Making a point
posted 25th August 2006

The GWR has acquired a useful selection of modern pointwork that is destined to be used at Laverton, where a run-round loop will be installed, and to replace some existing pointwork elsewhere on the GWR. First to be tackled will be the two turnouts at the north end of Toddington station. The area known as the ‘north headshunt’ at present comprises a motor controlled turnout and signal operated from Toddington signal box, which visitors can see being used very day that trains operate. It allows locomotives to run round the train after arrival at Toddington. About 50 metres further north there is a hand operated point that controls access to the Broadway extension (the left-hand line, on the ‘up’ formation) and a long siding that runs almost to Stanway viaduct.

Both of these points are likely to be replaced this winter. The pointwork is relatively new and was formerly in use on the West Coast Main Line at Rugby where remodelling of the track has rendered them surplus to requirements. They are very long – for the technically minded they are ‘D12 ‘ and ‘C10’ points – and are designed for speeds significantly above the GWR’s line speed of 25mph. They will provide for a very smooth and safe transition into and out of the station.

Big visitor revisits; little visitor arrives!
posted 22nd August 2006

Visiting Merchant Navy class Pacific* no 35005 ‘Canadian Pacific’ – on loan from the Mid-Hants Railway – is paying an additional short visit to the Loughborough-based Great Central Railway. This is Britain’s only preserved double-track main line and the locomotive will change its identity to sister locomotive, no. 35030 ‘Elder-Dempster Lines’. The reason? 40 years ago, 35030 hauled a Locomotive Club of Great Britain (LCGB) tour over the former Great Central railway and was the last train to run over the route. Over the weekend of 2nd and 3rd September, the present-day GC will re-create that occasion.

35005 will remain on the line until early October, taking part in the GC’s Autumn Gala over the weekend of 7th and 8th October. It will return on 10th or 11th October.

Meanwhile, the GC is lending Standard class 2 2-6-0 no 78019 to the GWR. This attractive class was the smallest of the British Railways standard tender locomotives. It will, of course, be joining the largest – 92203 ‘Black Prince’. Picture courtesy of Steve Chapple.

The Standard Class 2 locomotives were not very common in this part of the world, although Worcester shed had one, no. 78009 and it spent some time at the Kingham sub-shed for working the line to Cheltenham. It is highly likely that this engine would have traversed our line at some time or other.

*Pacific: check our jargon buster and look for Wheel Arrangement!

Latest Carriage & Wagon report now available
posted 20th August 2006

The latest report from the Carriage & Wagon department is now available. Click here to read Richard Johnson’s latest update. If you enjoy reading these reports, or would like some more information about anything C&W related, why not send some feedback to Richard? Just send an email to candw (at gwsr.com).

Timetable change for 20th August
posted 18th August 2006

The published timetable shows that there is an 'Elegant Excursions' luncheon train on Sunday 20th August and that the Gold timetable will be in operation. In fact, this is an error and the normal two-train, Red timetable will be in operation. To find out what locomotives will be operating on 20th August, visit our Loco Roster.

How are we doing so far?
posted 18th August 2006

By the end of July, the GWR had enjoyed its best year-to-date figures ever, largely as a result of the Centenary Festival when just over 9,000 tickets were sold. Until then, total ticket sales were fewer than at the same point over the previous three years.

At the end of July, 34,245 tickets had been sold, compared with 30,020 the previous year – an increase of 14 per cent. However, the railway didn’t exceed the previous year’s ticket sales until the second weekend of the Centenary Festival, taking June’s figures 19 per cent ahead of the previous year and making it the best year enjoyed by the railway at that point. This was despite a poorer than usual attendance at ‘Thomas and Friends’ over the weekend of 24th and 25th June – the main culprits being the weather and the England vs. Ecuador match in the World Cup on the Sunday afternoon.

As you can see from the chart above, the benchmark remains 2003, the year the line opened to Cheltenham Race Course, when the number of tickets sold jumped by 25 per cent over 2002.

End of year figures since then are:

• 2003 – 64,145
• 2004 – 66,411
• 2005 – 63,603

If we can maintain the present lead over previous years, it is possible that the railway will reach 70,000 ticket sales for the first time. So encourage friends and relations to visit and most importantly to travel!

Where are ticket sales coming from?

To date this year, 8,402 tickets have been sold at Cheltenham – just under a quarter (24.5 per cent) of the total. Cheltenham station is increasingly contributing towards the railway’s ticket income.

It is also worth pointing out the importance of party bookings. To date, 3,266 people have travelled on our line as a group or coach party (9.5 per cent of the total) and this will continue to be a growing and important part of our future marketing strategy.

Truro north o’ the border
posted 15th August 2006

Record-breaking Great Western 4-4-0 no 3440 City of Truro is settling down happily on the Strathspey Railway, as this rather pleasant photograph from Henry Winskill shows.

The National Railway Museum-owned locomotive, which in 1904 was the first locomotive recorded to exceed 100mph, had attention paid to its pistons and cylinders before embarking two weeks ago on the marathon road journey from Toddington to Scotland. The last time the engine was in Scotland was during the late 1950s when it was paired with other heritage locomotives including Caledonian Railway 4-2-2 no. 123.

No. 3440 is not expected back at Toddington until towards the end of the year. Meanwhile it is visiting other heritage lines, including the Bluebell Railway in Sussex.

5542 back for 2007!
posted 11th August 2006

Take a look at the Gallery and savour the wonderful pictures of Great Western ‘Prairie’* no. 5542 at large on the GWR during the Centenary Festival. These scenes are set to be repeated as we can confirm that Locomotive 5542 Limited have agreed that their lovely 2-6-2T* can reside at Toddington for the 2007 season.

The locomotive – which was once allocated to both Cheltenham Malvern Road and Gloucester Horton Road sheds – should have arrived by 1st March and is expected to remain on the line until October.

The small ‘Prairies’* were (and are) extremely useful and economical machines and there were several allocated locally. They were ideal for light passenger and goods traffic and were popular with their crews. There are plenty of pictures of the class handling such trains over ‘our’ line, for example the heavier local services (that is, three or four bogie coaches rather than a single auto trailer and 0-4-2T!).

Some of the class were ‘auto fitted’. Although this was not original equipment on 5542, it has since been so equipped and during the Festival, it popularly worked some of the auto -turns with auto trailer no. 178. It is hoped that 178 will also re-visit during the year, so making this combination possible once again.

You can find out more about this lovely locomotive by clicking here.

* 2-6-2T? Prairie? Check our jargon buster to find out how to describe a steam locomotive (see wheel arrangement).

The Waiting Room forum update
posted 10th August 2006

The Waiting Room forum is available for working volunteers to discuss news and views relating to all aspects of the GWR (and some distinctly non-railway topics too).

If you are a working volunteer and would like to join, please visit our volunteers page. Please make sure that you read and follow the joining instructions carefully. We are currently experiencing a large number of automated bogus registration attempts, so it is important that you follow the instructions carefully to avoid disappointment.

Signal Box for Broadway
posted 9th August 2006

Despite the peeling paint, Exminster signal box is generally in good condition.

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway has acquired the first building destined for the reconstruction of Broadway station, in anticipation of trains reaching there. This is the Grade II listed signal box at Exminster, on the Exeter St David’s-Newton Abbot line. It is a genuine GWR timber structure, which was taken out of use in November 1986 under the Exeter PSB re-signalling scheme.

Described as being in ‘excellent condition’ the ’box, which has an internal staircase, has latterly been used by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds as a watching post over the nearby River Exe. It might have continued in this role were it not for access problems for people with mobility difficulties.

The two-storey Exminster ’box was opened in June 1924, replacing an earlier structure. Originally equipped with a 36 lever frame, 3-bar VT frame, an extra 20 levers were added in 1931. A new 80-lever, 5-bar VT frame was fitted in March 1941 and this remains today, albeit with most of the levers missing. On closure, only 35 of the levers were working.

The ’box has been the subject of a restoration effort by the Exminster Signal Box Preservation Society, which was seeking to remove the structure to Steam museum at Swindon and has already carried out some restoration and preservation work. This project never reached fruition, however, although the Society is supportive of the initiative to remove it to Broadway. Permission for its removal had already been obtained from Teignmouth District Council and the Listed Building Office. The cost of project will be funded by the GWR’s supporting body, GWR Ltd.

The listed Exminster signal box stands sentinel over a vacant yard watching as a Virgin HST thunders by.

The intention is to rebuild it more or less on the site of the original Broadway signal box, which was also of timber construction. Clearly, 80 levers are highly unlikely ever to be needed at Broadway so it could perhaps double as a visitor centre, with the opportunity to explore ‘hands on’ how signalling operates and learn more about the GWR. This would be in the spirit of the original intention to take the ’box to Swindon. In addition, visitors could see how the operational part of the frame works as trains are signalled in and out.

Also acquired for Broadway is a GWR footbridge, which is also in very good condition. This has been dismantled and is currently stored off-site.  It once stood at Culham.

The GWR now has sufficient rail reserved to complete the Broadway extension: see our news item dated 2nd August 2006.

Steam locomotive update
posted 6th August 2006

City of Truro

Following attention to its pistons and valves at Toddington, the iconic Great Western record-breaker, no. 3440 City of Truro, has left Toddington (by road) for Scotland. Believed to be the locomotive’s first ever visit north of the border since 1958, the National Railway Museum’s much-travelled outside-framed 4-4-0 will be on the Strathspey Railway for the next six weeks, doubtless vaporising many drams of the soft Scottish water. Click here for more information about the Strathspey Railway. It then moves back south to the Bluebell Railway where it will be reunited with the Sussex line’s ‘Dukedog’ outside-framed 4-4-0.

Raveningham Hall

What happened to the GWR’s ‘Royal’ engine, no 6960 Raveningham Hall? One of this locomotive’s last turns was hauling a special train carrying HRH The Princess Royal from Winchcombe, on the occasion that she opened Cheltenham Race Course station three years ago. Well, after its 10-year boiler ‘ticket’ expired, no. 6960 departed for Bill Parker’s workshops at Bream, in the Forest of Dean. During a recent open day to mark the 10th anniversary of the workshops (when the accompanying pictures were taken) visitors could see progress on the locomotive for themselves.

Overhaul of Jeremy Hosking’s Modified Hall 4-6-0 is progressing well although it is likely to be many months before the engine is returned to the GWR. So far the frames, hornblocks and axleboxes have been overhauled and the driving wheels have been machined ready for new tyres to be shrunk on. The boiler has had a large amount of wasted steel cut away with most of the outer firebox fit only for scrap. New steel is expected to be delivered shortly for the new firebox sides. A new front tubeplate has been manufactured and is waiting to be fitted. The inner firebox was in good condition, needing relatively little remedial work.

Meanwhile, the tender tank has been largely dismantled for a new tank to be fitted to the frames.

Click on any of the pictures below to visit a mini gallery:

You can find out more about the Hall class locomotives – including no. 4936 Kinlet Hall, 6984 Owsden Hall and 7903 Foremarke Hall by clicking here.

Job vacancy at GWSR.com
posted 3rd August 2006

There is a job vacancy at GWSR.com. Click here for full details.

(and don’t worry, the website will continue as normal until a replacement is found and brought up to speed)

New rails to Broadway – without the clickety-click*
posted 2nd August 2006

May be this is a first for a standard-gauge heritage railway in the UK: the new track north of Stanway Viaduct is just that, new. For some time, the railway has been stockpiling at various places sufficient concrete sleepers to get all the way to Broadway. And, while these may not be brand new, the rails that they will support are.

The GWR is investing heavily on track materials, including a considerable amount of brand new rail – and this is either on site or available for delivery. Some visitors may have seen articulated lorries arriving loaded with 60ft lengths of new rail which the GWR has been fortunate enough to obtain at a considerable discount.

“This investment will pay dividends in the future,” says Ivor Dixon, head of permanent way. “The new rails are being welded, using the ‘thermit welding’ technique, by courtesy of Carillion Rail at a significant discount. Carrillion are able to use their equipment as a training exercise during times when they are not working on the main line.

“What this means is that the new track will be almost maintenance-free. Our small but dedicated P-Way team won’t have the burden of yet more fishplates to grease and check, dipped joints to pack. After all, our line is growing and with it comes the need for continual maintenance.”

He adds: “I think in years to come, those that follow us will appreciate that we are building the line to the highest possible standards.”

Altogether, approaching 10,000 sleepers will be used on the extension to Broadway. A ‘breather’ will be installed just north of the wooden-sleepered track over the viaduct – this allowing for the expansion and contraction of the continuously-welded section during extremes of weather – and additional breathers at either side of any loop installed at Laverton and at the end of the welded section at Broadway.

For more information on progress towards Broadway, visit Andy Manley’s unofficial Broadway Extension website.

* Continuously welded rail, of course, means that the familiar ‘clickety-click’ from carriage wheels will be absent – and the ride will be smoother!

Caption Competition results
posted 1st August 2006

Another month has passed, and there have been plenty of entries for the July caption competition. The winner is Gavin Dickinson and you can see the winning entry and some of the best runners up by clicking here.

There is of course a new competition under way, and you can enter the competition by clicking here.

Click here to return to the News Archive.