Open day and Class 802 naming at Long Rock depot

Great Western Railway is throwing open the doors to Long Rock depot in Penzance on April 13.

GWR will display members of its Class 802 fleet, as well as High Speed Trains. There will also be visiting diesel and steam exhibits. Money raised from ticket sales will be donated to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Penlee Lifeboat station.

During the event, a Class 802 will be named Rick Rescorla and Penlee Lifeboat - Solomon Browne.

Rescorla was from Hayle, and was the Security Chief for Morgan Stanley at New York’s World Trade Centre. He is credited with saving more than 2,500 lives when he evacuated people from the South Tower during the terrorist attack on September 11 2001. He died during the evacuation.

Penlee Lifeboat - Solomon Browne sank on December 19 1981, as it went to the aid of MV Union Star. All eight lifeboat crew as well as eight passengers and the crew of Union Star perished.

GWR Commercial Director Matthew Golton said: “Long Rock depot is a really important part of how we are modernising the railway and keeping Cornwall connected to Devon, Bristol and London.”

Pathfinder Tours is running a charter from Dorridge, hauled by a Direct Rail Services Class 68 and ‘88’ - the first time one of the latter bi-mode locomotives has visited the South West.

Tickets for the GWR event are only bookable in advance, and cost £15 per adult, £5 per child, or £37 for a Group Ticket (two adults and up to three children).

They can be booked at https:// billetto.co.uk/e/gwr-longrock-tmdopen-day-2019-tickets-331021/. Sales are limited and tickets are non-refundable.