EUREKA!

GCR Flagship Locomotive Freelance Pacific 1947 ‘Eureka’ has returned to service, it is a welcome return due to the current shortage of locomotives we are experiencing.

Elsewhere on the loco front GNR Atlantic has been moved to the workshop, this was involved in a low speed derailment during shunting last season and it was to believed to have damaged the frames, however upon lifting the boiler it was found that the wheels went round as they should and the stiffness put down to a lack of lubrication.

Freelance Tank engine ‘Alison’ has left the workshop after having its valve gear put back together and has been fitted with a new lubricator as the old one gave up the ghost and repairing it was harder than first thought as it is a sealed unit. ‘Alison’ has been on tour recently, attending the Little to Large weekend at Fairbourne Railway in Wales, running on a portable track. It has also been to a private garden railway in Milton Keynes and too 3 portable track events at school fairs

Else where WD 2-10-0 failed with a broken valve ring, these are being dealt with and new rings will be fitted. Work is progressing with getting NE K5 2-6-0 back into action with a new superheater being made. NE T2 0-8-0 is back in action having had a new boiler fitted and is performing well. Other than that no other news to report, the regular performers keep the service running.

GCR Spring watch

The GCR has reopened for the season now, trains will run every Sunday until the end of October as well as Wednesdays in August, for more information see our opening times page and fares page.

In preparation for the season we were moving some cones around the car park, all was well until we lifted up a cone and found a Great Tit’s nest at the bottom with freshly hatched chicks chirping away, we were unsure if the mother and father would return back to the nest because we had disturbed it, however the cone was put back down and a notice put on it alerting people of the nest, and within a week the parents were back flying in and our the nest, the picture shows the one of the parents sat on top of the cone.

Else where on the railway Robins are nesting in the ticket office roof, this is why the roof panels have been left down so that we don’t trap the birds in there, once they have flown we will replace these panels, the robins would like to apologise for the untidy look recently.

News Update

The area around the turntable has now been completed, a concrete pad with the track set into it, this will mean it cannot move and the level will remain the same, reducing the number of problems encountered last season.

Track work has been completed, with the relaid track outside the tunnel ballasted and levelled. Attention was turned to the top of Piggery, where some long bracing sleepers have been put in between the two tracks to stop the problem of twisting and buckling experienced during the heat of the summer.

On the workshop front, not a lot has happened engine wise due to the workshop receiving an early spring clean, this however is now complete and production levels should rise with our newly organised tool boards. The chassis for LNER K5 2-6-0 has been moved over ready to receive its boiler, progress is being made on Freelance Pacific Eureka and SR U Class 1803 ‘River Itchen’ will be moved over shortly. WD 2-10-0 has left and is ready for testing before being put back into traffic.