• Contracts exchanged for long-term residence on GWSR • Delivery to Toddington, Gloucestershire expected February • GWSR’s Cheltenham Festival specials to be worked by Betton Grange
Contracts have been exchanged following a recent meeting between the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) and the 6880 Betton Grange Society, for their newly-built Great Western Railway-designed ‘Grange’ class 4-6-0 to be based on the Cotswold railway, for the foreseeable future.
The meeting was between 6880 Betton Grange Society Chairman Richard Cadge and GWSR Finance Director, Richard Winstanley along with John Cruxon, Head of the GWSR’s steam department and Mike Solloway, locomotive procurement officer on Friday 6 December. Following that meeting, contracts were formally exchanged.
The GWSR was the first heritage railway on which no. 6880 ran in May 2024 following delivery from Tyseley locomotive works, where it was completed. The engine was run-in on the 14-mile line before performing faultlessly at the GWSR’s annual Cotswold Festival of Steam. It is currently on the Battlefield line in Leicestershire to work their Santa and New Year trains and will move to the Great Central Railway in January. The locomotive will be delivered to the GWSR’s Toddington depot towards the end of February 2025.
John Cruxon, Head of the GWSR’s Steam Department, said: “The arrival of the ‘Grange’ is timely as the boiler certificate of resident ‘Manor’ class no. 7820 Dinmore Manor expires in early January. We are thrilled that Betton Grange will be based at Toddington. ‘Granges’ were of course, regular performers over our railway in GWR and BR days and I know that our volunteers are looking forward to working with a locomotive class that was often dubbed by BR crews as ‘the engineman’s engine’.
“The first task for Betton Grange will be to work race trains for the Cheltenham Festival in March – and, in a way, this turns the clock back more than 60 years as the class were often seen heading BR’s special trains to Cheltenham Races in the 1950s and early 60s.”
Richard Cadge, Chairman of 6880 Betton Grange Society added: “The Society’s committee unanimously agreed that the GWSR is the ideal base for the locomotive. We are very impressed with the facilities at Toddington, both for locomotives and for volunteers with the outstanding mess facilities in ‘The Goods Shed’. Particular mention should be made of Mike Solloway and the team who really went above and beyond to ensure that the engine was carefully run-in and that remaining essential work that emerged during that process, was completed.
“The warmth of the welcome was wonderful, especially with our team being invited to join in the Steam Department’s BBQ!”
Betton Grange will be a regular performer on the GWSR’s Cotswold railway over the coming year.
