The rebirth of 85B or GL if you prefer

After much negotiation, years of hoping and a lot of determination Cotswold Rail have finally succeeded in gaining a lease on the disused Gloucester Horton Road Depot, in time this will become the main operating and maintenance facility for Cotswold's ever expanding fleet of locos including 08's, 47's and HST's.

Today, April 1st, a test was carried out whereby 47813 was used to become the first of it's class into the depot since 1992 when it was closed by BR, the only other locos anywhere near the actual depot since closure have been two DRS class 20's in 2003 for a nuclear emergency exercise. Although the site is shadow of it's former self, in it's heyday there were three times more buildings and 99 locos on it's books, it will be reminiscent of my youth to once again see regular locos 'on shed'.

Network Rail engineers watch closely as 47813 travels over track that hasn't been used for fourteen years

Old style sign still in situ on the 'wishbone' access to the depot

Seen from inside the depot 813 edges closer with Gloucester Cathedral in the background

The view from the inside again as 85B reverberates to the sound of Sulzer for the first time this century!!

Looking out through the broken window in the old store room the loco moves off the shed

The loco, the depot and the gas tower.