{"id":266794,"date":"2025-08-14T18:52:43","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T08:52:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/railuk.com\/?p=181373"},"modified":"2025-08-14T18:52:43","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T08:52:43","slug":"great-central-railways-annual-autumn-diesel-gala-returns-this-september","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=266794","title":{"rendered":"Great Central Railway\u2019s Annual Autumn Diesel Gala Returns this September"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/railuk.com\/events\/great-central-railways-annual-autumn-diesel-gala-returns-this-september\/\" title=\"Great Central Railway&#8217;s Annual Autumn Diesel Gala Returns this September\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"485\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.railuk.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/14094950\/d5370-485x360.jpg\" class=\"webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"display: block; margin-bottom: 5px; clear:both;max-width: 100%;\" link_thumbnail=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.railuk.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/14094950\/d5370-485x360.jpg 485w, https:\/\/cdn.railuk.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/14094950\/d5370-80x60.jpg 80w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 485px) 100vw, 485px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Great Central Railway proudly announces the return of its much-anticipated annual Autumn Diesel Gala, running from 4<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0to 6<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0September. This action-packed event offers visitors the chance to experience an impressive range of diesel traction, featuring the home fleet alongside three spectacular visiting locomotives.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A highlight of the heritage railway calendar, the gala kicks off with Thursday\u2019s BR Green Day, showcasing a nostalgic, green-liveried roster including the guest&nbsp;<strong>Class 35 \u2018Hymek\u2019 No. 7018<\/strong>,&nbsp;<strong>Class 14 \u2018Teddy Bear\u2019 D9551,&nbsp;<\/strong>and&nbsp;<strong>Class 27 D5370<\/strong>, alongside home fleet favourite&nbsp;<strong>Class<\/strong>&nbsp;<strong>37 D6700<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Visitors can enjoy three specially configured train sets, including a Griddle Car serving hot meals, a newly launched Buffet Bar with hand-pulled pints, and classic suburban coaching stock. Additionally,&nbsp;<strong>\u2018Iris\u2019<\/strong>&nbsp;will be running special services along the Mountsorrel Branch, while an exclusive opportunity to take the controls of&nbsp;<strong>Class 10 D4067<\/strong>&nbsp;at Rothley Carriage &amp; Wagon will be available on Thursday only, for a \u00a320 supplement.<\/p>\n<p>The visiting locomotives add historical depth and variety to the gala:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Class 35 \u2018Hymek\u2019 No. 7018 (built 1962), one of only four preserved Hymeks, restored to service in 2019 after extensive overhaul.<\/li>\n<li>Class 14 \u2018Teddy Bear\u2019 D9551 (built 1965), a beloved loco restored to its original green livery and a familiar sight on the Severn Valley Railway.<\/li>\n<li>Class 27 D5370, a versatile loco with a rich history spanning freight and passenger duties across the UK, now preserved and operated by the Caledonian Railway Diesel Group.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The home fleet includes the much-loved<strong>&nbsp;Class 27 27056, Class 33 D6535, Class 37 37714, Class 37 D6700, Class 50 50017<\/strong>, and&nbsp;<strong>Class 55 55019<\/strong>, providing a wide variety of diesel traction throughout the weekend.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.railuk.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/14095158\/27056.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"851\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.railuk.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/14095158\/27056-1024x851.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-181385\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.railuk.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/14095158\/27056-1024x851.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.railuk.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/14095158\/27056-300x249.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.railuk.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/14095158\/27056-768x638.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.railuk.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/14095158\/27056-1536x1276.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.railuk.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/14095158\/27056-506x420.jpg 506w, https:\/\/cdn.railuk.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/14095158\/27056-696x578.jpg 696w, https:\/\/cdn.railuk.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/14095158\/27056-1068x887.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/cdn.railuk.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/14095158\/27056.jpg 1712w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Class 27 27056<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Friday and Saturday promise busy, full-day schedules with four train sets in operation, including a station tearoom and a BBQ at Loughborough Central. Evening events feature the popular BeerEx, hauled by different locomotives each night \u2013 Friday by D7018, and Saturday by 27056 and a guest loco. An evening-only ticket offer is available on these days, granting access from 5:00pm at reduced prices.<\/p>\n<p>For those seeking an extra treat, the gala extends to Sunday 7th September with a&nbsp;<strong>Mixed Traffic Day<\/strong>, combining steam and diesel traction, passenger and goods trains, and brake van rides. Diesel power is expected to include guest and home fleet locos alongside a steam engine from the home fleet, with a special offer allowing kids to go for a quid.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout the event, visitors are encouraged to explore the lively trade stands at Loughborough Central Station, featuring groups such as SVR Class 14 Ltd; 27007 Lives; Deltic Preservation Society; Heavy Tractor Group, and 5305 Locomotive Association. These stands offer memorabilia, preservation insights, and an opportunity to meet those dedicated to keeping diesel heritage alive.<\/p>\n<p>The Annual Autumn Diesel Gala is a must-visit for diesel enthusiasts, families and friends, providing a unique blend of history, heritage, and entertainment as the new season begins.<\/p>\n<p>Tickets are available to purchase via&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/gcrailway.co.uk\/\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">gcrailway.co.uk<\/a>. Evening only tickets for Friday and Saturday (5pm onwards), are only available to purchase on the day via the GCR Loughborough Booking Office, or a Train Ticket Inspector.<\/p>\n<p>Image credit: GC Railway<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/railuk.com\/events\/great-central-railways-annual-autumn-diesel-gala-returns-this-september\/\" title=\"Great Central Railway\u2019s Annual Autumn Diesel Gala Returns this September\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"485\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.railuk.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/14094950\/d5370-485x360.jpg\" class=\"webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image\" alt=\"\"><\/a>The Great Central Railway proudly announces the return of its much-anticipated annual Autumn Diesel Gala, running from 4th\u00a0to 6th\u00a0September. This action-packed event offers visitors the chance to experience an impressive range of diesel traction, featuring the home fleet alongside three spectacular visiting locomotives. A highlight of the heritage railway calendar, the gala kicks off with [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4856,16013,4920,47,180,85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-266794","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-events","category-general-interest","category-heritage","category-rail-news","category-rolling-stock","category-uk"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=266794"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266794\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":266832,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266794\/revisions\/266832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=266794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=266794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=266794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}