[May 28, 2013] Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway Cotswold Steam... (Gloucestershire)

Just spent my second day on the line this weeked, interupted only by a wonderful walk around Winchcombe

What a great Gala, good crowds, great locos, fabulous weather

For me the star of the show is the B12, sleek, chic, and a product of Gorton, just like your's truly

Well done one and all, and welcome back

 

A video from Friday and Saturday, two contrasting days at this excellent gala;

 

Obvious double track formation, gentle curves, wider vista's,' loco's making a bit of noise especially at the Cheltenham end. And not having to fight to move neither on the trains nor the platforms. There is a sense of space and pace.

 

Had a fantastic day out at the event today. Here's a few photos.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davestubbings/

 

That's a function of the numbers attending - nothing to do with it having been a main line before closure.

Are you saying there were not many passengers?

 

Just to echo some of the above comments cracking gala, my first visit to the line, great railway my only disappointment was that there wasn't enough hours in the day



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

Fantastic day today - trains and stations were both rammed from mid-day when we arrived until around 4pm when people started drifting away - if fact it was difficult to get a seat on several trains. We didn't leave until 6pm and there were still plenty of cars in the overflow car park at Toddington. Definitley one of the best galas we've been to, ran like clockwork, any occasional slippage being recovered within the space of one trip. It really is a fine line, even Mrs S was impressed with the views (thanks to all those infamous embankments), clean stock, picture postcard stations, friendly staff and the running to time.

 

Photos from the first two days of this excellent steam gala are now available (though yet to be captioned...) on my Zenfolio website at http://mickrogers.zenfolio.com/f879615563
Images from Sunday and Monday will follow soon.
Cheers,

 

hello
had a great day there on Saturday , I tried to spend some money at winchcombe on food shame the car park was locked up went to the garage instead !!!
my pictures from the day are at www.stevebottrill.zenfolio.com
thanks

 

Even at that stage of incompleteness, that merchant looks smashing. Can't wait to see it in steam and hope it gets to come up north at some stage

 

Visited Saturday. Great gala, the Schools being the star for me; looked beautiful and some lovely thrash up the length of the line. The extension to Laverton must be some of the best permanent way ever laid in preservation, seemed criminal to be limited to 25mph over it! I had forgotten what lovely views are available south of Winchcombe, this really is a beautiful part of the world. I think the Flag and Whistle café was slightly overwhelmed at lunchtime, with long queues and starting to run out of food (no burgers or potatoes by 1pm!), but the food was lovely once it arrived. Once the line gets to Broadway I would happily suggest this will be up with the market leaders in the heritage railway world, great scenery, friendly staff and an appropriate and diverse collection of locos.

 

No, there were many passengers but also many trains. The entire route has obvious main line infrastructure and blasting up and down it in clean MK1's behind mainline loco's is a reasonable semblance of mainline running to me.

 

We had a very enjoyable 9 hours on the Friday and found a good collection of Locos on a very picturesque and friendly Railway.

A few pics are here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/goldsteam/sets/72157633740575432/

 

Interested to hear what you mean by obvious main line infrastructure, since the local passenger service ended in 1960 and the track was ripped up following final closure in 1976. The track has been relaid since and it's (sadly) very obviously a single line on a double track formation. I won't comment on the Trumpton structure that is the new Cheltenham Racecourse Signal Box.

As for blasting up and down it - well it's limited to 25mph like other heritage railways and as it was laid out in 1906 as a through route, it's comparatively flat - many of the branch lines you disparage have far more demanding gradients.

 

I had a good long weekend filming around the line, followed by a ride today. I really wanted to have a go on the freight but the trip I wanted was sold out. Also the first train I set foot on, the 11:10 ex CRC with 80072 had a brake failure and 2807 was run back around to take charge so left 30 or so late. However a good day was had and I hope 80072 is fixed easily (was brought back to Toddington as a double headed freight). Car parks jammed solid again, yes even CRC! I was quite surprised by the amount of 'non' enthusiasts that were on the trains I was on today, of course there were plenty of us 'neds' as well

Congratulations to those who worked so hard to put on the event, it was worth it from my perspective and I hear that all that planning & work has brought in profit, so well deserved, for the railway. Great loco's, line & staff but then I would say that as it's my local but it happens to be true.

 

hey railway folk,
i was wondering if anyone had taken any photos of 4270,44027 & 6984

many thanks
yrm.

 

Highlight on my visit today was a brake van ride.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16582147@N07/8858000505/lightbox/

 

Cheers for that Bill

A few pics of mine from the Sunday of the event: http://www.flickr.com/photos/david_1984/sets/72157633740456125/with/8855942133/

 

I visited and had an OK afternoon. I don't think I was in the mood and the weather wasn't there for it to be a great day. Would have been good to have had cheaper tickets than £23 for those arriving at 14.00 but hey.

The "sense of space" and "obvious mainline architecture" are very real. They go together:

It is mainline. There is no "front 3 coaches for" (Gotherington halt excepted)
There are things "off platform" such as the campus site in the car park at Toddington, the steam rollers at Winchcombe.
The wide shallow cuttings at Toddington, the double track and unencumbered views, the purposefulness of Greet tunnel entrance
The spaciousness of sites and the lower level of clutter and "projects" than other lines.

It is a shame the sheds could not be open but wander down the path to the west and look over the fan of sidings. A loco approaching is like a scene from a marshalling yard of old.

A good railway. Its had its knocks and is moving forward.