It always happens! As soon as a blog goes out, more news is received and circumstances change that would have been prime for that moment! It usually follows that I then don't get 5 minutes to throw out an addendum! Well, here is that addendum!
Firstly, after lots of to-ing and fro-ing, the Gala organisers have come to an agreement with the owners of a guest loco. The costs of road transport, availability of locos and their crew, as well as time meant that there were several dashed hopes. But, we are happy to announce that a loco that has previously visited Toddington, but never ran on the line, is going to be visiting. That loco is......
.....BRCW Type 2/Class 26, D5310! The Class 26 will appear courtesy of the Llangollen Diesel Group and the Llangollen Railway.
 |
| 5310 sat in Toddington Yard on 02 Nov 2019. |
D5310 had previously visited us in 2019, initially for repair and with a view to appearing at our 2019 Gala., However, the work required ended up being a lot more involved meaning it would not be available, and so the loco spent a year on the railway where it's maintenance team from Llangollen, as well as our own CMDG members (owners of fellow Class 26, D5343), conducted a lift, using our jacks, and conducted work on the locos traction motors.
It will be good to see it return and to finally turn a wheel in anger on the GWSR.
 |
| 5310's only activity during the 2019 Diesel Gala - a static exhibit in the car park at a very wet Toddington on 27 July 2019. |
Hopefully, more Gala news will follow in the next few weeks.
Elsewhere, the June loco roster has been issued and sees a continuation of the Thursday PINK timetable due to the unavailability of the DMU. It is hoped that the Class 117 will be back in action in time to resume its usual activities in July.
One big event in June will be the Ale Festival over the weekend of the 14, 15 and 16 June. This will see two diesel locos in use on the Friday and Saturday, with a normal PINK timetable on the Sunday. Further details are available on the GWSR website - www.gwsr.com
June Roster -
|
Date |
TT |
Loco(s) Rostered |
|
Sat 1 June |
|
D6948 |
|
Sun 2 June |
|
45149 |
|
Tues 4 June |
|
D6948 |
|
Weds 5 June |
|
D6948 |
|
Thurs 6 June |
|
D6948 |
|
Sat 8 June |
|
45149 |
|
Sun 9 June |
|
45149 |
|
Tues 11 June |
|
5081 |
|
Weds 12 June |
|
47376 |
|
Fri 14 June |
|
47105, 47376 |
|
Sat 15 June |
|
37215, D6948 |
|
Sun 16 June |
|
47105 |
|
Tues 18 June |
|
37215 |
|
Weds 19 June |
|
37215 |
|
Thurs 20 June |
|
37215 |
|
Sat 22 June |
|
20137 |
|
Sun 23 June |
|
20137 |
|
Tues 25 June |
|
20137 |
|
Weds 26 June |
|
20137 |
|
Thurs 27 June |
|
TBC |
|
Sat 29 June |
|
5081 |
|
Sun 30 June |
|
5081 |
