And Then There Were Eight

We now have an answer to the question that everybody has been asking.  I am delighted to be able to announce, following an intensive rebuild effort, that has run at a very high pace since the boiler returned from Tyseley a few months ago, that Hawksworth, 4-6-0, Modified Hall, 7903, Foremarke Hall is now passed as ready to join the gala line up.  The gala committee are enormously grateful to John Cruxon and his team for pulling out all the stops to get her ready in time. This gives us a total of eight running locos, in addition to the seven already announced (see previous blog post for details).  

Foremarke Hall has been beautifully turned out in lined BR green, with the late crest on the tender.

7903, Foremarke Hall in steam a couple of days ago.

A significant bonus, is that Foremarke Hall fills in a gap in our "Swindon Built" theme, as we now have locomotives design by each of the last four Chief Mechanical Engineers that have been in charge of Swindon works, Churchard (2807 & 4270), Collett (7812 & 7820), Hawksworth (7903), and in the BR era, Riddles (92214).  We also have the oldest steam locomotive capable of being steamed that was built at Swindon (2807) and the youngest (92214).  46521 is an Ivatt (LMS) design, although built at Swindon and 35006, was designed by Bulleid (the exception to the "Swindon Built" theme).

The availability of eight locos gives us some options to run interesting combinations of double headers.  The plan is to run 7812, Erlestoke Manor double headed at different times with 7820, Dinmore Manor and 7903, Foremarke Hall.  The timetable on the website now has the loco allocations for each day.

Erlestoke Manor pilots Foremarke Hall on a test run earlier today

We appear to have inadvertently come up with a lined BR green gala too, as all three visiting locos (7812, Erlestoke Manor, 46521 & 92214) are in lined green, along with 7903, Foremarke Hall and 35006, Peninsular & Oriental S.N. Co from the home fleet.

I can now reveal that the plan is to run 2807 as 2808 on Saturday 28th May only, to commemorate the record breaking 2012 ton train hauled by 2808 in 1906.  On the other two days, she will run as herself, 2807.

Heavyweight champion

 For further details of what is shaping up to be an extremely impressive event can be found on the GWSR website.

 As a taster of what is to come, I received this photo from Mark Young nearly managing to squeeze in all the assembled locos, with this view taken from the top of the newly erected parachute tank.

The line up

 And finally, a new departure for us is a "Driver for a tenner" taking place at Cheltenham Race Course station each day.  Age limits, 18 - 70 years old, between 10:30 and 14:30 each day, subject to loco availability.