GWSR Cotswold Festival of Steam - 25 - 27 May 2019.

I must be missing the point, why northern soul? If it's named after the northern music scene that's North West (Wigan/Manchester/Stoke). What has 61264 and CR419 got to do with northern soul? Neither are from that area, nor are any of the residents that will be use. Can't some one enlighten me please, or am I having another senior moment?

 

I have to apologise that I came up with the name, we were really scratching out heads on what to call the event, I must admit that I don’t have a huge knowledge of the northern soul music scene. Both locos are northern to us lot down south!

 

B1s regularly worked over the Woodhead to Manchester. CR419 spent time banking trains on Beattock, and these trains would have travelled through Wigan!

 

Our oeigjbal plan was for three gala guests (6023 is the summer long term visitor) but costs soon put paid to the idea of three. When I first asked about 419, it wasn’t coming down south at all, cheddleton loosing 7827 kicked off the scramble for her! A

 

Easy, They are from the North and not Southern.
and a bit of soul gets things going.

 

Veeerrry tenuous! I doubt the bankers ever got anywhere near Wigan to go to the Casino dance hall.
B1's also worked irregularly over other transpennine routes, both the L&Y and the LNWR. I griced a handful through Bury, most on ADEX's to the Lancashire Coast, but occasionally on an afternoon parcels that I understood was a Normanton - Bolton working, which returned early in the evening. This working produced the only V2 I saw through Bury, 60876, a York engine almost at the end of it's life, guess Normanton shed had borrowed it. Unusual, as most big loco's were banned from the line due to the curved platform at Heywood and a possible stonework strike. However, the biggest was A1 60114 WP Allen on a Doncaster - Blackpool ADEX.

 

Don't worry about it, most southerners think the North starts at Watford.

 

If you live in Deal, the north starts around Maidstone.

 

They also worked through to the North Wales coast on summer Saturdays until 1963. eg 61044 and 61050 ex Sheffield on 31.08.63

 

The most appealing loco for this Gala is definitely the Caledonian tank as it has only recently started running (never seen it myself), and it is a long way (for anyone in England or Wales) to the Boness and Kinneil Railway to go and see it there. Looking forward to seeing it in action !

 

For me the main attraction is the King, but the Caledonian tank is the icing on the cake.

 

The second time only in the history of the gwsr life from been built a gwr king has rode over its metals i believe also.

 

B1,s were noted for double heading the york to blackpool trains at teatime so my dad says when he used to go spotting with 1 of his mates at the side of the ex L.Y.R. Halifax bradford line and i think he said they were usually west riding or 50A B1,s on it in the 60,s.

 

Yeah sorry about that... Might buy you a beer if remember! Possibly might attend this, I'm still to make it to Broadway via train despite visiting GWSR twice last year.

 

Regarding b1’s I’ve recently seen a photo of one running through bishops cleeve station so ya leastcwe know it happened! They also regularly cane down to Bristol from Nottingham and the north as I’ve seen pictures of them on Bristol barrow road shed. I know the names a bit misleading, but it was all a bit up in the air for a while whilstxwe chawed locos. Although 6023 is with us for three months, the gala will be its first operating days with us. Meanwhile services return this weekend with 7903 rostered and then next week is the Cheltenham festival with it shared between 35006, 7903 and 7820. Note: these trains are privately run and ticket only. As we are running 3 on Friday, gold cup day, 4270 will be returning from the east lancs immediately after there gala this weekend.

 

Forgive me if this information is already available or on here but will 419 be on full-line trains? Presumably it will have to double-head if it is.

 

Yes and no! We'll be having four rakes of Mk1s, 2 of 8, a 6 and a 5 so 419 can work solo on the latter - bear in mind we have no gradients to speak of (a tough bit of 1 in 150 just south of the tunnel!) Which doesn't preclude it working double headed on something longer I suppose, we'll have to wait and see.

 

Currently diagrammed for the 5 coach set 4, covering nearly 7o miles. 1264, 6023 and 35006 rotating on the 8 coach sets with the remaining home fleet on the 6. Only one double header running atm and at least half the broadway trains running without the normal top n tail formation we run at galas. Looks like we’ve also (hopefully) got 5 or 6 full size traction engines coming along to join the miniature traction engines we had last year. Trains from 08:30 until 18:30

 

Is an evening service on the Saturday being planned this year, and if so what locos? Haven't seen any mention of it yet.

 

No evening train this year I’m afraid. With the amount of time we already ask our volunteers to put in, it was decided that it forget it this year.