Cranmore railway spring gala to feature rare GWR railcar
By Laura Linham 5th Mar 2026
A rare Great Western Railway diesel railcar will headline the East Somerset Railway's Spring Gala weekend at Cranmore.
The event will take place on Saturday, 14 March and Sunday, 15 March 2026, with a packed timetable of heritage trains running along the line.
The gala will feature the visiting GWR W22 Diesel Railcar from Didcot Railway Centre. These early diesel units served the route from the 1940s and were seen on local services through Cranmore.
Also visiting is GWR Pannier Tank 7754, courtesy of the Llangollen Railway. This locomotive type also regularly operated on the line in the 1940s.
The visiting trains will join East Somerset Railway's resident locomotives 4110 and 4555 for what organisers say will be a busy gala weekend.
A free vintage bus service will run between Frome Station and Cranmore on both days of the event.
The buses will depart Frome Station at 9.05 am and 11.15 am on Saturday, 14 March, and at 10.30 am and 12 pm on Sunday, 15 March. Return journeys from Cranmore are scheduled later in the afternoon on both days.
Organisers say the gala will offer visitors the chance to see several historic Great Western Railway vehicles together while enjoying a full weekend of heritage railway activity.
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