one, that would be tome consuming to diagnose - has drawn a blank. It doesn't affect the loco, but it is annoying! B Exam needed.  

Class 45                        45149

The 'Peak' has spent a fair few months on the sidelines because of some electrical issues. One of the issues has been with the lighting circuits and has needed the sourcing of replacement switches. One of the issues has been, with the hot summer, the yard at Toddington does get a lot of rodent incursion and some of the locomotives wiring is showing signs of bite marks. With the overhaul on the Class 26 now complete, the 'Peak' can now see some more attention given to rectify these faults. B Exam needed. 

Class 47                        47105

The loco is currently out of traffic with a minor brake fault which saw it miss out on a couple of turns in the latter part of the year. B Exam needed. 

                                      47376 'Freightliner 1995'

Winterised but available for traffic. Spent some of the year out of traffic with oil pressure issues. Some small repairs are to be completed over the winter. B Exam needed. 

Class 20's 137 and 228 in the P'Way Yard at Winchcombe during the 'Autumn Extravaganza' event in 2025. 

As for the DMU fleet, few updates have been given since changes in ownership. Hopefully some news will issue forth in the next month. 

Anyway, here's to 2026 and a prosperous year for us all.