Great Western Diesel Railcar W22 Headlines the East Somerset Railway Spring Gala - 2026

A short trip to the East Somerset Railway for their Spring Gala. The line is 3 miles long, between Cranmore and Mendip Vale near Shepton Mallet. The line has a mainline connection which sees several railtours visit the railway each year; the most high-profile is the Britannic Explorer, but that wasn’t the reason behind the visit. The spring gala was, and there was no shortage of motive power. The headline act was GWR Railcar No.22, and this was its first outing from Didcot in preservation! Also present was GWR Pannier Tank No.7754 from the Llangollen Railway in Wales, GWR Prairie Tank No.4555 ‘Warrior’ from the Dartmouth Steam Railway in Devon, and resident GWR Large Prairie No.4110 - an award-winning locomotive! Shots were taken at: 00:00 No.22 - Mendip Vale distant 01:16 No.22 - Doulting Cutting 02:25 7754 - Mendip Vale distant 04:36 4110 & 7754 - Merryfield Lane 06:47 4555 - Doulting Cutting 07:45 7754 - Doulting Cutting 09:00 4555 - Mendip Vale Approach 11:29 4110 - Merryfield 13:25 4110 - Mendip Vale 14:00 No.22 15:48 7754 - Mendip Vale Ground Frame 16:54 4110 I hope you enjoy this video. If you do, please like, comment and subscribe; it really is rather flattering. The 2026 Railtour Calendar is nearly complete and looks extremely exciting! Find railtours passing through your station at: https://www.trecanrail.com/ ‪@steamtothewest-trecanrail‬ #eastsomersetrailway #steamtothewest #gala #steamgala #trecanrail #steamtrain #train #traingalore #railways #lost #signalbox #signalboxes #picturehistory #motionhistory #somerset #levelcrossings #springsteam #cranmore #merrfieldlane #mendipvale #shepton #mallet #doulting #doultingcutting #4110 #4555 #mayflower #60103 #railcar #22 #7754 #pannier #mogul #prairie #steamtrainsgalore #barking #esr #gwr Disclaimer: No trespassing was committed in the making of this video; all shots were taken at stations, roads or footpaths.