GWR 0-6-0PT No.94662008 News and Operating DatesPress F5 when you visit each page to make sure that you are viewing the latest version. Oldest news is at the bottom of the page. For photos of 9466 taken during the 2008 operating season, please click here. - Page updated 9 October 2008. Update 9 October 2008 9466 attended the West Somerset Railway Autumn Gala as planned and on 6 October was back on Mr Antell's lorry again returning to Quainton where she was offloaded the same evening. Your webmaster would be grateful if any readers who took photos of the locomotive at the Gala could get in touch and perhaps allow us to post samples of their work on this site. Our contact email address is at the bottom of this page. 9466 is scheduled to haul the Up Yard passenger service at Quainton on 12th October. She will also be in steam on 19th October for the Bucks Railway Centre Gala. New photos have been added to the 2008 Photo Gallery. Update 28 September 2008 9466 is due to be loaded onto Mr Antell's lorry on 30th September for transfer to Bishops Lydeard for the The West Somerset Railway Autumn Gala. After the gala weekend in Somerset, the pannier will return immediately to Quainton to haul the Up Yard passenger service on 12th October. She will also be in service on 19th October for the Bucks Railway Centre Gala. Update 5 September 2008 9466 completed her tour of duty at the Mid Norfolk Railway on 30th and 31st August. The loco and the Group had a very enjoyable couple of months in Norfolk and would like to thank everyone at the MNR for making our stay so welcoming and enjoyable. The locomotive was loaded onto Mr Antell's lorry on 1st September, departing the following morning and arriving back at Quainton that afternoon. It was not planned to use 9466 before going to Somerset for the The West Somerset Railway Autumn Gala. However, 9466 will now be in light steam on 6th and 7th September for the forthcoming Thomas weekend at The Bucks Railway Centre. Towards the end of September, on a date to be confirmed, 9466 will move to Bishops Lydeard for the WSR Gala and will then return immediately to Quainton to take part in the End of Season Gala on 19th October. This will be the last opportunity to see the locomotive in steam before the start of the 2009 season. New photos have been added to the 2008 Photo Gallery. Update 17 August 2008 A new photo has been added to the 2008 Photo Gallery. On 1 August, George and Marie organised a small photo charter trip at the MNR using Savillerail's box van and the GW Toad Group's brake van. A leisurely canter from Dereham saw 9466 and her short train pause at Hardingham, where the photo was taken. Thanks are due to the owners of Hardingham for allowing the train to stop at their station. Update 12 August 2008 There is little to report at present other than 9466 continues to haul the passenger service between Dereham and Wymondham on the Mid Norfolk Railway every weekend until the end of August. We would like to thank a number of the MNR volunteers for their invaluable help and support so far with cleaning and prepping the locomotive. The West Somerset Railway Autumn Gala now has a dedicated page on the Unofficial WSR Website where up to the minute information will be posted. A new photo has been added to the 2008 Photos Page that has generously donated to the site by John Haynes. Update 20 July 2008 The big news of the week is that 9466 will be returning to Somerset to appear at the West Somerset Railway Autumn Gala, which this year runs from 2nd - 5th October 2008. The WSR press release about the event is here. 9466 remains in service at the Mid Norfolk Railway until the end of August. Three new photos have been added to the 2008 Photos Page that have generously donated to the site by Chris Jones. Update 13 July 2008 The locomotive passed the annual hot exam just prior to the Tyseley Centenary Weekend. At the same time the opportunity was taken to fit a new chimney bell as the one fitted during the original 1985 restoration had finally suffered a severe attack of tin worm! For the open weekend, 9466 took its place around the turntable rubbing shoulders with Halls, Castles other Panniers and even a Jubilee. On the Saturday, the loco was used to demonstrate the turntable to the crowd, run a short demonstration freight train and haul the passenger shuttle for a time in the late afternoon. On the Sunday, 9466 spent most of the morning on the passenger shuttle and the afternoon just posing round the turntable. The locomotive made its third main line appearance on 1 July when it operated a special evening train from Shirley to Strafford upon Avon to celebrate the centenary of the North Warks Line. 9466 was again in the hands of Ray Churchill this time with Bob Meanley on the shovel. Again a marvellous run in both directions particularly on the return run to Shirley. The locomotive again performed faultlessly and impressed everyone with its power and acceleration. On Wednesday 2 July the locomotive was moved to Dereham on the Mid Norfolk Railway. She entered service on the weekend of 5/6 July and on each day ran two return trips to Wymondham plus a short top and tail run to Yaxham with Class 14 diesel D9521 from the Vale of Glamorgan Railway. 9466 is now in service every weekend until the end of August. On 12 July, in addition to the normal timetabled trains, the locomotive will haul a special jazz train. See the MNR website for details. I hope you’re into Jazz, George!! A few photos have been added to the 2008 Photos Page, including a lovely photo, taken by Richard Foster of Steam Railway Magazine, of a new member of the team who joined us at Tyseley and kept an eye on our every move. Thanks for the picture Richard, and indeed thanks to David Depper, Phil Neale and Richard Morton for their pictures as well. Update 26 June 2008 The locomotive's hot exam is now imminent. Immediately after this, 9466 will appear at the Tyseley Locomotive Works Centenary Weekend on 28th and 29th of June. She is booked to work the internal passenger shuttle train, sharing the roster with one or more of the other attendees at the event. After the Open Weekend 9466 will operate a main line special to Stratford Upon Avon on 1st July - see the information box above for details. Two days after the main line run, 9466 is scheduled to move to Norfolk, courtesy of Mr Antell, for its third visit to the Mid Norfolk Railway. The locomotive will be running every weekend in July and August. Please visit the MNR website to see the timetable and details of special events which kick off with a Western Region Weekend on 5th and 6th July 2008, for which a special timetable will apply. The locomotive is due to share duties with a class 14 - the diesel variant rather than an 0-4-2T! Update 19 June 2008 The locomotive has now passed her cold exam and the boiler was boxed up and filled with water on 15 June. The hot exam is due soon. Whilst all this was going on, the bolts securing the chimney bell to the blower ring were loosened off in readiness for fitting a new bell. A start was made on the job of cleaning and polishing 9466 in order to get her looking her best for her appearance at the Tyseley Locomotive Works Centenary Weekend on 28th and 29th of June. This looks like being a very good event. The chance to view three castles, two halls and four panniers has to be a mouth watering prospect for all Great Western fans!!! 9466 is all set to move to Norfolk, after its main line run, for its third visit to the Mid Norfolk Railway. The locomotive will be running every weekend in July and August. Please visit the MNR website to see the timetable and details of special events which kick off with a Western Region Weekend on 5th and 6th July 2008. Update 9 June 2008 On 7 June the boiler was prepared for the annual exam. This included brushing down the smokebox, front tubeplate and all the surfaces in the fireboox. The grate was completely cleaned and the boiler was washed out. The day was made pleasant because 9600 was having its first test steam since its overhaul was completed. See the 08 photos page (link above) for a picture of the two locos together. Update 3 June 2008 9466 was loaded onto Mr Antell's lorry at Shackerstone on 2 June and John delivered her back to Tyseley on 3 June. A boiler washout is due to be done on Saturday 7 June in readiness for the annual cold exam. Plans have not been finalised for 9466 beyond the end of August but details will be posted here when they are known. 9466 is then due to move to Norfolk for its third visit to the Mid Norfolk Railway and will be running every weekend in July and August. Please visit the MNR website to see the timetable and details of special events. Immediately after the Tyseley Open Weekend 9466 will be operating a special train on the main line in the evening of 1 July. This is a special run to celebrate the centenary to the day of the North Warwickshire Line Centenary. Information and booking details can be found at North Warwickshire Line Centenary Train Information. The next appearance of 9466 after returning to Birmingham will be at the Tyseley Locomotive Works Centenary Weekend on 28th and 29th of June. 9466 appeared at the Battlefield Line where she ran on the following dates: 3, 4, 5 May 2008 - ANJR 135th Anniversary Gala 10, 11 May 2008 17, 18 May 2008 24, 25, 26 May 2008 The locomotive was laid up for the 2007/8 winter at Tyseley Locomotive Works where the annual maintenance work was carried out. Click here to return to 9466 Home Page. Please e-mail me with any questions or queries. Bruce Murray Page updated 9 October 2008. |