‘Somerset & Dorset’ moves to Cotswolds
THE award-winning Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway’s (G/WR) 2020 Cotswold Festival of Steam – sponsored by Heritage Railway publisher Mortons Media Group Ltd – will have the theme of‘somerset & Dorset Remembered.’
Two locomotives with a ‘S&D’ pedigree have already been booked for the showpiece May 23-25 spring bank holiday weekend which will see at least eight engines in steam.
Southern Locomotives Ltd and the
Swanage Railway will be sending Bulleid Battle of Britain Pacific
No. 34072 257 Squadron for its firstever visit to the line.
Although the Brighton, 1948-built locomotive is not believed to have worked over the S&D, sister members of the class were indeed a familiar sight over the legendary trans-mendip route.
The second S&D guest is at the opposite end of the scale, in the form of the quirky 1927-built Sentinel 0-4-0VBT No. 7109 Joyce from
Midsomer Norton station. Former Croydon Gasworks No. 37 has been restored to represent the two similar locomotives, Nos. 101 and 102, that worked on the S&D colliery lines around Radstock but did not survive.
Shrewsbury-built Joyce bears very little resemblance to a conventional steam engine, both in terms of appearance and the noise it makes. Powered by a pair of 100hp twin cylinders, double acting transverse engines at the front with geared and chain transmission to the wheels, it has four chimneys – two for each engine. Undoubtedly the most unusual steam locomotive ever to visit the GW/R, each day during the festival it will run the three miles from Toddington to Winchcombe, when it will shunt wagons and run into the station between services, giving visitors the chance to get up close and visit the cab.
The railway was hoping to book a third visiting locomotive after we closed for press.
On the main line there will be a variety of locomotive combinations, with engines changing at Cheltenham Racecourse and at Toddington, with some doubleheading and ‘top and tailing’ up to Broadway. Footplate rides will be offered on home fleet locomotives and visitors will be able to try their hand on the regulator for a tenner at Cheltenham Racecourse.
Visitors will able to explore ‘behind the scenes’ at Winchcombe Carriage & Wagon Works, while at Toddington, at least two engines will be in steam on the 2ft gauge North Cotswold Narrow Gauge Railway.
Ian Crowder, a member of the organising team said: “We’re really thrilled that Mortons have come on board once again and we’re very pleased that the publisher of Britain’s leading railway titles themselves recognise this as an event of such value to readers. We’re particularly grateful that they have agreed to produce the high quality event brochure which will be free to all visitors.”
➜ Visit www.gwsr.com for details of the event and discounted advance tickets.