‘KING’ TO KINGSWEAR – AND ‘GLOSWARKS’ GALA
King Edward II will be in steam again at the SVR on April 21/22, and makes its final appearance on the line on the bank holiday weekend of May 5-7, titled ‘Great Western Takeover’, with other resident Swindon machines in steam. It then moves to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway for its ‘Cotswold Festival of Steam’ on May 25-27, where in ‘loaded test’ terms, it faces its biggest challenge yet. Although timetables are still being compiled, the Collett ‘8P’ is expected to haul a 16-coach evening train over the full 15-mile line from Cheltenham to Broadway, in ‘top and tail’ formation with ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35006 Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co. During mid-June, the ‘King’ will move on to the Dartmouth Steam Railway for the season, and will stay on the Paignton-Kingswear line until October.