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

Connection made with ease today.

 

Whereabouts please as i cant find it now, i have reposted a single link as i made a mistake posting the first one

 

I went down to the GWSR Cotswold Festival of Steam on Saturday 24th May 2025, Featuring a mix of home and visiting locos :
https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/Days-out/2025/May-2025/GWSR/i-mcPgt7Q

Neil

 

Just heard on the PA at Winchcombe, as Earl David arrived, while waiting behind the T+T service with 7903 and 6880, that the reason for current delays is due to a lineside fire.

 

Yes we stopped between Bishops Cleeve and Gotherington to put out a fire. This must've been started by 75069 on it's way down to Cheltenham.

The delays have been gradually growing since the first train, this has only added to it.

 

Lovely photos! I visited on the Saturday, when cloudy conditions meant that photos weren't as good. Still a great day though despite sheep and points giving grief! Love the SE&CR 01!

 

Just got back, had a good time at a line I haven't visited since Green Arrow and City of Truro visited (about 2007 I think). I think I hadn't really picked up until now quite how substantial a railway it is - Winchcombe and Toddington both being considerably-sized stations, and the line being pretty long end-to-end. I didn't get to see Broadway at all; I got there but was deep in conversation with a Bluebell acquaintance, and we stayed on the train in conversation! There'll have to be another time. Ironically, I ended up accruing a reasonable amount of mileage behind No. 65 ...

Was good to meet up with @flying scotsman123 and pass some time at Winchcombe.

Overall though a really enjoyable day, and hopefully it won't be another 18 years before I return!

Tom

 

For intending visitors, be aware that the northbound M5 is closed between Gloucester and Cheltenham. [BJ]

 

Re you bashing 31065 for mileage Tom .

A safe haven for you amongs all that shining copper and brass on locos that were ignored when, mainly, BR lined black with five digit numbers was introduced in and from 1948.

Bryan,

PS. Tom, have you seen what is reportedly going to happen to 30506 at the Mid Hants?

 

Enjoying No 65 on Saturday, it did cross my mind that it would be an act of treachery for anyone to go anywhere near that fabulously shiny Brass dome with a tin of BR Gloss Black - assuming the paint would stick!

 

You'll be pleased to know I got some mileage in behind 35006 Bryan. Plus a short brake van ride that was in a proper brake van, not a toad

But highlight was a footplate ride on (wait for it, wait for it) - an early Churchward loco with a four-figure number! It was very enjoyable and I had a nice talk to the crew in amongst various delays. We were late back (I think about 90 minutes by time we got to Toddington, just after 8pm instead of the booked 18:31) but it was just such a lovely evening to watch the line go by.

Tom

 

It is a lovely loco, along with every other loco there of course, that I hope are providing an excellent third day of the event for all those attending. And make the event a deserved financial success for the GWSR. I have had some great days there, including a very much appreciated footplate ride on 35006 in 2019 - with a permit of course.

As for approaching 31065 with a tin of BR gloss paint - I think matt would be better.

Only a small photo here, as I'm mindful of 31065 just being a visitor to a primarily GWR event. But I imagine that my only photo of 31065 in steam days would have seen any paint remaining under the covering of honour (ie work-a- day- grime) to be matt rather than gloss!

I took the two photos with 63 years and 5 days between them; 10 June 1961 and 15 June 2024. You can guess which one I prefer! Although I do have a great big soft spot for the 0-6-0 as the Bluebell operate it these days.

Bryan

 

Lovely memories Bryan. My only memories of 31065 are of a scattering of parts to be found lurking in undergrowth around the south-east.

In all seriousness, brass would not have been put there to be painted over so would that have been something that the war-time brought to prevent reflection?

 

Thanks, brilliant!
I first saw her in Ashford shed, right up against the side wall, not good for photos, on 27/8/1961 whilst on a Warwickshire Railway Society shed bash. Other memories of the trip include my only sighting of an unrebuilt L class 4-4-0 (31780, in the works presumably for scrapping) and 'Johnny Remember Me' by John Leyton on the coach radio...

 

I fail to see the merit in changing the places trains are crossing. I've never known that to save any time in a complicated timetable like this one. You just end up catching up with yourself and having to wait around for ages somewhere else, anyway. All it does is mess up everyone's plans. It looks like I won't get the double-headed 2-8-0s, now, which was one of the runs I wanted to do most. How can changing a timetable part-way through the day ever be a good idea?

 

Yes that looks correct. Getting out after the last train of the day at a Winter steam gala some years ago after sunset was "interesting" looking for the correct gateway to aim for.

Cheers, Neil

 

My first visit to the GWSR and it met all my expectations, such a lovely line with great scenery and beautiful stations (although I didn't get a chance to alight at Gotherington sadly). 2 great days well spent and already looking forward to returning again soon.

On the Saturday I just stayed on one set all day and took the railway in and didn't really take any pictures (apart from the first one I've posted) and managed trips behind 3850, 35006, 6880 and ending the day back to Cheltenham Racecourse with 7903 (my first trip behind the loco). A highlight was during a wait at Gotherington loop behind 6880, was a flypast by a Lancaster Bomber.

The Sunday was the day I decided to take most of my pictures and look around the stations properly, which was ideal given how the weather turned out, firstly took the 01 from Cheltenham Racecourse to Winchcombe, where I had a very tasty bacon bap from The Griddle and a cup of tea for breakfast, then seeing the Burrows locos (which certainly had some character). Then took Earl David on the shuttle to Toddington, where I spent most of the day, with a trip up to Broadway behind 75069 in between. Ended the day with another run to Cheltenham behind 7903, where I called it a day.

The only locos I didn't get a run behind during the weekend were the two Burrows Well Tanks, 7714 and 2807, the latter I hoped to get but with late running and a train from Cheltenham Spa to catch for my journey home, I played it safe. The journey home I caught a glimpse of the locos outside Didcot after their Scotsman event and then seeing 70000 at Southall waiting to head back into the depot.

Here's a few mobile pictures, with all but the first from Sunday, I may post a few more in another post.

 

I was very nearly left on Cheltenham platform this afternoon with all my family on the train as I got off to get bits from cafe and was watching the locos run round expecting no.15 to arrive with a freight when suddenly the signal went down! A fast walk ensured I wasn’t left behind. That said we’ve had a fantastic couple of days despite challenging filming conditions with the high winds. Gotherington probably my highlight, had a great couple of hours there today. Massive thanks to everyone involved!

 

Enjoyable day at the GWSR today, plenty going on and a great selection of visitors, especially given the challenges faced with the Bulleids.
I was a bit surprised that it wasn't massively busy, we got a table or a compartment to ourselves on all the trains, though we did miss out on a ride on the narrow gauge as they were seemingly only running a single coach and it was already full 10mins before scheduled departure.

Was with my wife and dog for this trip, so only did one round trip of the line in total with breaks at Toddington and Winchcombe, as they can't really do train-hopping and tight connections. Therefore the timetable delays didn't really impact us too much, we just hopped on the next train going in the right direction.
There was also some pragmatism with the bus connection to Cheltenham Spa, with it being sent off at sensible time after a late running train had arrived, rather than sticking rigidly to the schedule.

Pleased to see that the cafes at Toddington and Winchcombe appear to have continued with their new
'dog friendly' policy, which definitely means they got extra money from us.

Well done to the team for the hard work organising the event and dealing with the various challenges that cropped up during it. Looking forward to the next one!