 |
||
|
| You are in: Home > Enthusiasts > Latest News > News Archive > News August 2005 | ||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||
|
Video gallery updated Once again courtesy of Mike Snow, we have some new additions to our video gallery. We have some new footage of Black Prince on its return (complete with a leaky cylinder drain cock, so I’m reliably informed), and also another nice clip taken when City of Truro visited our line last year. Click here to visit our video gallery, but please respect our limited bandwidth by downloading the videos once only, and saving them to your hard disk.
A green 47 on the GWR? A rather dull green class 47 locomotive, bereft of any identification, has mysteriously appeared at Winchcombe. Is this another addition for the diesel fleet? Well, no. In fact it is 47376 which over recent weeks has been the subject of many hundreds of hours preparation of the body at Toddington. Barely a day has gone by without at least one member of the Brush Type 4 fund rubbing down and filling - the essential, labour-intensive and seemingly endless effort to prepare the surface that will disappear under a brand new topcoat. The rather muddy green is primer and the locomotive is now in the Carriage and Wagon works at Winchcombe where the locomotive's most recent Freightliner grey livery will be reapplied.
The work will be completed in time for the September diesel gala when 47376 will once again receive its nameplates: 'Freightliner 1995', ready for a rededication ceremony at Toddington. Click here for more information about what promises to be the best GWR diesel gala ever.
Cameras rooooooll! 'Romancing the Rails' is the title of an hour-long programme to be broadcast around Christmastime by Granada Television. It explores how railways have inspired artists - of all sorts, including poetry, prose, film, acting - and even religion! As you might expect David Shepherd will be playing a big part in this programme, along with his 9F class locomotive 'Black Prince'. Stuart Butler, the poet who performed on the GWR two years ago as part of the Cheltenham Festival of Literature, will also be reciting railway poetry - including some of his own poems about the GWR. He will be on the 15.30 departure from Toddington, to Cheltenham and back being filmed as he performs his excellent poetry to travellers.* Granada's film crew will be spending two days on the GWR - Sunday and Monday, 21st and 22nd of September. Monday will not be a public day but on Sunday, if you are visiting us, you might just find yourself on the telly! Locomotives operating on the day will by 92203 Black Prince and 4936 Kinlet Hall. *We'll be putting a couple of Stuart's poems up on this website in a week or so. Are you a closet poet? If so, let us know - perhaps we can start a railway-inspired poets' corner on the website!
Steam Firing & Driving Courses Following a break of several months, our immensely popular Steam Firing & Driving Courses are back! Click here for full details - but please be aware that these course are very popular, and are likely to sell out fast!
A busy September ahead A quick reminder about the exciting events we have planned for September. On Sunday the 4th, it’s the third and final Transport Nostalgia day for 2005, at Winchcombe station. This will feature a collection of over 30 tractors and other agricultural machinery, as well as cars and assorted other vehicles. On the 10th and 11th of September, it’s the second steam gala of the year, featuring the recently returned “Black Prince” (see the news item from the 8th of August for more details). Finally, on the 24th and 25th of September it’s a diesel gala, featuring an intensive timetable. We hope to have more details of our galas available soon, including working timetables, so keep visiting this website! And don’t forget that August is our busiest month of the year, with services on Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday every week during the month, and on the bank holiday Monday too.
Loco Roster updated Click here for the updated locomotive roster, providing information about steam and diesel locomotives expected to be used on each operating day until the end of the month. All four of the railway's current resident steam locomotives, 'Hall' class 4-6-0s Kinlet Hall and Foremarke Hall; David Shepherd's 9F 2-10-0 'Black Prince' and unique Collett 0-6-0 no. 3205 will see action. On the diesel front, the regular final return working of each day will see both class 24 no 24081 and visiting SR electro-diesel no. 73129 working this month.
Volunteers needed As an award-winning all-volunteer heritage railway, the GWR is always in need of new volunteers to help out. We usually need help in all departments - from signalmen to shop assistants, carpenters to caterers, firemen (on the footplate) to firemen (with a hose), or even welders to website designers. For the railway to run smoothly, every job, however small it may seem, is vitally important. On the 15th of October, we are holding one of our regular Volunteers’ Days. If you’re thinking of volunteering, but aren’t quite sure, then why not come along for a behind the scenes tour? Full details are available on this page. Of course, you don’t have to wait until October if you want to volunteer! Just get in touch with us at the railway.
'The Prince Returns' - September gala The welcome return to traffic of David Shepherd's massive 2-10-0 no. 92203 'Black Prince' following its retyring, will be celebrated over the weekend of the 10th and 11th of September . This is the GWR's Autumn Gala weekend when a special intensive steam service will operate over both days. 'Black Prince' will feature heavily over the weekend when at least four locomotives are expected to be operating. Although the 9F class - the last steam locomotives for British Railways - were designed to handle heavy freight traffic, which they did admirably well, they demonstrated a surprising turn of speed when occasionally pressed into passenger service. Marking this versatility, Black Prince will be seen hauling both freight and passenger trains over the weekend. Features include:
Locomotives in steam include 92203 Black Prince, 7903 Foremarke Hall, visiting no. 4936 Kinlet Hall and Collett 0-6-0 no. 3205 - one of the last chances to see this lovely engine working before it is retired for overhaul. The working timetable will be on site shortly.
Kinlet Hall arrives
Those of you with an eye for detail (and missed the opportunity earlier this year) can compare Kinlet Hall and Foremarke Hall, two members of the class now operating on the GWR. At first glance, both engines look the same - but you can quickly see a number of differences. Kinlet Hall, built at Swindon in 1929, is an example of C B Collet's original and successful design for a new mixed traffic class introduced in 1924. In the 1940's, F W Hawksworth made a number of design improvements to the class, introducing what became known as the 'Modified Hall'. Foremarke Hall is an example and was completed by British Railways, emerging from Swindon in 1949. So what are the differences? Click here to find out - and next time the two locomotives are operating together, see how many differences you can find. Keep an eye on our locomotive roster to find out which services our locomotives are working.
|
||||||||||||
As this picture from Steve Standbridge shows, Hall
class 4-6-0 no. 4936 Kinlet Hall is once again safely on GWR metals. This locomotive was a popular attraction when it visited earlier this year and a number of our correspondents have asked whether
it might return. Well, it is now with us at least to the end of the season and may remain through into the first part of 2006 - depending on the locomotive's main line commitments next year.| <Home> <About GWR> <Travelling> <Supporting Us> <Ownership> <Development> <Enthusiasts> <Contact Us> <Links> |