Diesel Driving Experience Courses 2008

Courses will run between Toddington and Cheltenham Racecourse

Course Fees: Class 37 & Class 24: £250.00

Places (as of 06/05/2008) Course Date Motive Power Booked Available     (unconfirmed)   28/03/07 (Fri) Class 37 4 0 28/04/08 (Mon) Class 37 4 0 16/05/08 (Fri) 24 081 4 0 20/06/08 (Fri) Class 37 4 0 18/07/08 (Fri) Class 37 4 0 28/07/08 (Mon) 24 081 4 0 08/08/08 (Fri) Class 37 4 0 22/08/08 (Fri) Class 37 4 0 19/09/08 (Fri) 24 081 0 4 17/10/08 (Fri) Class 37 2 2 Click the above thumbnail for an annotated photo of a Class 37 driver’s desk and controls (248KB). Click the above thumbnail for a photo of some tired but happy participants, after a course (76KB).

Details

Courses start at Toddington at 10:00 (approximately). During the day courses will run over the full length of the GWR to Cheltenham Racecourse Station (4 return trips). Expected finishing time is 17:00 (approximately).

19 Miles of driving per person. Maximum of 4 persons per course.

These courses will run between March and November. We regret that it is unlikely we will be able to add extra courses in 2008.

Due to operational constraints, courses to Cheltenham Racecourse can only run on weekdays.

Course fees are payable at the time of booking and payment must have cleared by the date of the course.

Please note that we must have a minimum of three bookings per course for the course to run. You will be advised as soon as possible if your chosen course is not likely to run.

The Class 37’s that we have at the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway are 37215, owned by The Growler Group, and 37324 ‘Clydebridge’, privately owned but on trust to The Growler Group, both in BR blue livery.

24081 is privately owned and is only one of 4 locos of this class that made it into preservation & is the only one in BR Blue livery.

IMPORTANT

The information below applies to ALL courses. Please read carefully before booking.

For driving experience courses we cannot accept bookings for participants under 18 years of age. If the booking is for an 18th Birthday gift, the participant must be 18 on the day of the course.

When Diesel Driving Experience Courses started on the GWR many years ago, all courses were ‘Light Engine’ using only the locomotive. We then progressed to running all courses with 5 or 6 carriages to give a more realistic driving experience. We now offer Freight Experience courses in the form of a ‘Civil Engineers/Ballast’ train and a ‘1960’s style Freight’. Availability of Freight Experience will be determined by your preference when booking. Courses with carriages are standard and therefore Freight will only be available by the request of the majority of those booking on the course.

Please bring some old clothes and sturdy shoes with you as the course will give you the opportunity to be involved in the coupling and uncoupling of the locomotive.

We regret that due to conditions imposed upon us by HMRI, family members will not be able to travel on the trains being used for the courses. However, should your family wish to travel on the GWR then a FREE Family ticket for a round trip on the service train can be arranged, please advise when booking if you require this facility. Please note that courses to Cheltenham Racecourse run on non-operating days and therefore anyone accompanying you on one of those days will be unable to travel. Your free ticket will be available for use on another normal operating day.

PLEASE NOTE:

Because of the limited number of places available, a “reserve” list will operate. If your booking is unsuccessful, you will be given the opportunity to be placed on the reserve list. Obtaining a place on the reserve list does not guarantee a place on a course. It is expected that anyone placed on the reserve list would be contacted at short notice to be offered a place. Please indicate if this would cause a problem. Once you are placed on the reserve list, your payment will be held, but not banked, until a place on a course is confirmed . Anyone placed on the reserve list who does not get a place on a course by the end of the season will have their payment returned.

Should it be necessary for you to cancel your place on a course, please notify the coordinator as soon as possible. The Company reserves the right to refuse a refund unless the place can be filled. Any refund made may be subject to an administration charge.

Whilst every effort will be made to ensure that the courses run as advertised, the Company reserves the right to cancel, alter, or suspend any course without notice. Where the Company cancels a course, a full refund or alternative will be offered.

For further details, or queries regarding availability, contact the course co-ordinator on 07736 001148 or e-mail alanclothier@tiscali.co.uk.

The schedule for courses in 2009 will be available towards the end of November 2008.

If you have made an enquiry or a booking for a 2008 course, you will automatically receive the 2009 course schedule as soon as it becomes available.

Click here to download the 2008 booking form. This is a PDF file, and will open in a new browser window. Please print out this form and send the completed form together with your remittance to the address given on the form.