5526 at Cheltenham Racecourse - Photo courtesy of driver elf Ben Evason
Snow is falling, all around me, children playing, having fun!
It's the season, love and understanding, Merry Christmas everyone... Please don’t worry, I’ll dispense with
the karaoke for now as the sight and sound of me signing certainly isn’t a
sight to behold, I can assure you. My abilities in that department are about
as good as the proverbial chocolate teapot. You’d like to hear some more? Surely
not, and I’ll politely suggest that you’ve been drinking a tad too much gluhwein!
A worldwide tour and chart-topping album are not on my list of plans for next
year, so I’m very sorry to disappoint my loyal readers (or should that be ‘followers’
in social media parlance). Unlike the words of Mr Stevens, sadly snow isn’t falling
all around me, and it looks like we’re going to end up with a rather wet and
windy Christmas, rather than a fluffy white one.
5526 undergoing a Steam Test - 16th November 2023 - Photo courtesy of driver elf Kevin Jarvis
My talents remain elsewhere, and readers may recall that I
have a particular affinity with the trusty mince pie, copious amounts of which
get me through the festive season and the cupboard is well and truly stocked
up. Speaking of the cupboard, I may need to install some additional bracing due
to the weight of all the pies. Mind you, I don’t think I’ve quite reached peak consumption
just yet. I must consult with one of our Duty Operations Officers (DOO), namely Andy
Smith, on this important matter, as he is quite the connoisseur when it comes
to all things cake related. In my humble opinion, he should really be given the additional role of ‘Duty Cake Officer’
(DCO). If in doubt, bring some more cake out!
GWR Prairie tank 5526 seen on a miserable damp December day pulling up through Dixton Cutting and shutting off for Gotherington with the return Santa Special working for Cheltenham Racecourse.
Anyway, let us move on to more important matters at hand. Recent visitors to the railway will have noticed that we have a certain 'Small Prairie' tank with us for the festive season, as if the opening photograph of this blog wasn't a big enough giveaway! With 7820 once again away on holiday at the South Devon Railway (SDR) operating their 'Polar Express' services, we required an additional engine to bolster our fleet to operate our annual Santa and Mince Pie Specials. The loco in question is 5526, which arrived with us in mid-November, courtesy of the SDR. Shorty after arriving, the tank engine was tested and signed off for service over the festive period. It's great to have a tank back at the railway since the departure of the much loved and missed 4270 earlier in the year. 5526 will be staying here until the end of the season.
5526's first duty before the festive trains were underway was operating the November Race Specials to Cheltenham RC.
5526 prepares to depart Toddington with a November Race Train - 17th November 2023
5526 is a member of the 100-strong Charles Collett designed
Great Western Railway (GWR) 2-6-2T ‘4575’ Class of ‘Small Prairie’ tank
locomotives. The class were a development of the earlier Churchward designed
4500 Class and featured larger side tanks with sloped tops which allowed for an
increased water capacity. These small mixed traffic locomotives were predominantly
designed for branch line work and were constructed at the GWR’s Swindon Works between
1927 and 1929. They carried the number range 4575–4599 and 5500–5574, with 15
members of the class later being fitted with auto apparatus in 1953, enabling them to run push-pull trains on South Wales lines with auto trailers.
5526 prepares to depart Toddington with a November Race Train - 17th November 2023
Known for their work in the West of England and Wales, these capable engines had a good turn of speed and were reportedly able to haul passenger trains of up to 11 coaches, despite their relatively small size. During the 1950s and 1960s, examples of the class could be found hauling part of the Cambrian Coast Express to Pwllheli and parts of the Cornish Riviera Express. The first withdrawal of the class began with 4586 in 1956 and members steadily declined until the last 11 were taken out of service in 1964. 11 of the class survived into preservation, with these being: 4588, 5521, 5526, 5532, 5538, 5539, 5541, 5542, 5552, 5553 & 5572. Most are operational or are undergoing overhaul / restoration.
5526 was out-shopped from Swindon in May 1928 as part of a batch of 20 locomotives (Lot No. 251) numbering 5525–5544. The cost of construction was £3,602 which included £737 for its boiler. 5526’s first allocation was St. Blazey Shed (SBZ / 173) in Cornwall, and it was during this time that the engine was based out at Bodmin for two months, working the branch to Wadebridge. In November 1929 the engine was transferred to Exeter where it remained for two years.
5526 + Auto-trailer at Bishops Cleeve 26th May 2009 - Photo © xj900suk
In the six years that followed, 5526 had a number of allocations including; Plymouth (Millbay and Laira), Moorswater (LA / 123), Launceston and Newton Abbot (NA / 133) before being sent to Laira (LA) for its first general overhaul on 26th January, 1935. During the overhaul at Laira the engine was fitted with its second boiler. Following the completion of the overhaul, 5526 was transferred to its new home of Truro (TR / 213) on 6th June, 1935, where it would remain for the next twenty four years. Workings for the engine during this period would have included branch services to Falmouth and Newquay (via both Chasewater and Par). In March 1959, 5526 was transferred from Truro to Westbury (82D).
During its time at Westbury, the engine received its final heavy overhaul and its last "Classified" overhaul, due to it being stopped between the 17th April and the 5th June 1959. Whilst under overhaul, 5526 received its seventh and final boiler, which had been constructed during October 1947 for the reported sum of £1087. The 'Small Prairie' spent its final years working on local passenger and goods trains to locations including Swindon and Bristol (via Radstock). 5526 was withdrawn from BR service on the 8th June, 1962, after being in service for over thirty four years and covering a total of 968,577 miles. The engine was sold to the Woodham Brothers on the 28th August, 1962, and transferred to Barry in November that year. Twenty three years later, in July 1985, 5526 was finally saved by the “Project 5526 Group”.
The locomotive was transferred to Toddington during the same month, but by 1988, it was decided that 5526 would be moved again (due to the lack of facilities at the GWSR at the time, which were required in order to restore the engine). It just goes to show how fortunate and lucky we are today to have the facilities that we do at Toddington, when compared to how it was some thirty five years ago! The tank engine was moved to Swindon Works Heritage Centre in April 1988 - specifically the No. 19 Shop (formerly the DMU Repair Shop), where most of the equipment needed for the restoration was available. Whilst at Swindon, a number of jobs were completed including; the re-profiling of the wheels, the replacement of the corroded rear portion of the main frame, the stripping, surveying and retubing of the boiler, and the construction of a new bunker and two new riveted side tanks.
GWR tank locos heading for Chinnor - Photo © Bob Walters
(cc-by-sa/2.0)
Due
to a building development and access problems, the group and locomotive needed to vacate the No. 19 Shop and a new operating base was sought. Fortunately, the group managed to find a suitable new home at Buckfastleigh on the South Devon Railway (SDR), where restoration to full working order was completed. 5526 has visited the GWSR on a number of occasions since its original restoration, including in 2009 and in 2017.
GWSR Christmas Cracker with No.5526 29 & 30/12/17 - Video © totally-transport
5526 + Auto-trailer at Bishops Cleeve 24th May 2009 - Photo © Henry Elliott
Occasionally, things don't always go to plan. I gather the engine ran out of chuff last Sunday (that's a technical term!).
I suppose we'd better play the theme tune... well it would be rather rude not to: Thunderbirds Are Go!
5526 has some Santa Special company in the form of newly overhauled 2807...
2807 at Winchcombe Station - Photo courtesy of driver elf Dan Wigg
In other department news...
Christmas came early for DMLL and 3850 as its boiler arrived and was reunited with its frames. Rather uplifting!
En-route from Rileys - Photo courtesy of DMLL
Lifting into position on the 8th December 2023 - Photo courtesy of DMLL
Looking much more like a loco now! - 3850 reunited with its boiler - 8th December 2023
News from the footplate
I'm delighted to report that Peter Young and Tina Sutton have both recently passed out as newly qualified driver elves in the steam department, with David Jenkins and Jeremy Booth-Rossiter also passing out as a newly qualified fireman elves. Tom Willson is now a newly qualified shunter driver elf, in addition to his roles as gala chairman, roster clerk and fireman - thus another member of the department very familiar with the spinning of multiple plates. Well done to all!
Elf Tom Willson at the controls of one of our diesel shunters - Photo courtesy of driver elf Kevin Jarvis
Oh look more food...courtesy of newly qualified fireman elf David, a man of many talents!
David Jenkins popping his cooking on the shovel cherry - 21st December 2023 - Photo courtesy of driver elf Ray O'Hara
2807 & 35006 on shed at Toddington - 24th November 2023
I'd like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas
and all the best for the New Year. 2023 has simply flown by and it's been a
chuffing good one in my book, certainly as the GWSR steam department is
concerned. Onwards and upwards!
For those of you who use Facebook, here are a number of GWSR related groups which are worth following:
DMLL - Dinmore Manor Locomotive Ltd
2874 - The 2874 Trust
35006 - 35006 Group
76077 - Standard Locomotive 76077
THL - The Honeybourne Line - a GWR mainline in the making Until next time folks... I'm a little peckish, so I think it's time I went to check on that Mince Pie cupboard!
I'd better leave you with Mr Stevens: Merry Christmas Everyone
Enjoyable blog as always Alex!!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much. I do my best to make it an entertaining read.
Delete30.03.2024 at 05:51LT [29/1951GMT] - great links comments etc. Happydaze Jon on Bribie Island Qld. Land of OZ
ReplyDelete