GWSR Cotswold Festival of Steam | 24th-26th of May 2025

It did go to Sharpness for a bit but from what I can gather it's mostly been done top and bottom at Flour Mill, where I understand it still is having the final few bits put back on. Booking engines with 0 miles on the clock at point of announcement seems to be getting a bad habit of ours, it doesn't do much for our stress levels I can tell you!

 

Another KESR connection

 

Is Betton Grange still at Llangollen or has it returned to Gloucester Warwickshire?

Hearing that Network Rail have slapped a weight restriction in Ruabon bridge affecting road movements in and out of Llangollen so wonder how this might affect Betton Grange ?

 

It won't affect it as it's at the SVR.

 

There was some last minute stress getting Betton Grange to Llangollen owing to weight restrictions on bridges, but that was resolved. 6880 then moved from Llangollen to SVR for their gala weekend before last, and should be returning to Toddington in the next few days.

 

Excellent. Really looking forward to this one. Hate to ask that question but any ideas when the timetables will be available please?

 

Imminently! Everything's finalised, as you can now buy footplate rides https://gwsr.vticket.co.uk/section.php/290/1/cotswold-festival-of-steam
I think it's just a case of taking off the internal notes and trying to make it a bit more readable for the public before we publish, I should think by the end of the week? Must be nearly finished as it seems @Sidmouth knows some of it already!

 

Timetables now online with allocations
Any idea when connecting bus times will be published please

 

I hate to be that person but any ideas what directions the locos are planned to face please? particularly the Well tanks, 15 and 65

EDIT - Looking at the timetable it looks as though 75069 and 34072 face North, 6880 faces north as per the footplate ticket pages and 35006, 7903, 3850 and 2807 face south

 

Someone's got to be that person. If it wasn't you it would have been me!

More importantly, does anyone know if they are serving curries and other goodies at Gotherington this year? Web-site suggests that they are but can someone confirm please.

 

Good to see the timetable has appeared, a few queries about it.

1. The two Well Tanks are shown running to Winchcombe in the morning, but I can't see any move back to Toddington. I assume this is a light engine move later in the day that's not shown?

2. The first goods in the morning goes to Winchcombe, and then appears at Cheltenham a couple of hours later. Is this a separate set with a light engine move to Cheltenham, or is there a part missing?

3. 6880 appears at Cheltenham for the 1330 departure, again with no move shown on a previous train. Is this also a light engine move at some point?

Many thanks!

 

Direction of industrials not yet known, will update when I/we know, but there's everything else.

To answer Qs on various hidden moves:
- ECS departing Todd 0800 with 6880 as well as the loco for the 0900 off Cheltenham
- Freight departs Winchcombe continuing south at 0935, gets looped at Gotherington departing there 1007 arriving at Cheltenham 1019
- Well tanks LE off Winchcombe 1715

- Also LE moves Todd-Winch 0740 and 0825, and Winch-Todd 1745

They don't appear on the public timetable for ease of reading for the general public and so no one tries to catch a LE move! And as the freight gets looped at Gotherington, not really fair to accept passengers for that one so again not on the public sheet. I trust those on NatPres not to try and turn up and travel on ECS movements, and that photographers will all be buying tickets for travel later in the day

Yes.

Will get back on buses later this evening, we have a meeting shortly!

 

Thanks for the information! Will certainly be riding around making the most of the day don't you worry!

 

Can't see it on their website. Could someone post a link please.

Thanks

Don

 

https://www.gwsr.com/galas/steam-gala

 

thanks, I need the bus times to organise my days travel

Neil

 

Neil, I believe these are going live today… we signed off on the times at last nights gala meeting.