The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is a jewel in the heritage railway crown. Running for fifteen miles from the picturesque market town of Broadway to the bustling hub of Cheltenham Racecourse, the route passes through the heart of the Cotswolds, taking in bucolic vistas, country stations and sweeping hills along 'The Honeybourne Line'. Every Spring, the railway holds its annual 'Cotswold Festival Of Steam', playing host to a variety of visiting engines in addition to the home fleet. Having long been on my list of lines to visit, I knew that 12th to 14th May 2023 was the time to finally experience the GWSR for myself.

Subtitled 'Cheltenham and Gloucester Steam Days', this year's gala was inspired by the huge variety of workings 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. Heading up the roster would be GWR Collett 4079 'Pendennis Castle' hot off the heels of her recent appearances at the Severn Valley and Mid Hants Railway's galas. Joining the 'Castle' would be BR Standard 4MT 75014 'Braveheart', currently on loan to the Gloswarks for the spring season. Fellow Standard 2MT 78019 joined the event from her home at the Great Central Railway. Representing the dock shunters at Gloucester was L&YR 'Pug' 0-4-0ST 19, now wearing LMS livery as 11243. The final guest would be SR Maunsell 'U-Boat' 31806, bringing the overall guest list to a whopping total of five locomotives!

Supporting the immense lineup of visiting motive power were home-based GWR 78XX 7820 'Dinmore Manor' and Hawksworth 'Modified Hall' 7903 'Foremarke Hall', as well as SR Bulleid 'Merchant Navy' Pacific 35006 'Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company', commonly known as 'P&O'. As a precursor to the event, the railway operated a preview day on 9th May, recreating the 1964 Ian Allan anniversary railtour with 'Pendennis Castle' and 6999 'Capel Dewi Hall'. 'Foremarke Hall' was specially renamed and numbered for the event. Three passengers sets would be in service over the gala, as well as mixed set, running shuttles between Broadway and Winchcombe. Two goods rakes also saw action, in addition to the wagons used by the Pug in shunting demonstrations. All in all, eight locomotives were in traffic over the three-day festival.

I visited on the Friday and Saturday of the event. The timetable was very intensive, with trains running from 08:00 to 21:00 on Saturday. However, this did eventually lead to some very late running, with a couple of services being curtailed or cancelled in an effort to claw back time. The weather was mostly on my side, with overcast cloud on Friday giving way to sunshine on Saturday afternoon.

The full lineup consisted of:

Visiting:
GWR Collett 'Castle' 4-6-0 4079 'Pendennis Castle' (from Didcot Railway Centre)
BR Standard 4MT 4-6-0 75014 'Braveheart' (from the Dartmouth Steam Railway. On loan to the GWSR for the spring season. Running without nameplates)
BR Standard 2MT 2-6-0 78019 (from Loughborough Standard Locomotives Group and the Great Central Railway)
L&YR Aspinall Class 21 'Pug' 0-4-0ST 11243 (from the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Trust and the East Lancashire Railway)
SR Mansell U 2-6-0 31806 (from John Bunch and the Swanage Railway)

Home Fleet:
SR Bulleid Rebuilt 'Merchant Navy' 4-6-2 35006 'Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company'
GWR Hawksworth 'Modified Hall' 4-6-0 7903 'Foremark Hall' (running as 6999 'Capel Dewi Hall')
GWR Collett 78XX 'Manor' 4-6-0 7820 'Dinmore Manor'

I hope you all enjoy the video. Huge thanks must go the everyone at the Gloswarks for a brilliant gala weekend, one of my favourites in recent years! I shall undoubtably be back for more in the future. Feel free to comment and subscribe!

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