Diesel Gala - Classic Diesel Traction

Stop Press: one-way cab rides for a supplementary fare of £25 per occasion available NOW!

We've listened to the many diesel enthusiasts who said our previous three-day 'Big Diesel Thrashes' were much missed.. and so we've set the date for a re-introduction in 2025!

The event will take place over three days between Friday 4 April and Sunday 6 April. 

We are pleased to announce that our 2025 Diesel gala is being sponsored by Hanson & Hall

We have five big classic diesel locomotives visting the railway, joined by our resident Class 37, 37227 providing the traction across the event.

Class 50 'Thunderer' No 50008 courtesy of Hanson & Hall

Class 45 'Peak' No 45108 courtesy of the Peak Locomotive Company

Image: courtesy of Kevin Delaney.

Class 50 'Valiant' No 50015 courtesy of the Bury Valiant group

Class 31 No 31108 courtesy of A1A Locomotives Limited

Class 47 No 47715 courtesy of Rail Engineering Solutions. Note that No 47715 will only run on Sunday 

It's heavy haulage at its best, and with gradients like our 1 in 68 Chinnor Bank (and there are others as in Bledlow Cutting and the 1 in 100 from Thame Junction into Princes Risborough), this will be a truly intensive, three-day big diesel 'thrash'!

ONE-WAY CAB RIDES:

Accompany our driver and secondman on a one-way cab ride for a supplementary fare of just £25 per occasion available NOW!

BRAKE VAN RIDES AT PRINCES RISBOROUGH:

There will also be brake van rides at Princes Risborough on 04, 05, 06 April: these will take place between departures and arrivals using our BR 20T Shark ballast brake van and hauled up and down by 08825/03069. Brake van rides are included in the ticket price!

DAY ROVERS:

Tickets are on sale below and you can buy them online at any time until 18.00 on the day before travel. Understandably, we have had to put our prices up a bit in order to at least cover our costs - although every £1 of profit we manage will go to keeping our trains running throughout the year. We know that you will understand that we will have to pay some large bills to make it happen, and we thank you in anticipation for your support and hope you will come along to this event and others in future!

ONLINE PRICES: Adult tickets are generally cheaper than buying at stations (note a £2 agency fee per on-line transaction applies). Please note 2-day and 3-day tickets can only be purchased online. 

• Adult 1-day rover online only £20.00, Child (accompanied 3-15 yrs) £5
• Adult 2-day rover online only £30.00, Child (accompanied 3-15 yrs) £10
• Adult 3-day rover online only £40.00, Child (accompanied 3-15 yrs) £15 

All online bookings close at 18.00 on the day before travel.

STATION PRICES: only 1-day rover tickets are available to buy at stations on the day.

• Adult 1-day rover £25, Child (accompanied 3-15 yrs) £5

DIESEL GALA TIMETABLE FRIDAY 04 APRIL 2025:

DIESEL GALA TIMETABLE SATURDAY 05 APRIL 2025:

DIESEL GALA TIMETABLE SUNDAY 06 APRIL 2025:

COME BY CAR OR BY TRAIN:

You can join our trains at either Chinnor (free car parking) or Princes Risborough for Chiltern Railways services - for more information, please see the Arriving page.

OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATION:

For a list of suggestions on overnight accommodation in the local area, please see the Where to Stay page

FOOD & DRINK:

The Station Café at Chinnor serves tea, coffee, soft drinks and bottled water. There is also a selection of sandwiches and baps, all freshly made on the day, together with hot sausage rolls and pasties, homemade cakes, biscuits, crisps etc.

There will also be a range of ales at pub prices (it wouldn't be a Big Diesel Gala without ale!), and we'll also have our own bottle conditioned ales for sale too.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLY ALCOHOL BOUGHT ON OUR PREMISES IS PERMITTED