SWINDON’S FINEST

Ironically for a line whose DNA is resolutely GWR and which boasts an impressive array of Great Western motive power – including a ‘28XX’, a ‘42XX’, a ‘Manor’ and a ‘Modified Hall’ – the railway’s flagship is undeniably ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35006 Peninsular & Oriental S.N. Co. The Bulleid ‘Pacific’ is now in its third year of traffic in preservation, and was one of the first main line locomotives to arrive at the railway, in March 1983. Its return to steam in August 2015 was another achievement for the line’s army of volunteers. Although the GWSR is the perfect size for an ‘8P’ 4-6-2 and gives ‘P&O’ plenty of space to stretch its wheels, like many other lines the railway needs more Class 4 engines. With that in mind, work has restarted on BR ‘4MT’ No. 76077 after decades of inaction. The ‘Mogul’ is the only surviving example not to have steamed in preservation, and the ex-Barry hulk has remained largely unrestored almost since the day it arrived from the scrapyard in 1987. As detailed in SR476, the bottom end is being shotblasted in a temporary tent in Toddington car park and will be sent off – along with the wheelsets – to Locomotive Maintenance Services in Loughborough for restoration before the start of the running season. Additionally, ‘28XX’ No. 2874 is under restoration at Toddington, and ‘2884’ No. 3850 is undergoing overhaul there too. The shed is an impressive facility and can house all the railway’s steam fleet under cover during the winter months. A base for the ‘new’ GWR ‘County’ 4-4-0 has also been mooted (see News).