The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway has secured the services of Class 26 Diesel D5310 (26010) for its annual Summer Heritage Diesel Gala in July.

Thanks to the Llangollen Railway and The Llangollen Diesel Group, D5310 will be joining the railway’s home diesel fleet operating for an intensive service during the Gala weekend from Friday, 12 to Sunday,14 July.

Originally known as Sulzer Type 2s, 47 were built between 1958 and 1959 by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company (BRCW) and numbered D5300 to D5346. These were later renumbered under TOPS as 26001 to 26046.

Fitted with 1,160 hp Sulzer engines, they were mainly used on passenger and freight services in Scotland, although for a few months, the first 20 were used on commuter services from London King’s Cross.

D5310 was completed by BRCW on 6th January 1959 and outshopped with vacuum brakes, steam heat, and in BR green livery with white cab window surrounds and a white waistline band on the bodyside.

Initially allocated to Hornsey depot on the Eastern Region, it was transferred to the Scottish Region in May 1960 and allocated to both Haymarket and Inverness depots.

In April 1974, D5310 was renumbered to 26010 under TOPS and remained in service until 5th October 1987 when it was stored as unserviceable, and officially withdrawn on 4th December 1992 after a turboblower fire.

After being acquired for preservation, D5310 went to the Northampton and Lamport Railway in January 1995, where its engine was started for the first time in July 1995.

D5310 was later moved to the Great Central Railway, where in 2006 its bodywork was comprehensively overhauled, but soon after returning to traffic, its main generator failed.

After the generator was repaired, it attended diesel galas across the country until 9th September 2009 when it was delivered to the Llangollen Railway, where its first run took place two weeks later on 26th September 2009.

After nine years of service at the Llangollen Railway, in July 2018, a bearing in one of the traction motors failed, which was repaired at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway assisted by the Cotswold Mainline Diesel Group. While out of service, D5310 received a full repaint into plain BR green with full yellow ends.

On 6th July 2020, D5310 returned to the Llangollen Railway, where it moved under its own power on 23rd July 2020.

It hauled the first diesel hauled service under the Llangollen Railway Trust on 4th September 2021, and proved to be a regular and reliable performer.

The Summer Heritage Diesel Gala promises up to eight diesel locomotives and a diesel multiple unit in service operating an intensive timetable of trains.

Visitors will be able to view behind-the-scenes in the locomotive and carriage & wagon workshops, and there will be plenty of activities at each of the railway’s picturesque period stations.

Tickets for the gala can be purchased online at www.gwsr.com.

At last year’s diesel gala, another Sulzer Type 2 was a star performer; that was D7659 which was a guest from Peak Rail.