GWSR General Discussion and Operations

Some footage from P&Os last day on the GWSR




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According to the GWSR Facebook page there is an announcement tomorrow at 9am about a visiting loco. Full post including clue: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1FuDyx11sj/

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4079 visiting till the New Year - 7903 now withdrawn from service

 

Some sad news and some good news. 7903 Foremarke Hall has been withdrawn from service but 4079 Pendennis Castle has been announced as the GWSR visitor. <BJ>

Locomotive Update

''We’re sad to share that following a boiler inspection this week, 7903 Foremarke Hall has been withdrawn from service with immediate effect. While some remedial work was considered, it wasn’t viable due to timescales, cost, and inspector availability. Our huge thanks go to John Cruxon and his team for all their hard work in trying to secure an extension, and we wish them every success as Foremarke Hall’s overhaul is brought forward.

With Santa season just around the corner — and two locomotives needed each day — the team have been working hard to find cover. Thanks to the incredible support of our friends at Railway Support Services, the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway, and the Great Western Society at Didcot Railway Centre, we’re thrilled to announce that 4079 Pendennis Castle will be joining us, until early January!''

 

With 7903 and 35006 both now withdrawn, does that mean the GWSR will have to hire on another loco alongside 80105 for next year or should it be able to manage with 2807, 3850, 6880 and 80105?

 

We've often managed to get by on 4 steam locos in the fleet for the services that we run, 2 in service, 1 spare/light maintenance, 1 washout/maintenance. Bear in mind last year the grange was away for most of this year but won't be next year, you could look at it as 2 in, 2 out.

 

Should be fine with those 4. I don’t think we have any regular 3 loco diagrams, so 4 locos allows 2 in use on the day, one spare and one on washout/maintenance. 6880 will settle down as a regular performer and allow some of the niggling things on the to do list to be sorted.

 

The loco roster has been updated until Christmas but 4079 does not feature on any future dates, only 3850 and 6880.

 

I understand the Castle is being kept as a spare until after Christmas, then it'll feature more heavily.

 

Good morning all,

Hoping that someone might recognize and pass on some pictures I took back on 29th October (only just got around to sorting them!).
We had a great day out travelling behind 35006, 6880 and 37215 being on first and last trains of the day!
I know that the drivers name on 35006 was John but didn't catch the firemans name.

Fingers crossed that someone recognizes them and can pass on other pictures taken.

Thanks all

 

904.jpg is our marketing manager, getting his hands dirty

 

I don't think so! That's Mark along with John

 

Our annual roundup of C&W activity over the last year is up on our blog https://gwsrcarriageandwagon.blogspot.com/2026/01/2025-roundup.html

Final day of the running season tomorrow, with Betton Grange and Pendennis Castle double-heading for the day alongside 3850 on the other set. The weather is looking perfect too!

 

Some of my pictures from yesterday, As can be seen from the first one the wind was a problem where the line is on a north/south axis.
Locations are, 6880 at Laverton Meadows, 4079 at Chicken Curve x2, 6880 from up the hill at Chicken curve with the Malverns in the distance. The last is 4079 at Laverton Meadows heavily backlit by the golden sun we only see in winter.

 

That last shot is a stunner John!

 

Thanks Alan, As I said its the sort that you only get in low winter sun . The trick is to under expose it in order to stop the sky burning out and then bring the shadow detail up in PS.

 

This looks so much like something from Natal in South Africa, circa the early 80s