Last minute swap

On Saturday 47376 was unable to take its place of the 1555 departure from Toddington due to a minor fault, so 24081 stepped in to cover. '376 was quickly repaired though to undertake its booked duty on Sunday.

More painting brings D6948 return to service nearer

The four year overhaul of D6948 is making good steady progress with the bodywork of the locomotive now completely covered in three layers of undercoat on top of two coats of high build primer. The first top coats have also started to be applied to the roof areas. The diesel shed is usually open for visitors on weekends when working partied are on site. Pop in to see the progress.

47 105 Update

The work on 47105 continues and today saw the engine room roof lifted off and placed on the wagon where it will receive attention to the corroded metal work. 

This also gives much more space to work in the engine room which has had the walls stripped and the gauges and pipe work refurbished.

The equipment room is nearing completion but is missing the refurbished exhausters which are still away.

The equipment room was completely emptied of machines such as the compressors and exhausters, the numerous air tanks, brake frames and the multitude of pipe work among other things. These (with the exception of the exhausters) have all been refurbished and refitting of this complex jigsaw is ongoing.

Update from Rich Watson

24081 was the diesel loco on this weekends red services. 

You can follow our booked traction here: http://gwsr.com/enthusiasts/locomotive-roster.aspx

Subject to the usual disclaimers.

26043 underwent various repairs this weekend and was also visited by the guys from the North Norfolk Railway ahead of its visit to the coastline railway later this month.

If all goes according to plan the small Sulzer will leave the GWR on Monday 8th June.

D6948 - The first signs of Green on the loco

Over the recent Bank Holiday weekend, the first coats of Masons P Type Deep Bronze Green paint were applied around the Cab Window area of D6948 (37 248) giving the first opportunity to see how the loco will look after it's extensive Bodywork Restoration.

The first signs of Green on D6948 - Photo Kev Jarvis

The fun and games of installing the Cab Window Glass with new window rubbers and filler strip awaits the restoration team......

Elsewhere on the loco, more rubbing down of the bodyside undercoat has taken place showing more filling and sanding requried to get the Bodywork as flat as possible.

Bodywork prep continues - Photo Kev Jarvis

Heritage Diesel Weekend 24th - 26th July 2015

The Heritage Diesel Weekend being held over 3 days from the 24th - 26th July 2015 builds upon the great success of previous events and has much to offer enthusiasts and visitors to the line.

We hope you will come and enjoy the 1000 miles of heritage diesel running we have on offer from our collection of heritage diesel locomotives and enjoy the open days of our facilities at Toddington and Winchcombe.

We are also very pleased to welcome the sight and sound of a classic Maybach engined Western Region diesel hydraulic locomotive to the line - class 35 'Hymek' locomotive No D7076 - immaculately presented in the BR blue livery of the early 1970s which is very much in keeping with the latter years of the Honeybourne line at this time. This follows on from the successful visit of sister locomotive No D7017 from the West Somerset Railway at our 2014 event which attracted a great deal of interest. Thanks to the Bury Hydraulic Group at the East Lancashire Railway for the visit of D7076.

The extension from Toddington northwards towards Broadway will be use, giving a full 24-mile round trip, which together with passing trains in our loops at Gotherington, Winchcombe and Toddington allows a 40 minute frequency of service along the entire line, helping to re-create some of the main-line ambience of this former through route from Bristol to Birmingham. 

For the haulage enthusiast, this allows a wide variety of 'moves' to be made throughout the day in pursuit of your favourite traction. For the general visitor and enthusiast alike, come and re-live the atmosphere of travel by British Rail (remember them?) from 30 and 40 years ago! The 1970s and 1980s live again!

Home fleet - in use and working trains

Class 20 no. D8137 (20137)

Class 24 no. 5081 (24081) - the 24081 Locomotive Group

Class 26 no.26043 - Cotswold Mainline Diesel Group

Class 37 no.37215 - The Growler Group

Class 45 no.45149 - Cotswold Mainline Diesel Group

Class 47 no. 47376 - The Brush Type Four Fund

Class 73 no. E6036 (73129)

Class 117 3 car DMU L425 - Cotswold Diesel Railcar Limited

Home fleet - on static display

Class 37 no.D6948 - The Growler Group

Class 47 no. 47105 (cab visits available) - The Brush Type Four Fund

Guest locomotive - in use and working trains

Class 35 no. D7076 - The Bury Hydraulic Group

For more ticketing information, click here

Please note - Text pulled together from various posts on the GWR Main Website for consistency in content.