Off to the races

After a slightly nail-biting winter due to the two most recent landslips, it was something of a relief to head into Toddington on 7 March to the sights and smells of steam being raised. Many a voice could be heard saying “it’s good to smell that again” as they walked through the gate into the yard whilst Dinmore Manor was prepped to haul the first passenger trains of the 2020 season.

Once 7820 had departed for the day, a motley crew set about getting 4270’s pistons reassembled in what had been preparation for her departure to the North Norfolk Railway, although this was then cancelled due to Covid-19. New piston rings have been manufactured and so the job at hand was to simply get the pistons into place, fit the new rings, apply some force to push the pistons back in and voila, job done!

7820 looking soggy at Broadway

If only things were so easy. Brute force and ignorance (and a multitude of screwdrivers) came second to getting the piston rings past the respective port lips and once the light faded in Toddington, the motley crew had to call it a day. Alas spies have failed to update me on any progress so I can provide no further information on its current status, however I’m sure some kind soul could provide a comment down below.

As always, our first running weekend acts as a run-in period before an incredibly busy week, also known as Cheltenham Race week. Through some trick of fate, all three members of ‘Team Blog’ managed to escape the day job and spend some time “playing trains” as it has become known in my office, so we're all doing pieces on our respective days. A link to Luke's write-up can be found below.

I was lucky enough to spend the morning of Ladies Day working on 35006, and the afternoon of Gold Cup Day wearing my other hat guarding Train 2. The morning of Ladies Day dawned bright and early (literally) but with a little bundle of nerves as this would be my first morning cleaning turn.

Ready for the first trains of the week (Ian Crowder)

The problem with joining the department during winter maintenance is you don’t get a chance to get stuck into cleaning until the season starts, and even then there’s potentially only a limited number of opportunities before you’re rostered, so it felt a bit like jumping in at the deep end. I didn’t need to worry; like with everybody else I’ve worked with, Paul (fireman) and Jamie (driver) were brilliant and fully took me under their wing. I finished the day dirty, aching, tired and with a massive grin on my face that didn’t come off for many many hours (days) afterwards.

35006 pulls away framed by 7903 and 7820

Gold Cup day is a beast logistics wise. The introduction of the non-stop train to Broadway last year proved a big success and was being run again this year, this time as the last train of the day. Fitting three full length trains into Cheltenham Racecourse station is…. well we only have two platforms, so you can see why logistically it is a challenge.

Having been hauled down to the racecourse behind 7903, fired by a familiar face, the challenge then began. Ever since I’d looked at the working timetable and realised I’d been rostered to guard the train with the two major shunting manoeuvres of the day, my stress levels have been slightly higher than normal.

Simmering away

To summarise, pull into Cheltenham platform 1 with 7903 on the front. Attach 7820 onto the back, shunt release 7903, run a train full of happy race goers back up to Toddington, unload them all and then shunt back into the North Siding so that Train 3 can continue its non-stop up to Broadway. Confused yet? The “Racecourse Shuffle” on the GWSR Facebook Page documented the whole experience, so head over there and check it out.

Definitely the best way to beat the traffic

Luckily, despite the best attempts of the points at Winchcombe, the evening ran like clockwork. I did spot some of the crews taking advantage of the engines being sat right next to one of the burger vans down at Cheltenham, however I decided that as I needed a lift back from the North Siding later that evening, my camera was best placed to stay in my pocket.

Speaking of sources earlier, a quick reminder to our loyal readers that content can be submitted to gwsrsteamblog@gmail.com. We can’t feature your hard work if we don’t know about it! With the railway being closed for the foreseeable future (and everyone being stuck at home anyway), please bear with us as we work through this period of time.

Don't forget, the GWSR is currently holding an emergency appeal to fund the repair of the landslip at Gotherington. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far and we look forward to welcoming you (if you aren't a volunteer already) once we re-open.

Bryony

Foremarke Hall pulls the 'Northern Belle'

Since Bryony, Tom and myself have taken over the GWSR steam department blog so much has happened. P&O has had new grate sections fitted. Dinmore Manor has had new bearings and was prepped for the annual boiler examination which is now successfully complete. 4270 has had the connecting rods removed for inspection of the cylinders, piston rods and rings.

However if you are a regular to the steam department blog, you may have noticed the lack of posts about Foremarke Hall. Well this is because at the end of 2019 the Hall was transported to Tyseley to have some work carried out.

One of the first jobs which needed to be done was to build up the cross heads with weld and remachine the taper on the inside of the crosshead. This was to ensure there is a really good fit when the piston rod is located into the taper.

The next job was to remetal and remachine the coupling and big end bearings. Here are the rods after being removed from the locomotive.

Whilst removed from the loco, the crossheads have also been remetaled and you can see them being remachined.

Below is the locomotive in the process of being put back together after all of the work had been carried out.

Once back together, Foremarke was then prepared for a steam test and some running in before returning to Toddington.

Whilst the front end was away at Tyseley, the rear end, or the tender, has also had some winter maintenance jobs completed. The coal bunker has had a coat of paint to help protect from rust and the chassis has had a thorough clean, led by Alex. Inside of the tender is normally somewhere you don’t usually get to see, other than when filling the tender with water and looks something like this...

However if you climb in there is a small passageway through the baffle plates which prevent the water sloshing about whilst on the move. One of these had come loose and needed re-welding.

Once that was complete all that was left was to apply a coat of paint to the rear buffer beam and await the return of the locomotive.

The Hall has now arrived back at Toddington and been reunited with the tender and was back in service for the race trains at the Cheltenham Festival.

Courtesy of Kevin Jarvis

I was very fortunate to have a rostered turn on Foremarke Hall on Gold Cup Day which was on a very special service, ‘The Northern Belle’ from Cheltenham Racecourse for London Paddington!

Ok so I may have bent the truth a little… I forgot to mention that we terminated at Broadway and the passengers were transported by coach to Evesham for the return to London Paddington. Oh we can dream!

Luke

As you may already be aware, the GWSR has had to temporarily cease operations due to the ongoing coronavirus situation. The decision was made following Cheltenham week and it goes without saying that staff and volunteers are feeling the railway blues. To exacerbate the situation, over the winter we suffered another significant landslip just south of Gotherington

Slip in January 2020 (Courtesy of Stuart Hamilton)

Enough remedial work was completed to be able to operate, however there is a lot that remains to be done and the ground is still moving. The suspension of operations means an immediate loss in income and the GWSR has launched an emergency appeal to help fund the remaining work. 

Dinmore Manor removes equipment prior to Cheltenham Race Week (Courtesy of Stuart Hamilton)

If you can, please consider donating to the GWSR and help raise the £250,000 needed to preserve the line for future use. Further donation options are being explored but for now please see the following.

You can help this cause by donating to us either:
By Bank Transfer to Sort Code 30-90-89 Account 47638368 using the reference ‘LANDSLIP’ plus your membership number (if applicable)
Or 

By sending a cheque payable to GWRT to The Chairman, GWRT, Churchward House, Winchcombe Railway Station, Winchcombe, Glos GL54 5LD.

In either case, if you are a UK taxpayer and feel able to download, complete, scan and e-mail our Gift Aid form to trust.chairman@gwsr.com we will be able to claim 25% Gift Aid. Alternatively, you can print, complete and return it to the above address.

Thanks,

Luke, Bryony and Tom

The Cotswold Festival of Steam - Second Guest Announced

We are now in the position of being able to reveal the second guest engine at this year's Cotswold Festival of Steam gala being held on May 23rd - 25th.  

Courtesy of Southern Locomotives LTD and the Swanage Railway, we are delighted to announce 34072, 257 Squadron:

Bulleid light pacific, 34072, 257 Squadron.  Photo copyright David Stubbings

The light pacifics were a mixed traffic design for the Southern Railway by their Chief Mechanical Engineer, Oliver Bulleid.  The design is a smaller, lighter version of the Merchant Navy class, of which our home fleet resident, 35006, Peninsular & Oriental S.N. Co is an example.  A total of 110 light pacifics were built between 1945 & 1951, 60 of which were rebuilt by British Railways, losing the distinctive air smoothed casing in the process.  257 Squadron is one of the 50 that remained "unrebuilt" and of course one of the 20 that has survived into the preservation era, mostly through the blessing of having been despatched to Woodham Bros scrapyard at Barry, where, in spite of the name, relatively few locos were scrapped.

34072, 257 Squadron (Photo Copyright David Stubbings)

 The Bulleid light pacifics had a number of innovative features in their original form; a steam reverser, electric lighting driven by a steam powered generator, chain driven valve gear held in an oil bath, steam operated firehole door and a welded steel firebox.

34072, 257 Squadron passing Corfe Castle on the Swanage Railway (Photo Copyright David Stubbings)

Being a wartime design, it is little surprise that around half of the class were named after famous fighter squadrons or high ranking members of the RAF that had taken part in the Battle of Britain.  The remainder were named after holiday destinations in the West of England served by the Southern Railway.  

Details of two more visiting locomotives will hopefully be announced in the near future and don't forget, information on the gala can be found not just here, but on the new Facebook page and of course the official GWSR website
 
Advance tickets are available online at the main GWSR web page, please click on this link to place your order.

Finally, nothing to do with the gala, other than the fact that she is a member of our home fleet, there will soon be a 00 gauge model available of Dinmore Manor, available from Dapol. The model (lined black and with a Churchward 3,500 gallon tender) will also be available in the Station Shop at Toddington.  I can hardly wait!