CHURCHWARD 2-8-0 No. 2807 took another significant step forward to rejoining the operational fleet at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway on October 17.
The‘28XX’, which has undergone a three-year overhaul by owners Cotswold Steam Preservation Ltd, undertook light-engine moves as part of the recommissioning process. The locomotive, crewed by the two Toms –Tom Willson (firing) and Tom Wright (driving) – plus engineer Ian Carpenter, moved first within the confines of Toddington station limits before taking four return trips to Winchcombe. It was a glorious day and the locomotive went about its first runs without fuss and the afternoon was declared a success.
No. 2807 is now the oldest GWR-built locomotive in working order – the only two older Swindon-built machines are 1930-built No. 3717 City of Truro and 1897-built‘Dean Goods’0-6-0 No. 2516, both of which are displayed at STEAM museum in Swindon and unlikely to steam again.