Dean Forest Railway

27/08/2026

Built in 1952, Peckett & Sons no.2147 'Uskmouth 1' is one of our home fleet locomotives at the Dean Forest Railway .
Arriving in April 1972 after a long career with the CEGB at Uskmouth power station in Newport, South Wales.
She was the first locomotive to arrive at the DFR in preservation and operated brakevan rides around Parkend station. She returned to service in 2024 after a period in storage and an extensive overhaul and she now operated on the railway on our Steam Galas and certain special train days!
'Uskmouth 1' will next be in steam away from home at the Peak Rail mixed traffic gala in Derbyshire on the 19th and 20th of September 2026!

26/08/2026

Behind the Scenes Access at the Diesel Gala 👀

One of the attractions that flew under the radar a little bit last year was the guided DMU Depot Tours at Norchard. Therefore we're pleased that the fantastic volunteers within the DFR DMU Group have kindly agreed to repeat this and will reopen their doors during the upcoming gala on the 12th & 13th September.

Offering two tours a day, guests will be able to hear about a short history of the units, watch a demonstration preparation and start up and finish with a photograph opportunity in the drivers seat. There will be a suggested cash donation directly to the DMU Group for this activity and the tours are sadly unsuitable for those who are unable to climb steps.

We know it's getting close, but we're still working on the diesel gala arrangements behind the scenes, so keep an eye out here for the latest info!

Tickets for the gala, starring 31130, E6003, 09106, 08888 and maybe more can be found here: https://deanforestrailway.co.uk/experiences/diesel-gala/

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Our 2026 Diesel Gala is sponsored by Derails Model Railway shop of Coleford. Visit their website for all of the main model railway manufacturers available at discounted prices with free postage for orders over £20: https://derails.co.uk/

26/08/2026

Our friends at the Forest of Dean Model Railway Club are hosting their annual Model Railway Show in Lydney on the 26th & 27th September - exactly one month away! The Dean Forest Railway Society will be attending with their stand, so please come and say hello.

Why not combine a few hours at the show with a round trip on the railway? The Dean Acadmey is a 5 minute drive from our Norchard Station or a 10 minute walk from Lydney Town.

On Saturday 26th September we're operating a Steam Service: https://deanforestrailway.co.uk/experiences/steam-train-ride/

On Sunday 27th September we're operating a Diesel Service: https://deanforestrailway.co.uk/experiences/diesel-train-ride/

It's a month until our Model Railway Show at the Dean Academy in Lydney on the 26th and 27th September.

Over 20 layouts, traders and displays will be waiting for you with free parking, fully accessible access and on-site catering.

Adults are £6 and children £2 making it a great value few hours out for the family!

20/08/2026

Although we've had a light smattering of rain over the Forest in recent days, things are still too dry and therefore the risk of fire is still high. Therefore Diesels will continue to spearhead our services until at least Wednesday, 26th August.

09106 is doing the honours this weekend 22nd and 23rd and the DMU is out with its final half-line-half-price Forest Flyers on Tuesday 25th. For Wednesday 26th the loco in use is yet to be confirmed.

Tickets for the weekend and Wednesday: https://deanforestrailway.co.uk/experiences/diesel-train-ride/

Tickets for Tuesday: https://deanforestrailway.co.uk/forest-flyer/

15/08/2026

🚨 Important Diesel Gala Update: visitor withdrawal and new visitor announcement🚨

Sadly our previously announced visitor, Class 31 no. 31210, is no longer able to attend our 12th & 13th September Diesel Gala due to operational requirements. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank Hanson & Hall for their assistance so far. We sincerely hope to host the loco here at a future event.

We were quite excited to have a 31 back at the DFR and so we've been hard at work sorting a suitable solution. Therefore, we are pleased to announce that the Forest will still reverberate to the sounds of a Railfreight Grey & Yellow Class 31, however the number on the side will read 31130!

We're grateful to the Suburban Preservation Group and the Avon Valley Railway for making '130 available for the event, and are looking forward to welcoming her back to the DFR. The loco does not usually venture away from the AVR – the last time was for our 2022 gala, seen below at Upper Forge Crossing - and has not operated a service there since the end of last year, so we are pleased to host its first passenger services of 2026.

Are there more visitors to announce, I hear you ask? We're working on it, so please keep an eye on this page.

Tickets: https://deanforestrailway.co.uk/experiences/diesel-gala/

The 2026 Diesel Gala is sponsored by Derails Model Railway Shop of Coleford. Check their website out here: https://derails.co.uk/

13/08/2026

With no change to the weather, our services are scheduled to remain as diesel hauled through to at least Wednesday 19th August.

09106 will be doing the honours on Saturday 15th, then E6003 will take over for Sunday 16th and Wednesday 19th. The DMU will be out on Tuesday 18th with the Forest Flyer trips: half the line for half the price!

Tix for Sat/Sun/Weds:
https://deanforestrailway.co.uk/experiences/diesel-train-ride/

Tix for Tues:
https://deanforestrailway.co.uk/forest-flyer/

📸 Courtesy of D. Winter

03/08/2026

Diesel Gala Update!

We're pleased to add resident Pilots 09106 and 08888 'Postmans Pride' to the lineup for the upcoming event on 12th and 13th September, courtesy of Road & Rail Steam Services and Valley Rail Preservation respectively.

09106 has been operating service trains alongside E6003 throughout the 2026 season.

08888 operated on 'Shunter Sunday' back in May and was not booked to run passenger services again this year. We've listened to your feedback and after many requests the locomotive has kindly been made available for passenger service at the event.

More gala news soon! Tickets and news here: https://deanforestrailway.co.uk/experiences/diesel-gala/

01/08/2026

With the high temperatures set to continue throughout next week and no meaningful rain in the forecast, diesel traction will continue to operate at the sharp end of all services through to at least August 9th.

- Sunday 2nd August: Class 73, 'Sir Herbert Walker'
- Tuesday 4th August: 2-Car DMU (Forest Flyer, half line trips)
- Wednesday 5th August: Class 09, 09106, and 2-Car DMU
- Saturday 8th: Class 73, 'Sir Herbert Walker'
- Sunday 9th: Class 73, 'Sir Herbert Walker'

A reminder that this traction change is because steam locomotives emit sparks and embers. During particularly hot and dry weather these emissions can cause dangerous fires that harm our surrounding ancient Forest and put our staff at risk.

📸 Courtesy of James Cleevely

31/07/2026

Royal Forest of Steam Gala

We’re delighted to confirm our first visitor will be LNWR Coal Tank No. 1054, courtesy of the Bahamas Loco Society and the KWVR.

Our thanks to both organisations to enable this rare autumnal visit for this 1888 built loco which is making its first visit to the DFR.

Discounted advance tickets are available now:

https://deanforestrailway.co.uk/steam-gala/

Photo © Steve Mitchell

25/07/2026

Due to the excessively high temperatures, we are swapping all of our services for the next seven days from steam to diesel traction.

Steam locomotives emit sparks and embers which can cause dangerous lineside fires during periods of particularly warm, dry weather. Therefore we have made this change to ensure we keep our staff and surrounding ancient woodland as safe as possible, and avoid adding pressure onto our local fire service during this busy period.

Class 73 'Sir Herbert Walker' will be covering all hauled passenger services until the 2nd August, with the Diesel Railcar out on the 'Forest Flyer' Tuesday 28th July and providing a backup service on Wednesday 29th. 09106 will be covering the goods or tank train on Sat 1st, and we'll cover this in another post once the stock has been confirmed.

📸 Couresty of Adam Dickinson