The sound of a 1750hp English Electric 12CSVT diesel engine rumbling through Greet Tunnel is hard to beat, especially when there’s two of them!
Home resident English Electric Type 3 (Class 37) diesel-electric locomotives No’s D6948 & 37215 will be ‘Doubling Up’ on Sunday on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, both double-heading and top ‘n’ tailing train services throughout the day, giving visitors and diesel enthusiasts the full ‘English Electric’ experience. 309locomotives were built by English Electric between 1960 and 1965, with construction being carried out at Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows and Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns in Darlington. The Class 37s were versatile and reliable locomotives which made light work of heavy freight trains and mainline passenger services on both primary and secondary routes. The locomotives had a low axle load and a route availability of 5 (RA5) meaning that the could travel virtually anywhere on the national rail network, which made them particularly useful for operating services on branch lines across the country. Due to their reliability, a number of subclasses were developed over the years to extend their lifespan, so much so that over 90 locomotives still exist today, either in active mainline service, long term storage, or in preservation.
The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway currently has two members of the class in its home fleet which are both permanent residents.
37215 (D6915) is a 37/0 owned by The Growler Group and was built at Newton-le-Willows in 1963. The locomotive operated for the best part of 29 years before it was taken out of service in 1992. The Type 3 was preserved in 1994 and arrived at Toddington in the summer of the same year. It was restored to full working order in 1998, with 2023 marking the significant milestone of 25 year’s of active preservation service. In 2007, 37215 was repainted in to a high standard in BR blue livery as worn by the class during the 1970s and 1980s.
D6948 (37248) is a 37/0 owned by four individuals who are members of The Growler Group. The locomotive was built at Newton-le-Willows in 1964 and came to Toddington in 2010 wearing West Coast Railways livery and carrying its TOPS running number of 37248 (the locomotive had been restored to operational condition at Carnforth by West Coast Railways as part of a loan agreement which expired in 2009). Under preservation, the Type 3 under went an extensive refurbishment to ‘as built’ 1964 condition taking many years, which included the provision of steam heating and a return to BR green livery with small yellow warning panels (GSYP). 2023 will see the return of D6948 to a Diesel Gala (with its last appearance at a diesel gala being the summer of 2019) having spent the past three years ‘on the sidelines’. The locomotive returned to active service again earlier this year.
Prices
Adult
£26.00
Child
£10.00
Family
£65.00
Dog
£4.00
Prices
Adult
£26.00
Child
£10.00
Dog
£4.00
Family
£65.00
2 Adults and up to 3 Children
Extended Family
£100.00
4 Adults and up to 3 Children
Contact Information
01242 621405
Trains Running
21 "Mavis"
Diesel Locomotive
No 21 "Mavis" has been stored at Toddington for some while, awaiting refurbishment. It is privately owned.
TSO 4763
Preserved in 1987 by the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway, moved to the GWSR by March 2004.
BSK 34929
Preserved 1982 By Stratford area group of GWSR.
FO 3132 (Mary)
Named 'Mary' in honour of a long-serving volunteer on the railway.
DMBS
DMU / Railcar
Cars W51360 and W51372 are owned by Cotswold Diesel Railcar Limited . W51360 is currently the 'spare' for our 117 set and W51372 is awaiting restoration.
Class 122
DMU / Railcar
W55003 is a Class 122 'Bubblecar' owned by Cotswold Diesel Railcar Limited and is currently undergoing refurbishment plus the creation of wheelchair-friendly accommodation at Toddington.
Class 117
DMU / Railcar
Normally comprising cars W51405 (DMS), W59510 (TCL), W51363 (DMBS), this Class 117 unit was purchased in 2011 by Cotswold Diesel Railcar Limited and is now running regular services from Toddington.
John
Steam Locomotive
'John' has been on the Railway for over 30 years. The loco is presently undergoing restoration including the construction of a virtually new boiler.
20228
Diesel Locomotive
20228 (D8128) - Class 20 Diesel Electric Locomotive. 20228 is privately owned and is now a permanent resident on the GWR. 20228 moved to the GWR in 2020 and should become serviceable during the 2022 season.
Des 372
Diesel Locomotive
372 arrived at Toddington in October 1999 and since then has been used extensively as yard shunter.
D2280
Diesel Locomotive
D2280 arrived on the GWSR in 2018 and is now part of the shunting fleet at Toddington. It is privately owned . There is a Bachman model of this locomotive available in BR green.
11230
Diesel Locomotive
11230 arrived on the GWSR in 2003 and is now working at Toddington with its restoration almost complete.
D2182
Diesel Locomotive
D2182 is usually to be seen shunting at the carriage works at Winchcombe
47376
Diesel Locomotive
47376 is owned by The Brush Type 4 Fund and is a permanent resident on the GWR. The Brush Type 4 Fund was formed in 1992 and, in November 2002, bought No 47376. The loco was transported to the GWR in 2003 after receiving a replacement engine at Ashchurch from sister loco No 47295.
47105
Diesel Locomotive
The Brush Type 4 Fund was formed in 1992 with the aim of preserving a Series Parallel Class 47, after 2 years of fund raising 47105 was bought from Crewe in January 1994.
45149
Diesel Locomotive
A class 45/1 Diesel Electric Locomotive. This locomotive is owned by The Cotswold Mainline Diesel Group and is a permanent resident on the GWR. It first ran in preservation during the 2013 Heritage Diesel Weekend.
37215
Diesel Locomotive
A class 37/0 Diesel Electric Locomotive, is owned by The Growler Group and is a permanent resident on the GWR. 37215 was preserved in 1994 and was returned to working order in 1998.
D6948
Diesel Locomotive
A class 37/0 Diesel Electric Locomotive, is owned by four individuals who are both Growler Group members and active working members of the GWR diesel department and is a permanent resident on the GWR. 37248 came to Toddington in 2010 and has undergone an extensive refurbishment including the provision of steam heating and a return to BR green.
D5343
Diesel Locomotive
A class 26 Diesel Electric Locomotive. This locomotive is owned by The Cotswold Mainline Diesel Group and is a permanent resident on the GWR. 26043 ran for the first time in preservation during the 2013 Heritage Diesel Weekend.
5081
Diesel Locomotive
A privately owned and is a permanent resident on the GWR. 24081 was preserved in 1981 and has remained operational throughout its life in preservation. Its bogie refurbishment is now complete and the loco is fit for service.
20137
Diesel Locomotive
A class 20 Diesel Electric Locomotive. 20137 is privately owned and is a permanent resident on the GWR. 20137 was purchased from British Rail at Wigan in 1994 and moved to the GWR. 20137 was returned to working order in 1995.
76077
Steam Locomotive
A BR Standard Class 4 mixed traffic locomotive, built 1956. Restoration started.
3850
Steam Locomotive
A '2884' class heavy freight locomotive, built 1942. Owned by Dinmore Manor Locomotive Limited. It's comprehensive 10-year overhaul has just been completed at Toddington. It returned to steam on August 2024, bearing the wartime black GWR livery it carried when new.
2874
Steam Locomotive
A '28xx' class heavy freight locomotive, built 1918. This locomotive is owned by The 2874 Trust Limited and it is slowly being restored from 'Barry Scrapyard' condition.
2807
Steam Locomotive
A '28xx' class heavy freight locomotive, built in 1905. This locomotive is owned by Cotswold Steam Preservation Limited and, after a 29 year restoration, is one of the GWR's resident locomotives.
Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co.
Steam Locomotive
35006 Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co. is a Southern Railway rebuilt Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 steam locomotive. It was built at Eastleigh locomotive works in December 1941 and given the Southern Railway number 21C6.
Foremarke Hall
Steam Locomotive
Although every inch a Great Western Railway thoroughbred, No. 7903 Foremarke Hall was one of the 79XX series, in the last batch of the Modified Hall class built at Swindon in 1949 under BR auspices.
Dinmore Manor
Steam Locomotive
7820 Dinmore Manor is a British Railways locomotive, part of the Manor Class. It is one of nine locomotives preserved from the class, which originally numbered 30.
