This page contains an archive of the press releases published on this website during 2003. Please note that some of the links within this page may be no longer valid.

GWR set for giant steam and vintage fair
published September 2003

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's premier annual event - the Grand Steam and Vintage Fair - takes place at Toddington Station over the weekend of 18th & 19th October - and it's set to be one of the railway's biggest events yet.

It's a chance to transport yourself to the bygone age of steam-powered machinery and farm equipment, fairgrounds and fairground organs, elegant cars and other vehicles - and of course, steam trains on the GWR.

Approved by the National Traction Engine Trust, it promises to be the County's leading transport festival. Gates open at 10:00am on both Saturday and Sunday and attractions expected this year include:

• Steam & tractor ploughing and a large number of other working traction engines and steam rollers
• Over 200 historic cars and commercial, military and emergency vehicles
• Large number of historic tractors and motorcycles
• Vintage Fun Fair and Parade Ring entertainment
• Many stationary engines, model displays, miniature steam engines, parades, road runs, stalls and an intensive steam train service run over our preserved section of the Honeybourne Line

The stars of the rail side of the event will all be ex-main line Great Western Railway Locomotives, and passenger services will run from Toddington Station at regular intervals, with return services to Cheltenham Racecourse Station. An additional attraction will be the narrow-gauge North Gloucestershire Railway, which will also be running to give a full flavour of steam railways as they once were.

The event has been planned to provide a full day out for both families and enthusiasts alike and a wide range of catering facilities will be available. These include the line's popular "Flag & Whistle" Tea Rooms, as well as on-train catering. Full toilet facilities, including baby changing and disabled facilities, will be provided.

Admission prices to the event are just £5 adults and £4 children & senior citizens. Some rides, including the trains, will charge an additional fare. The event is to be largely run by the railway's volunteers - and proceeds will go towards the further development of this otherwise 100% volunteer run railway.

Don't miss this great day out on the "Friendly Line in the Cotswolds!"

October Half-Term Services, 2003
published October 2003

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is pleased to announce that Diesel hauled services will run during the school half term break on Tuesday 28th, Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th October, 2003.

There will be four services from both ends of our line each day, departing from Toddington Station at 10.30, 12.00, 14.00 and 15.30 and Cheltenham Racecourse Station at 11.15, 12.45, 14.45 and 16.15 (return to Toddington only).

Hauled by the beautifully restored Class 47 Diesel No.47105, visitors can expect scenic 20 mile round trips along the rebuilt section of the Honeybourne Line, travelling in restored British Rail Mark 1 carriages which date from the 1950's and 1960's.

The round trip ticket prices enable passengers to make as many journeys as they wish on the day of purchase, with adult, senior, child (5 - 15 years with under 5's travelling free), and family ticket options being available.

Additionally, there will be free parking at both stations, the on-board Buffets will be open, the 'Flag & Whistle' Tea Rooms at Toddington will be selling a range of light refreshments, and the Station Shop will be open for the purchase of railway orientated books, videos and other souvenirs.

With the demise of most Diesel Locomotive hauled services on the main line, this will be an ideal opportunity to revive memories of such trains, albeit travelling at a more sedate pace to enable the surrounding countryside to be appreciated.

All proceeds from these services will go towards the further development of this 100% volunteer run railway, which is planning to extend to Broadway in the next few years. Please make a date to visit Toddington, home of 'The Friendly Line In The Cotswolds.'

Model Railway Exhibition
published October 2003

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is pleased to announce that on Saturday 8th November, a Model Railway Exhibition will be staged in the "Flag & Whistle" Tea Rooms at Toddington Station.

The exhibition will be open from 11.00am to 5.00pm and a wide variety of displays and layouts will be in attendance, including an older display from the 1950's . Admission prices will be £2.50 adults, £1.50 children/senior citizens and £6.50 families (two adults and two children), with ample free parking available in Toddington Station yard. The railway's own shop will also be open, selling a wide range of railway orientated books, videos, model railway equipment and G.W.R. badged souvenirs.

This will also be an ideal opportunity for families and enthusiasts alike to come and ride behind an ex Great Western Railway steam locomotive, which will be hauling trains over our 10 mile restored section of the Honeybourne Line between Toddington and Cheltenham Racecourse Station. Steam hauled departures from Toddington Station will be at regular intervals from 10.00 and 11.00 from the Cheltenham end. The railway's standard fares will apply, and it should be noted that round trip tickets will also enable passengers to enjoy unlimited train rides on the day of purchase. It is also hoped that the North Gloucestershire Narrow Gauge Railway will also be in operation, which is easily accessible from the GWR's main car park at Toddington.

All proceeds from this event will go towards the further development of this 100% volunteer run railway, which is planning to extend to Broadway in the next few years. Please make a date to visit Toddington, home of 'The Friendly Line In The Cotswolds.'

Christmas Diesel Day
published November 2003

The GWR is ending the 2003 season with a 'Diesel Day' on Monday 29th December. This will be the last diesel running of the year, and will build on the previous highly successful events that the diesel department have run throughout the year. All major diesel events have seen increased numbers of passengers during the year emphasising the passion that modern enthusiasts have for 'heritage diesel classic traction' events.

• GWR Christmas Diesel Day
• Last major preserved diesel event for 2003 in the UK
• All available locos in traffic
• Steam Heat provided by 47105
• Services from 10:00am
• Car Parking at Toddington, Winchcombe & Cheltenham Racecourse
• Ride all day for £9 with reductions for children and family tickets available
• On-train Catering & refreshments at Toddington

Come along to the GWR and enjoy this traditional end of year event in the Cotswolds.

Centenarian 100mph Record-Breaker To Visit GWR
published November 2003

A 101-year-old steam locomotive is set to be visit the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway (GWR) in March 2004 - a century after smashing the 100mph barrier.

The celebrity locomotive is Great Western Railway 'City' class no. 3440 City of Truro. Built at Swindon Works in May 1903, it achieved its astonishing performance just one year later, in May 1904. Hauling a train of ocean mails from Plymouth to London, the magic 'ton' was exceeded as the train descended a gradient at Whiteball in Somerset, reaching a claimed top speed of just over 102mph.

City of Truro has been the subject of a £130,000 overhaul to put it back into working order.

The overhaul is the initiative of the National Railway Museum (NRM), which teamed up with Steam Railway Magazine, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, the Bodmin & Wenford Railway and other representatives from the railway preservation world to re-awaken this celebrated centenarian.

Andrew Scott, Head of the NRM, said: "Our aim was to make sure that this historic locomotive would not only be back in steam for the 100th anniversary of its record-breaking run, but would also be available to take part in our Railfest celebrations to mark the bicentenary of rail in 2004.

"Work on the restoration of City of Truro is now nearing completion, but none of that would have been possible without the support of our partners. We are tremendously grateful to them for helping to make those early aspirations become a reality."

Tony Streeter, Editor of Steam Railway Magazine, added: "We felt that the centenary of City of Truro's remarkable achievement should not go unnoticed - and that it should have a final chance of being put through its paces. The NRM was enthusiastic but needed help to raise the money to pay for its overhaul. So we put an appeal out to readers of Steam Railway and the result was overwhelming!"

The locomotive will be 'run-in' over the GWR's ten-mile line between Toddington and Cheltenham Racecourse. It is expected to be officially re-commissioned at a special ceremony in March and will remain on the line at least until early May, before visiting other heritage railways and making occasional runs on the main line.

While based at Toddington it will handle some of the GWR's ordinary service trains as well as taking part in special events.  It is expected to make further visits to the line while it remains in operation for up to ten years.

Adds Streeter: "City of Truro is ideally suited to the GWR.  This former Great Western main line was being built when the engine was brand new a century ago.  And this class of locomotive regularly worked over the line until the late 1920's."

The chassis of City of Truro has been overhauled at the NRM's workshops in York while repairs to the boiler were carried out at the Flour Mill locomotive workshops at Bream in the Forest of Dean.  Reassembly of the locomotive at York should be complete for its first steaming by the end of the year.

Ian Crowder, the GWR's Commercial Director, says: "It's a great honour for us to host such a celebrated engine at such an important anniversary.  Most people recognise names like Mallard and Flying Scotsman as 100mph-plus record breakers - but a century ago, City of Truro led the way by showing just what steam power could do."

But, he says: "City of Truro will be limited to 25mph on our line - but that's quite fast enough to appreciate the grace and elegance of this remarkable survivor from the days when steam locomotives were the fastest machines on the planet."

City of Truro was one of 20 similar express engines built between 1903 and 1909 to a design which was considered outdated by the late 1920's. All except City of Truro were scrapped between 1927 and 1931 in favour of more powerful express locomotives.

City of Truro itself was officially retired in 1931 and moved to the then-new York Railway Museum.  It has been returned to full working order twice - first in 1957 when it was used for special trains and on local services between Didcot, Newbury and Southampton.  A second retirement to static display, this time at Swindon Railway Museum, followed in 1961. In 1984, it was once again brought out of retirement for the 150th anniversary of the Great Western Railway, making occasional main-line outings and visits to heritage railways.

This will be its second visit to the GWR - it paid a short visit to the line in 1990 before returning to the National Railway Museum.

Historical notes about the 'City' class
published November 2003

The engines were a development of the earlier 'Atbara' class 4-4-0s and were claimed to be the fastest locomotives of the day, proven by City of Truro's record-breaking run in 1904. The class eventually numbered 20 locomotives, including re-builds of the 'Atbara' class. With a 4-4-0 wheel arrangement the engines were quickly superseded by new, more powerful 4-6-0 designs. All had been scrapped by 1931 with the exception of City of Truro. The Great Western kept the record-breaking run a secret for many years, fearing a public backlash at such an unthinkable speed!

Vital statistics
Driving wheel diameter: 6ft 8½in
Tractive effort: 17,790lb
Boiler pressure: 200 lb/sq.in
Weight in working order: 90 tons (engine and tender)

'Independent Railway of the Year' Award
published December 2003

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway has won the coveted Ian Allan Independent Railway of the Year award for what, in the judges' opinion, presents the best all round achievement in meeting the expectation of its visitors.

The award was presented by Richard Bowker, Chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority, to GWR company secretary Bill Hillier on behalf of the railway at the National Railway Heritage Awards ceremony at Merchant Taylors' Hall in London this week.

Comments Bill Hillier, "The Award was a total surprise, we were not even listed on the programme for the event. The judges visit the railways without announcing their presence, either before or after their visit - so they are treated in exactly the same way as our regular visitors."

"This is a tremendous honour for our hundreds of volunteers who have built the railway from scratch since 1982 - and run it both for their enjoyment and the enjoyment of the public. This is why we like to be known as 'The Friendly Line in the Cotswolds'"

The Award is sponsored by Ian Allan Publishing, the well-known transport publisher and creator of the famous 'ABC' volumes beloved of generations of transport enthusiasts.

Chairman of Ian Allan Publishing, David Allan, says: "The GWR was a clear winner. The National Railway Heritage Awards are largely about architectural excellence and awards go to national railway schemes as well as the private railway sector. But most visitors go to a heritage railway for a good day out and appreciate value for money, good service, clean trains, pleasant countryside and - above all - friendliness.

"In the judges' view, the GWR provides all of this, and more.  It has achieved an enormous amount over the years - it has not just gone a further three miles with its recently-opened extension to Cheltenham, it has gone a million miles in terms of what it offers the average family.  And it has done it without an open cheque-book provided by outside funding."

Mr Allan adds, "the railway's all-volunteer staff provide a genuinely warm welcome."

Bob Stark, the GWR's Chairman, pointed out that the railway has no paid staff. "We started with nothing more than a strip of waste land and everything we have achieved has been done by volunteers.  We're immensely proud of our railway and that certainly rubs off on our visitors and that has been recognised by the Award.  Above all, it is recognition of the huge effort to realise the dream of building and running a successful heritage railway. It truly puts the icing on what has been a remarkable year for us."

The GWR's new extension to Cheltenham Racecourse station was opened by HRH The Princess Royal in April this year. Work on planning the railway's northward extension, from Toddington to Broadway, is already under way.

The award comprises a handsome plaque that will be unveiled at the GWR next year.