The new year kicked off with one of our popular Freight Driving Experiences with traction provided by Ian Riley’s impressive LMS Black 5 44871. Once again feedback shows this product is very popular with the participants and provides great value for money.

Photos courtesy of Martin Vos (C).

Work continued on the Civil Engineering Department’s Brake Van with the panelling finally completed, some welding repairs to the duckets and then (finally) painting.

PalVan B778810 also commenced it’s refurbishment with a rub down of the chassis and body work, which showed up that although only minor repairs were necessary on most of the body, one of the doors needs complete replacement (not least due to damage inflicted when the van was broken in to).

March saw the running of a second Freight Driving Experience this time in a Western guise with GWR Pannier Tank 6412 renumbered as 6779 (the last Pannier to be built at Swindon).

The freight rake was also seen out and about over the Swindon 70 Weekend behind both steam and diesel traction.

At this point, COVID-19 struct, and all volunteering work was suspended as we entered lockdown, and the railway itself was forced to ‘hibernate’ to conserve funds, with all bar a couple of staff furloughed.

Eventually, between lock downs, and carefully observing COVID-19 protocols, some work started up again in June 2020 and efforts continued, outdoors and socially distanced, on the Civils Brake Van and Palvan B778810.

Sadly, at some point the wagon tarpaulin from Shoc Open B721890 was stolen (and apparently dismembered). A very kind benefactor funded a replacement, for which we were very grateful.

Work continued on PalVan & Brake Van through to the end of 2020, even under lock-down, and a start was made on repainting the hoppers at PNVR, but eventually Wansford was placed in Tier 4 and all work stopped, with nothing happening through Q1 of 2021.

April 2021 saw us back in action performing essential maintenance on the running rake which was looking very tired and needed quite a bit of attention. As the railway came out of hibernation, we were involved in the acquisition and refurbishment of a grounded van body to act as a ticket office and sales area for both the Wagon Group and Miniature Railway, and running brake van rides in Wansford yard using the freshly refurbished Civils brake van and the unusual motive power of Blue Circle!

With a Freight Driving Course scheduled for June, it was all hands on deck, getting the freight rake in to a sensible state. Although the weather didn’t play ball, a good day was had by all driving GWR Prairie 4144 on the freight.

In July we were able to run a Diesel Freight Driving Day with Class 45 ‘Peak’ 45041. While on the restoration front, work was started on BR Van B775176.

In Q3 some of our vans went out on hire for a filming job – more on that later (much later, like when the film comes out!), and Tim’s latest conflat acquisition arrived at the railway.

In August we were able to run a successful freight photo charter using visiting locomotive 45596 “Bahamas”, and both that and the Freight Driving Experience with the Pannier needed some quick work to get the hired out wagons back in to shape having been modified by the film company. At this stage we had to keep some of the modifications in place in case they were required for further firing, so we had to turn some so we had one side of the train which was in sensible condition!

We finished off the year by completing the grounded shop van at Wansford and more painting on the hoppers at PNVR.

Despite all the complications of COVID, we still achieved a great deal over the two years…