Diesel Railcar Day

Diesel Railcar Day

GCR Railcars Take The Spotlight

Enjoy a full day dedicated to Diesel Railcars, offering the perfect chance to experience a busy timetable of trains – all at our normal fares.

Step back into a different era of railway travel as we shine the spotlight on some of our classic railcars for a special day of diesel running. On Friday 17th July, our Heritage Railcar Day will see a unique mix of historic vehicles in action, running an intensive schedule across the line, including selected trips along the Mountsorrel Branch Line.

GCR Home Fleet

Class 101 DMUs

Power Output

~300 bhp total from two engines

Engine

Two BUT (AEC or Leyland) 150 bhp each

Max Speed

~70 mph

79900 Iris

Transmission

Mechanical via Wilson epicyclic gearbox and final drive on bogie axle

Engine

Two AEC 220 engines, each ~150 bhp

Max Speed

~70 mph

What to Expect

Mountsorrel Branch Line

Enjoy a trip down the Mountsorrel Branch Line, giving you the opportunity to travel along a different part of the railway – something you don’t want to miss! Your travel ticket permits you free entry to the heritage centre at Nunckley Hill so why not break your journey and explore all it has to offer.

Meet the Renaissance Railcar Team

With the Renaissance Railcar Team on hand to chat about their ongoing restoration work. It’s a great chance hear more about the preservation behind the scenes.

Rack Up Miles

It’s going to be a great running day where you can rack up plenty of miles with your favourite railcar.

Standard Fares, Amazing Day Out

This event is the perfect opportunity to enjoy a busy timetable dedicated to our heritage railcars at our normal fares!

Refreshments

Refreshments will be available across all stations – from our Butler Henderson Café and platform tea rooms to our popular on-train services, serving up freshly prepared hot and cold food, it’s the perfect way to enjoy great food while soaking up the sights and sounds of a heritage railway.

Immerse Yourself with the HST Simulator

Be amongst the first to sample a 15-minute driving session on our HST Simulator with our experienced railway staff on hand to teach you the basics of driving an express passenger train out of London Kings Cross.
Open 10am-4pm (free entry for those with a day ticket)

Additional Information

What's Running

Class 101 (Blue) – 50266/50203. This will be the last opportunity to travel on ‘The Blue Set’ before it is withdrawn from traffic. Vehicle 50266 is expected to be permanently retired with its future currently undetermined and its departure from GC to follow imminently afterwards. 50203 will be retained for future pairing with the trailer car (56342) which is currently undergoing restoration.
Class 101 (Green) – 51427/50321. After an extended period out of traffic, ‘The Green Set’ will be returning to service following bodywork and mechanical repairs.
Iris – Following some light repairs, 79900 will feature at the event.
Class 153308 – Subject to repairs, 158308 will join the line up offering a rare opportunity to travel over GC metals on one of our Class 153s which are usually only deployed on contract testing and training work.

Ticket Information

When purchasing a runabout ticket, you will have access to travel on all our standard passenger trains throughout the day, allowing you to hop on and off to explore all our historic stations.

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