[alan]

The Gloucester Railcar Trust has been rebuilding two former british Railways Class 100 power cars 51104 and 51074 at Blunsdon since 2000, and has also acquired a Class 117 centre coach from the West Somerset Railway. This 3 car set was run as a demonstration for the first time in July, but while work on the interior of 51074 is advancing, The Gloucester Railcar Trust are still some way off of running passenger services and is applying for a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, so that 51104 can be sent to Butterley for rebuild and overhaul.

However, during some research into Gloucester RCW's earlier diesel railcars built for the Great Western Railway, society members have uncovered a timetable from 1936 for a 'streamlined railcar' service in adition to the steam services, providing a diagram from Cheltenham-Swindon Town (reverse) Swindon Junction-Swindon Town-Cheltenham-Marlborough-Swindon Junction-Cheltenham (via Gloucester).

The maximum turnround time was 18 minutes, at Marlborough for the final service of the day it was 7 mins. This suggests it was diagrammed for a single railcar.

Most standard railway history books only mention GWR "Flying Bananas" on the Cardiff-Birmingham route!

Does anyone have any more knowledge about this working over the former Midland & South Western Junction Railway? if so please let me know!