Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Steam Railway
Cheltenham & Gloucester Steam Days
Cotswold Festival of Steam 2023
Sunday 14th May 2023
"Remembering local scenes, this year's GWSR Cotswold Festival of Steam is inspired by the huge variety on the railway network around Cheltenham and Gloucester during the heyday of steam. Fast expresses, interregional trains from lines long since closed, local workings and industrial networks, the range was huge."
Visiting locomotives:
L&YR Pug 11243 - from the L&YR Trust/East Lancs Railway - "Although this particular class is a stranger to Cheltenham & Gloucester, they are representative of the sort of locos that worked Gloucester Docks and beyond."
GWR Castle class 4079 Pendennis Castle from the Great Western Society, Didcot Railway Centre - "Well known for heading named express trains such as 'The Cornishman' which ran over our line and 'The Cheltenham Flyer'."
SR U Class 2-6-0 31806 from the Swanage Railway - "These Southern Railway moguls nicknamed ‘U-boats’ were once a common sight at Cheltenham, working trains from Andover and to Southampton over the old MSWJR route."
BR Standard 2MT 2-6-0 78019 from the Great Central Railway - "A small number were allocated to the Gloucester area during the ‘60s handling light passenger and goods workings."
BR Standard 4MT 4-6-0 75014 from the Dartmouth Steam Railway - "A common sight all around Cheltenham & Gloucester from the late '50s on mixed traffic duties; working local goods up from Andover and semi-fast services between Birmingham and Cardiff."
Home Fleet:
GWR Manor Class 4-6-0 7820 Dinmore Manor
GWR Modified Hall Class 4-6-0 7903 Foremarke Hall running as 6999 Capel Dewi Hall
SR Rebuilt Merchant Nay 4-6-2 350006 Peninsular Oriental S. N. Co.
An intensive service ran from Cheltenham Racecourse to Broadway, including two goods sets out. We also see the 'North Gloucestershire Railway' - Toddington Narrow Gauge Railway with Hunslet Engine Co Works no. 2075 of 1940 Chakas Kraal No. 6, as well as traction engines on display in Toddington car park.
www.preservedrailway.co.uk
(C) Lee Andrew Davies 2023
