A few shots of the 2009 Santa Specials on the GWR. Locos featured include 92203, 7903 and 5619

A few shots taken at the GWR's 2009 Autumn Diesel Gala...Locos in use were visiting 33109 and 37248 as well as the home fleet of D8137, 24081, 37215/324 and 47105/376

The weekend of the 19th / 20th saw the first North Gloucestershire Narrow Gauge Rly gala at Toddington. 5 locos were in steam, the two residents Justine and 1091, with visitors Gertrude, Statfold and Taffy. A very enjoyable afternoon was had at the event on the 19th September

After a very quiet summer, with the camera seeing very little use, I have managed to take a view shots on the Glos Warks this Autumn, as this collection shows.

As work progresses towards the completion of the Laverton extension I thought I'd complie a small collection of photos showing some of the 'highlights' of the line.

A new event for the GWSR occured on Friday 10th July 2009. The line (well Toddington - Winchcombe) was given over to the lines shunters which included two 08's, an 04 and an 03. Slightly bigger locos, in the form of 47376, D8317 and visiting 20154 and 33109 were in charge of the Winchcombe - Cheltenham section...All in all a very successful and fun day...

June saw the arrival of the much loved and admired 5542 joined the home fleet for the remainder of the season. Here's a few shots of her and others in July 2009

The traditional GWSR Cotswold Fetsival of Steam, held at Whitsun this year saw 5972 Olton Hall (running as Hogwarts Castle - its first visit to a preserved railway in this guise) and the delightful Terrier No 662 from Bressingham join the GWSR regulars...

A few photos taken around the railway in May 09, as the season really got going...

An attraction that is often overlooked at Toddington is the North Gloucestershire Narrow Guage Rly's 1/2 mile length of 2 foot gauge line. Having had my first ride for many years I can throughly recomend the experience!

Following repairs to the landslip and Cheltenham the GWSR opened for business for the 2009 season on the 7th March. Here's a few shots from the first two months of the season, locos featured include 7903, 3440, 92203, 37215 and 47105

One of the Pway gangs major winter projects was to remodel the northern approach to Toddington in preperation for the opening of the Laverton extension - hopefully in the near future. It was a major job and work was sufficiently advanced to enable use of the new track for the first time on Sunday 8th March, and here's a few pictures from that day - together with a couple of shots from a few years ago showing the old layout.

For more photos, taken by those who actually did some of the work(!) see Nigel Black's and Paul Fuller's excellent sites

http://nigel-black.fotopic.net/c1645541.html
http://gloswarksp-way.fotopic.net/c401307.html

February 6th saw much of Gloucestershire hit by a severe snowstorm with up to 8 inches falling in places. There was still a good covering on the 7th as these photos show. Sadly due to the winter break no trains were running though.

Jan 10th 2009 saw me undertake an exploration of parts of the trackbed between Honeybourne and Broadway. While being overgrown in places the trackbed does in itself look in very good condition as some of these photos show.

The 29th / 30th Dec saw the GWSR hold their Christmas Cracker Gala. Although services only ran to Gotherington an intensive 45 minute interval service was run, with locos top and tailed between Winchcombe and Gotherington, meaning they had to work a little harder for their money! Locos in use were the 2008 regulars of 3440, 5542, 5619, 7903 and 92203.

All photos taken on a very chilly 30th Dec 2008

Since Dec 8th the line south of Gotherington has been shut due to further slipage of the embankment just to the north of the station. Here's a few shots of the Cheltenham Landslip and repair work which were taken on a cold but sunny Boxing Day. NB all photos were taken from public footpath's.

29th Nov saw me down at Winchcombe as part of the team furninshing the carriages with Xmas decorations in temperatures barely above freezing. Having dutifully finished my allocated carriage' (an SK) C&W informed me they wanted to shunt it out and replace it with a TSO...And thus a '5 minute shunt' with two shunters was started, and some panic redecoration...If a jobs worse doing its worth twice I guess! 5619 was also in charge of the service train

The weekend of the 25th / 26th Oct saw the GWR's Autumn Diesel Gala. Visitng engines 31162, 47701 and 24 D5054 were joined with the operational home fleet of 24081 37215/324 and 47105. Was a very succesfull event, although the weather didn't really play ball being cold and dull most of the time!

On Saturday 19th July I decided to take a quick trip up to Laverton and Stanton to see progress on the Broadway extension. The results can be seen here, with sleepers now just yards from the site of the planned loop

Summer 2008 (or more correctly Autumn with extended daylight hours!) saw the 2008 home fleet of 3440, 5542, 5619, 7903 and 92203 in action. Here's a few shots taken over the summer

July 4-6th 2008 saw the Glos Warks hold its annual 'Summer' Diesel Gala. As well as the home fleet of D8137, 24081, 37215 / 324, 47105 and 73129, two guest engines (Class 31 31162 and 47701) also featured. All photos taken on a showery Saturday 5th July

Typical British weather saw midsummers day 2008 being cloudy and damp in Gloucestershire! However having some time to spare popped over to Chelt RC and Gotherington to see 5542 and 850 working. Lady luck was also on my side for once as 850 stopped additionally at Gotherington to pick up a work party

Winchcombe is the main passing point of the railway, and is also home to the C&W and P Way yards. The box was commissioned in 1998, and came from Hall Green with the lever frame from Honeybourne West Jn. It is capable of being switched out on low season days

Work started on signalling Gotherington in early 2007. The box is new build, similiar in design to the one at Cheltenham Racecourse, and I believe the lever frame comes from near Banbury. At the time the collection was set up (June 08) work was nearly finished on the installation.

To me the highlight of the Cotswold Festival of Steam at the gala was once again the reappearance of the 'Coffeepot' - the local service between Cheltenham and Honeybourne, which ceased to run in 1960. In additon to autotrailer No 178 which had visited a few times before, autotrailer No 163 was also hired from the Llangollen Railway. The running of two cars enabled the first and last round trip of the day to run the full line to Cheltenham Racecourse.

This years Cotswold Festival of steam ran from the 24th May to 1st of June, and featured 850, 44422, 34007, 92203, 7903, 3440, 5619 and 5542 (plus auto-coaches).

Here's just a few shots of May 2008 on the GWSR. Locos featured are 5542, 5619 and 34007. Also includes the arrival of Lord Nelson on low-loader. Apoligies for the poor quaility of some of these images, sadly spoilt by poor light and a dirty lens!! Have included them for interest value though

Overnight on Sunday 6th April, Gloucestershire along with much of the Midlands and South east saw a rare but welcome (by me anyway!) heavy April snowfall. I just about managed to get up to the GWR before the sun had done its stuff, and here's a few general views of the snow

The GWR held their 2008 Spring Diesel Gala over the weekend of the 4th - 6th April, although the weather had a decidedly wintery feel about it on the Sunday after a heavy overnight fall of snow. Locos in use were D8137, 73129, 24081, 37215/324, 47105 and visiting 27066 from the DFR and 08881 which is heading to Libya

Am sure winters are getting shorter, it doesn't seem 5 minutes since the 2007 season finished on Jan 1st! But March finds the GWSR back up and running after the maintainence shutdown in Jan & Feb. Locos in use included 3440, 7903, 5619, 92203 and 47105

The weekend of the 29th / 30th December saw the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway repeat last years end of season 'steam up'. Locos in use were 3440, 7903, 92203, 65462 (from the North Norfolk Railway), and Austerity tank No 15.

Weather was a slight improvement to 2006, with the heavy rain being replaced by a very strong cold westerly wind!

** Apoligies for the quaility of some of the images taken on the 29th Dec, due to a touch of 'forgetfulness' I had to use my cheaper camera. The images have been uploaded though for interest value. **

The highlight of December 2007 on the GWSR had to be the visit of the North Norfolk Railway's J15. This wonderful locomotive saw use on most days of the Santa Specials.

The first weekend of November saw the GWSR's Autumn Diesel Gala. Locos in use were 47104, 37215 (fresh from overhaul), 37324, 24081 (back after many months out of use for repair), and D8137.

For once the star attractions at the GWSR didn't run on rails!!! 13/14th October 2007 saw the welcome return of the Steam & Vintage Gala at Toddington, here's a few shots from the Saturday.

September 15th 2007 saw the first day of the GWR's Autumn Steam Gala, and a first for the GWR with freight trains running all the way down to the Racecourse. Here's a view from the brakevan of various points of interest on the line looking from Cheltenham to Toddington (the train of course travelling in the other direction!!)

September 15th 2007 saw the first day of the GWR's Autumn Steam Gala, and a first for the GWR with freight trains running all the way down to the Racecourse. Here's a view from the brakevan of various points of interest on the line looking from Toddington to Cheltenham (the train of course travelling in the other direction!!)

Well after an interesting summer, we seemed to have moved very quickly into Autumn on the Glos Warwicks. With Green Arrow having left 5542, 7903, 92203 and 3440 were to hadnel all services, with 4160 making a brief visit in September

Its been a little while since I last had a look at progress on the GWR's Broadway extension. So on a nice sunny August 26th, I had a quick look, and the ever hard working PWay Department have been living up to their name! Track now almost reaches the B4632 Skew Bridge, nearly 2 miles from Toddington

The August Bank Holiday weekend saw the last weekend in traffic for Green Arrow on the GWR. An added attraction of course being City of Truro also in steam, providing what probably will be the last time these two NRM engines will be in steam together...

Summer 2007 (if you can call it that, the weather seems to think its Autumn!!), sees 4771 Green Arrow, 92203 Black Prince, 7903 Foremarke Hall and 5542 all in action of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, on what should be a memorable season. As the summer progresses this collection will be regularly updated...

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Rly's main steam gala for 2007, was held from Thursday 31st May to Sunday 3rd of June. Titled the 'Cotswold Festival of Steam' it certainly lived up to that, with locos S&D No 88, GWR Nos 813, 5542 and 7903, LNER, 4771, Southern 34007, and finally 92203 Black Prince all in action.

** Please note, on June 2nd my Camera went missing at Cheltenham Racecourse, so all photos taken on this date were using my mobile phone. Please accept my apoligies for the quaility of these images, but thought it was worthwhile uploading them. **

Well if the weather in April was like summer, the weather in May was more like winter at times - hense the camera didn't see too much action in May 2007. However still managed a few shots on the GWR, with the regulars 92203, 7903 and 5542 performing stirling service. For LNER fans though, there's a seek preview of what the summer has in store on the GWR, and a few shots of Green Arrow - taken in what can only be described as monsoon like conditions!

With the weather summer like for much of the first half of the month, twas hot work for us guards at times ;-) Still managed a few photos in between duties!

92203, 7903 and 5542 being the mainstay of operations

No April Fool this one! Sunday 1st April 2007 saw the last day of the three day GWR Spring Diesel Gala. Glorious, nearly unbroken sunshine made for some nice sights, even if it was rather bracing at times in the strong easterly wind!!

Locos in use were D8137, 37215/219/324, 47105 and 73129

March 2007 saw the start of the 2007 operating season on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, and the first month in operation of the long awaited signalbox at Cheltenham Racecourse. Locos running included 4160, 92203, 47105, 37324, 37215 and 37219...And there was even a little sunshine to be had as well!!

Ok the weather wasn't quite the hoped for cold and frosty conditions, but I still managed to get a few shots at Winchcombe on Sat 30th Dec before the rain got too heavy...

Once again 2006 saw the annual Christmas Diesel Gala on the GWR held on a bloomin freezing cold day!!! Although not quite as bad as last years frost and snow I must admit! This year for the first time brakevans rides were run all the way between Toddington and Winchcombe, proving very popular indeed.