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Thomas has arrived! Thomas, the cheeky blue tank engine, has arrived at the GWR – and he’s ready to meet his fans, both young as well as those old enough to remember the first ‘Thomas’ books published more than fifty years ago. He will be joined by Toby the Tram, the troublesome trucks, Trevor the Traction Engine and many more. City of Truro is on the GWR as well but unfortunately, she has a severe boiler ache at present so won’t be running trains. But we hope she will be on display at Toddington station for everyone to admire, and perhaps visit his footplate (provided the people from his owner, the National Railway Museum, aren’t there trying to make him better). Instead, one of the railway’s big green engines will be sharing the day with Thomas, pulling trains between Winchcombe and Toddington. There are special trains running from Cheltenham Race Course station during the day (follow the AA signs) to Winchcombe and the fare is included in the entrance fee. It will be a fun packed weekend. Update: we now have a working timetable for this event. Click here to view the working timetable. Please remember, this timetable is intended for use by our working volunteers, and is subject to change without notice.
Fish & Chip trains almost sold out! Our very popular “Fish & Chip Specials” are nearly sold out. As of today, there are only 10 places remaining on the August 20th train. Click here for details of how to book - but it is recommended that, due to the few places remaining, you book by telephone to avoid disappointment.
More passengers for diesel gala
Clearly diesel enthusiasts are hardy types - with only 47105 able to provide steam heat for the train and the weather being unseasonably cold it meant that a number of trips will have been a little chilly - but doubtless on-train catering made up for it with copious supplies of tea! Click here to visit our newly-updated photo-galleries for a few excellent photographs of a very good day (follow the links through the diesel section).
Caption Competition results Another excellent Caption Competition has closed, and the winner this month is Matthew Darby, who actually submitted two potentially winning entries. Well done Matthew! Another competition is now under way, so why not have a go? Click here to view the results of the latest caption competition.
City of Truro - not working this weekend The National Railway Museum's (NRM) celebrated 'City' class 4-4-0 City of Truro has yet to be steamed following its arrival on the GWR two weeks ago. The locomotive's boiler was washed out shortly after arrival, prior to its annual examination. During the washout, the mudhole doors* were found by the the GWR's own locomotive department to be in need of replacement. This was confirmed by John Glaze, the boiler inspector, and NRM staff during the locomotive's annual examination. However, the boiler is otherwise in fine condition. New mudhole doors are now being sourced and are expected to be fitted over coming days. When new mudhole doors are fitted, the boiler inspector will conduct a further cold examination, followed by a 'hot' examination with the locomotive in steam. This means that the locomotive will not be operating this weekend. Please keep visiting 'Latest News' for more information. * Mudhole doors - small flanged, oval plates which fit within apertures around the base of the firebox to facilitate washing out of residue that forms within the boiler. Special chemicals are added to the water to prevent the boiler from building limescale and other harmful deposits (similar to that found within a domestic kettle). Instead of scale, a muddy substance settles at the bottom of the waterspace within the firebox, from where it can be washed out through the mudhole doors.
124,000 hits and counting! This website was relaunched during Christmas 2003, and exactly 12 months ago, on the 14th of April 2004, I added a hit counter to the front page. Amazingly, the front page was been viewed 124,000 times since then (that’s an average of well over 300 times a day). Of course, this is not a very accurate figure, since some visitors will view the front page several times during a session, and others will have bookmarked Latest News, for example, and won’t view the front page at all. However, this figure ties in well with our more detailed visitor stats, which show round about 500 visits to the site every day. So thank you all for your wonderful support!!!
Thomas and Friends* visit the GWR - 23rd and 24th of April
All activities on both days are watched over by the Fat controller, Sir Topham Hatt. You can get there either by a special train service from Cheltenham Race Course station (follow AA signs) or from Toddington - there is plenty of free car parking at both stations. Please note, Winchcombe station entrance and car park are closed. There is lots going on and the entrance fee is only £10 for adults, £7 for children (under three's free). The entrance fee includes all attractions, including the train service between Cheltenham and Winchcombe. Click here for full information (printable). * © 2005 Gullane (Thomas) Limited. A HIT Entertainment Company
Site updates We’ve just published a new desktop wallpaper for April, featuring (appropriately) City of Truro, captured last year by Zol, our resident e-decorator! In addition, we’ve just published Richard Johnson’s latest Carriage & Wagon report (better late than never - sorry Richard, even Webmasters can mislay emails sometimes). Unfortunately, technical difficulties have presented us from publishing some excellent photographs showing the fruits of the C&W department’s labours - hopefully we’ll be able to add those to the report soon.
Diesel Gala, 8th - 10th April Our first major event of the 2005 season, the Spring Diesel Gala, is coming up this weekend. Our home fleet of beautifully restored heritage diesel locomotives will be in action for three days, with an intensive timetable featuring additional demonstration freight trains on Saturday and Sunday. So why not come and visit us? Normal fares apply. Click here to read the press release for the diesel gala. Click here to download the working timetable (this is a PDF file).
Silver screen for GWR Winchcombe station was transformed into a film set on Monday 4th April for a locally made short movie. Cheltenham based Spirit Films is producing 'Waters End' - which is set in the late 1950s. It's described as a 'sentimental journey with a hint of menace and plot twists' by director David Reynolds. The scene shows a middle-aged lady arriving at a country station in the company of a fellow traveller, a Lord, who shared her first-class compartment and seems to have less than honourable intentions towards her. It involves the maroon coaching set stationary at Winchcombe's Platform 1 - the set was left there after normal services on Sunday. Other scenes have been shot by the lineside during normal services and in a first-class compartment, again during normal services. Needless to say, the tunnel plays an important part in the film! From Winchcombe the action moves to a 1949 Alvis car at the station forecourt, which is driven away by the chauffeur (who is our own Nigel Jones MP). Other locations include the drive and house at Nature in Art, Twigworth; the lake and grounds at Cheltenham Film Studios; Prestbury Church and Cheltenham Town Centre. Other actors (apart from some GWR staff) are from the Cheltenham Playhouse. The film will be available on video in due course.
A semi-forgotten engine? A locomotive that has received very little media attention, yet restoration of which is progressing quietly at Toddington (see Latest News, February), is ‘Modified Hall’* class 4-6 -0 no 6984 Owsden Hall. Indeed, in a recent ‘Heritage Railway’ magazine, this ex-Barry scrap yard hulk was described as ‘a semi-forgotten engine’. This locomotive is owned by Trevor Westbury who, with a dedicated team of volunteers, has worked wonders on the chassis. Regular updates will now be made on progress of Owsden Hall in the Projects section of this website. And to start with, we offer a rare portfolio of photographs of this little-photographed engine, together with a short history of its working life. Following will be more information about progress to date and then occasional additions as the restoration continues. Click here to visit the Owsden Hall section of this site. * Click here to find out the difference between a Hall and a Modified Hall.
Pannier tank 9642 for the GWR The GWR has reached agreement with Andrew Goodman - who as widely reported in the railway media has purchased 57xx class pannier tank locomotive no. 9642 - for it to visit Toddington. The engine is expected to be delivered during early April and it will be a useful addition to the railway’s fleet. Click here for more information about no 9642 and the 57xx class of pannier tank locomotives. We hope to have a photograph of 9642 shortly.
Welcome return for City of Truro The 102-year-old record-breaking 4-4-0 no 3440 'City of Truro', has returned to GWR metals. Judging by the number of enquiries received by the railway, it will be a popular feature of our operations over the coming weeks.
City of Truro as built at Swindon in 1902 and just two years later, was credited as becoming the first locomotive to exceed 100mph - although the Great Western Railway kept quiet about the feat for many years, fearing public outcry at such excessive velocity. Interestingly the locomotive achieved this record near Whiteball in Somerset - which is where the frame for the new signalbox at Cheltenham Race Course came from. City of Truro has been delivered pointing south (last year it was pointing north) which should afford some new photographic opportunities, such as this image by Mike Squire taken when City of Truro briefly visited the railway in 1990. Please note that all scheduled appearances are subject to availability of the locomotive. Click here for more information about 3440, in our Loco Database.
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The GWR's diesel department turned out
their magnificent fleet of restored main line diesel locomotives once again, for another successful Gala over the weekend of the 8th to 10th of April. This was the first major event of the year for the
GWR and it attracted around 15 per cent more passengers than last year, with over 800 tickets sold to diesel enthusiasts and members of the public alike. The Gala provided a range of single and double-headed locomotive combinations,
including the ever-popular duo of class 47s, blue no 47105 and Freightliner grey no 47376.
That cheeky blue tank engine, Thomas, visits the GWR
once again over the weekend of the 23rd and 24th of April. And, as usual, he will be bringing his friends including Toby the Tram Engine, who will be shunting Toad and the troublesome trucks at Winchcombe;
Bulgy the Bus who will be trying to beat Thomas on the journey between Winchcombe and Toddington, Trevor the Traction Engine at Toddington and special celebrity City of Truro* - the first engine to reach 100mph over 100 years ago.
Following a boiler washout and steam test, the locomotive is expected to
enter service on Sunday the 17th of April (the Diesel Gala takes place on the 8th to 10th of April) and should be working most operating days from then until the end of May. During its tenure, it is expected to play starring roles in
'Day Out with Thomas' on the 23rd and 24th of April as well as our Spring Steam Gala over the weekend of the 13th to 15th of May.| <Home> <About GWR> <Travelling> <Supporting Us> <Ownership> <Development> <Enthusiasts> <Contact Us> <Links> |