THE South Devon Railway (SDR) has rejigged its steam loco and carriage fleet. GWR 0-6-0PT No. 5786, currently in London Transport guise as L92 and which has been on hire to the Gwili Railway, is to visit the Epping Ongar Railway (EOR) until January 2022. L92 will be starring in both the EOR’s galas (see separate story on p67).
With the SDR contracted to provide a steam loco to the Gwili for the season, GWR 2-6-2T No. 5526, which has spent the summer at the Dartmouth Steam Railway (DSR), is due off hire there in mid-September, and will now head to Gwili again until January 2022.
The mutual carriage swap with the DSR arranged earlier this year was completed on August 11. RMB (ex-SO) No. 4802, formerly the SDR’s combined buffet and disabled carriage which had been stripped back to almost a shell pending major structural repairs, has moved to the DSR. CK (Corridor Composite) carriage No. 16071 has come in its place. This carriage has seven compartments – four first class and three standard class.
Ernest Elsworth-Wilson, SDR general manager said: “Since re-opening we have been selling ‘private compartments’ in GWR Brake Third No. 1645. We are finding that on many trains, these sell out. This has shown that there is demand for this sort of experience, so the addition of this coach will allow us to further expand this market.”