The East Somerset Railway has stepped back in time to the 1940s, to when their GWR Railcar W22 first ran along the line.

The railcar is on a visit to the railway from Didcot Railway Centre as part of the line’s Spring Gala celebrations, taking place on 14 – 15 March 2026.

A forerunner to modern multiple diesel units of today’s diesel-hauled passenger services, these railcars were first constructed for GWR in the 1930s.

East Somerset Railway’s recent filming brings to life a formative era for rail travel and brings to life scenes of the railcar’s heyday.

Among those featured in the video is Brian Pike (seen in the role of the gentleman carrying cases), a volunteer at the Railway from Cranmore.

Brian himself remembers vividly travelling on the railcar in his school days, regularly commuting to and from Shepton Mallet.