Glos Warks CotsWold Steam Celebration May 24 -27 2013

I'd hope that most people will look at the timetable and check carefully where they switch from one train to another. I know that I would, if only to make sure that I got to ride behind specific locos. Of course others may have booked to travel in one of the brake vans of the freight, or possibly even on the footplate of it and so for them the freight is effectively yet another passenger service anyway.

 

There is no platform at Laverton to wait on, it's just a run round loop. The longest I could spot on the timetable to allow for that was 15 mins.

 

Some trains are topped and tailed from toddington to laverton and will not need to run round. Others will be running around. This all helps in the turn around of locomotives to operate as many trains as they can. Two locos do three complete round trips the others at least two. Gala committee meeting Saturday, tying up the loose ends now.once the new platform currently being built at Cheltenham is complete we will be able to have two passenger trains there as well.

 

Should add that the new platform at Cheltenham will not be for this gala! (badly worded) its currently a set of concrete foundations.

 

Are there any concessions for shareholders at this Gala?

 

Has anyone else noticed that the 11:55 freight service from Cheltenham is timetabled to arrive in Toddington's platform 2 at 12:42 - two minutes after the 12:30 from Laverton has arrived in the same platform at 12:40? Later in the day, the 15:30 from Laverton is due into Toddington Platform 2 at 15:40, just five minutes after the 14:45 freight from Cheltenham has arrived in the same platform at 15:35. Is a twice daily staged train crash going to be part of the gala entertainment?

Cheers,

 

As hard as you try to make sure everything is under control, something always gets through! The webmaster had uploaded by mistake an old work in progress timetable that had not gone through careful checking. The new timetable (essentially the same, minus the collisions) will be put up over the weekend. When you have four token sections of different lengths and then correspondingly with different section times it becomes quite a headache to move three trains around the system using 6 engines.
Regarding photography may I take the opportunity to point out that that the railway have changed there policy on photo passes, like most of the major railways and there will not be any 'on the day passes'. Full details are on the GWSR website.
I've also been asked to point out that of the three narrow gauge engines I mentioned, the third loco is to be resident at Toddington and whilst it hasn't run before, it is not a visitor. Details of this will be going up shortly.

 

I think the timetable is pretty decent considering it will be the first time the railway has done anything like this, there appears to be slack if things do go wrong and that's great particularly as it's the first time.

Only gripe from me is the lengthy dwells at Toddington in each direction, it would have been good if trains heading one way had only a few minutes rather than 10-20 minutes before heading off again, even if it means waiting longer coming the other way, as then people can get off and look around the site, just something that could be looked at in my opinion.

Also the goods train in my opinion should be swapped with say Set 2? There are 3 passengers departures by 10:00, with the next at 1135, out of 10 from Toddington towards Cheltenham, and then a 95min wait between the penultimate and final services, so the 1705 could be quiet busy! I seem to remember the old galas trains ran at 65min intervals from 9, so that means the second departure used to be at 1005! By that time now there will be three! These things should be looked into imo.

 

Will the narrow gauge line be running every day of the event, with steam?

 

We have asked that the Narrow gauge be in operation all 4 days with steam. The entrance ticket will include travel on the narrow gauge. We will soon be putting info on the website about what will be running.
We're sorry the amended timetable is still to put in an appearance on the GWSR website. Prior to the event the loco allocations will be added allowing everyone to work out what they want to do. Regarding the gaps in times its always a balancing act as trying to get loco and stock to Cheltenham for a reasonably early departure is not that easy with all locos and stock 10 miles away. Prior to the landslides 25% of our passengers were joining from Cheltenham and we need to take this into account.
The contract for the 7th loco has now arrived and all i'll say is that its a tank... and if you go back a few posts you might get an idea. Rather than the 'Big Four' event its now the "Big Five' (logical step)
35006 P&O is making strides and I attach an image (already 2 weeks out of date) as to progress. Now the warmer weather has arrived some of the painting is getting underway.

 

Thanks for sharing the picture of 35006. Hopefully not long before this marathon project nears completion.

I see that the GWSR website has announced the final visitor - 80072. Not a complete surprise given the hints that it would be a BR standard loco, but welcome nonetheless.

 

Revised timetable now released for those unaware - also 80072 confirmed as 7th loco. Looks like a cracking gala - just hope Mr Sun plays ball now!

 

80072 may have visited a few other railways this year but is certainly a popular choice with the crews! We looked into a few pre nationalisation locos but they were generally Unavailable. The loco is due to stay until after the 1st and 2nd June. We are hoping to be able to allow access to the shed to see progress on the NRM'S 4f whilst I am talking to the diesel dept about putting on a line up of the diesel fleet once the steamers have left shed.