Discover how The Gunpowder Railway is evolving each week – from restoration milestones to new visitor experiences. Follow our journey as we restore, expand and enhance the railway.
Or: View All News and Diary Entries | A Summary of 2025
Saturday 3rd October 2026
Further painting, further brake assembly and B10’s roof begins!
It was a cooler day on site, with little sunshine but thankfully no rain until after work had finished. Despite the less-than-summery weather, good progress was made across several projects as the busy spring and…
Wednesday 30th September 2026
Winter preparation and the Hunslet brakes reassembled on the 3rd attempt
It was a rather strange day on site, beginning under overcast skies with warm, sticky conditions and a couple of rain showers shortly after arrival. Although the usual Wednesday team was slightly depleted, plenty of…
Saturday 26th September 2026
Wickham gets its stripes, dough gets a buffer and Ruston tinkabell gets a clean
It was a slightly cooler day on site, but conditions remained pleasant with plenty of sunshine and dry weather throughout. As it was a Mill Open Day, passenger services once again formed an important part…
Wednesday 23rd September 2026
Emergency train, more painting and restoration efforts.
It was a warm day on site, beginning with a little cloud cover before the sun eventually broke through, making for a hot afternoon after lunch. Due to the failure and sadly absence of the…
Saturday 19th September 2026
Gate installed, hydraulic leak fixed, track set out and yet more painting of the Wickham.
The day began under overcast skies, with conditions becoming noticeably warmer and more humid as the afternoon went on. A slightly larger group of volunteers was on site, allowing a variety of maintenance tasks and…
Wednesday 16th September 2026
Hunslet 15 goes for a ride then up in the air and the workshop mop is finally fixed.
Most of the regular volunteers were present today, and the team was joined by a new volunteer, a qualified toolmaker, who was welcomed in the traditional railway fashion. The day began with a quick inspection…
Saturday 12th September 2026
Running trains, wagon stock rearranging and restorations continue
It started off cool today, but it became surprisingly warm and a little humid as the day progressed. A select group of five volunteers was on site for the day. As it was an open…
Wednesday 9th September 2026
The Beast Lives! Hunslet 9080 starts up! Sleepers arrive and much more.
Another long but worthwhile day on site, cooler than recent ones and mostly overcast, but at least it stayed dry. With a small team in, we made steady progress across several jobs and kept things…
Saturday 5th September 2026
Full size shunting puzzles, Work on the Wickham and Tinkabell continue and a unique photo opportunity
Today: Full size shunting puzzles, Work on the Wickham and Tinkabell continue and s unique photo opportunity It was bright and sunny first thing, a little cool to start with, but the warmth built steadily…
Wednesday 2nd September 2026
New locomotive arrivals and restorations continues
It stayed overcast throughout, with a light breeze and frequent drizzly showers drifting across the site. Only a small team was in, but even so we kept several jobs moving while waiting for the day’s…
Saturday 29th August 2026
Tinkabell’s refurbishment starts, Wickham build continues and Hanging Pegs?!
Cloud and rain set the tone for the day, with several heavy showers rolling through, yet it still managed to stay warm on site. Being a Mills Public Day, two trains were run, carrying just…
Wednesday 26th August 2026
Tracklaying for the Greenbat, water refills and further painting.
Despite some rain early this morning it was dry by the time we arrived on site, and the day soon turned warm and humid. With the regular Wednesday team in, we were able to keep…
Saturday 22nd August 2026
The big swap around! Dough Wagon gets its letters plus points get pointed.
It started off quite fresh on site, but the breeze dropped mid‑morning and the heat built up during the remainder of the day. A good Saturday team on site so we were able to progress…
Wednesday 19th August 2026
Wickham continues at speed, seats also move, 4 busy trains and a new driver/guard!
Pleasantly warm on site today, and dry. It was overcast in the morning but the sun came through after lunch. It was a Kid’s Activity Day at the Mills and we ran four trains, carrying…
Saturday 15th August 2026
Siding extensions, painting and varnishing plus early preparation for displaying the Greenbat
A hot day on site again, though thankfully not as oppressive as earlier in the week, which made for a better working environment. A good turnout on site, and lots of news to pass on.…