Cotswold Festival of Steam 23-26 May

This has become one of the major events of the year in recent times but there seems to be little information about it so far this year. As it is the GWSR's 25th Anniversary does anyone know if anything special is planned? Any visiting locos etc ???

 

I haven't heard any updates for a while but believe we have Olton Hall booked as the guest engine, which should be staying on the line for around 3 weeks. It will add a little colour if nothing else!! There was going to be an attempt to have the Cadbury Tank from Tyseley on display, being of course the first loco to operate on the reopened GWSR in 1984, hopefully this is still happening. Presume the others in steam will be 3440, 5542, 5619, 7903 and 92203

I have seen the timetable and looks like there will be autotrains with 5542 again \/ and freights between Toddington and Winchcombe as well as the two train service between Toddington and Cheltenham RC.

 

Please GWSR use the Auto for Todd-Winch shuttles only, NOT full line first and last trains. For the people starting at RC it can be a pain getting on the Auto, thats if it isn't already full, if it is, we have to wait for a train around 1045, so please, all trains south of Winchcombe - Mark 1 sets only [-o<

 

Reported in SR 5690 Leander is to appear alongside 5972, and attempts have been made for 46115 and 6100 but these have come to nothing. Looking forward to 5690, will definately be wanting a ride behind this.

 

Don't hold your breath. Leander has been due to attend the last three or four GWR galas according to the railway press, but hasn't put in an appearance yet. I'll believe it when the railway officially announces it.

 

Knew this one would come back and bite us! as a member of the gala committee i have indeed been keeping in contact with Chris beet regards a visit by Leander. It was made clear very early on that the engine is being readied for another spell on the mainline and it would only be available if the retube and associated works were finished in time. We therefore kept it out of all our publicity literature for as long as possible and guess what! you go to print and straight afterwards you get the dreaded phone call. I can say now, very sorry folks, Leander will not be available for the gala (I'm as dissapointed as anybody). What i can say is that we have a gala meeting tomorrow pm and this will firm everything up.
I will post more news then. ( I can say Cadbury No.1 arrived yesterday and will be on display in the yard).

 

Shame it clashes with the Eastleigh 100, otherwise I'd go and maintain what would be a three-year tradition. With dwindling funds due to my current lack of employment, I'm having to be selective about what I attend. But I wish you luck in what has been a very good event in the last two years.

 

Full details are now on the website..........
http://www.gwsr.com/html/festival_of_steam1.html
and they are pretty comprehensive!

 

There is a slight error in the GWSR publicity - this is not the first time "Olton Hall" has worked public trains on a heritage railway - it spent a season on the NYMR whn it was newly restored. But it was GW green then, so this is the first time it has worked on a heritage railway in Harry Potter red, I think.

 

I see 5526 but not 5542 . has a change been made ?

 

I think you will find that 5542 is still at SDR, 5526 going to GWSR from its Llangollen SSS2 'holiday' and then the two prairies will return to their respective bases.

 

According to the SDR web site, 5542 is their rostered engine on Sat 23rd May and then shares duties at the West Country Branch Line Weekend on the 24th and 25th with 1369 and 5786.

 

To help releive some of the congestion created by the large amount of loco moves(by road) in a relatively short period of time following the spate of late April early May Galas we have made an arrangement with the the railways involved that 5526(returning westwards following its visit to Llangollen's SSS2) will cover 5542's duties on the G/WR for the next few weeks and 5542 will remain at the SDR covering '26's duties there. The whole arrangment was made possible by good co operation between all of the railways , loco owners and the transport provider involved allowing the 'swop' to happen with the minimum of formalities. The Locos should have returned to their respective bases by the beginning of June.

John

 

5972 Due to arrive at Toddington Thursday 14th!!

 

No. 5972 Olton Hall is now at Toddington.

 

Anyone got a can of GWR green paint? JK Rowling has a lot to answer for!

 

I am going to get totaly slated for saying this, but when you get close to it, it actually doesn't look bad in RED!!! Still i know oopinions differ!!! Double heading saturday with 7903!! Get your cameras out!!!

 

Like 5972 being operational and being used this weekend.If it were green would probably be OOS awaiting overhaul.

 

Hopefully it will attract a lot of families to the railway (both this weekend and next) who would otherwise not have visited, and therefore earn the railway a load more dosh.