GWSR Cotswold festival of steam 26-28 May 2018

One for the diary. The annual Gloucestershire and Warwickshire steam gala will take place from Saturday 26th -Monday 28th 2018. The main news is of course the opening of the full line upto Broadway, giving us close on 15 miles to work with. We have plenty of exciting plans and ideas being worked on to make this our best event yet. Updates will be posted as and when things are finalised.

 

We had a gala meeting on Saturday and although we’re still not in a position to release guest locomotive details, I just thought I’d give a small update. The budget allows for three guest locos and we are currently in negotiations with owning groups. As you can imagine, it does take time to sort out, but they will hopefully be worth waiting for. We have produced a draft timetable which has I believe 10 departures from broadway throughout the day. The big train, as in previous years will run on the Saturday evening and will do the whole line, the difference this year that it will go to broadway first with. A nice collection of road steam engines (currently at 7) has been lined up and this added to the 8 standard gauge and 2 narrow gauge working locomotives should see this years event as the best yet.

 

We are diverting from our usual 10 day break to Devon at Whitsuntide and spending the weekend at the Gwsr before heading further south to pirateland. Looking forward to the event, another to include in our regular tour calendar.

 

Quite pleased to discover that my exams finish the week before the gala this year, so I can enjoy it without revision in the back of my mind. I shall definitely be around all 3 days, either TTIing or in C+W which will be open to visitors.

 

Looking forward to my first trip to the Railway on this Weekend! Planning on doing a day on, and then a day off the trains. Try get the best of both worlds! Really looking forward to it.

If anyone can suggest any photo locations that would be great, or make any suggestions on how I can get the best out of my visit that would be brill!

 

I'm looking forward to this. It's already in my diary,and I plan to go on Saturday & Monday.
Even without any guest locos the extension to Broadway will make it well worth a visit.

 

To be honest, why do you need visiting loco's? The gala is about Broadway, not engines.

 

The extension to Broadway opens Easter not the end of May.

 

But isn't Easter Sunday 1st April?

 

I apprec

I appreciate what you say and yes, the gala is a celebrating broadway, but the gala is a show case for the whole railway and even with the best timetable Broadway is looking like 45 mins -hourly departures. (Single train on a 4.5 mile section) so just relying on broadway isn’t perfect. Hopefully we will have 4 sets plus the freight.

 

From the gwsr website

 

As I've noted elsewhere, all we need is a rake of blood 'n' custard coaches now!

 

6023 officially unofficially announced on the steam loco blog now, and there's now a page for the gala on the main website. I note the evening train will be 16 coaches long this year, as opposed to 14 previously, so even on our "generous" gradients that should make something make some noise.

 

Before people make assumptions, we are still subject to contact with our friends at the Gws and nothing has been finalised for the Saturday night big train. Hopefully we will be able to announce more guests on n the not too distant future.

 

That's why I said officially unofficially!

 

I know! We've still got a brand new tin of crimson in the paint cupboard left over... Ah well I'm sure photoshop can help.

 

Advanced Tickets are now available for purchase on line at
https://www.gwsr.com/enthusiasts/major_events.html
We’re still working on the remaining guests, whilst were still hopeful that repairs to 4270 will be complete and it will join the party, making up to 8 std gauge, 2 narrow gauge and a gathering of traction engines in steam. The plan is for 4 rakes and a freight set to work an intensive service using the full 15 mile line but it looks likely that we will suspend calling at Hayles Abbey halt for this event to avoid any problems with crowds. At winchcombe, Carriage and wagon is to be open for viewing as in previous years along with the beer tent on platform two. We will be running the bus again from Cheltenham Racecourse to Cheltenham spa mainline station, with the timetable to dovetail in with departures. More news as I am able. Thank you!

 

Just putting it out there but surely a Castle would be great to be part of the guests, it would suit a) the history of the line b) the line up of a King Castle Hall Manor situation, hopefully it’s not a pie in the sky theory but would be awesome.

 

It would be awesome, but it is also sadly pie in the sky. Unless Tyseley are especially bored with not being able to run their castles on the mainline until they get their new license sorted out, they're not too keen on low loaders.

If Didcot would hurry up and finish their Saint however...