SDR 40th anniversary locomotive line up - the biggest ever!The line up for the South Devon Railway's 40th anniversary gala event from April 5th - 13th will see the largest number of visiting locomotives ever on the line, as well as an intensive train service throughout. GWR 0-6-0 pannier tank no 6435 and GWR 2-6-2 Prairie tank locomotive no 5552 from the Bodmin & Wenford Railway will be joined by GWR 2-6-2 Prairie tank no 5542, courtesy of the 5542 Locomotive Group and the Glouestershire & Warwickshire Railway, and GWR 0-6-2T no 6695, owned by the Swanage Railway based 6695 Locomotive Group, the first time an engine of this class has been used on the line. The home fleet will comprise GWR 2-6-2 Prairie tank 5526, GWR pannier tanks 1369 and 5786 and GWR 2-8-0 no 3803. 5786 will be appearing in British Railways black livery for the first time in preservation. Sunday 5th April will see goods, dining and auto train workings and, for the rest of the week to Thursday 9th April, there will be a standard but enhanced two train timetable using three different locos each day with goods train workings each morning and afternoon, afternoon auto train workings plus auto driver experience trains in the mornings. Easter weekend,10th to 13th April, features special timetables each day. The roster planned is as follows: Sunday 5th: 6435 (as 6412), 1369, 5786 and 5542. Monday 6th: 6435, 5526 and 5786. Tuesday 7th: 6695, 6435 and 5542. Wednesday 8th 'Prairie day': 5552, 5542 and 5526. Thursday 9th 'Pannier day': 1369, 5786 and 6435. Good Friday 10th 'BR day': 5526, 5542, 5552 and 6695. Saturday 11th: 1369, 3803, 5542, 5552, 6435 and 6695, with large goods trains of 20 wagons in the mornings. Easter Sunday 12th and Monday 13th: 1369, 3803, 5526, 5542, 5552, 5786, 6435 and 6695. |
