Monday 4 September 2023

Blimey Parky, is that the time?

BR Standard Class 4 4-6-0 No. 75014 'Braveheart' on shed at Toddington - 24th March 2023
 
It is rather alarming when you glance at your calendar and realise that it's September, a fair number of events have happened, and it's been a few months since I last updated this blog. However, much like our steam engines, these things cannot be rushed and as the old English proverb says "Good things come to those who wait". Well, that's the general idea anyway, and I must confess to being a little frustrated that things have been moving at a rather sedate pace of late (as I'm sure some of you readers are). Whenever I attempt to sit down and write something here, I find myself being dragged into another activity (although it's usually a GWSR related matter!). I really could to with obtaining a 'Do Not Disturb' sign to stick on my door, or maybe a 'Not To Be Moved' (NTBM) board would be more appropriate. I'm sure I could borrow one from the department for lets say... a month, or two! Either that, or I simply chain myself to my desk!
 
Anyway, you may recall that when I wrote the last general blog update, we'd had a very successful start to the 2023 season with the ever popular 'Race Trains' steaming us into action during the middle of March. Now is as good a time as any to pick up where we left off. With the 2023 'Cheltenham Festival' out of the way, the rest of March saw 75014 taking charge of our service trains along with the DMU on the blue timetable. With only one steam locomotive in operation, this allowed for further maintenance to continue on members of the home fleet. Upkeep and maintenance is a never ending affair, but having high standards pays dividends in the long run, and, on the whole, we're blessed with a high level of both locomotive availability and reliability. This has become even more important this year following the departure of the much loved 4270. You can read more about 4270 in two previous blog entries, which are available here and here.
 
35006 undergoing maintenance to the LHS piston valve assembly - 24th March 2023

With our Rebuilt Merchant Navy No. 35006 not required in service until mid-April, the opportunity was taken to give the piston valve assembly on the left hand side (drivers side) of the locomotive some much needed maintenance to ensure smooth operation in service (the right hand piston valve assembly was serviced around a similar time last year). As with everything on a steam locomotive, tolerances are very tight and everything has to fit back perfectly to exacting measurements. This reduces the risk of uneven and excessive wear and tear while in operation, not to mention locomotive failure in the worst case scenario. Any failures are costly to both the steam loco department and the railway as a whole. For those less familiar with a steam locomotive operation, you might be thinking, what is a piston valve?
 
In simple terms, a piston valve (sometimes referred to as a slide valve on earlier locomotive designs, see here) controls the flow of steam within a steam locomotive. The valve controls the admission of steam into the cylinders and its subsequent exhausting, enabling a locomotive to move under its own power. Further reading can be found here.
 
35006 undergoing maintenance to the LHS piston valve assembly - 24th March 2023
 
Another area which received attention was the firebox, and specifically the grate that the fire sits on while the locomotive is in operation. 35006 is fitted with a finger grate which can be rocked forwards and backwards to aid with the disposal of the ash/clinker once the locomotive is back on shed (and generally requires less effort with the fire irons as a result, which is appreciated by the cleaners!). The finger grate is made up of two independent rocking sections, one on the left hand side of the firebox, and another on the right hand side. The finger grate is rocked manually by using a metal bar that fits inside a receptacle which sits underneath the footplate floor (under a flap) just in front of the large firebox doors.
 
Over time, the fingers on the grate wear out and become life expired, thus require replacing with newer ones, much like the firebars inside a GWR firebox for example (these expand and contract with the changes in temperature), and have a tendency to warp out of shape, which is no good for a fire if there are big gaps!. The photo below shows the grate with the 'fingers' removed (there are well over 100 of them), which reveals the rocking mechanism on either side of the central section. The fingers slide on to the thick cross-members which are illustrated below. It's not exactly a quick job to do!
 
A rather empty looking grate inside 35006's firebox - 24th March 2023
 
Here is a pallet load of life expired/worn out fingers, and to say that they are rather heavy would be a bit of an understatement. New ones were transported to the loco from the support van using a wheelbarrow, and after what seemed like endless trips back and forth, you certainly felt like you'd earned your tea and biscuits! I'm rather partial to the odd finger or two, the Cadbury's variety to be precise, so please don't be alarmed, although sadly we didn't have any in the mess room at the time. Maybe I should drop a hint to Andrew as it would have been rather apt? Mind you, he's more of a Mini Roll man and seems to have a rather good relationship with the local Spar shop at Toddington!

A pallet load of life expired/worn out rocking grate fingers from 35006 - 24th March 2023
 
Bulleid 35006 P&O leaving Winchcombe and into Greet tunnel - Video © kruiskop1
 
Meanwhile, on the other side of the DP shad, great progress was being made with 3850 and specifically the axle-boxes, in readiness to reunite the locomotive with her wheelsets. Axle-boxes are one of the more critical components of a railway vehicle. The axle-box is the housing of the bearings, which support the axle-load of the vehicle, and the confinement of the lubricant required to maintain the performances of the bearings.
 
Left had side of 3850, showing a number of the axle-boxes - 24th March 2023
 
Left had side of 3850, showing a number of the axle-boxes - 24th March 2023

One of 3850's axle-boxes in situ - 24th March 2023

3850's wheelsets - 24th March 2023
 
A few hours later and a drum roll please... and she's down! 
 
3850 reunited with her driving wheels - 24th March 2023

Well someone looks pleased with the result, or is that because the paparazzi have appeared? - 24th March 2023

 
Hello sunshine! - Photo courtesy of Dave Henley - 25th March 2023
 
 At long last we are now able to tell the time! - 30th March 2023
 
To the eagle eyed visitors amongst you, earlier in the year you might have noticed that a new clock appeared on the outside of the DP shed. It sure does look the part and it means we are now able to check the time instantly rather than having to resort to modern technology (otherwise known as the mobile phone!). Fortunately, the clock is fitted with GPS technology which means that we don't have to resort to climbing up a ladder every time the hour needs changing, much to the relief of Nigel! At the same time as the clock was installed, the opportunity was taken to check the floodlights. 
 
Nigel performing maintenance on one of the floodlights - 30th March 2023
 
2807 basks in the spring sunshine at Toddington - 4th April 2023


News from the footplate
 
In more recent news, I'm delighted to report that Tom Wright passed out last month as a newly qualified driver in the steam department. Well done Tom!

Ian Butler & Tom Wright with 7820 - Photo courtesy of Tom Wright - 3rd August 2023
 
7820 Dinmore Manor & 45149 arrive at Toddington Station 3rd August 2023 - Video © Locomotive Adventures 

I titled this piece on the subject of time and Michael Parkinson (known as 'Parky' to many over the years). As many of you will be aware, the much loved television presenter and broadcaster died on the 16th August at the grand age of 88. Much like our steam locomotives, 'Parky' came from a very different time, a different age, and a different generation. A time when, similar to our new shed clock, things were distinctly analogue and we didn't have the likes of Facebook, TikTok, and other social media platforms seemingly engrossing our lives. Unlike many TV 'Chat Shows' today, Parkinson's interviews always centred around the guests, rather than the so-called 'Celebrity Hosts'. He will be missed.
 
Similar to the late Terry Wogan, he was never the star of the show, and that's why the format worked in my opinion. As the rather aptly titled studio album by Kenny Rogers says, "They Don't Make Them Like They Used To".
 
 Terry Wogan interview - Parkinson - BBC - Video © BBC Studios

 7903 & 75014 warming up on shed, 2807 can be seen on the left - 4th April 2023
 
Michael Portillo paid us a visit as well. The episode featuring the GWSR is currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
 
7903 approaches Broadway with a service from Toddington - Photo courtesy of Jack Boskett
 
Michael Portillo filming at Broadway - Photo courtesy of Jack Boskett

At the African and Caribbean Heritage Centre in Wolverhampton, Michael finds out about the impact of Enoch Powell's 1968 speech on immigration in Wolverhampton and across the nation. In Kidderminster, he discovers the site of a secret wartime enterprise: a subterranean world of shafts, workshops and offices known as the Drakelow Tunnels.

In the cathedral city of Worcester, Michael joins pupils of King’s Hawford School to hear about their chosen sport, pigeon racing. The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway transports Michael back to the 1950s and on to Cheltenham, on the edge of the Cotswolds, where the town’s splendid jazz festival is gearing up for its 25th anniversary.

 
GWRT £1.5m Stanway Viaduct Appeal
 
On a completely different subject, please consider donating to the GWRT's £1.5m appeal for Stanway Viaduct if you can.

Further information about the appeal can be found on the Stanway Viaduct Appeal page. See here for details.

 
 
Journey Through Steam Roadshow Valuation Day on track for 1st October
  • Antiques Roadshow expert Paul Atterbury to attend special valuation event
  • Visitors invited to bring Steam & Diesel era railwayana along to be valued
  •  Special event organised by Broadway Museum & Art Gallery and the GWSR
Three valuers including the author, railway historian, and BBC Antiques Roadshow expert Paul Atterbury are all set to attend a special event to value railway memorabilia on Sunday 1st October 2023. The event, organised by Broadway Museum & Art Gallery, in partnership with the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) and GW Railwayana Auctions (GWRA) is to take place at Lifford Hall, Lower Green, Broadway, WR12 7BU between 10am & 3pm.

Visitors are invited to bring steam and diesel era memorabilia along to be valued including railwayana such as: locomotive name and works plates, station totems and signage, signalling items, railway posters, paperwork and ephemera, plus any rolling stock or miniature railway related items.

As visitors to Broadway and the local area will know, the hugely popular ‘Journey Through Steam’ exhibition which has been extended until the 12th November 2023, resulted in Broadway Museum and the GWSR winning the 2023 ‘Heritage Railway Interpretation Award’ sponsored by Morton’s Media, publishers of Heritage Railway magazine. The award was presented at the Heritage Railway Association Awards ceremony in Birmingham, on Saturday 11th March 2023. 

If you’re a fan of all things antiques and collecting railwayana in particular, then this is an event not to be missed. For further details about the event, please visit https://www.gwsr.com/ or contact marketing@gwsr.com.


Important Note: New websites were launched in February for both the GWSR and the GWRT, thus any pre-existing bookmarks to the main blog page via the old GWSR website will no longer work. The new websites can be found by visiting https://www.gwsr.com/ (GWSR) and https://www.gwrt.org.uk/ (GWRT).

All of the departmental blogs can now be found on a new main blog page here: https://www.gwsr.com/knowledge/blogs
 
For those of you who use Facebook, here are a number of GWSR related groups which are worth following:
 
35006 - 35006 Group
THL - The Honeybourne Line - a GWR mainline in the making
 
Until next time folks... there's much more on the way. I'm doing my best to catch up, so please bear with me.

I leave you with a certain theme tune here.
 
Alex (the sooty one!). 
 
All published photographs are my own unless otherwise stated/credited. 

Monday 3 July 2023

Dapol announces a brand new OO Gauge 28xx / 2884 model range at CFoS 2023

Neil & Richard from Dapol with Mike Solloway and David Holmes representing The 2874 Trust

Morning all. I thought I'd bring you something a little bit different with this particular instalment, with "little" being the operative word. There is a bit of a clue in the opening photograph, and I am of course referring to the popular subject of model railways, which many of us are fortunate to have somewhere, whether that be in an attic, spare room, garage, outbuilding, or even under the bed. They offer endless hours of enjoyment, escapism, creativity, and plenty of nostalgia.
 
Model railway manufacturer Dapol attended this year's Cotswold Festival of Steam (CFoS) and launched their brand new model range of the 28xx / 2884 class steam locomotives for OO gauge. The Chirk based manufacturer is also working in conjunction with The 2874 Trust to produce an exclusive model of No. 2874. In addition, Dapol are to make a financial donation to the trust for each completed sale of the exclusive model. As many readers will be aware, the real locomotive is currently undergoing a complete restoration at Toddington by a dedicated group of the steam department's volunteers.
 
The announcement of this new model range follows the hugely successful 'Manor' project which included the production of 500 limited edition models of our very own 7820 Dinmore Manor. The sale of these models resulted in a significant donation by Dapol to Dinmore Manor Locomotive Limited (DMLL) and the GWSR. Further information can be found here
 
2874 on 10th May 1958 - Photo courtesy of The 2874 Trust
 
The Great Western Railway (GWR) 2800 Class of steam locomotives were designed by George Jackson Churchward who was Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the GWR between 1902 and 1922. The class were designed for heavy freight work and were the first locomotives in Great Britain to use the 2-8-0 wheel configuration. 84 examples were constructed at Swindon Works between 1903 and 1919 with the locomotives being assigned the 28XX number range (2800-2883). The prototype locomotive was outshopped from Swindon in June 1903 originally carrying the number 97, but it was later renumbered to 2800. The locomotive underwent two years of trials before construction of the production batch commenced in 1905. A modified version of the 2800 Class, known as the 2884 Class were built between 1938 and 1942.
 
2874 at Tyseley in 1931 -
Photo courtesy of The 2874 Trust
 
Many of the class were still running into the 1960s hauling goods trains around the country right until the withdrawal of steam from the main line.

2874 was built at Swindon Works in 1918 as part of a batch of 28 locomotives to Lot 210, Diagram I and had Works Orders of 2762 – 2789 respectively. Construction was completed at the end of November and the recorded cost to build the locomotive was £4992. With the inclusion of the tender, this was £6193 (at today's prices this would represent £286,000 for the locomotive and £355,000 with the tender). 2874 was rated 8F with a tractive effort of 35,380 lbs and weighed out at 92 tons 12cwt with its tender.

The locomotive entered traffic on the 4th December 1918 and unfortunately this was too late to help with the major war effort. Its class colleagues provided valuable assistance to the Royal Navy in hauling coal from the Welsh coalfields to numerous ports in the Western Region (WR) and up into Lancashire for onward movement to Scapa Flow – the so-called “Jellicoe Specials”. 2874 was initially allocated to Old Oak Common where it worked coal trains between London and Wales. Later allocations included Reading, Leamington, Tyseley, Neath, Cardiff, Banbury, Stourbridge, Newport and Aberdare. The locomotive was condemned at Neath in May 1963 and sold to Woodham Brothers in Barry for scrap.
 
2874 with a mixed goods working - Photo courtesy of The 2874 Trust 
 
2874 remained at Barry for over 23 years until August 1987 when it was sold along with four other locomotives (3855, 4253, 5668 and 5967 Bickmarsh Hall) and moved to the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway. The locomotive was stored outside for 20 years before being purchased by the West Somerset Railway (WSR) in 2007. By 2014, its ownership had changed again as 2874 was purchased by Dinmore Manor Locomotive Limited (DMLL) and moved to its base at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. In 2016, ownership of the locomotive was transferred over to The 2874 Trust.
 
Thames Valley panorama with Up freight train approaching Pangbourne - Photo © Ben Brooksbank (cc-by-sa/2.0)

View northward, towards Didcot, Swindon - ex-GW Paddington - Reading - Swindon - Bristol etc. main line. The Class H freight is headed by Churchward '2800' class 2-8-0 No. 2883. The Thames is in the trees towards the right, Basildon is off to the left.
 
Please note that the following video dates from a couple of years ago, much more progress has been made since.

2874 a little more progress - Video © David Holmes
 
The following information regarding the announcement is courtesy of Dapol Model Railways.
 
OO Gauge 28xx / 2884 2-8-0

Dapol is delighted to be able to announce the launch of their brand new OO Gauge 28xx / 2884 model range. The model has been launched at the Cotswold Festival of Steam on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway. We are excited to announce that as well as producing a range of general release models (that you can pre-order through your preferred Dapol Stockist) we will also be producing a Dapol exclusive model of 2874 with a financial donation being made to The 2874 Trust for each completed sale of this model.

2874 - Photo courtesy of The 2874 Trust

2874 Dapol Exclusive Model

Dapol in conjunction with The 2874 Trust are producing a model of 2874 which will be available exclusively through Dapol. At this time we are deposit free expressions of interest for DCC Ready, DCC Fitted and DCC Sound Fitted versions of this model. You can make your interest known by filling in the attached PDF from and either e-mailing it or posting it back to Dapol. We will contact you for payment when the models arrive. Dapol will make a financial contribution to The 2874 Trust for each completed order.
 
The model of 2874 will have the following characteristics: Great Western Railway Green, with "Great Western" lettered on the Churchward 3500 gallon tender, original style chimney and safety valve bonnet, port hole windows in the top of the spectacle plate and inside steam pipes.


To express your interest, please fill out the PDF form which is available to download from the Dapol website here.

You can return your expression of interest by post to: Sales Manager, Dapol Ltd, Gledrid Industrial Park, Wrexham, Chirk, LL14 5DG. or by e-mail to sales@dapol.co.uk. The title of your e-mail must be 2874 Expression Of Interest

GWR 2-8-0 2884 Class 3850 - Video ©  preservedrailway
 
28xx / 2884 Prototype

The GWR prototype 2-8-0 locomotive 2800 (originally No 97) was built in 1903 and underwent two years of trials before further production began which resulted in 84 of the class being built. The design was much in advance of its time and this class and the slightly modified 2884 class were built from 1938 until 1942. They remained the standard freight design on the GWR for the rest of the Company’s existence and were used on the heaviest freight trains.
 
Ben Brooksbank - A '2884' 2-8-0 fresh from repair, outside Swindon Works - CC BY-SA 2.0

Model Features

General Specification  

Many original GA drawings were used in the development of these accurate and authentic models.

Building on the many developments from the Dapol Mogul and Manor Class models including Dapol's award winning slide in PCB in the boiler for tool free DCC fitting and sugar cube speaker enclosure (for sound models) and conductive drawbar providing tender wheel pick-up and connections for high bass speaker.  

The locomotive will have all of the usual refinements that are expected to be found on all Dapol models including:
  • A diecast compensated chassis
  • Detailed cab interior
  • The front pony truck is also sprung and operates on a cam so the model will negotiate R2 curves with ease
  • Churchward top feed boiler  
  • Original and later Boiler support/motion bracket
  • Churchward vertical drop & curved drop Footplates
  • Churchward (tapered) & Collet (Straight) sprung buffers
  • Smoke boxes with inside or outside steam pipes GWR & BR smoke box doors (with separately added number plate)
2874 - Photo courtesy of The 2874 Trust
 
Technical Specification
  • A slide in PCB offers simple ‘tool-free’ installation of a NEXT-18 DCC decoder and a ’no-solder’ speaker connection.
  • This board slides through the smoke box door and connects directly to the locomotive mother board.
  • The tender to locomotive drawbar includes reliable electrical connections moulded within the close-coupling push-fit coupling. This eliminates wired plugs and unreliable wiper style connections.
  • The locomotive and tender have electrical pick-up on all driving and tender wheels  
  • An optional base reflex speaker can be fitted into the tender.  
  • Firebox glow (synchronised with sound*)
  • Dapol’s proven slow speed mechanism and high torque motor
  • Enhance your driving experience with our feature RealDrive*
* Factory fitted models only
 

GWR 2-8-0 2884 Class 3850 - Video ©  preservedrailway
 
Proposed Liveries
  • 4S-009-008 - OO Gauge 28xx / 2884 2874 Great Western Green is exclusively available from Dapol, all other models are available to pre-order from your preferred Dapol stockist
  • 4S-009-001 - OO Gauge 28xx / 2884 2831 Lined Great Western Green
  • 4S-009-002 - OO Gauge 28xx / 2884 2804 Great Western Green
  • 4S-009-003 - OO Gauge 28xx / 2884 2854 Great Western Green
  • 4S-009-004 - OO Gauge 28xx / 2884 2884 Shirt Button Green
  • 4S-009-005 - OO Gauge 28xx / 2884 3819 GWR Green
  • 4S-009-006 - OO Gauge 28xx / 2884 3802 BR Early Emblem Black
  • 4S-009-007 - OO Gauge 28xx / 2884  2851 BR Late Crest Black
Recommended Retail Price
  • DCC Ready: £189.99
  • DCC Fitted: £224.99
  • DCC Sound: £299.99

Project Update

The Project is in the design phase at the moment. We will provide updates when they are available included the CAD images.  We anticipate the 28xx/2884 models will be in shops towards the end of 2024.


For further information and deatils, please visit the Dapol and The 2874 Trust websites. 
 
News from the footplate
 
Over the past year, great efforts have been made to try and increase the number of operational footplate crew, which gives the department a bit more flexibility and a small degree of relief for the roster clerks! The summer season is a particularly challenging time of year with the purple timetable in operation due to three crews being required for each day of running. We're delighted to report that Jonathan Windscheffel has now passed out as a driver. Well done Jonathan!

Jonathan Windscheffel (L) with Andy Meredith next to 35006 - Photo courtesy of Andy Meredith
 
GWRT £1.5m Stanway Viaduct Appeal
 
On a completely different subject, please consider donating to the GWRT's £1.5m appeal for Stanway Viaduct if you can.

Further information about the appeal can be found on the Stanway Viaduct Appeal page. See here for details.

 
 
Journey Through Steam Roadshow Valuation Day on track for 1st October
  • Antiques Roadshow expert Paul Atterbury to attend special valuation event
  • Visitors invited to bring Steam & Diesel era railwayana along to be valued
  •  Special event organised by Broadway Museum & Art Gallery and the GWSR
Three valuers including the author, railway historian, and BBC Antiques Roadshow expert Paul Atterbury are all set to attend a special event to value railway memorabilia on Sunday 1st October 2023. The event, organised by Broadway Museum & Art Gallery, in partnership with the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) and GW Railwayana Auctions (GWRA) is to take place at Lifford Hall, Lower Green, Broadway, WR12 7BU between 10am & 3pm.

Visitors are invited to bring steam and diesel era memorabilia along to be valued including railwayana such as: locomotive name and works plates, station totems and signage, signalling items, railway posters, paperwork and ephemera, plus any rolling stock or miniature railway related items.

As visitors to Broadway and the local area will know, the hugely popular ‘Journey Through Steam’ exhibition which has been extended until the 12th November 2023, resulted in Broadway Museum and the GWSR winning the 2023 ‘Heritage Railway Interpretation Award’ sponsored by Morton’s Media, publishers of Heritage Railway magazine. The award was presented at the Heritage Railway Association Awards ceremony in Birmingham, on Saturday 11th March 2023. 

If you’re a fan of all things antiques and collecting railwayana in particular, then this is an event not to be missed. For further details about the event, please visit https://www.gwsr.com/ or contact marketing@gwsr.com.


Important Note: New websites were launched in February for both the GWSR and the GWRT, thus any pre-existing bookmarks to the main blog page via the old GWSR website will no longer work. The new websites can be found by visiting https://www.gwsr.com/ (GWSR) and https://www.gwrt.org.uk/ (GWRT).

All of the departmental blogs can now be found on a new main blog page here: https://www.gwsr.com/knowledge/blogs
 
For those of you who use Facebook, here are a number of GWSR related groups which are worth following:
 
35006 - 35006 Group
THL - The Honeybourne Line - a GWR mainline in the making
 
Until next time folks... there's much more on the way.
 
Alex (the sooty one!). 
 
All published photographs are my own unless otherwise stated/credited.