Dean Forest Railway Magazine Issue 65

About this magazine

The Journal of the Dean Forest Railway is a quarterly publication.

© Dean Forest Railway Society CIO, 2024

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form or means, or stored in any information storage or retrieval system without the written permission of the Dean Forest Railway Society.

Views expressed within this publication belong to their individual authors and are not necessarily those of the editors, the Dean Forest Railway family of organisations, the Society or its Trustees. The Dean Forest Railway Society accepts no liability or responsibility for any loss resulting from information provided in this publication.

How to submit an article

We prefer articles in electronic format (preferably Word) and high-resolution images to be emailed to the editors at: magazine@deanforestrailway.co.uk

Or by post to:

Front Cover: Tim Beard captured 1369 and 5541 at the head of a Down train near Upper Forge during the DFR’s Spring Steam Gala.

Rear Cover: At the same gala, Tom Lane captures the two DFLG home-fleet locomotives, 9681 and 5541 heading a train at Radway’s Tump, just to the north of Tufts Bridge. All DFR Society post (donations, membership renewals and general correspondence) should be sent

From the Editors

Dear Society Members,

We trust this message finds you well. As Trustees of the Dean Forest Railway Society, we extend our sincere apologies for the limited magazine production in 2023.

We understand the importance of our magazines in keeping you informed about the latest news, events, and developments within the railway. We are extremely grateful to Jonathan Barry for taking on the production of the Monthly Newsletter email in recent months, but unfortunately, we do acknowledge the lack of magazine production. This was the result of unforeseen circumstances that impacted on our publication schedules.

We do understand that this may not have met the usual expectations of our members and readers who eagerly anticipate each edition. The railway has had a bumper year; however, we appreciate the concern raised by those members that aren’t able to visit us, and deeply regret any inconvenience this may have caused.

In light of the circumstances, the Trustees want to assure you that we are actively working to address the challenges faced in 2023 and are committed to resuming our regular publication schedule going forward. In turn we wish to offer all members a discount on renewals equivalent to six months of membership as a token of goodwill.

If you wish to claim the offer, you can do so via the society website, or direct via: www.bit.ly/DFRSociety-Renew both use the discount code STEAM24 please note this code is case-sensitive when used via the website or the link.

Otherwise please contact the Membership Secretary via the Postal Address for the Honorary Secretary, or via email at: membership@deanforestrailway.co.uk by no later than 30th June 2024. If you wish to claim the offer and your membership is not due to expire, then please do still get in touch. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we get ourselves back on track.

We now have a magazine editorial team whose tasks (along with compiling the magazine) include being the point of contact for our authors, and collating images and articles for publication. Issue 66 of the magazine is now already in production (focussing on development and our aims and objectives), so please do submit your articles for Issue 67. Additionally, we value your feedback and encourage you to share any suggestions or preferences you may have regarding the content and format of our magazines. Your insights are instrumental in helping us enhance the quality and relevance of our publications.

We value your support, and we remain dedicated to keeping you informed and connected within our community. If you don’t currently receive the Monthly Newsletter email, please contact newsletter@deanforestrailway.co.uk.

With best wishes

Adam W, Alastair, Ian & Tim

Your editorial team

Left to Right: Adam Williams, Tim McLennan, Alastair Clarke, Alex Davies, Adam Dickinson, Ian Pope

DFRS AGM 2024

Trustees Tim McLennan, Adam Williams and Sue Williams retire by rotation and offer themselves for re-election, whilst seeking election are Ed Dyer, Pete Wood, Rob Alpin, and Sam Bolingbroke. For more information on how to become a Trustee see the Trustee Vacancies section under Membership Matters.

Tim McLennan Treasurer, member since 2014

I started with the Steam Department, becoming Treasurer of the Society in 2017, overseeing the overhaul of the financial health of the organisation as we looked towards and gained charitable status.

I have ensured that we have a policy to commit at least £10,000 per year into a reserve fund and manage the Gift Aid claims we submit to HMRC in close cooperation with the Membership Secretary. I play an active role in the management of the charity, including website management, and I try to actively facilitate volunteer-led projects through prompt financial processes and engagement. This has included scrutinising detailed funding requests and business cases that have been put forward, a recent example of this includes the sleeper grab that has been purchased for the RRV.

Away from the DFR I’m a Credit Risk Manager at Bank of Ireland UK, managing the acquisition strategies of multi-million-pound portfolios.

Adam Williams Membership Secretary, member since 2010

I joined the DFR initially as part of Operations, but I’ve regularly been involved with S&T, Permanent Way, and special projects. In 2012, I took over from Bob Bramwell as the Membership Secretary and later helped the Society become a Charity in May 2019. At present I’m one of the Appointed Directors to Forest of Dean Railway Ltd and I am responsible for managing our relationship with Quattro Plant, our RRV and its attachments.

I work as an Engineer on the mainline railway, in the asset management team for Wales and the West of England. Currently. I am working on the BT Analogue service switch-off and a Research and Development project using artificial intelligence. My industry contacts have assisted with the recovery of 9682 from Southall, the donation of track materials from the Wye Valley line near Chepstow, and recently the donation of fourteen kilometres of fibre optic cable (worth around £2.50 per metre, new).

Sue Williams Honorary Secretary, member since 2012

I was born and bred in Soudley, growing up around the penultimate years of the GWR Forest of Dean Branch. For 40 years I worked in precious metal recycling and metal haulage at Engelhard Sales. I spent the last 20 years as their Transport Manager holding UK and International Licences, including those for dangerous goods, hazardous substances, and waste.

I was made redundant in 2014 and I started in the Norchard Café in March 2015, I also became the Honorary Secretary of the Society in the May of that year. In 2019 I became a Trustee, and assisted the Committee as we transitioned the Society into a CIO. At present I am also the minutes Secretary for the railways’ operating company. Until recently I helped my father – Ray Jaynes (grandson to the gardener to The Haie Estate in Newnham-on-Severn) tend the railways' flower beds and hanging baskets.

Pete Wood Member since 2015

Ed Dyer Member since 2012

I’ve been a volunteer for just over ten years, mainly involved with the Permanent Way, whilst also being one of our Diesel Drivers. Outside of the DFR I am a Rolling Stock Technician (the modern term for a wagon fitter - which is somethaing that goes nicely with my work on our fleet of Dogfish over the years) on the mainline railway.

In addition, whilst I do not qualify as a Freeminer, I’m a member of the local Freemining community working at a local pit. Whilst I have not been as active as I would have liked to have compared to what I have been in the past due to work commitments, yet I hope that my passion for local history will help me be an effective Trustee.

I was born and brought up in North London, sandwiched between the Kings Cross and the Liverpool Street main lines, and with the London Underground right through the middle. Whilst not a railwayman, I rode behind steam before the large blue diesel electrics (Deltics) appeared at my local Hornsey sheds (34B) and heralded the new era.

I have been a customer facing problem solver all of my working life in IT. Now as a widower again, I wish to be a Trustee to help see the railway not only develop but extend and as a result bring joy and happiness to all those who work, volunteer, ride the rails and make memories at the Dean Forest Railway.

Rob Alpin Member since 2010

I was previously a Trustee until 2020 when I stood down due to poor health. Now that I am back to full health, I would now like to return as a Trustee in order to represent the ordinary member.

I have been a member of several groups and departments on the railway including Permanent Way. S&T and Operations. I’ve also lent a helping hand in the shop, and the café, as well as having the responsibility of representing the railway at shows and events. I feel that I can aid the society in being more accountable to its membership, while helping ensure the railway is run safely and in socially and environmentally sustainable ways to help guarantee our future.

Sam Bolingbroke Member since 2012

I have been involved in the railway for over a decade now, originally in operations, however I quickly found myself diverted to the Permanent Way, where I volunteered for several years. I have also been involved in Telecoms and currently the S&T. Operationally I have been a signalman for many years and have recently started teaching the training course. I am also a regular volunteer as Duty Officer.

Outside of the railway, I run several businesses, notably a franchisee of Transport for Wales selling train tickets at Chepstow. I have also served on the board of a number of charities and organisations, most recently including the Coleford Carnival of Transport. I feel I can bring a wealth of railway knowledge, and experience of running small businesses.

Chairman’s Platform

Forest of Dean Railway Limited Chairman,Adam Dickinson, welcomes Peggy - our new General Manager.

2023 was a very good year for the railway and has given us a sure footing to move ahead into 2024. I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome our new General Manager, Peggy Römer, to the Railway. She’s available through generalmanager@deanforestrailway.co.uk, and below you’ll find a message from her:

“I am thrilled at the opportunity to join the Dean Forest Railway team and to be part of this amazing local community full of history.The fascinating heritage and scenic nature of the railway have always captivated me, and I am eager to contribute to its continued success. The railway did in fact play a pivotal role in our decision to move to the area as when visiting our prospective home we were thrilled to hear the steam train whistle as it chugged past. I hope my events and markets experience will further develop the DFR to help it have a fruitful and sustainable future.”

I’m sure you’ll join me in welcoming her to the railway, provide her with the support she needs whilst learning how the railway works and help us develop it for the future.

Last year we made good progress with our projects:

• Resurfacing the high-level platform was completed, improving the surface for our volunteers and guests.

• Installation of the inspection pit at Norchard was completed and now the supporting projects e.g. welfare facilities, trackwork, etc. – are now underway.

• LMS Brakevan No. 732268 will return soon, after a thorough overhaul at a contractor’s base. It will soon be providing a warm haven for our volunteer teams working lineside, as well as the occasional appearance in demonstration goods trains.

• Vegetation clearance at Lydney Junction has taken a significant leap forwards over the last few weeks, helping us establish the materials stored there, where the edge of our land is, and has given the development team a much better ‘feel’ for the area we have – it a very different experience being able to stand on ground which has been inaccessible for a number of years, rather than consulting plans and drawings.

The 2024 calendar is underway for the events and special weekends, with a new addition of Tanker Train Days, supported by our friends from the National Wagon Preservation Group. These days will see a tanker train running alongside the passenger services.

These trains will providing an opportunity to see a lost piece of railway history in action, as well as providing the facility for training staff ready for our engineering trains.

The new season always represents the opportunity for a fresh start. To that end, I’d like to pass on my ongoing thanks to all of our staff, volunteers, and supporters for everything we’ve been able to do for the railway, and to refocus our efforts to develop and improve the railway.

We will be arranging working parties in the coming months to help with specific, achievable enabling projects which fit into the larger development plan, which will be presented in the next issue of the magazine. However, the overall aim is to develop the Dean Forest Railway into a 10-mile Heritage Railway operated by a mixture of steam and diesel locomotives and multiple units. The board have therefore agreed these high level objectives:

• Operate the railway safely

• Ensure our financial systems are robust

• Increase passenger revenue

• Increase non-passenger revenue

• Retain and build our workforce, both volunteer (in conjunction with the DFR Society) and paid

• Develop our heritage and educational aspects

• Enhance our locomotives and rolling stock

• Build relationships with internal and external partners

• Maintain and enhance our infrastructure and property

My final item, is that this is my last piece as the Chairman of the Forest of Dean Railway Limited. I’m pleased to welcome Ian Pope in my place. I will be remaining as chair of the Dean Forest Railway Company Limited, allowing me more time to focus on developing the railway as a whole.

I look forward to seeing you around the railway,

Adam D

Uskmouth Update

Tim McLennan gives us a short but exciting update about progress with Uskmouth.

It has been a while since we provided an update on the restoration of Peckett locomotive “Uskmouth No.1”. Well, the good news is that progress is ongoing, and we have set a target completion date of mid-2024 to see the locomotive back operational!

With a large amount of voluntary work being undertaken by members of the restoration shed Thursday and Sunday teams, as well as Ed Freeman providing his expert skills and project supervision.

The re-wheeling of the engine marked a major milestone in the restoration – a major cause of delay in this project was a long wait for drawings to allow new axle boxes to be machined, which had to be done first. Fortunately, over recent months Ed has obtained those drawings and made good progress in producing these vital parts. In terms of recent progress, the saddle tank has been rolled and welded and is now in the process of being painted in preparation to being uprighted and water-tested. Thursday team members have been trained in machining operations to enable them to make all the pipe ends and nuts in preparation for re-piping. All of the rod bearings are being machined by volunteers under training and instruction from Ed. The sander valve which has been refurbished by the Thursday team and a new boiler adaptor made from scratch, as well as a nice, shiny whistle valve!

We very much look forward to seeing the DFR’s first steam locomotive back in service! If you would like to help us achieve that goal, please consider donating towards the final stages of the restoration. To date we have committed over £40,000 to this project, and any amount you can give will help us achieve the sight of Uskmouth steaming back to Parkend where it all began.

Just before the issue went to print, the boiler work was completed, with focus turning to the production of boiler fittings and pipework that have been lost since the locomotive was last in service in 1993. With the boiler inspector due to do the examinations on 5541 and 9681, the opportunity could not be missed!

DMU Group Update

The Group run through their activities from the first half of 2023, continuing to maintain and operate their fleet of excellently-restored vehicles

Our team carried out the various exam and inspection jobs required to ensure that vehicles E50619 and M56492 were fit to run for the Forest Flyer services on 4th April.

During 2022 these operated between Norchard high level and Parkend but this year they have been extended southwards to Goatfield curve, giving passengers a trip over about three quarters of the DFR. It was a successful day with good loadings, low running costs and only a few people required to work the trains, so made excellent use of our DMU. The lineside team were also able to use the service to travel to Fish Farm Curve.

Tony Soughton has been carrying out a major refurbishment of the guards’ compartments in both of our DMBS vehicles. This has included replacement of some timber and panelling, work on sliding doors, painting and refurbishment of many of the smaller items such as cupboards. He has done some very meticulous work to a very high standard resulting in a pleasant area for guards to work in.

Chris Walker has been busy restoring the fibreglass cab domes. These were all in a reasonable condition so Chris rubbed them down with an electric sander followed by an abrasive pad for the awkward bits. They were then painted with a two pack paint called “topcoat” which goes off in around thirty minutes especially in the heat. He was helped with some of the painting by Nigel Benning.

Graham Hockley has been putting his electrical skills to

good use by repairing the depot compressor, with help from Jan Cooke. This uses a 1.5hp motor which had stopped working, tripping part of the site supply when it did so. Graham dismantled the motor, replaced some internal wiring which had deteriorated insulation, fitted new bearings cleaned things up then reassembled and painted it. He had to deal with various difficult to get to and difficult to undo fixings but persevered and got it working. This is a very useful machine for providing an air supply to our vehicles to allow testing without running the engines.

The 4-character headcode box in M56492 has been overhauled. Chris Blakemore did most of the work to free up the mechanism. New blinds have been purchased and fitted to replace the old ones which had become faded.

In early June following a long spell of hot and dry weather we were asked to put together a 3-car DMU as standby in case of a steam ban due to the risk of lineside fires. Most of the necessary work had already been done on M51566 so this vehicle was quickly prepared and added to E50619 and M56492.

It is not all work, the social aspects and the support and friendship of others in the group are important to many of us. We have some enjoyable chats over tea or lunch on our DMU working days and have arranged trips away for those wanting a day out. Recent destinations include Newquay with lots of HST travel, the Swindon and Cricklade

Railway diesel gala, and Swanage travelling on the class 117 DMU using the mainline connection from Wareham.

The very hot and dry weather during the early summer led to a high risk of lineside fires so at the end of June the decision was taken by the DFR to temporarily suspend the use of steam locomotives. There was no available diesel locomotive suitable for hauling the normal passenger services so a DMU was requested. With fitness to run work on the centre trailer complete vehicles E50619, M56492, E59387 and M51566 were used to make a 4-car set. This ran the services on 28th June, 1st and 2nd July. The DFR provided an on-board buffet using the facilities on M56492.

Opposite page: M56492 and E50619 at Goatfield while working a Forest Flyer service on 4th April 2023. The lineside team have done a lot of vegetation clearance in the area and the ramp built from concrete sleepers was provided to help load and unload the JCB. (A. Pace)

Above: E50619, M56492, E59387, M51566 at Parkend on 1st July 2023. (A. Pace)

Left: Nigel Benning painting the cab dome on M51566. (C. Walker)

Below: The refurbished guards’ compartment in E50619. (N. Benning)

Driver Bishop Retires

In 2023 Jeff Bishop stated that he wished to retire from train driving duties due to his advancing years. He has played a major part in driving DMU services on the DFR since qualifying in this role on 13th June 2006, so the DMU group wanted to thank him and recognise his excellent service. Jeff was driver for the members’ special on August 13th 2023, a special headboard was carried and a surprise presentation made to him at Parkend during the day. Afterwards he said:

“I wish to express a great big thank you to Chris Bull and all my friends at the DFR for all the planning which went into organising my surprise ‘retirement Special’. I appreciate that organising an event such as this without me knowing about it was quite a challenge! A big thank you to those who contributed to the photographs, including the framed collage all of which I will treasure. It was also good to see so many of my friends from various departments of the DFR at Parkend. It was my decision to retire from train driving at the DFR due to my advancing years, but I will still hopefully be seen around the railway on other operations duties or around the DMU workshop on engineering tasks. Many thanks once again for a wonderful surprise day.”

Jeff has had a long career and done many duties since joining the DFR in the mid-1990s. During his career he passed out as crossing keeper, porter, lookout, handsignalman, shunter,

freight guard & passenger guard before qualifying as 08, Class 14 and DMU driver. He is also a Duty Officer. He is a member of the DMU restoration and maintenance team, putting his electrical and mechanical skills to good use keeping the DMU fleet running.Within the DMU group he has recently been concentrating on Smiths heater work.

Alan Pace reports on the retirement of stalwart Jeff Bishop from driving, and his special train.

Above: The presentation at Parkend.

Below: Jeff working on a test rig for Smith heaters.

(Photos: A. Pace)

Jeff has provided a brief overview of his career and the way he ended up joining the DFR:

“I left school at age 15 having received an offer of employment in the drawing office of a large aluminium company. After 15 months in the Drawing Office I was offered a five year electrical apprenticeship with the same company. On completion of my apprenticeship it was company policy to release me to gain experience outside of the aluminium company.

I applied for and was awarded a post working for British Railways (as was) carrying out fault finding, repairs and maintenance on the locos in the Maintenance Shed at Cardiff Canton Depot. All sorts of locos were worked on in the Maintenance shed, but Friday night shift was rather different in that we were transferred to the DMU shed to await the arrival of the ‘Blue Pullman’ for its programmed maintenance session.

It was in the late 1960s/early 1970s that I realised that things were not all that secure on the railways. Brand new locos were being put into store, transferred away or even scrapped. Even the infrastructure was not safe. I witnessed the sight of Penarth Station being sliced into two by putting two back to back buffer stops part way along the platform to prevent through trains to Barry. Later the Penarth to Cadoxton line was removed altogether.

It was during this time of uncertainty that I received a letter from my former aluminium company offering a post in the Instrument / Electronics Department. I worked for this company for over forty years until taking voluntary retirement. I have since spent much time on operations duties, repairs and maintenance on the Dean Forest Railway.”

Above: Jeff in his younger days! Hard at work in 1999. (DFR Museum - Richard Eagle Collection)

Below: Jeff with M56492 and E50619 at Norchard on 30th August 2023. (N. Benning)

View from the Box

What a great start we had to the 2023 season, the DFR held a special event on my birthday! March 11th saw the joint DFLG/DFRS celebration for the return of pannier 9681. Thanks for the embarrassment on the train (singing ‘happy birthday’), it rained in the afternoon but otherwise a great day (good beer tent as well). I love a pannier tank,

I had them at the bottom of the garden between 1961 and 1965. Usually, 3669 or 3735 or 4636 were regulars from the Westbury (Wilts) allocation of about twenty in 1960, down to eight by 1965 when steam was withdrawn from BR Western Region and Hymek diesels took over the work.

The family home backed down to the simple five-strand wire fence between the garden and the railway near to Frome North’s Up Starting Signal (24), which made it easy when invited for the odd footplate ride! This was usually along a siding between our fence and the main line where pannier tanks fussed around shunting wagons and on the mainline, they hauled full trains of the 16-ton mineral or 21-ton hopper wagons of stone as they tried to move the Mendip Hills to south-east England (ongoing to this day)!

I remember Saturday lunchtimes when 2 goods trains were combined (one of ‘Berry Wiggins’ bitumen tanks from Cranmore and one of stone in 16-tonners from Whatley Quarry) and we would see double-headed panniers climbing from a stand at Frome North uphill towards Clink Road Junction and Westbury working hard ‘in the collar’, drivers left hand ‘in the roof’, Dad and I would watch the spectacle (much to Mother’s disapproval) and get a wave from the crews. Oh yes! I look forward to 9682 being completed and double-headed panniers again!

The following Tuesday after my birthday I had packs of Working Timetables to deliver around the railway as the next day, the 15th, was the start of the passenger season! Not an easy task without a car, I walked about five miles and caught several buses, but it only took four hours. The next day should have been a rest day in my ‘OAP life cycle’ after that but I was the Duty Officer for the day so attended Norchard for duty with no ill effects I’m glad to report. All had operated well since then with our threetrip timetable in 2023 and has helped with footplate crew hours, uses less consumables and helps with running costs. Are they coming? When are they coming? Yes, the great Network Rail yellow machine spectacular comes to town! The machines come to carry out training of Network Rail’s operators or test the machines and as always, the dates are ‘fluid’ until the last minute, so thanks to Alex our Permanent Way Manager, a plan materialised and a fruitful few weeks ensued with a Tamper and a Ballast Regulator. Our own works plans had to be juggled with the machines which caused some plate spinning to keep everyone happy and the machines kept out of the way on running days!

There were more works trains last year due to the removal of diseased trees from the lineside, working with our neighbours on adjacent land, so it was a busy Springtime.

All of a sudden, we had a mini-gala in May and an organising group appeared realising it’s not as easy as you may think, but within a few weeks we managed it! The preliminary movements for the event started on the proceeding Wednesday with the service loco 5541 taking the Toad Brake Van to Parkend. This vehicle would become the bar and during the gala we tried to find a pub type name for it. First came Beer Van (from Brake Van) then Legless Toad (From Toad Brake van)! The latter may stick. The next day the shunting team made up the coaching sets and the ballast train. Saturday & Sunday May 20th/21st the sun made an appearance (we were due!) even the bluebells were still around, and a superb time was had by all, many photographs and footage taken, then placed on social media for all to enjoy. A few things were learned from this event for the future but managing the October Gala was well in hand! This first gala had sparked interest in 9681’s return to service, I had enquiries for photo charters in the near future, so more cameras were in action...

Adrian Copley, DFR Operating Manager, reports on another busy year at the DFR, with another looming!

Lydney Junction captured with a full house! (A. Walker)

9681 drifts towards Whitecroft whilst on test. (A. Copley)

September saw a Diesel Gala where we had two locomotives usually shy from public running, an 03 shunter and a Class 37. Both created a lot of interest and plenty of people came to see and gain ‘mileage’ behind the two visitors. I had a Passenger Guard turn on the Saturday and the Sunday I was unavailable, so sadly no photographs by me.This was followed by the second steam gala in October with a South Wales theme. The usual organisation (?) took place with a re-visit at Parkend of the ‘Legless Toad’! The sun made a welcome return for some great photographs.

After the summer came the rain and it was great to see all those happy children after meeting with that bearded man dressed in red! And I don’t mean Adam Williams in his rugby shirt! Of course it’s the Satans, I mean the Santas! (I must get to grips with spelling). Our trains were well loaded even sold out especially the days nearer Christmas. We had an extra round trip on one Saturday evening for the Carol Service at St. Mary's Church and on another Saturday evening a company hired the train for a ’works Christmas family do’. There was great enthusiasm for the evening, and we had to attach the Engineers' Saloon for extra accommodation – a six coach train, quite rare. This caused an operating problem at Parkend but handled excellently by Signalman Walker (Chris). The company concerned were very pleased with the evening and are negotiating to return this year! After the Santas we ran a couple of days for the ‘Mince Pie Specials’ until New Years Eve when the operations descend into hibernation or so some people think…….!

So, 2024 began with the usual weather – wet, dull, and dark! My body just wants to hibernate, but others manage to get to the railway and help with lineside clearance, engineering work and all the necessary maintenance needs, my friend Arthur Itis tells me ‘no you can’t do that’. A lot of work is carried out between the end of December and the beginning of March. The new season loomed on the horizon, in fact 13th March, but no timetables or plan was available due to planning of the level crossing replacement at Lydney Town. With only a few weeks to go, an agreement was reached with the Commercial department that we would use some of last year’s timetables.

With a decision made, I energised my printer and managed a pre-season visit again to install the timetables at the usual strategic points on the railway. Our timetable gurus are, as I write this in March, still working on 4 new ones.

The Crossing renewal at Lydney Town is going ahead in April requiring an Absolute Possession so no trains can access the southern part of the line.

The public trains will be a Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) running our intense Summer Tuesday timetable between Norchard and Parkend. Of course, to do this the DMU has to transit between the Norchard Low Level depot and HighLevel platform (which is within the possession) so a procedure will have to be written (Baldrick may appear with a cunning plan)!

I’m sure there will be other things not thought of yet...

A cunning plan! (A. Williams)

As the season begins, we look forward to a) the sunshine (please, oh! please), b) two steam galas and c) a diesel gala.

Naturally I look forward to a timely and successful crossing renewal, there are also bookings for a photo charter in May, a private group visit and photo charter in July, a railtour visit (also in July) and the usual photo charters in November as well as our own events. All too soon that bearded bloke in the red suit will be upon us again! Full circle.

The next question is will we be able to fill the roster? If you are involved with Operations, please put your availability in promptly. I will let you know how we get on in 2024, so see you on a train some time!

5541 departs Norchard for Parkend. (A. Copley)

Parkend Monday Gang

A bumper report from George Smith this time, taking us through the Parkend goings-on in 2023 up to August – lots of work to cover in this one and doubtless more to come in future issues!

February to May 2023

In spite of the winter weather, the cold, drizzle and a couple of washouts, the group managed to work almost every Monday except for the holiday weekends when Tuesday working was preferred.

In January, a start was made on creating a viewing area at Parkend beyond the yard gates and behind the loading gauge. This will allow a better view of the locomotives when arriving and when starting out on the return to Lydney.

The old wire fencing along Alan Grant’s garden wall along with two old fence posts and a bracing bar which were firmly set into the ground were removed.A start was made on digging the hole for the corner post at the southern end adjacent to the wall. The post hole was deepened to about 2-foot 6-inches (750mm). Unfortunately, a root from a tree was going down just in the wrong place. Eventually after much effort the hole was deepened enough for the post to be inserted, aligned and bedded in. Over the next month seven more deep holes were dug for the main posts. Top rails were fixed to confirm alignment. Eleven intermediate post holes were dug, but only to a depth of one foot, and posts fitted. Four rails were fitted on the viewing side, only the top two along the wall.

Granville had applied black Creocote to the posts and rails of the newly made viewing area as work progressed. Ronseal coating was applied to all of the fence rails and the posts to prevent the Creocote from being a hazard to members of the public.

An end barrier was created, and hangers were added to allow this section to be removed easily for access.The new fencing is now complete, but some earthworks remain to be done after the next Gala.

PW Hut

In March, lead flashing was fitted to the PW Hut chimney and the brickwork repointed where the mortar had been raked out.

The floor in the hut is made of old sleepers. The back two were rotten, so were lifted and some of the soil below was excavated. Three surplus wooden sleepers were collected from Lydney Junction, lifted onto a rail trolley in the yard and moved to the PW hut where two of them were laid into the floor. As the new timbers are shorter than those removed this left a small gap which was filled with good offcuts from those removed. The joints were backfilled with sharp sand. The third one was used to replace a poor quality vertical in the north end.

A coat of Creocote has been applied, the soil at the rear

of the hut has been levelled and laid paving slabs laid, and a shelf behind the hut was made to store drain rods and surplus timber. Stone cappings were cut and mortared on the PW hut chimney. Further work is required to upgrade the inside of the hut with a seat and shelves.

Yard Siding

In January, Ed and George tidied the siding in the yard after the PW gang had finished. Heaps of dirt were sifted with the ballast returned to the track bed. The much larger stones were collected for use with the fencing. Grass seed was sown.

Beyond the double gates, an old concrete sleeper was moved by rolling it on short sections of round pole. It was moved along the path to the drain closest to the catch point and dropped onto the base section. It was barred into position and backfilled. A short piece of concrete sleeper was placed at right angles forming a base around the drain cover. A second piece was cut at an angle to mate better with the retaining wall and placed above it. This completes the north end of the retaining wall adjacent to the walking path.

Yard Gates

The hinges were a bad fit. Aluminium tube from the skip at Norchard was cut and used to pack out the hinge pins. The top right hand hinge was dismantled and the hole in the post was plugged with dowel and a new hole drilled. This made it fit better with the gate.

A throw over loop was fitted to hold the gates together. A drop bolt was attached to the bottom of the right hand gate. Holes were drilled in the soil and short lengths of steel pipe found in the skip were driven in to form holds for the bolt both in the closed and open positions. A hook was fixed to the fence to hold open the left hand gate when access is required.

Repairs have been made to the pedestrian gate. The top piece had rotted so a new timber was cut to length and half tenons created at each end. Granville treated and painted it during the week. The gate was removed the following week and the top rail cut away. The new rail was fitted and screwed in. It was noted that the tops of the diagonals are in poor condition and will need replacing in a year or so. The top hinge was replaced and the repaired gate was rehung. The return spring was re tensioned.

Drains

Permanent covers were made for the chambers adjacent to the walking path using the treads from the old steps from the goods shed. These were then painted with antislip paint as were some of the others as the coatings had worn off over the last few years.

In May, a small exploratory pit was dug in the six foot in the platform where water has been collecting for several years. This has caused mud to be pumped up. A pump was used to remove water but the outlet pipe could not be secured very well. Another pump was tried the following week when two pumps were used to reduce the water level. A long masonry drill bit in a hammer drill was used to drill down through the subsoil into the drainage pipe below. This allowed the water to quickly drain out with the water in the surrounding ballast continuing to pour in.

Two more holes were drilled and then all three were covered with drilled building bricks which are made with holes in them. These were covered again and the rest of the pit was back filled. We hope that this will allow the water in this area to drain away until a more permanent solution can be created.

Wagons

Two more wagons, the restored five plank wagon which has been at Whitecroft and a shunters truck that was at Norchard have been brought to Parkend. Both vehicles have since been pressure washed to remove the algae that was on the exposed sections. Both will require a touch up of paint in the near future.

June to August 2023

With everyone taking short holidays and me taking a five week break in Europe, there has been less activity to report in this period. However, the group has been catching up on small jobs.

Drainage

A heavy rainstorm in May caused damage to the outfall from the wall close to the water crane. John Goldrick has rebuilt the catch chamber and tidied up the outlet pipe.

At Whitemead Crossing the rain had washed silt and stones into the chamber, blocking it and caused debris to be washed onto the track. Drain rods were used to locate the blockage which was found under the eastern rail. The sleeper section that had been covering the pipe on the path side was removed. On digging down we found that the four-inch plastic pipe had been smashed, probably by a tamper some time ago. The mud and stones were cleared.

Using the rods we found a second blockage located between the rails. Again another smashed plastic pipe. With the mud and stones removed short lengths of guttering were used to cover the breakages. With the hole back filled a length of sleeper was cut to size and placed over the site between the rails to make the path safe and make access easier. Aggregate had been used before.

At Whitemead Crossing the footings of the east side gate were dug out and concrete poured for a line of brick to be laid under the gate to prevent erosion by rainwater.

Loco Water Chamber

Wood was purchased to make a proper cover for the water tank shut off valve. When cut to length and it was coated with Creocote. From this John built a cover and attached pull rings for easy removal.

The broken main valve controlling water to the reservoir header tank was replaced by Richard Earle and Derek Griffiths on 22nd June.

Following this John G raised the level of the chamber by one course of bricks. Wood was purchased to make proper covers to replace the two temporary pressed steel ones. John then built two covers, coated with bitumen and complete with lifting rings. Insulation to be added, hopefully to prevent freezing as happened during the freeze last December.

Wall Repairs

A significant bulge has arisen in the stone wall close to the Up line between the starting signal and Whitemead Crossing. The length of the damage is around ten metres with some capping stones having moved out by up to six inches towards the running line. Chris and George dug out behind the capping stones and the soil and clay were taken away by barrow. The capping stones which are dressed old tramway stones (and are very heavy) were lifted off to allow the wall to be rebuilt. As several of the stones had only moved an inch or so we were able to knock them back into line using a large block of wood. Lower bulging stones were taken down, soil dug out from behind then put back in line. The repairs to the wall were completed in September.

PW Hut

The repairs to the outside of the PW hut have been completed and the outside of the hut has been treated with Creocote. The inside has been cleared of unwanted items and is awaiting refurbishment.

Other items

A stone edging slab was moved to the north end of the Up platform, trimmed with a notch being added for the cable for the calling on signal. The slab has been mortared in to place.

A plaque in memory of Mervyn Thomas who died in 2018, a founder of the railway and former member of the Parkend Monday Gang, has been hung in the waiting shelter. Unwanted items, empty builders bags, old wood and PW items have been sorted, tidied and moved to improve the appearance of the yard. This task is ongoing. Work is being carried out to fit retaining boards on the designated walking path.

Due to his age Dave Cross is no longer able to work with us but visits for a chat at morning coffee time.

In Memoriam: Granville Kestell

Granville was born on the island of Stronsay, in the Orkney Islands of Scotland just after the end of the World War II. His parents having met there after his father was evacuated from France in 1940.

With his father receiving a fresh posting, the family moved to Leicester, where Granville grew up. He went on to the University of Essex (one of the first 100 undergraduates to study at the then new university).

Graduating in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry, he moved to Ealing, West London, and started his career as an Industrial Chemist with cosmetic manufacturer Elizabeth Arden in nearby in Acton.

For Granville there was only ever one true passion and love affair, and that was the train, or more specifically the Steam Train. In his teenage years, it was all about train spotting. He would often make the trip to Nuneaton, paying the one penny per day platform ticket, to congregate with his fellow train spotters, and record his successes by number and name in his collection of Ian Allan combined volumes.

Granville’s family have many special memories of trips to the Bluebell Railway, and various other heritage railway centres around the country during their holidays. However, there was one centre they got to know very well during the 80s and 90s and that was the Southall Railway Centre, the home of the GWR Preservation Group. Along with the other dedicated volunteers and professionals, Granville was in his element doing his bit to ensure the survival of the steam for generations to come. As both a Director and Company Secretary for many years, he played an important role in one of a few working steam railway centres to have operated in London.

Granville worked for Elizabeth Arden for his entire career, a career that spanned 30+ years. In the early 2000s and following Elizabeth Arden’s decision to close the Acton plant, the opportunity arose for him to take early retirement, in lieu of him overseeing its closure. So, in 2005 he moved to a part of the country he had always had a soft spot for from his holidays… the Forest of Dean. Confident it was the right part of the country for him, he took his time to find his ideal location in the Forest. Initially, he started out in Soudley, then Coleford before finding his ideal home in Parkend. Why ideal? Because he could see the railway from the bedroom window. He quickly became involved in the railway, proudly taking on various roles including Parkend Level Crossing Keeper, and Station Manager. He most enjoyed being part of the Parkend Monday Gang (PMG), a crack team of experienced volunteers that would take on various enhancement and maintenance tasks around Parkend Station. A trip to the Fountain Inn to share stories and achievements, and discuss their next project, may have been strong draw for them all. Granville, you were one of the good guys, one of nature’s gentlemen, and a friend to everyone.

Adam Williams gives an abridged version of Andrew Kestell’s tribute to his father, Granville (1945 – 2024).

Granville laying blocks that will edge the photographers enclosure with David Cross and John Phillips. (G. Smith)

John Goldrick and Granville in the process of raising the top level of the large track drainage access chamber. (G. Smith)

Friends of Parkend Station

Work continues at Parkend on several fronts, notably renewal of anti-skid treads on the footbridge where the ravages of time are catching up with many of the steps. New treads with anti-skid inserts were purchased and have had bitumen applied prior to installation. The replacement of the worst of the step treads has now already taken place.

The two “Parkend” running in boards on the Up Platform (Platform 1) were falling into a very poor condition and Board approval was obtained for the purchase of materials

to allow Bernard Baldwin to produce replacements. Attention was also given to several of the platform benches on the Down Platform (Platform 2) and an additional new bench was also erected, painted, and moved in position.

Keeping the grass looking tidy proves to be a timeconsuming task and a new strimmer was purchased using the funds raised from the sale of books in the waiting room. Additional motor mowers and strimmers currently stored in the Goods Shed are currently being assessed to see if they are suitable for ongoing use but further expenditure on such items remains a possibility.

The ongoing discussions regarding the Museum’s wish to turn the Goods Shed back into a museum space have led to the agreement to use a Covered Carriage Truck (CCT) as a store and workshop when the changeover is completed. The wagon will be renovated and placed in the siding near the Signal Box with other wagons linking the platform to the Goods Shed placed to the south of it once the wheel sets and grounded van body have been removed.

The sale of books continues, with all proceeds used to buy maintenance items and tools. Any surplus books that you can spare are welcomed particularly Railway/Transport and Military although we do have a general fiction section.

Stuart Bearne reports on some activities completed by the Friends of Parkend Station (FOPS) team.

Norchard in Bloom

Gill Christopher updates us on the Norchard Memorial Garden, and asks for green-fingered volunteers!

If you have visited Norchard or Lydney Junction platforms, you may have noticed a Remembrance Garden, flowering pots and extra flowering troughs appeared at Norchard plus a wooden trough built at Lydney Junction.

To give you a little background, I have been a volunteer at the DFR for a very long time and have worked with many volunteers. Because I love gardens, I remembered a suggestion from a while ago about the setting up of a Remembrance garden. Since then I have looked at different areas of the Railway that may be suitable but couldn’t find any that were not already in use, not a quiet spot, or just too expensive to develop.

Then, last year it all came together, by utilising the area by the side of the Station Master’s Office, we already had a shrubbery a fence and a tarmac area. So with finance from the Dean Forest Railway Society, and a bench kindly donated by Sue Hillier, from her late father, Lionel Verncombe (which Paul and Kath Lowrey have kindly refurbished), along with help from Duncan Rowe, Chris Bull, Judy Williams, John Clarke, Phil Williams and Bob Bramwell, we now have a Remembrance Garden which was opened and blessed by our very own Chaplain, the Rt Rev Christopher Hill, back in August.

It is very calming to sit in the Garden, and just reflecting, so please do feel free to do so, and, if you wish to add a plaque to our Memorial Board, just contact me and I can let you know where you can get them from.

Due to age and declining health, Ray who used to supply and tend the flowers at Norchard with the help of his daughter Sue Williams, could no longer put on the fantastic displays so I offered to help and have since taken over trying give the same enjoyment to our passengers.

I hope to fill the troughs with hardy perennials, bulbs and little shrubs with just a few annuals to add a dash of colour. This way it does not involve too much work, although we do have the problem with weeds, shaping of bushes and the native chomping wildlife!

We are now starting a new year and in the next few weeks we’re getting the Railway ready for our visitors. My friend Judy Williams and I will be making a start on tidying up the garden in front of the Café, the shrubbery to the side of the Remembrance Garden, all the troughs, weed the Island in the middle of the Car Park, and prepare the hanging baskets/pots with annual flowers. When it’s warmer we will also try to put another trough at Lydney Junction.

It is true, gardening is therapeutic, I can recommend it. There is always something to do and if anyone enjoys gardening and would like to spend an hour or so helping, whether weeding, planting, or even watering, please do get in touch via gardening@deanforestrailway.co.uk.

If you would like to help but can’t get down, you are welcome donate money or plants for our Railway Gardens.

Membership Matters

Membership Secretary Adam Williams, reports on the membership figures and a few ongoing issues.

2024 is now firmly with us, and it’s time to get out the old writing utensils again. Overall, 2023 was a slightly quieter year on the project front. As a marked changed to the previous years, the only large projects were the resurfacing of the Norchard High Level platform and the ongoing removal of dangerous, diseased, and dead trees (predominantly those suffering from ash dieback).

Although, without wanting to detract from a forthcoming article, during the last weeks of 2023 and the first weeks of 2024 a small group of volunteers took the first giant steps towards transforming Lydney Junction Yard into a vibrant hub for the railway. The ambitious development project spearheaded by a small band of Society members aims to clear vegetation, surplus materials, and scrap to make way for the construction of state-of-the-art carriage shed and workshop facilities.

During the hustle and bustle of our works, we paused to pay tribute to the unfortunate loss of a great friend, whose tribute is amongst these pages.

We are currently at 1,295 members, so our goal is to maintain that. It will undoubtedly fall due to those that haven’t renewed and the current global financial climate may make our aims seem ever more difficult than ever.

However, now is the time to go further afield – for larger grants that are available. Undoubtedly this will require a small funding injection to start with, but this will be worth it in order to make what we need to happen, happen. In the words of industrialist George Eastman in 1891 (from an idea that traces back to 1,500BC) “You have to spend money to make money”. Let’s not kid ourselves, unless we have an anonymous benefactor then we aren’t going to be able to raise all of the money ourselves that we are going to need for all of our projects, we’ll need some help.

Based on recurring themes, there are a couple of key points that I’ll reiterate…

• Cash should only be used at Norchard, in person, so please do not send cash in the post!

• We accept payments via Cheque, Postal Order and Standing Order

• You can renew online: http://bit.ly/DFRSociety-Renew

• If you are paying by Cheque or Postal Order or if you’re completing a Standing Order mandate, processing can be made a lot easier if you please: 1) complete all of the details; 2) do not write blank cheques and 3) do not post-date cheques!

• We cannot accept responsibility for any renewals that go astray in the postal system on the way to or from us. If you haven’t heard anything after 28 days – please get in touch.

Gift Aid

Around 60% of members are now actively in our Gift Aid scheme, increasing the value of their donations and membership subscriptions to us by 25% (courtesy of Her Majesty’s Treasury).

If you haven’t signed up for Gift Aid (and you’re eligible to do so) then a Gift Aid Form will be included as part of the cover letter that comes with this magazine.

Electronic Magazines

We are now actively publishing our magazines via an eReader, so anyone wanting to receive their magazine electronically should please get in touch!

We are looking at the possibly sending PDF copies too, but these would be low-resolution to combat the file size.

DEAN FOREST RAILWAY SOCIETY CIO

TRUSTEE VACANCIES

The Dean Forest Railway Society is a registered charity, whose charitable aims are to preserve, develop and operate the Dean Forest Railway. We raise funds, recruit volunteers, promote the railway and also have an educational remit regarding both skills training and the history of the line.

We currently have nine trustees (with one retiring at the AGM on 19th May), and the constitution allows for twelve, so there are currently four vacancies for elected trustees (see DFRS AGM 2024 for those standing). We are also able to co-opt additional trustees with relevant skills and abilities. In particular, we are looking for assistance with development of Grant Funding income, educational work, recruitment of members and volunteers. The role is not onerous - the basic commitment is one meeting (online) per month, plus whatever time you can spare for particular projects or tasks.

If you are interested in becoming a trustee and would like to stand at the AGM – please state your interest and supply a passport style photograph along with approximately 140 words on your background and the skills that you could bring to the charity by post to the DFRS Honorary Secretary or via society@deanforestrailway.co.uk by Friday 26th April.

Annual General Meeting

The Society will being having its 2023 Annual General Meeting soon, this will be the fourth AGM since we became a Charity. So, please show your support by attending, submitting questions or by even just by return of proxy.

Standing Orders and Cheques

If you wish to renew your membership by Standing Order (and you do not currently use this method) or you already do and wish to change the value. Please complete and return the Standing Order mandate in full. I have to take the details from the form and forward it to your bank for processing. If the mandate is not completed properly then your bank will most likely reject it and return it.

Please… please… please remember I cannot finish-off partially completed Cheques or Standing Order mandates. Before you ask yourself, yes it does happen… regularly in fact… In addition, please make sure that you put on the correct year and that you do not post-date them. Overall, it ends up delaying the processing of your membership because the bank will not accept the payment.

Working Member’s Identity Card

If you receive a Working Member’s Identity Card that has no photograph, we require an up-to-date digital passport style photo or even a ‘selfie’ providing that it is against a light-coloured background. If you do not have a Working Member’s Identity Card – then please get in touch.

Privacy Statement & Data Protection

The DFRS holds personal information for the provision of goods/services, renewals of membership, distribution of formal documents, newsletters, appeals for financial support and volunteer labour. The DFRS complies with its obligations under the Data Protection Act and General Data Protection Regulations in relation to the keeping of, and provision of access to the registers of its members. So, if you notify us of any change in address or circumstances, unless you instruct us to pass these changes on to other groups within the railway, we cannot share your personal data. This even applies when dealing with bereavements –it may seem callous but that is the nature of the regulation unfortunately, and we will be otherwise breaking the law.

So just because you have informed me (as the Membership Secretary for the Society) does not mean that I can inform, say – the DFLG, the DMU Group or even the Company Secretary… unless you specifically instruct me to do so. By the same hand, any of those other organisations cannot share your personal data with us, unless you specifically instruct them to do so.

Member's Discount Code

Members are entitled to a 50% travel discount on normal operating days, on the production of a valid membership card. If booking via the website, use the discount code DFRSMDX4892 when checking out to claim the discount but don't forget to bring your membership card!

The calming effects of gazing into a fire, more on the tidy-up of Lydney Junction yard in the next issue. (A.Williams)

Carriage & Wagon Report

Dave Chappell reports on progress in the restoration shed (from May 2023)

TSO 4862

As the carriage floor was being made structurally safe with the new floor girders as reported in the last magazine, it was becoming obvious that the coordination of the interrelated repairs to the internal carriage structure required a lot of forward planning and organisation to ensure that the later stages of the re-assembly were not hampered by too much progress in one area restricting the access to other areas where work was still required. Let me try and highlight the areas involved.

The floor girders and underlying chassis beams required treatment to prevent corrosion, including needle gunning to clean back to bare metal, the application of Rustoleum, the modern equivalent of red-lead rust inhibitor and a coat of black paint, before the floor could be relaid. This was needed before the seat positions could be re-established and new timber frames created to form the seat bases. However, there is much more steel structure underneath the carriage which would also require the same treatment. Once the floor is relaid, these areas are only accessible from underneath, so the treatment of the steam pipes, vacuum pipes, brake linkages, electrical trunking and conduit, let alone the main carriage chassis members would be much more difficult compared to working both from above and below (as Ollie & Eric are doing below)

We realised that there is a lot of ancient rubber-insulated electrical wiring passing from the lighting circuits inside the carriage to the lighting control box below the floor, where replacing the old cable could require simultaneous access to both ends of the conduit. It is quite likely that the battery boxes will have to be refurbished where over the years acid leakage has weakened the timber. This again will necessitate access to the mountings without the floor in position. It became obvious that refitting the floor would delay or inhibit a considerable amount of the rebuilding and repair work and that the seat frames were not to be the next stage in the interior rebuilding.

The re-upholstery of the seats had already been started, but unfortunately for health reasons, David, our C&W upholsterer was unable to continue with this work and an alternative means to recreate the seating was going to be needed (Thanks for all your initial efforts – David). Liaison with the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Steam Railway indicated that they had their very own carriage upholstery department and dedicated workshop along with a complete team to maintain the seating in their carriages. They were prepared to undertake the complete re-upholstery of our seat frames for us. It was agreed that we would supply the moquette material and all the existing seat frames, but that modern foam would be used to reform the seat shape rather than the deteriorating sprung cushions which our seats had used.

This meant that the original material had to be removed and the springing detached from each individual seat base (all thirty-two of them). It was found that the original material had been stapled and/or tacked to the wooden frame of each seat base, and the seat material may well have been replaced in the past adding yet another set of staples. All traces of the fabric had to be removed, and the staples prised out of the wood to allow unhindered access for fixing the new moquette seating fabric. Some seat frames took up to day to process, involving the removal of in excess of 500 old and rusted staples with, on occasions, around 200 tacks into the bargain!

The wooden sections of the seat frame are mounted into a structural steel framework, some of the steel bracing struts were broken and these have been re-welded to restore the seat structural integrity. All the seat bases have been shipped to the G&WSR and we are eagerly awaiting their return in due course.

Vacuum Brake Cylinders

As railway rolling stock comes into the Blueline building for overhaul and repair, it is normal for the brake mechanism to checked and serviced. John continues his regular overhaul of the vacuum brake cylinders at his dedicated bench in the building. The gantry and chain hoist is an important necessity for the safe handling of the heavy cylinders.

C&W Workshop Appeal Fund 299 Club

The 46th draw of the Dean Forest Railway Carriage and Wagon Workshop Appeal Fund 299 Club was held on 8th October 2023. The winners were:

1st Prize of £57.75 was won by Mr H. Rawlins; 2nd Prize of £34.65 was won by Mr J. Clarke; 3rd prize of £23.10 was won by Mr A. Grant.

£115.50 was transferred to the Carriage and Wagon Workshop Appeal Fund.

The 299 Club has lost several members this year with the result that the monthly donations are down by 33% on what they were a year ago and new members would be welcomed. The minimum donation is £1 a month (£12 a year) and that would give year one “number” in the draws that are held every four months.

If you are interested in joining the 299 Club contact Trevor Nicholson at trevor235@trevor235.plus.com for more information.

The photos (right) show the vacuum cylinder from the Queen Mary brake van, (visible in the distance) being dismantled.

Above and below: the secrets of the vacuum cylinder revealed! John Clarke at work renovating a cylinder from the Queen Mary brake van.

2023 Gala Summary

2023 was a bumper year for Galas at the Dean Forest Railway, with a Spring Steam Gala being held alongside the annual Diesel Gala and the return of the Royal Forest of Steam event in October. We saw another wide range of visitors to our line, many of them for the first time (and some for the first time to any preserved railway!). Here is a good selection of snaps taken across the year.

Photo: ‘Rosyth No. 1’ and ‘Trojan’ make a dramatic departure from Norchard during the ‘Royal Forest of Steam’ gala. (A. Copley)

The Spring Steam Gala took place in May, celebrating the long-awaited return to steam of BR(W) Pannier No. 9681. Following a comprehensive overhaul lasting almost a decade, the locomotive was joined by a diminutive cousin in the form of ex-GWR ‘1366’ class No. 1369, from the South Devon Railway. The dock tank was a repeat visitor, having been seen on DFR metals in 1996, but made its way to Parkend for the first time given the intervening extension of the line.

Photo: M. Laitt

Photo: C. Saywood

Photo: A. Ponsford

Photo: J. Phelps

Photo: V. Blick Photo: T. Lane

Photo: J. Phelps

In September, the DFR welcomed two rare visitors in the form of BR Class 37 No. 37227 from the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway, and BR Class 03 No. 03145 from a private site near Moreton-on-Lugg courtesy of the D2578 Locomotive Group. It was believed to be the first time the 03 had hauled passenger services in preservation! The two visitors were joined by home fleet locomotives Class 14 D9521 and Class 08 D3937. (Photos: R. Heiron)

The Royal Forest of Steam 2023 saw one of the most ambitious steam galas we have ever had, with five locomotives in steam at the same time. It was a trio of saddle tanks that made their way to Norchard for the first time, consisting of Bagnall 0-6-0ST No. 401 (formerly named ‘Vulcan’), Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST ‘Rosyth No. 1’ and Avonside GWR 0-4-0ST No. 1340 ‘Trojan’. The latter was of particular significance, marking the first time the 1897-built loco had ever left it’s Didcot home in preservation, while both 401 and ‘Rosyth No. 1’ were also popular guests; the former displaying impressive size and power, while the latter was immaculately presented in her attractive livery.

Above left: No. 401 makes for an imposing sight as she hauls a train of Dogfish out of Norchard High Level.

Above right: No. 9681 looking right at home on the climb to Whitecroft. (both A. Copley)

Below left: Andrew Barclay ‘Rosyth No. 1’ scurries across the level crossing at Lydney Junction.

Below right: Amy King and Keirran Copley with Didcot rep Karl Buckingham and GWR Avonside ‘Trojan’. (both G. Matthews)

These galas take a huge amount of organisation in advance to pull off, as well as the hard work of those operating trains and looking after passengers during the events themselves. Well done to everyone involved, no matter how big or small your contribution was - you did the railway proud. We look forward to seeing what will grace DFR metals in 2024!

Photo: A. Copley

Beneath Your Wheels

Permanent Way Manager, Alex Davies, reports on the trials and tribulations of 2023, and the big plans for 2024. This department, usually hidden in plain sight will be in the public eye this year!

It has been a while since I last put finger to keyboard. This article was started in July and has only just been completed. What has happened in those lost months since last I wrote? The answer is quite a lot.

I’ll start with Christmas. Christmas comes late to the departments that keep the railway running because Christmas arrives on time for the railway. Confused? Let me explain. Although the DFR runs passenger services for nine months of the year about half of the total revenue generated by those services comes from the Santa and mince pie specials in December. In my last article Doris (the trusty RRV Land Rover), played Santa’s little helper transporting gifts to Lydney Junction.

“What’s all that got to do with a late Christmas”? I hear you shout. Well, it’s quite simple. The railway’s financial year runs from April to March. We start the year (from an operating perspective) broke and the revenue rolls in as the year progresses. December brings a huge spike in funds and then the railway closes while the clever financial types do their bits with spreadsheets and things and work out whether or not there’s any spare money.

In my last article (yes, a recurring theme of this one) we had been granted funding for a container bringing the prospect of safe, dry storage for more vulnerable equipment.

The good news, as visitors to the railway may have observed, is that we have not one but two new containers at Whitecroft and have been able to move much of our more vulnerable equipment and materials to this new, dry, and secure storage. The bad news is that due to water ingress to the p/way “office” has meant that it’s largely been relegated to a store for hand tools.

The last time that I mentioned that we were still hoping for a visit from a Network Rail tamper to put the finishing touches on the relay work at Kings Meadow Court that took place in 2022 and allow us to raise the speed limit.

With no tamper in prospect, we devoted a working week in February to packing the section. Unfortunately, we were let down by our regular equipment hire company and the Robel RoTamps we had booked for the work never materialised.

Conscious that we didn’t want to be let down again, when the purse strings opened in March, I put in a request to both Robel and Geismar for pricing and availability of hand tamping machines. Geismar came through, the board approved, and we are now the proud owners of two brand new Geismar VPS machines. These petrol-powered tamping machines are far more efficient than the Kango hammers that we have been using and can do more in an hour than Kango hammers can achieve in a day.

The advantages of owning rather hiring equipment of this kind are two-fold. First, they are available ‘on demand’ when hire companies often need a week’s notice or more. Second, because we are the only people using them, we know exactly how much usage they get and can service them accordingly. The machines we hire in often come directly from other jobs and have proved to be very unreliable because of the heavy use they get. I have heard that the professionals on the big railway hire twice as many as they need because they expect some to fail when in use.

Above: Our belated Christmas presents to ourselves!

Left: The new containers have arrived at Whitecroft (Photos: A. Davies)

As it turned out we didn’t make much use of the VPS machines at Kings Meadow Court because, just before Easter, Network Rail arrived with a tamper and a ballast regulator for six weeks of staff training. During their visit they tamped and aligned the Kings Meadow Court section and several other parts of the line while the ballast regulator built up new ballast shoulders. This was achieved from Lydney Junction down the line as far as Tufts Bridge.

Throughout the spring we continued our programme of swapping old 85lb rail for newer 95lb rail and, by early June, we had replaced all the old rail south of Whitecroft. A significant amount still remains to be swapped out, particularly around the Oakenwood 2 crossing, but the task no longer seems as daunting as did a few years ago. The VPS machines did come into their own in June when we set about addressing the wet bed on the south side of the Whitecroft level crossing. Runoff from the road had meant that the bed had become saturated with mud. We dug out the ballast, sieved it using a screen made by one of our volunteers and then put the clean ballast back in, using the VPS machines to pack the joints. The machines have also seen action in several other locations recently. The summer heat, as usual, put paid to any major track work. The good news was that, thanks to the regulator work in the spring, we had no major concerns about rail buckling, a problem seen at some other heritage railways. We made use of the RRV and its newly acquired trailer to move materials to sites in preparation for future work.

Another project we have been working on, along with the lineside group and the civil engineering team, is the creation of a number of loading ramps at strategic places along the line. These ramps have been built to make it easier to get the railway’s JCB 8065 mini digger (the 360) on and off works trains. So far, we have constructed four of these ramps with two more planned for the near future. Sadly, a number of factors have meant that we haven’t been able to maintain our momentum into the second half of the year. Our Geismar trolley returned to service in the summer with a new engine but now needs further work before it is again full operational, a lack of suitably qualified volunteers means we have lost our ability to run works trains on Mondays and the RRV has been out of operation for several months due to a failed sensor. Most recently the RRV Land Rover has failed its MoT and will be limited to ‘on track’ duties for the next few months. I remain confident that we can address the short falls of machinery and operators during 2024 but, at the present time, we are limited in what we are able to do.

Our goals for the winter, the run round of Lydney Juntion platform 1, the area around Oakenhill Wood 3 and the Norchard headshunt were impacted by our RRV failing...

Above:The ballast regulator at work near Norchard.

Right: Machines tamping and regulating near Middle Forge.

(Photos: A. Davies)

Finally, a brief word about the elephant in the room, Lydney Town crossing. Plans are well advanced for the renewal of the track through the crossing and the slewing of the line either side of it. After some discussion and based on some expert advice we have decided to carry out this work in April 2024 rather than February as originally planned.

The primary advantages of this are that we will have more daylight and, hopefully, better weather. The downside is that it does mean that, between Easter and the early May Bank Holiday, all of our passenger train services will be restricted to running between Norchard and Parkend only.

Likely, by the time that you’re reading this issue – this absolute juggernaut of a project will be on its critical path. The current plan is to start the main preparation work on the Tuesday following the Easter weekend. The crossing itself will be renewed over a weekend in mid-April using a combination of contractors, our own volunteers and experienced volunteers drawn from heritage railways around the UK where similar renewals have been carried out over the past few years. The Edilon-Sedra slab system that will replace the existing track through the crossing should last at least fifty years with minimal maintenance so, while this will be inconvenient for many people, it is pretty much a once in a lifetime event.

We’re always on the lookout for new volunteers, and you don’t have to be out in all weathers or in the middle of the week to work with our gang.

We are looking for mechanically minded people to help our ‘back office’ team repairing and refurbishing tools and materials. We urgently need to refurbish hand point lever mechanisms so that we can replace failing ones in the yard at Norchard and elsewhere. We also have a large number of petrol-engined tools, from simple generators and impact wrenches up to the Geismar motorized trolley, which would benefit from a service by a capable mechanic.

We are also looking for people who can help sort and catalogue the various permanent way ‘assets’ that the railway has. In the early days of the DFR we, like most infant heritage railways, acquired any materials that we could from the various railways and engineering firms that were closing down at the time. Many of these materials were simply stored at points along the line side in case they were ever needed. Now, as a more mature railway, we have a much clearer idea of what we will and will not need going forward. The special projects team are progressively ‘tidying up’ the railway by recovering materials from various locations and moving them to Lydney Junction. Once there they need to be sorted into items we want to keep, items that may be of use to other railways and museums and items that should be weighed in for scrap. This is the sort of activity that could be done on sunny weekend days during the summer.

If you think you could help with any of the tasks mentioned then please email volunteering@deanforestrailway.co.uk –we’d love to hear from you.

Right: Packing with VPS machines at Whitecroft. Below: Checking vertical alignment at Whitecroft. (Photos: R. Alpin)

The RRV with the recently swapped, overhauled trailer (formerly Quattro 559) unloads concrete sleepers along Parkend straight ready for spot re-sleepering. (A. Davies)

RRV Round-Up

Adam Williams gives an update on the Society’s RRV, which unfortunately has been somewhat troublesome of late, but as he reports our good relationship with Quattro has kept us moving.

The RRV was withdrawn from service in the second-half of 2023 with a fault on the Prolec Rated Capacity Indicator (RCI), a few phone calls with Quattro and a new cant sensor was fitted. It turned out the sensor (which was twenty-five years old) was just a ball of rust and had to be cold-chiselled out of the frames. Further testing revealed a fault in the wiring loom, which also needed to be changed.

A sigh of relief… but the machine completed less than a couple of days work before it failed again. This time the fault was with the Combi Relay Board, the complex piece of electronics which dealt with the control feedback.

The Quattro fitter, who by now was on speed-dial attended and diagnosed the issue, and a replacement board was required. Easy I thought! No… they aren’t manufactured anymore, and Quattro had just used their spare elsewhere.

I quickly agreed to pay for another faulty board to be repaired by an electronics specialist and then have it swapped out with ours. That kept the machine on site, and after a discussion with the fitter the machine was restricted to use at Lydney Junction – we could work around it if it failed, and the fitter could get access if it did.

Thankfully the RCI was still fully operative, just the physical feedback could not be relied upon. However, this did mean that we would all have to suffer being deafened by the internal and external warning alarms. I was also given additional instructions to monitor for the situations for when the fault occurred, which Quattro could pass on when they decided to get our old board repaired.

A month later the board was back and refitted, as if there had never been a problem… Time for some testing before signing it back into regular use. The testing was going well, almost too well – when one Sunday afternoon when working along the West Loop at Lydney Junction all hell broke loose, a loud bang and the smell of burning preceded a loss of all electrical power, followed by the engine shutting down 30 seconds later…

Thankfully there was no fire, and after checking the machine over a re-start was tried. Turning to “Pre-heat” and “Ignition-on” worked, but “Start” killed the power. Something had happened with the high-current starting circuit. I pulled the arm of the metaphorical one-armed bandit and called the Quattro on-call number to get a fitter on site that evening, a chargeable item – but that was preferred to have a diagnosis sooner rather than later.

Would we be lucky and win the jackpot? Or would we get 3 lemons...? The fitter attended and confirmed the Starter Motor had decided to shed its (mortal) coil, but it had also taken out a cell in each of the batteries along with the alternator. Phew! The off-the-shelf parts were ordered and arrived with Quattro ready for them to fit them the day before our first running day of the 2024 season.

Things supposedly happen in threes, so touch wood that’s it! Some minor fitting needs to be scheduled in – some hydraulic fittings buried in the chassis weep when the machine warms up, the engine cover needs adjusting so it’ll lock properly, and it could do with a good steam clean.

Moving on to looking at the attachments, back in September 2022, I brought forward the proposal for the DFRS to purchase the log grab to be used with the RRV. The grab came into its own following its arrival being used for clearing around Lydney Junction (more details in the next issue), which did lead to a full set of hoses being damaged requiring replacement. It’s also been out shifting diseased ash trees that had been felled by the Lineside team – it was definitely worth the investment!

However, now that it had earnt its pay it was time to get a Sleeper Grab. There are numerous designs on the market (some more expensive than others), but they all follow the same basic principles. The main usage differs a lot from that of the log grab, in that it allows for accurate working within tighter spaces. Sleepers can be stacked neatly and tight, handled easily during setting-out or recovery operations, and manipulated during in-bed activities such as resleepering (a bed or crib is the gap between sleepers).

I knew the roughly the design we wanted, it was the same design that we had used during our training session with Quattro, and the one their operators recommended. Not wanting to re-invent the wheel is where we hit the problem - Geith didn’t make that design any more…

So, after a lot of head scratching and dusting off the engineering drawing programs that I really hadn’t used in anger since sixth-form, I drew up a faithful representation of what I was after. Some issues couldn’t be resolved on screen, and these needed a little more work and thrashing out with pen and paper (and some cardboard)!

After sending the designs around numerous suppliers, it turned out The Bucket Manufacturing Company (BMC) in Chepstow had the drawings from when they undertook the original 1986 design work with Gamble Rail, the same designs that Geith inherited and subsequently discontinued. A plan came together, Robustrack supplied the Quick Hitch Bracket, ‘dog-bone’ link, rotator, and hoses. This made use of our charity discount, maintaining our supplier relationships (our previous sales representative for the flail and log grab had retired), and would give an identical setup to the ‘top-end’ of the Log Grab. These items were delivered to BMC who manufactured and supplied the sleeper grab and undertook the final assembly and testing.

Computer Aided Design (CAD) model of the Sleeper Grab.

Old-school CAD! Cardboard Aided Design.

The RRV with sleeper grab getting stuck in stripping the short panels from the Kings Meadow Court re-lay, a big step change from using chains as shown earlier! (A. Dickinson)

Historical Highlight

Peter Scammell gives some insight into a photo from our first 25-years.

Here is an image by an unknown photographer, scanned from an original print in my collection showing Cowans Sheldon 45 ton steam breakdown crane ADRC 95222 at Middle Forge Sidings around Spring 1990. The photograph is taken looking towards Parkend. The people shown in the photograph are, left to right, Charlotte Holmewood, Barry Blackmore and Andy Brimble – with the crane being operated by me.

Sections of a double slip are in the centre foreground in readiness for being laid. The double slip was laid within Middle Forge Sidings and did not form part of the running line, or Middle Forge Junction. I believe that some years later, after I had left the DFR, the double slip was lifted and laid at Parkend but removed before passenger operations commenced.

At the time the photograph was taken Middle Forge Junction was behind the crane by approximately 100m, along with the ground frame. Both Middle Forge Junction itself and the ground frame remained in their respective positions until some years later. Middle Forge Junction ground frame controlled the junction between the Norchard and Parkend routes and originally controlled access to Middle Forge Sidings from the North.

DFR Museum Trust - Parkend Museum Extension

The Railway Museum Trust have plans, long since intended by the DFR, to create a Museum Annexe in Parkend Goods Shed (the original DFR Museum) which will display our collection relating to the industries of the Parkend area and especially the tramroads which served them. To achieve this, we need to carry out urgent works of repair to the Goods Shed. The works will include electrical re-wiring, and access for the disabled. Works to the main structure including re-roofing and floor renovations. We are currently working on grant applications for these works. Meanwhile in the Blueline Building the Wagoneers are restoring the Museum Van which will provide level access from the platform. A Covered Carriage Truck is also being acquired which will provide a replacement workspace for FOPS and a full report will follow as things develop.

Old Relics at the DFR

This time I’m indulging my growing interest in very early railway wagons, typically dating from the 1840s to the 1920s. Apart from the “grouping” of the railway companies into the “Big Four”, 1923 marked the issue of some of the most significant standards by the Railway Clearing House (RCH), after which designs settled down to what we tend to see on our heritage railways. Before that, and particularly before the First World War, wagons varied considerably from company to company but especially amongst the Private Owner (PO) wagons. The RCH’s first standard was issued in 1887, to try and bring some order to PO wagon stock after Government intervention following the disastrous Penistone accident in January 1885. However, the POs were particularly reluctant to bring their wagons (mainly open wagons for the carriage of minerals) up to ‘modern’ standards, as wagons would be out of service as well as suffering the costs of conversion, and the RCH ended up having to give them more and more time to do this. But that, as they say, is a different story!

Most of the wagons at the DFR have either oil axleboxes (fixed bearing above the journal, plus oil pad and reservoir below it) or sealed roller bearings. Going back into the 1800s, a great many wagons (particularly PO mineral wagons) had grease axleboxes, with a 100 cubic inch grease chamber above the bearing. Although they were cheap, they were not ideal, and tended to be very stiff until the grease had warmed up, so shunting a whole train of these on a winter morning could be challenging! In the mid 1800s, it was also fairly common for wagons to be constructed without brakes (particularly sheep and cattle trucks for example), which you couldn’t imagine with the free-running bearings that came later. Many wagons that did have brakes had them on one side only, and many of those had a “sledge brake” with a single wooden brake block. Bear in mind, however, that wagons and their loads

were generally much lighter in those days, as well as trains being slower.

At the DFR, we actually have two wagons with grease axleboxes: one is the grey Midland Railway 3-plank dropside open wagon that resides at Parkend; the other is a timber chassis from a tank wagon, that resides on its own short bit of track south of Tufts Bridge. Whilst these two wagons may be of a similar vintage, and both have similar axleboxes, that’s where the similarities end.

Firstly, the MR 3-plank. This wagon is familiar to anyone who has visited Parkend, but it’s a wagon with considerable secrets.

In the 1800s, timber chassis were very common. The skills from earlier coach building were very transferable, and the timber construction made them very easily repairable without the need for sophisticated metal-working facilities. RCH specifications were for white oak, or timber not less in strength and quality than white oak, with solebars (the main timbers forming the length of the chassis) measuring 12in x 5in. Whilst the standard for steel solebars was a smaller 9in x 3¹⁄8in, so a timber chassis will always look very chunky in comparison.

The main reason I mention all this, is that the MR wagon has a steel chassis, but undoubtedly started life with a timber chassis! On inspection, it’s noticeable that some of the ironwork just doesn’t fit properly. Particularly noticeable is the excessive width of the shoes that hold the axlebox leafsprings to the solebars (as the solebars are now nearly 2in narrower than timber ones would have been), but you might also notice the poor alignment of the brakes (there are brakes on one side only), as the middle of the blocks should be vertically aligned with the centre of the wheels. The axleboxes on this wagon are all MR 'Ellis’s Patent' type 10A, which might possibly be the original axleboxes.

Jon Barry of the Wagoneers Group discusses two DFR wagon conundrums in Part 1 of his article.

Closer inspection reveals some very “modern” looking brackets holding the side-rails on to the solebars. Even closer inspection (i.e. crawling around under the wagon!) reveals a lack of diagonal struts which should be at both ends, irrespective of whether it’s a steel or timber chassis.

And while we’re crawling around under the wagon, we can take note of the buffer / drawbar leafsprings which are at the centre of the chassis, and this is another indicator of a very early timber framed chassis. As I understand it, this wagon had been at Sharpness docks where it was rebuilt and used as an “internal user” wagon, so it no longer needed to conform to RCH standards. At that time, its sides were lettered “SD” (for Sharpness Docks) rather than the “MR” it now carries.

Several years ago, Doug Hewson flagged the curious existence of some markings stamped into the buffer heads and drawhooks, which you can see in the photo. These intrigued me!

The “MR Co” is easy but as you will see, there are also the fish-shaped symbols and “W STEEL”. So I trawled the internet, trying to find anything even remotely similar, but failed miserably!

The fish-shapes are so definite and detailed that I did even try to see if I could identify a species, but again no luck. If anyone has any thoughts on any of these markings, please let me know! I had already consulted with experts at the Historical Model Railway Society (HMRS) and the Midland Railway Study Centre (MRSC) concerning the tanker chassis (to be covered in Part 2), so the MRSC seemed like the obvious people to ask about a MR wagon.

What came out of that discussion has confirmed that these markings were no random one-offs, but the mystery currently persists. They sent me the photo of a spanner (below) which clearly shows the same fish, but you might also make out “STEEL” engraved into one end.

They also confirmed that the same fish symbol has turned up in other places during restorations, for example on sheet materials.

There are various theories as to what “W STEEL” might be, but my own thought is that it is the name of the user of that fish symbol, leaving his mark (or perhaps a mark to identify his foundry) on his work and his tools. I’ve also seen a photo of a railway lamp with “W STEEL” clearly engraved onto it, but without any other evidence of a connection. The search for the answer continues!

I must thank the MRSC for their permission to use the photo of the spanner, and both the MRSC and the HMRS for generously giving their time and expertise in answering my many questions.

In Part 2, we will be looking at the remains of the timber tank wagon chassis that's on a short section of isolated track near Tufts Junction (shown below).

Inter-Railing 2023

Parkend Monday Gang and Wagoneers regular, George Smith, reports on his railway adventure.

My wife and I decided to have a European holiday with a difference. Although we like the warmer weather found beyond the Channel, we do not like beach and resort type holidays. We prefer sights and scenery and I like train travel, having previously done trips including the transMongolian (Beijing to Moscow), the Indian Queen (Perth to Melbourne) and the Lake Victoria to Dar es Salaam. Also, we wanted to be 'green' by not flying, nor driving.

There are several options for rail travel within Europe. An Inter-Rail ticket for European residents or a Eurail ticket for those outside it is one option. Tickets are available for four-, seven- or fifteen-days’ travel within a one- or twomonth period or from fifteen to more consecutive days. A fifteen day / two month all country ticket was £378. Travel is allowed from Ireland to Türkiye and Portugal to Norway. Single county tickets are also available.

As for train timetables and related information, there are two particularly good websites. The 'Man in Seat 61' site gives a vast amount of information as to how and where to travel worldwide, and rough estimates of timings and prices. The DB Deutsche Bahn website will not only list German train times, but also adjacent countries. However, the timetables are not accurate so consult local stations and regional timetables for amendments and cancellations.

For UK travellers the outward and final home-bound days include travel within the UK. If you live in the furthest reaches of Scotland, it might not be possible to make it to the Continent in one day. As DFR locals we were able to catch the 10am from Gloucester to Paddington, change to Eurostar and be in Paris by 18:30 local time the same day. Be advised that there is an unavoidable one-and-ahalf-hour check-in at St. Pancras for Eurostar. The return trip from Brussels Midi was better but still allow one hour.

We decided to pre-book all our accommodation via Booking.com and Airbnb which give a wide selection of hotels and guest houses in each town or city. Naturally, by booking ahead we were able to get some particularly good rooms at reasonable prices but be aware that if an event is taking place the prices can be high. The cheapest double room in Paris was at the time well over £100 per night. This was offset by £35 in Zagreb and £43 in Bar.

Some places include breakfast in the price, others will cost an additional 15 euros. By looking for self-catering places with cooking facilities, the daily cost could be reasonable.

One place in Belgrade advertised cooking facilities but only had a small microwave and a cooker but no oven sheet, only one saucepan and very few utensils. Normally there are eating places locally but expect a bill of say £40 to eat out unless you eat junk food. That is fine for a short trip, but we were away for 37 days!

Top: (Lake) Bled Jezero station, Slovenia.

Middle: Diesel railcar at Bled, Slovenia.

Bottom: Italian built loco at Nova Gorica, Slovenia.

(Photos: G. Smith)

Train reservations were mandatory for Eurostar and some of the Inter-City trains in Germany, such as Paris to Munich. The local lines were no problem. Reservations can be made on-line a day or two before travel.

For Eurostar, there is a £28 compulsory reservation fee for Inter-Rail ticket holders but check out 'Man in Seat 61' on how to make a reservation without buying a separate ticket.

For GWR there was no problem. Just phone up and they will make the reservation for you.We booked our outward and return trips to and from Gloucester only to find later that ASLEF were striking that day but a cheap National Express bus to Victoria was timed similarly. On the return journey we arrived in London just too late to make the direct train back to Gloucester so went via Bristol Parkway arriving in Gloucester in time for the last bus to Coleford.

Our travels, stopping in each place two or three nights, took us via Paris and Munich to Slovenia. After Lake Bled, we made our way to the coast at Piran near Trieste, then Ljubljana in Croatia, the caves at Postojna, Zagreb, the waterfalls at Plitvice, Split, Hvar Island, Dubrovnik to Bar in Montenegro.

Some journeys were by bus and or ferry saving valuable train days. Apart from Belgrade, Serbia, most people spoke good English, so travel was easy. Our return was by way of Belgrade, Budapest,Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Bavaria, the Rhine and Brussels.The minor lines in the former Yugoslavia were lightly loaded and passed through wonderful scenery.

This is especially true of the sections from Zagreb to Split and Bar to Belgrade. In northern Europe new highspeed lines 'ICE' have been built. These lines may be a lot faster, but are not so interesting to the leisure traveller.

Only in the UK, Bristol to Gloucester, and two minor lines in Croatia and Germany were diesel railcars used. The rest were mainly 1500v ac at 16 2/3 cycles or 50Hz

Whilst the rolling-stock consisted or either modern style multiple units or loco hauled trains. There were two bus replacement services due to upgrade works. One was the line between Belgrade and Budapest, the other in Bavaria.

Overall, it was a good trip, with plenty of sights, scenery, and sun but we could have gone to Greece, Portugal or even to the Arctic circle in Norway. We still had one day left on our tickets 'just in case'.

Top Left: Budapest Keleti Station, Hungary.

Top Right: A Hungarian 1500v locomotive waits to depart Budapest Keleti with a departure for Vienna.

Bottom Left: Modern DB electric train at Innsbruck, Austria.

Bottom Right: Works train at the on the cog railway to the Zugspitze mountain summit in Bavaria, also known as the 'Top of Germany'.

(Photos: G. Smith)

Along Other Lines

Our very own Chaplin and Museum Curator, Christopher Hill, mixes business and pleasure.

I attended an annual meeting of the representatives of the Anglican and Roman Catholic Church, in May 2023 this was held in Cyprus. Hilary joined me and we took a week’s holiday following, including visiting the Turkish north.

Some DFR Members may be aware of the history of Cyprus; I was not. There was in British days a Cyprus Government Railway and two small mineral railways.

Part of our holiday was in the Troodos mountains. We explored remote villages with astounding churches containing wonderful frescos from the 11th to 17th centuries; some of them with amazingly bright colours because of the small windows designed to keep out both heat and light! These Troodos churches are listed by UNESCO as world cultural sites. Hilary, my navigator, studied the map as we negotiated hairpin bend after hairpin bend of the mountain roads. (Very good condition, less potholes than here!)

She noticed among the many Folk Museums (one or two about the Greek Cypriot resistance to British rule!) a railway museum. The Railway Museum of Cyprus! It was in the northern Troodos foothills, the station for the little village of Evrykhou just a few miles from where we were staying. Luckily it was open every Wednesday, the day following our discovery on the map! It is commendably run by the Cyprus Department of Museums and Antiquities.

The line was of 2-foot 6-inch gauge built from 1904 when Cyprus was a Crown Colony. It ran from Famagusta on the east coast (now in the Turkish part of the island) and across the barren Messiorian plain and the centre of the island to the capital, Nicosia, between the Troodos and Kyrenia mountain ranges.

From there it was extended by 1907 to Morphou Bay on the West coast and then in 1917 a spur was added turning south into the Troodos foothills and terminating at Evrykhou. The station has been restored and some original track re-laid. The CGR line had all gone by 1951 except for a short spur to Famagusta harbour.

The line incidentally bored through the 16th century Venetian walls of the Castle, how much like York! Its total length was about 75 miles.

The CGR had heavy use in both world-wars; the RAF base near Nicosia was served by the line, and the British Army had extensive use until the end.

The Museum in the old station at Evrykhou is well signed and easy to find. It has a beautiful station garden (didn’t all country stations?)

Inside there is a well-illustrated history of the line with copies of many historic photographs and a number of artifacts. And (of course) there is a small shop in which I was able to buy the Middleton Press Cyprus Narrow Gauge by Hugh Ballantyne for 20 Euros! H was the teenage son of a serving army officer in Cyprus in 1951 and was able to extensively photograph the line during the last days of its operation.

The first locomotive of the CGR, a Hunslet 0-6-0T has been cosmetically restored and is said to be in the north in Famagusta and although we visited the city, we were not there for long enough to find it as we were flying back from Larnica later that day (the line crossed what has become the UN Green Line at several places). Because the Hunslet is in Turkish Cyprus it is unlikely to be given to the Museum in Greek Cyprus. Naysmith Wilson built a further seven locomotives: 4-4-0s, 2-6-0s and 2-6-2Ts.

The most interesting were perhaps four massive 4-8-4Ts built specially for the steep grades into the Troodos and the haulage of pyrites ore. The replica shed has within it a guard’s/postal van and of all things a ganger’s pump trolley; exactly like the one in our own DFR Museum!

The CGR used a variety of railcars for a time; Ford motors, some built by Wickham and bodies constructed locally. In the 1930s there was a well patronised bogie-coach weekly steam hauled bathing train from Nicosia to Famagusta cheekily named the Cote d’Azure!

Above: The Ganger’s Pump Trolley and the Guard’s/Postal Van inside the replica shed.

Below: Locomotive No.41 one of the eight 4-8-4Ts built for hauling iron pyrites along the 2-foot 6-inch gauge track.

Opposite Page: The Railway Museum of Cyprus in the former Evrykhou station.

(Photos: C. & H. Hill)

DFLG Update

John Metherall details the outcome of the Dean Forest Locomotive Group 7th AGM from April 2023

DFLG Chairman Matt Sexton welcomed twenty members to the 7th AGM of the group that was held at Norchard on Saturday 15th April 2023.

Members were very pleased to see that the Chairman had made it to the meeting albeit he was in some discomfort following damage to his Achilles tendon resulting in him displaying one very large surgical boot under the top table.

Matt expanded on his previously circulated report to the members highlighting the service that 5541 had provided the DFR in 2022 and the first public outing of 9681.

For this Matt again thanked the team under Tom Halford for their outstanding achievement which had been recognized by making the shortlist of the recently held HRA awards.

Matt also brought members attention to the fact that work had already started on 9682, the boiler having been recently lifted from the frames so allowing work to start on the back end and for the inspector to indicate what work was needed on the boiler following a non-destructive test.

Matt reported that work was also proceeding well on the GWR TOAD Brake van that the group owned and it was

hoped it would be available for use by the DFR next year.

In thanking all the trustees for their support, Matt gave special thanks to Hilary Hill and the rest of the sales team for generating more than £17,000 from sales and retail gift aid donations last year.

In presenting the accounts for adoption Ian Beaton thanked the retiring examiner David Woodliffe and Ian Fawcett for his support. Ian Beaton reported that the Group had increased its reserves from £50k to £60k. He stated all profits and donations generated at the recent celebration day would go towards obtaining spares for 9682 as would all future profits from the 300 club.

Matt thanked retiring trustees Anne Hayes and Paul Sandles for their past contribution and the members reelected Charles Mansell, Richard Thacker and Doug Phelps as trustees.

Above: 9681 makes her way past Oakenhill, through the dappled shade during the Spring Steam Gala: Panniers and Prairies, which was dedicated to her return to service (V. Blick)

Recently published by the DFR Museum Trust is a newly enlarged edition of ‘Rails to the Forest’. Now running to 224 pages, this describes the route of the former Severn & Wye Joint Railway from its junction with the Birmingham – Bristol main line at Berkeley Road to Sharpness Dock on the east bank of the Severn. From there, after crossing over the Severn Bridge, the journey continues to Lydney, one- time hub of the S&W system, with its docks and heavy industries, before heading north onto what is now the Dean Forest Railway to Norchard, located at the very edge of the Forest.

Some 300+ photographs, many never published before, and most dating from the post-WW2 era, record the massive changes wrought upon the local railways, docks and industries in recent times, also many of the DFR milestone achievements since 1970. The book is on sale for the very reasonable price of £17.99.

Gracing the front cover of the new edition of ‘Rails to’ is a recently completed oil painting by Gloucester-based artist Rob Rowland. This features Sharpness station with a Sundays-only Bristol to Cardiff express passing through behind a veteran GW ‘Dean Goods’ 0-6-0 on the very last day that such loco’s were diagrammed to work passenger trains over the Severn Bridge in March 1950.

DFLG Shop Report

Hillary Hill gives a brief resume of the progress with the DFLP sales coach

Those of you who have visited the DFLG Shop on Platform 2 during the last few months will have noticed that the layout has changed, hopefully for the better. Following the Covid restrictions when we needed to ‘isolate’ volunteers behind a Perspex screen we have rearranged the north end of the coach to give more space and a more welcoming appearance. New and much improved heating has been installed. A very welcome addition for volunteers and enabling background heat during non-working days which will be much better for the books and model railway items on display and stored in the coach. While the new radiators were being installed additional electrical points were put in so obviating the need for trailing cables for the Sum-up machine, heaters/fans, etc which had become a safety risk. We also have additional lighting over the main display area.

A large donation of boxed and unboxed locos, coaches and wagons was received at the beginning of this current season and all the locos have been lubricated and checked for running. They are already selling well! We have an enormous amount of stock in store, so if you are looking for a particular item or simply want to know what stock we have – please see me on Wednesdays or contact by e-mail via hilary.a.hill@outlook.com.

A decision has been made to no longer stock railway magazines – these were very slow in selling and storage space is at a premium. We are also no longer accepting bric-a-brac partly due to lack of space but also in the hope that the DFLG Shop is seen to be more ‘professional’ and railway orientated. There are frequent comments from customers that we are well organised and have a good stock of railway books and items. We still stock good condition fiction and non-fiction (though space for general non-fiction is limited), so donations are welcomed.

Reproduction nameplates have been selling well – many thanks to Bernard Baldwin who makes these.

All proceeds from the shop go towards the maintenance of the Locomotives.

Our volunteer team work very hard to cover all running days. It is not simply a question of selling items but of keeping accurate records (particularly of donated giftaided items) and ensuring that the sales record is correct. Talking to visitors to the DFR who come into the shop is part of this as well and might encourage them to spend more, especially if you can lay your hands on the particular book they are looking for! Anyone who is interested in joining our small and dedicated team please get in touch.

Book Review

John White gives us a run-down of two great reads, for interests that are worlds apart.

UNFINISHED LINES

By Mark Yonge

272 pages. £30

Pen & Sword Transport. ISBN 13 : 9781399018531

The title of this book is completed by the author’s apt addendum, 'Rediscovering the remains of railways that were never completed'.

The geographical material evidence for this statement is rapidly vanishing from sight. However, with some due diligence and perseverance the author has successfully traced numerous locations which he has recorded for posterity. It covers several examples including viaducts, bridges, earthworks and even partially completed tunnels.The author brings every location alive with background information about the original sponsors of each project and completes their individual stories with exactly why each project resulted in failure. In particular he provides concise information on the very first Channel Tunnel with the commencement of the great ambitions of those early railway engineers which was to take trains beneath the English Channel to France.

He includes later plans for such a tunnel with interesting snippets of information about several promoters including the involvement of Sir Edward Watkin of the Great Central Railway.

The book is beautifully illustrated with both colour and black and white contemporary photographs and plans of the railway projects which were never completed. The author concludes each individual topic with details of how to get to the site of these uncompleted projects and what remains of the site where today many have become obscured by nature and overgrowth covering the site and some have even been subject to a degree of modern development.

THE SOUTHERN REGION (B R) CLASS 73 AND 74 LOCOMOTIVES

By Fred Kerr

120 pages. £20

Pen & Sword Transport. ISBN 13 : 9781399048811

The author is a photographer with a lifelong interest in railways and who has now created an invaluable record of the Class 73 and Class 74 electro diesel locomotives both on main lines and preserved lines. This volume will be of particular interest to those Dean Forest Railway Society members who will have some local and mainline relationships with several Class 73 machines following their arrival on the DFR metals after their main line and Merseyrail retirement.

The story begins in 1959 after the Southern Region of British Railways had long sought to design a locomotive capable of operating on electrified lines and nonelectrified yards and sidings. So became the Class 73 locomotives which combined the electrical equipment of the latest EMU design with the standard English Electric diesel engine in one body shell. The first locomotives appeared in February1962, developments and improvements evolved into many subclasses and Class 74 derivatives. Nearly all of the sub-class locomotives are pictured.

However, whilst the class proved to be a useful design when British railways (privatised in l994), the new operator saw them as surplus to requirements sold them. As the first six Class 73 were already working on Merseyrail local electric network they were highly regarded, and the locomotives also went to many other operators including private railways.

Of interest are the photographs of the locomotives being inspected by Mr and Mrs Hurd at Merseyrail’s Birkenhead North traction maintenance depot in 2002 before several were purchased by the Dean Forest Diesel Association.

A book recommended for any diesel fan interested in these dual-purpose machines.

Don’t miss out! A pictorial celebration of the DFR’s first five decades, containing many previously unseen photographs. £16 for members.

Pick up your copy from the shop at Norchard or online (with discount code DFRSMEMBER20) from:

dfrsociety.org.uk/shop

Who’s Who at the DFR

Forest of Dean Railway Ltd

Overall strategic management of the railway

Chairman - Ian Pope

Vice-Chairman - Adam Dickinson

Finance Director - vacant

Commercial Director - vacant

Development Director - Adam Dickinson

Health & Safety Director - vacant

Society Appointed Directors - Adam

Williams & Rob Harris

David Hurd Appointed Director - Robert Morris

Company Secretary - Wallace Barnett

Dean Forest Railway Company Ltd

The day to day running of the railway

Chairman - Adam Dickinson

Operations Director - vacant

Finance Director - Cecile Hunt

Director of Civil Engineering - vacant

Lineside Director - Chris Bull

Support Director - Adam Williams

Chief Mechanical Engineer - Adam

Dickinson

Signal & Telegraph - Steve Harris

Carriage & Wagon - John Clarke

Electrical - vacant

Permanent Way - Alex Davies

Telecoms - Rick Gillingham / Charles

Bristow

Dean Forest Railway Society

Registered Charity 1183538 dedicated to the preservation and development of the DFR.

Chairman - James Graham

Vice-Chairman - Adam Williams

Treasurer - Tim McLennan

Secretary - Sue Williams

Membership Secretary - Adam Williams

Filming Officer - Rob Harris

Volunteer Liaison - vacant

Other Trustees - Adrian Copley, Dave Churton, Stan Rudge

Dean Forest Railway Museum Trust

Registered Charity 1178157

Chairman - Ian Pope

Honorary Curator - Christopher Hill

Dean Forest Locomotive Group

Registered Charity 1164847

Chairman - Matt Sexton

Hon. Treasurer - Ian Beaton

Hon. Secretary - John Metherall

Dean Forest DMU Group

Chairman - Chris Bull

Treasurer - Malcolm Harding

Paid Staff

General Manager - Peggy Römer

Finance Assistant - Pat Graham

Commercial Manager - James Graham

Administrative Assistant - vacant

Catering - Pat Graham, Sue Williams