Festival News

Cotswold Festival of Steam – 31^st May – 3^rd June 2007

The V2 Prairies - Gresley's finest visiting the GWR
posted 9th May 2007

To find out more about the V2 2-6-2 class, of which the National Railway Museum's Green Arrow is visiting the GWR for the Cotswold Festival of Steam, click here to read a feature exploring their history and performance.

Green Arrow confirmed for Cotswold Festival of Steam!
posted 8th May 2007

The railway rumour mill has been circulating reports that the National Railway Museum’s Gresley V2 class 2-6-2 Green Arrow has been stopped due to boiler problems.  In fact, while it has been stopped for main line use (its rostered main line turns are being filled by Battle of Britain class pacific no. 34067 Tangmere), Green Arrow can continue to operate on heritage railways. Therefore, suggestions that it is not coming for the GWR’s major steam event – the Cotswold Festival of Steam – are thankfully unfounded.

The event takes place over four days from 31st May – 3rd June. The full line-up is:

V2 2-6-2 no. 4771 Green Arrow
S&D 7F 2-8-0 no. 88
SR un-rebuilt West Country 4-6-2 no. 34007 Wadebridge
GWR small Prairie 2-6-2T no. 5542 plus Auto trailer no. 178
Modified Hall 4-6-0 no. 7903 Foremarke Hall
Port Talbot/GWR 0-6-0ST no. 813
9F 2-10-0 no. 92203 Black Prince
 

The working timetable is now available although the specific locomotive allocations for the various turns have yet to be decided.  Click here for details.

The first train out each day and the last back will be double-headed and locomotive exchanges will take place at Cheltenham, thanks to the new signaling there. There will be the GWR’s usual excellent mix of freight, local passenger and through passenger workings.

For full details of our visiting locomotives click here

Green Arrow to grace GWR Festival

The prototype and only surviving example of Sir Nigel Gresley’s highly successful V2 class mixed-traffic locomotives – no 4771 Green Arrow – will be the star performer at the GWR’s Cotswold Festival of Steam this year.

This picture taken by our roving reporter Ian Crowder shows 4771 undergoing maintenance at the NRM in York this winter. In the foreground is the tender, some wheels and a part of 4771 big sister 4472 Flying Scotsman.

This is the first time the Cotswolds will have echoed to the distinctive three-cyclinder beat and chime whistle of a Gresley locomotive, since Flying Scotsman’s celebrated visit to the railway in 1993 – when the line only ran as far as Gretton. Green Arrow, in LNER apple green livery, is based at the National Railway Museum, where it is currently undergoing minor repairs in the Museum workshops. The engine is expected to arrive on 21^st May and remain until August.

The full lineup for the Cotswold Festival of Steam

And what a festival it’s promising to be!

• No. 88: Somerset & Dorset class 7F 2-8-0, courtesy of West Somerset Railway
• No. 4771 Green Arrow: LNER class V2 2-6-2, courtesy of National Railway Museum
• No. 5542: GWR ‘small Prairie’ 2-6-2T, courtesy of Locomotive 5542 Ltd. It will be running with GWR Auto trailer no. 178, courtesy of the Dean Forest Railway.
• No. 7903 Foremarke Hall: Modified Hall class 4-6-0, courtesy 7903 Ltd (resident on GWR)
• No. 34007 Wadebridge: SR West Country class 4-6-2, courtesy Wadebridge (34007) Locomotive Limited
• No. 92203 Black Prince: British Railways 9F 2-10-0, courtesy David Shepherd (resident on GWR)

Will this be the GWR’s:

Most colourful festival? Prussian blue on no 88; apple green on Green Arrow; GWR green on no. 5542; BR green on 7903 and 34007 and proudly carrying any colour you like: black, on 5197 and 92203.

Greatest variety: with types from the Southern Railway, Somerset & Dorset Railway (with No. 88 being a Midland Railway design); London & North Eastern Railway; Great Western Railway; British Railways and even the United States of America!

There will be something to savour for everyone. Clear the dates – 31^st May to 3^rd June inclusive – in your diary now!