The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway (GWR) is to pull Sulzer Type 2 (5081) out of service after the July diesel Gala.

5081, the last of its type to see regular main line service, will undergo engine repairs after Sunday 21^st July.

The locomotive is resident British Rail Class 24 No. 5081 (24081), which is now over 64 years old. Built by British Rail at Crewe in 1960, it ended mainline service in 1981 and is privately owned and a regular performer on the Cotswold line.

It is a Sulzer 6LDA28A Bo-Bo with an 1160hp turbo-charged four-stroke diesel engine.

Between 1958 and 1961, British Railways’ Derby Works, Darlington Works, and Crewe Works built 151 of these locomotives.

They were numbered between D5000–D5150 (later 24001–24047 and 24051–24141 under TOPS). British Railways developed the class 24 as part of their 1955 Modernisation Plan.

The withdrawal of 5081 in October 1980 after a failure at a Steamport exhibition at Southport is noteworthy because it had been the sole operational class member for the eighteen months immediately prior.

Preservationists saved the locomotive in 1981 and it spent some time at the Llangollen Railway before being moved to its current home base at Toddington on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway (GWS).

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is a volunteer operated heritage railway in Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, offering a round trip of 28 miles. It uses part of the route of the former Great Western Railway’s main line from Birmingham to Cheltenham, which used to run via Stratford-upon-Avon. People often refer to it as the “Cotswold Line” because of its location.

The Summer Diesel Gala takes place on the weekend of Saturday, July 13 to Sunday, July 14th from 9am to 5 pm each day. Tickets are available online at thier website www.gwsr.com.

The packed timetable includes up to eight diesel locomotives, including 5081, and a diesel multiple unit (DMU). Of course, all locomotives are subject to availability.

The locomotive and carriage & wagon workshops will open their doors for rare behind-the-scenes visits, and there will be plenty of other activities at the railway’s lovely period stations.

The Summer Diesel Gala promises sights and sounds of heritage diesels.