The Watercress Line in Hampshire is finalising the line-up for next month’s Diesel Gala, with the announcement that a pair of Rail Adventure Class 43 HST power cars are set to appear.

The Diesel Gala from Friday 12th to Sunday 14th July will feature heritage diesel traction from both visiting diesel locomotives and those of the railway’s home-fleet hauling trains over the steeply graded line.

An intensive train service will operate over all three days of the gala, which this year sees a Real Ale Train added to the evening service on Saturday, 13th and departing from Alton at 7 pm.

This will be the first time that a pair of Class 43 locomotives have operated over the Watercress Line.

These were purchased by RailAdventure Ltd when they were withdrawn from front-line passenger service. They now operate in pairs to move rail vehicles around the national network and rail tours on the main line.

Class 43 HSTs are officially the fastest diesel locomotives in the world, having achieved 148.5 mph on a special run on the East Coast main line, and regularly running at 125 mph on services between Kings Cross and Edinburgh and between Paddington and Cardiff / Swansea.

Another visiting locomotive will be Class 50 No.50008 Thunderer, which is owned by Hanson & Hall Rail Services Solutions Ltd.

It was built by the English Electric Company at the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows in March 1968, and originally numbered D408.

In 1974, D408 was renumbered 50008. The name Thunderer was bestowed on 1st September 1978 after a World War I Royal Navy Orion Class Dreadnought Battleship.

Returning to the Watercress Line for the gala will be the Class 438 4TC set owned by Transport for London Engineering and includes carriages DTSO 76324, TBSK 70823, TFK 71163, DTSO 76297.

They were built between 1955 and 1957, and will allow the use of visiting air-braked locomotives on passenger services. Visiting locomotive 50008 Thunderer will haul the 4TC set to the gala.

Locomotives from the railway’s home fleet operating services will include:

• Class 11 12082
• Class 08 08288 Phoenix
• Class 08 D3462 (08377)
• Class 20 D8059 (20059)
• Class 20 D8188 (20188)
• Class 47 47579 James Nightall GC

On static display will be:

• Class 08 08032 (13044 / 3044)
• Class 50 50027 Lion

Later this month, the Watercress Line will hold an event for visitors to remember life in the 1950s and 1960s.