Industrial Action on the South Devon Railway! - 'Winter Steam Gala' 2026

The Ashburton Branch was a jewel in the Great Western Railway’s crown, running ten miles from Totnes on the South Devon Main Line to the stannary town of Ashburton. Originally built to Brunel’s infamous broad gauge, the line was never destined to be a money-spinner. However, its picturesque views across the valley and tranquil journey alongside the River Dart made it a hotspot for holidaymakers during the summer months. Sadly, scenery is seldom economical and BR ceased running passenger trains in 1958, with goods trickling on until the final farewell special left Ashburton in September 1962.

Enter preservationist Patrick Whitehouse. Having already assisted in the pioneering attempts to rescue the Talyllyn and Ffestiniog Railways in North Wales, Whitehouse was at heart a lifelong GWR enthusiast. So much so that in 1965, he purchased ‘Small Prairie’ tank engine 4555. Now, he needed a railway to run it on! Together with members of the ‘Birmingham Railway Mafia’, the Ashburton Branch was purchased that year by the newly-formed Dart Valley Railway PLC. Three years later, the line reopened for business, ceremoniously led by none other by Dr Richard Beeching! Despite road improvement works cutting off the section beyond Buckfastleigh in 1971, the Dart Valley line continues to charm thousands of passengers as the prime example of a quintessential Great Western branchline: the South Devon Railway.

Therefore, I paid a long-overdue visit to the railway for their ‘Winter Steam Gala’; my first in almost nine years! Five locomotives kicked off the new year with two visiting especially for the event. Topping the bill was ‘The Lost Engine’ Hunslet 16’’ ‘Newstead’, currently on tour around the south west following visits to the Blaenavon, Dean Forest and Swindon and Cricklade Railways. Joining her would be the diminutive Bagnall saddle tank ‘Judy’. Built for shunting china clay around Par Docks alongside sister ‘Alfred’, the Port’s restricted loading gauge makes her one of the shortest standard gauge steam engines ever! Dwarfing her would be the mighty GWR 28XX 2807, on loan for the Christmas season to haul the railway’s ‘Polar Express’ specials. Fellow GWR archetypes ‘Small Prairie’ 5526 and ‘Pannier’ 1369 from the home fleet rounded out the roster.

I visited on the Friday and Saturday of the event. Thankfully, the weather gods had blessed the region with bright cloudless skies for much of the weekend, matching perfectly to the bitter temperatures. Unfortunately, ice on the roads made much of the smaller byways difficult to negotiate, hence the reduced number of shots. Despite being somewhat off the beaten track, the railway was bustling with visitors (It was standing room only in ‘Judy’s Autocoach specials!) although services on both days ran up to forty-five minutes late. The full lineup consisted of:

Visiting:
Hunslet 16’’ 0-6-0ST ‘Newstead’ (from Alex Alder and the North Norfolk Railway)
Bagnall ‘Port Of Par’ 0-4-0ST ‘Judy’ (from the Bodmin and Wenford Railway)
GWR Churchward 28XX 2-8-0 2807 (from Cotswold Steam Preservation Ltd and the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. On loan to the SDR for the winter season)

Home Fleet:
GWR Collett ‘1366’ ‘Pannier’ 0-6-0PT 1369
GWR Churchward ‘4575’ ‘Small Prairie’ 2-6-2T 5526

I hope you all enjoyed the video. Special thanks to all locomotive owners, staff and volunteers of the South Devon Railway for a brilliant gala and a great start to 2026. My personal picks would have to be ‘Judy’ and the ‘Pannier’ catching the sun at Buckfastleigh and 5526 restarting at Hood Bridge. If you’ve never been to the SDR before, what are you waiting for?! Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/secondvalve... for exclusive stories, still and more. Feel free to like, comment and subscribe!