{"id":12099,"date":"2024-09-28T14:09:54","date_gmt":"2024-09-28T13:09:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/therailwaydog.co.uk\/?p=12099"},"modified":"2024-09-28T14:12:10","modified_gmt":"2024-09-28T13:12:10","slug":"gbrf-gala-sept-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/therailwaydog.co.uk\/?p=12099","title":{"rendered":"GBRf Gala – Sept 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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GBRf Class 57 No. 57310 at GBRf’s Peterborough depot during the Key Publishing Gala weekend – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A special gala weekend of activities, based around Peterborough and the Nene Valley Railway organised by “Modern Railways” magazine with support from their sister publication “Hornby Magazine”, took place over the weekend of September 7th\/8th 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event was supported by GB Railfreight who provided a range of visiting locomotives hauling trains at the Nene Valley Railway on both days of the gala. The freight operator also offered the opportunity to look behind the scenes at its Peterborough headquarters in a series of pre-booked tours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of family plans organised for the Saturday of the event, I booked to attend on the Sunday and drove over to Peterborough arriving in good time to join the designated shuttle bus which was running between the railway station and the GBRf facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GBRf House, Peterborough – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On arrival at the GBRf depot the bus divested of its passengers and we all stood around on the lawned area in front of GBRf House before being split into two groups of around twelve people each. One group headed off to the Maintenance Hub and depot area while the other, which I was part of, were taken off to see the train driving simulators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GB Railfreight (GBRf) invested in two state of the art simulators, which form part of their training school at Peterborough. At a total cost of \u00a3850,000, they are the UK\u2019s first and only full cab freight European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) capable simulators. They are used by new and existing drivers for basic training, advanced training as part of the Driver rules exam, Mentor and Instructor training and post incident reconstruction – 08\/09\/2024 <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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From the outset, the simulators covered the journey from London Kings Cross to Peterborough, and are designed with a route building tool which will enable the addition of all other GBRf routes going forward. The simulators were built with the recycled remains of Class 66 locomotive No. 66734, which was involved in a landslip derailment at Loch Treig in 2012 – 08\/09\/2024 <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Photographs on display at the GBRf Training facility showing Class 66 No. 66734, which was involved in a landslip derailment at Loch Treig in 2012 – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Once everyone in my group had a chance to experience the simulator, we swapped over with the other crowd and were led off to the depot area. First up was a visit inside the new Peterborough Maintenance Hub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Peterborough Maintenance Hub, which is larger than six-Olympic swimming pools was completed in just 10 months and brings back into use a derelict plot of land. The facility is key to unlocking GBRf\u2019s ambitious growth plans as it aims to run c.80 intermodal services a day by 2025. The building has strong sustainability credentials \u2013 it is fully powered by electricity and has been designed to support electric shunt engines and forklifts to reduce carbon emissions.
By analysing four wagons per shift, the Hub is a strategic enabler that creates a step-change in maintenance for the rail freight industry. It delivers significant safety and reliability improvements that will allow current and future customers to move an even wider range of goods by rail. As new smart-technologies emerge, the Hub will be a testbed that will allow GBRf to identify innovative solutions that will drive continual improvement – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf is in the process of converting a pair of redundant “Polybulk” hoppers to barrier vehicles at its new Peterborough wagon facility having won the contract to move brand new Piccadilly line trains from Siemens new \u00a3200 million factory in Goole, East Yorkshire to London. One end of each barrier wagon retains conventional buffering and drawer. The other end has this removed and replaced with couplers for the new Tube stock, and high-level brake pipes. When being transported, the Underground train will run between the two wagons – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We were free to take photographs in the Hub facility and of the stabled locomotives as we walked back to join the bus which would this time take us to the Nene Valley Railway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GBRf Class 66 No. 66768 on shed at Peterborough in the company of No. 66762, 57310, 66760 ‘David Gordon Harris’, 66741 ‘Swanage Railway and 66711 ‘Sence’ – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 66 No. 66768 at Peterborough – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 66 No. 66760 ‘David Gordon Harris’, Peterborough – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 66 No. 66741 ‘Swanage Railway’ at Peterborough – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 69 No. 69003 ‘The Railway Observer’ at Peterborough. The locomotive was in operation on the Saturday of the gala – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On arrival at the Nene Valley, there was a bit of a wait in the rain before enjoying a journey from Peterborough to Wansford hauled by GB Railfreight Class 66 No. 66312. A volunteer at Peterborough Nene Valley very kindly gave me some treats to take home for Yoshi, which he enjoyed very much! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our train to Wansford at the other end of the line was hauled by Class 66 No. 66312.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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GBRf Class 66 No. 66312 was in operation on the Nene Valley during the Sunday – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 47 No. 47727 ‘Edinburgh Castle’ arrives at Peterborough Nene Valley – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 66 No. 66312 rests at Wansford – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 66 No. 66312 at Wansford – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Another view of GBRf Class 66 No. 66312 at Wansford – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Surely not GBRf Class 66 No. 66312 at Wansford – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 69 69009 ‘Western Consort’ at platform of Wansford station – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 47 No. 47727 ‘Edinburgh Castle’ with 45041 ‘Royal Tank Regiment’ operating as a translator between the Brush Type 4 and the coaching stock on the approach to Wansford – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 66 No. 66312 departs Wansford – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 47 No. 47727 ‘Edinburgh Castle’ double heads with Class 69 69009 ‘Western Consort’ at Wansford – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 08 No. 08632 runs into the bay platform at Wansford – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Nene Valley resident Class 14 No. D9529 is an 0-6-0 Diesel Hydraulic loco built at Swindon Works in 1964, weighing in at 48.5 tonnes. Originally intended for hauling working movements between local yards and short-distance freight trains on the western region, No. D9529 was sold to The British Steel Company and worked at Buckminster from 1968-1972. It was later moved to Corby Steelworks and worked there until 1981 when it was moved to Bardon Hill Quarry until 2010 when it was rescued by the Iron Steel & Traction Group and moved to the Nene Valley Railway – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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“Peak” Class 45 No. 45041 ‘Royal Tank Regiment’ is a 1-Co Co-1 wheel arrangement Diesel Electric loco built at Crewe Works in 1962, weighing 133 tonnes. The loco was originally based at Derby hauling passenger services on The Midland Mainline as No. D53. The loco was named in 1964 and was re-numbered in 1975. No. 45041 was used predominantly on freight trains during the 1980’s as it was not one of the Class 45’s that was selected to be converted to supply electric train heat (ETH) for passenger carriages. Unfortunately, the loco suffered a traction motor problem in 1988 and was condemned, but she was bought by the Peak Locomotive Society in 1996 and has been based at the NVR since then – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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GBRf Class 57 No. 57303 with Class 66 No. 66312 getting ready to depart Peterborough Nene Valley with the final service of the gala weekend – 08\/09\/2024<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Funds raised from the gala were donated to charity, supporting the work of the MS Society, which provides support to those suffering with Multiple Sclerosis. GB Railfreight donated funds raised from the site tours to its charity partner Great Ormond Street Hospital Children\u2019s Charity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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