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)