HERITAGE DIESEL GALA

Cheltenham

 26TH TO 28TH JULY 2019

 

 

A celebration of vintage diesel traction from the 1960s and 1970s

Please note:

Car Parks will open 45 minutes before the first train leaves Toddington.
All Booking Offices and Stations will open 30 minutes before the first train leaves Toddington.
Trains will not stop at Hayles Abbey Halt during this event

Class 50 No 50035 'Ark Royal'

 

Class 24 No 5081

 

English Electric Class 37 No D6948

 

This year’s 3 day summer festival of heritage diesel traction on the GWR will transport you back to a time when British Rail ran locomotive hauled trains the length and breadth of the country, from large powerful express locomotives on inter-city journies, to smaller mixed traffic and freight types many of which were pressed into use during the summer months taking people from the towns to our seaside resorts.   

 

All these sights and sounds will be re-created once more as we take you for 14 miles along the edge of the Cotswolds from Cheltenham Racecourse to the magnificently rebuilt Broadway station at this picturesque Cotswold village as we recreate a past era of the UK’s railways now long since disappeared from the national network. Why not take a stroll up the road into this lovely Cotswold village with a number of excellent pubs, eateries and shops? Over the 3 days, our magnificently restored collection of vintage diesel locomotives will be clocking up over 1000 miles between them as we celebrate the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

 

This year, we are very pleased to welcome a special visitor, in the shape of class 50 locomotive no.50035 ‘Ark Royal’ one of large and powerful class of engines designed to pull express passenger services initially between England and Scotland over the west coast main line, but from 1974 onwards on the main lines of the Western Region to places such as London, Penzance, Plymouth, Cardiff, Birmingham, Worcester and Exeter. We are not sure if one actually traversed the former main line between Stratford upon Avon and Cheltenham through Broadway and Cheltenham Racecourse, so this may well be the first time one has done so. Named after Royal Navy warships during the late 1970s, the class became very popular with enthusiasts due to their impressive size and distinctive sound, and were finally withdrawn from main line service in 1994.

 

We are also pleased to welcome back a popular favourite from our home fleet of locomotives – class 24 no. 5081, which has been undergoing an extensive bogie and running gear overhaul and has been out of traffic for the past 3 years. This will be the first visit of the locomotive to Broadway!

 

Up to 10 trains each day will run to Broadway, with even more running between Toddington and Cheltenham Racecourse giving a full 28 mile round trip on most services, which together with passing trains in the loops at Gotherington, Winchcombe and Toddington allows a 45 minute frequency service all day.  There will be something for everyone - for families looking for a great day out as well as for the railway enthusiast. For the haulage enthusiast, our regular timetable allows a wide variety of 'moves' to be made throughout the day in pursuit of your favourite traction. Come and re-live the atmosphere of travelling by British Rail (remember them?) from 40 and 50 years ago. The 1960s, 1970s and 1980s live again!

 

 

 

 

More details about HERITAGE DIESEL GALA (External Link)

 

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