Gloucestershire Warwickshire 40th anniversary gala moves to November
THE Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's 40th anniversary celebrations will now take place on November 6/7, instead of October 23/24 as originally planned.
The change of date for the mixedtraction steam and diesel gala is because the original weekend clashed with the Jockey Club's ‘Showcase' event at Cheltenham Racecourse on October 22/23, meaning that parking would not be available at the G/WR's southern terminus.
“Normally we don't run in November,” said G/WR press officer Ian Crowder, “so it's giving us an extra two days of running that we wouldn't otherwise have had.”
The gala celebrates four decades since the G/WR was formed in 1981 to restore as much as possible of the Stratford-upon-Avon to Cheltenham main line, which had closed after a freight train derailment at Winchcombe five years earlier.
All available locomotives will be in action from the steam fleet: GWR 42XX 2-8-0T No. 4270; Manor 4-6-0 No. 7820 Dinmore Manor; Modified Hall No. 7903 Foremarke Hall; and SR Merchant Navy 4-6-2 No. 35006 Peninsular & Oriental S.N. Co. From the diesel collection, Class 24 No. 5081; Class 37 No. 37215; Class 45 ‘Peak' No. 45149; and Class 47 No. 47105 will also take part in the intensive timetable.
At least two engines will be in steam on the 2ft gauge North Gloucestershire Railway at Toddington, drawn from Henschel & Sohn 0-8-0T No. 1901 of 1919, Hunslet 0-4-2T No. 2075 of 1940 Chaka’s Kraal No. 6 and Chrzanow 0-6-0T No. 3512 of 1957 Tourska.
There will be a 40th anniversary exhibition and tours of the Carriage & Wagon workshops at Winchcombe, while the privately-owned Gotherington station will be open.
A bus link will operate between the Network Rail station at Cheltenham Spa and Cheltenham Racecourse.
Tickets can be bought on the day or booked at www.gwsr.com