GWSR Cotswold Festival of Steam 2015: 23rd to 25th May

Should be another great gala this year. Last year's 'Back to Black' provided some great photographic oppurtinites but the weather did put a downer on the event. The timetable will be intense again with 7 or 8 locos running each day.

I am aware that there will once again be a theme for this years GWSR gala but I'm not sure what it is yet. The line have requested for some locos but are yet to have any confirmed (according to the GWSR Steam Blog) however I think that they probably are close to getting their visitors booked in.

So I thought I would start a thread just to get it up nice and early for people to speculate and I'm sure more information will come out soon!!!

 

The one clue given so far is definitely interesting, my initial theory was of a Southern themed gala to tie in with the triumphant restoration of 35006 but that's been blown out of the water with the Cornishman headboard! Whatever it is it will be imaginative, just wish I could do all three days as I did last year, unfortunately I'll be lucky if I can escape for one as on holiday and will be doing revision for GCSEs.

Timetable I imagine will be pretty similar to last years, but I wonder if we'll keep the evening running this year, as it was poorly patronized from what I hear. C+W will almost definitely be open for all the days, we had some very kind donations last year, as well as a lot of interest.

Hopefully @Andy B will have some news for us soon, and it seems the steam loco blog is another place to keep an eye on, I didn't know Ray was on the gala committee.

 

I was the only person on last year's evening train behind the Manor but I was rewarded with a great run. I hope they do it again because I always go for 2 days and phot during the day and I always have a ride on the evening train. Looking forward to seeing that shiny Merchant Navy.

 

Even if you are exaggerating I can't see them doing it again if that was the case!

 

Probably not far off, I was one a Saturday evening train about 8pm I think and there was a couple and one other person on the train, in fact I think the train crew might have outnumbered us...

However, it doesn't cost an awful lot more to do it, just depends if the relevant departments can get enough volunteers. In theory you oughtn't need TTIs as the tickets are site tickets, but I seem to recall there are anyway, perhaps something that might not be bothered with this time if there aren't enough volunteers. Maybe better marketing of the evening runs are needed? The cheaper evening tickets were good last year, they began at 4pm IIRC.

 

I honestly didn't see anyone else and I walked through the train in Cheltenham to get to the front again. Someone got on at Winchcombe and got off at Toddington. I didn't see anyone else in the train when I changed ends at Stanway and the fireman said, "I think you were the only one on it."

 

I think it's also partly due to the fact there isn't really anywhere for later visitors to "crash" afterwords, e.g. a pub or small town as with the SVR in Kidderminster/Bewdley/Bridgenorth and the same for accommodation; a couple of small B&Bs and that's about it, so people take of earlier so they can go home.

 

I was on the last service (8pm) from Toddington to Cheltenham on the Saturday last year, and yes there weren't many people on the train, a reduced load would've sufficed, that said the time taken to split the train would hardly be worth it. As I came up by car rather than by train as I usually do, it was nice to have the option to stay later than I would normally when having to be partly dictated by buses/trains home. Maybe if the final service was also a Fish & Chip special or something similar like other railways have done on evening services then more people would stay, but that's just a suggestion, and not one that would necessarily pay off.

 

The fish and chip suggestion sounds great, definitely something I hope will be considered. However a lot of extra work on top of an already exhausting day. As you say, little point in splitting the train, too much hassle and as it is done so rarely, vacuum hoses and other bits and bobs have a habit of breaking...

 

Thanks to everyone for your interest, we have been holding out on revealing line ups as we are still negotiating with loco owners. Let's just say that if it all comes off I'm going to be very happy. We hope to be able to announce guest(s) and the event theme/name within two weeks or so.

 

Tee hee, I found out the theme this weekend, an excellent choice and imaginative as ever, much better than themes for other railways' galas. The clue on the steam loco blog makes total sense though...

 

Hopefully this year there will be a loco staying before the gala that will run on a photoshoot like last year, with 3850 and 7820 double headed (as seen on my profile picture).

 

That would definitely be good, I think the longest any gala guest has stayed recently has been a couple of weeks, nothing more than that. Although with locos leaving Toddington left right and centre perhaps we might get something a bit longer this time round.

 

I will look forward to seeing the results of that Martin, should be good. Interested to know the reason for the doubt about the GWR goods wagons, is this because of the wheel profiles? I remember the last GW wagon we restored the wheels weren't actually within more modern tolerences, but were deemed fine as they were within GWR tolerance... or something like that!

 

Right... It's time to start guessing what the theme is. I'm sticking my neck out and going for heavy freight engines!

 

Here's the clue from a couple of weeks ago though:



So I'd say unlikely...

 

The Cornishman would possibly inidicate a Castle/King while the Atlantic Coast Express is a Bulleid Pacific although P & O should be ready by then so thats not much of a clue. I think that maybe Seaside Trains as somebody else mentioned or maybe a Named Trains Gala?????

The latter is unlikely as I seem to recall something similar for one of the days during the GWR 175.

I'm very intrigued as to what it will be. Hopefully there will be another clue on tommorow's GWSR Steam Loco Blog post.

 

Ahh!