GWSR Cotswold Festival of Steam 2015: 23rd to 25th May

The ECS is really a response to worries from station staff /guards and also people manning the toddington field car park that a 8.10 passenger train required a much earlier start for them at toddington. All people on the day will be volunteers and some of them are not as sprightly as they may once have been. One day might be ok, but asking for three days running is a bit much. Although we are still asking people to park primarily at Cheltenham the field at toddington has had some improvements made to help things if its wet. (I hope not!) I will say quietly the first train is a bullied on the maroon set ... But you didn't hear me say that !!

 

What's happened to the 8F at the GWSR? Is it fit for service? I know it hardly fits the "Speed to the West" theme but it would be any extra loco if a third guest loco doesn't appear.

 

8274 has moved on to pastures new at the GCR(N). I believe it no longer has any ties with the GWSR.

 

Its now at the Great Central Railway Nottingham
Chris

 

I did find that quite surprising at the time, but thinking about the GWSR has probably got more then enough motive power to cover their requirements for the moment.

Though since the people who've been running the 8F are also handling the the 4F and Black 5, I wonder what'll happen to those two projects?

 

I believe that the 4F (an NRM loco) and the Black 5 (owned by a separate group) have no link to the Churchill 8F group except for the sharing of knowledge, expertise and information of course.

 

After weeks and weeks of setbacks and waiting - and having spoken to nearly every railway as far north as Yorkshire I am very pleased to say that we have secure 6960 raveningham hall for the speed to the west gala. I am indebted to the west Somerset railway and owner Jeremy Hosking for allowing its release, especially at such a busy time of the year for many railways. 6960 of course has a history with the Gwsr being a resident engine up to about 2004. I know many volunteers are delighted to be seeing it back at toddington. With just over two weeks to go we now have everything in place to put on the show!

 

For details of the full gala line up, please see here:

http://gwsrsteamloco.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/the-third-gala-visitor.html

 

Well done Andy! Considering the amount of setbacks there have been and all the disappointment (some if it has even filtered down to Winchcombe) it's an excellent choice, it fits in with the theme which is great considering there were serious doubts any availably locos left wouldn't, and it's a loco that is an old favourite but hasn't visited for some time so will still be exciting. Nice to have a fully lined out GW liveried loco on the line again, I have sked a couple of Dinmore manor people if they'd consider it but the response was, well, cool. Pity 7903 won't be ready, that would have made two sets of great double headers then. Anyway, once again, good job, even if I can't be there.

Raveningham Hall at the WSR this year:

 

Being built in 1950 (from memory), Dinmore Manor was never owned by the GWR and would always have worn one flavour or other of BR livery, so I consider it unlikely that she would ever be put into a GWR livery. Being a DMLL member, I would vote against it if it ever came up. It is planned at some stage to turn her out in lined BR green, but that will be after the tender is complete. As it will probably happen down at Winchcombe, you might even find yourself painting her.

Finally, I'd like to say thank you Andy, I know you've been through a real nightmare again this year.

 

I'm aware of the date, hence I understood the cool reception I received, however I'm sure that hasn't stopped groups before. Foremarke hall will be coming in during the summer at some point though... (and yes I know that's no good either, but perhaps if I sneak in at the dead of night... )
Most likely any loco painting taking place at Winchcombe won't be done by C+W, 4270 wasn't, and 7903 will be done by contractors I believe; wouldn't be surprised if 7820 will be as well when the time comes. By the way, is there any due date for 7820's tender to be finished and thus the loco repainted? last I heard it was only supposed to be in BR black for 12 months...

 

Given the Erlestoke Manor Fund's preference for BR livery and the fact that 7820/21/22/27/28 were all part of the BR(W) batch, the likelihood of a working Manor in GWR livery anywhere is pretty remote for the foreseeable future. 7819 is currently displayed in BR black and its return to service is a long way off and while 7808 sports GWR livery, I am not aware of any plans to return it to steam any time soon.

PS - and well done Andy for securing another visitor after clearly putting in a great deal of effort. Holding a gala at a time when most railways start running more trains on more days is bound to be a challenge.

 

It's worth remembering as well that even if a Manor was of the GWR built batch, they were pretty mediocre until the draughting was sorted under Western Region, why remember a period when they were not well regarded ?, souped up and flying down to the mid Welsh coast on holiday trains is how the class deserves to be thought of.

 

The tender will be ready when it's ready, however it is fair to say that it is currently a high priority as the hired in one is costing the group for every steaming day. The repaint will take place over a winter when there is little other work for the loco, so at a guess, the new tender will start out black sometime over the summer and get repainted into lined green with the rest of the loco.... that or you'll have the odd sight of a black loco and green tender for a while. Something that probably happened occasionally back in the day, but wouldn't be a popular thing to repeat.

 

Thanks for that, if it's going to be repainted in the winter then I doubt it will make it down to Winchcombe, it's usuall a bit hectic in the workshops during the close season as we have to do as much as possible to 14 coaches we don't get much other opportunity to do much on, as I imagine it is at Toddington with the locos.

 

7819 is in GWR Green at the Shopping Centre, this image shows it at Kidderminster just before it moved.
http://www.svr.co.uk/images/Loco fleet/7819large.jpg (not my photo)

 

Sorry for the inaccurate info - it must have been repainted since I last saw it.

 

Got confirmation today that 35006 will be cold during the gala

 

Indeed, but still coming to Winchcombe representing the first time the loco had left Toddington since arriving. I hear she will be positioned on the bay platform next to the recently repainted royal mail coach so should make a fine sight.

In better news my holiday's been cancelled so I'll be in C+W doing tours and drinking tea, so if you're coming pop in and say hello.

 

That is indeed the plan, the thunderbird loco (5542 for two of the days) will be over with you in C&W. I daresay that the crews would welcome some of that tea..... best hide the biscuits though.