The year started off with a water tank mystery.  Once, there was a tank next to platform 2 at Toddington which supplied water not just to the station but to surrounding houses as well. The tank disappeared some time in the 1960s but Heritage Railway magazine ran a story that it had been replaced…it’s true that we are on a quest for a suitable tank but it was at least an excuse to publish a historic photo.  January also marked the start of the project to build new pits and other works to improve facilities for locomotives and staff at Toddington.  The pits are now pretty much finished although the track layout still remains to be altered to match up with them.

An early disappointment was that our lovely little red Hunslet 0-6-0ST King George failed its annual boiler exam and the decision was taken, with only another year left on the ‘ticket’, to go for a full overhaul of the engine. ‘KG’ as it is fondly known, is currently in a lot of pieces but on the road to recovery.

Also in January there was good news from Cheltenham as the Railway Inspector passed the signalling at Race Course station and this has proven to be a boon, particularly in terms of organising gala events.  While talking of signalling, the posts and much of the control infrastructure has also been completed during 2007 at Gotherington Loop and hopefully, the signal box there will be fully operational during 2008. That will provide an enormous amount of additional flexibility – dividing the currently seven-mile section from Winchcombe into two roughly equal parts.

As the start of the new season approached, the decision was taken to offer a Kids go Free promotion that that was hugely successful in getting the railway off to a good start.  The same promotion will run during 2008 when we start running trains again from 1st March.

There was a tremendous boost to the railway’s morale – and particularly the small team organising the Cotswold Festival of Steam – when the National Railway Museum confirmed that their flagship locomotive Green Arrow was to visit the line for several months during 2007. The agreement wasn’t without a scare, though.  A boiler examination cast doubt on the locomotive’s future but in the event, it passed its exam albeit with a reduced boiler pressure and it duly arrived in all its LNER apple-green splendour on 25th May.

Hot on the heels of the mystery water tank mentioned earlier, there was the mystery of the disappearing locomotive.  Bits of Churchward 2-8-0 no. 2807 kept leaving on the back of lorries, including the completed tender the boiler which is now being overhauled at Llangollen. In due course, the chassis is expected to go there too for the whole locomotive to be reassembled and steam tested.  That could just happen later this year.

March saw both steam and diesel locomotives arrive.  Class 37 no. 37219 arrived from the Chasewater Railway in fresh Mainline blue livery which allowed the stirring spectacle of THREE class 37s hauling a train on 10th March, all three participating in the Spring diesel gala. Meanwhile on the steam front, small Prairie no. 5542 arrived for an extended stay.  That engine is now back on the South Devon railway for a bottom-end overhaul but should be back on the GWR in April and will again stay for the year. Its proud owners call I the ‘PFP’ or ‘Planet’s Favourite Prairie’ and not without good reason, either.  It is a firm favourite among visitors and crews.  It is equipped with auto gear which meant we were able to work Mike Little’s Great Western auto trailer with the engine during the summer Cotswold Festival of Steam.

However, 5542’s first turn of duty was to work the Cheltenham Festival racing trains ran, taking happy punters for a day at the races.  These trains represent a successful business partnership with Racing Tours who hire them and organise the promotion and ticket sales. That was when the Cheltenham signalling was used for the first time, to enable two trains to be handled at the station at the same time.

April 1st saw the GWR announce that it was to become the first railway in preservation to install water troughs to allow locomotives to pick up water while in motion – helpfully utilising a nearby stream to supply the water.  It was, of course, an April fool spoof despite some clues in the text in our news item. Showing how much our News pages are read, Railways Illustrated magazine ran the story, shamefacedly admitting that they were ‘had’ in the subsequent issue!

On the permanent way front, the permanent way team have been making steady progress northwards towards Laverton and it is hoped that the line will open to there some time in 2009. That’s a significant step on the way to Broadway.  There was one hurdle to overcome on the way, though: the skew bridge over the line on the Toddington to Broadway road needed considerable work to correct years of corrosion and, in fact, was supported by props on the trackbed. Several months and around £100,000 later, the bridge is now repaired and looking smart in its new chocolate livery.  While talking about the extension, the transport lobby group Transport 2000 issued a press release calling for a range of railway routes to be protected for future reinstatement – including Cheltenham to Stratford upon Avon. In June, a working party descended on Broadway station site clearing undergrowth and digging out the foundations of the former signalbox. This was very successful and gained some good local PR – and it was an opportunity to publish a photo of Broadway station in the 1960s.

Faced with an ever-lengthening stretch of line to maintain, the GWR took delivery in April of two tamping machines – at least one of them should be working during the ‘close season’  in January and February.

May saw the Cotswold Festival of Steam and the arrival of the NRM’s V2 2-6-2 Green Arrow.  Thus was perhaps one of the GWR’s most colourful events with Prussian blue on the WSR’s as well as LNER apple green and BR and GWR green on the locomotives fielded. Green Arrow remained on the railway until October and doubtless contributed to a very successful year for the GWR. Later in the year, we were able to turn out both Green Arrow and City of Truro together and that drew thousands of people, on ordinary operating days! With the risk that Green Arrow would go back in the NRM at York on static display in November, this might have been the last opportunity to see these two iconic locomotives together in steam. However, Green Arrow has since been given a six-month ‘stay of execution’.

Then in June, things showed signs of going wrong.  The Severn Valley Railway suffered severe damage to its route following extreme weather – damage that is absorbing millions of pounds and months of effort to put right and our sympathies go out to the SVR team.

Meanwhile, the GWR was, with David Shepherd, making plans for a ‘Wildlife and Steam’ event in July, in aid of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation. Unfortunately, this had to be cancelled at the last minute because the GWR also suffered at the hands of the weather – minor landslips and flooding causing services to be suspended for the first time in the railway’s history. Then followed flooding of the Tewkesbury water treatment works which ironically, caused the water supply to be cut off – leading to six days of lost revenue.  If you thought this was bad, spare a thought for the poor old SVR: the damage they have suffered is hundreds of times worse.  Arrangements were made to re-run the David Shepherd event but sadly, David suffered a heart attack and the event was again postponed.  It will now take place in April 2008.

Following the flooding, services were resumed on 31st July and the first day was marked by broadcast of the BBC’s weather forecast live from Toddington station.

In September, the GWR was the only railway to mark the 150th birthday of G J Churchward, arguably the finest locomotive engineer in the country.  Many of the principles he laid down found their way to other railways, notably the LMS, and even to the standard British Railways classes. A great turnout of Churchward-inspired locomotives was fielded, including of course ‘City of Truro’.

October saw the revival of the much-lamented Steam and Vintage Festival at Toddington.  This attracted a host of steam traction engines, tractors, vintage cars and commercial vehicles and much more besides. Blessed with fine weather the event was a success and will be repeated in 2008.

In November, class 37 no. 37215 was turned out for the diesel gala looking immaculate in a brand new coat of rail blue. This splendid sight drew many admiring comments about the generally excellent condition of the GWR’s diesel fleet.

And that brings us full circle, back to the beginning of this article and the superb Christmas season enjoyed on the GWR.  And the icing on the cake – the railway has passed the 70,000 mark in terms of passenger numbers for the first time.

A truly record year despite the setback of the floods. Now what better tribute could there be to the effort of our all-volunteer workforce?