143617 Named After Founder Member and Chairman
8 April 2023
143617 was officially named at 11:00 on Saturday 8th of April 2023, the naming ceremony was a poignant moment for the group as a unanimous decision had been made to name it after Rod Garner our Founder Member and Chairman who sadly passed away in September 2020. Rod's dream had been to reinstate the old London and South Western Railway line between Torrington and Bideford and established the Tarka Valley Railway in 2008.
The Naming Ceremony was carried out by Phil Tarry (Project Manager) and the nameplates were unveiled by Phil and Anita Garner (Rod's wife), following this the train was blessed by Father Steve Turner from St. Michael and All Angels Church in Great Torrington. After the Naming Ceremony a couple of renditions were played on the Bagpipes by Mike Harper, commencing our first Open Day of the year.
