LORD NELSON TOPS BILL AT COTSWOLD FESTIVAL OF STEAM

·        142-ton locomotive arrives from National Railway Museum, York
·        EIGHT engines working during Festival, 24-26 May and 31 May-1 June
·        David Shepherd celebrates 40 years owning ‘Black Prince’
·        RAF Memorial Flight flypast: Lancaster, Spitfire & Hurricane
·        ‘Coffee Pot’ runs again!

One of the most impressive steam locomotives to run in Britain is visiting the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway (GWR) and will star at the Cotswold line’s ‘Cotswold Festival of Steam’ between 24th May and 1st June.

‘Lord Nelson’, a Southern Railway express locomotive now owned by the National Railway Museum, was overhauled at its Eastleigh birthplace two years ago and has just returned to steam following further work at the York museum. It was delivered by road on Sunday 18th May.

Weighing in at over 142 tons, Lord Nelson was the most powerful express locomotive of its type when built in 1926.  It was designed to handle the heaviest holiday expresses and boat trains from London to the South Coast and West Country.

Lord Nelson tops the bill at the Festival, taking place on the 10-mile Toddington to Cheltenham railway, when no fewer than EIGHT steam locomotives will be performing, making this one of the railway’s busiest and most impressive Steam Festivals yet.

“We’ve pulled out all the stops this year,” says the railway’s spokesman, Ian Crowder.

“Lord Nelson is a fantastic coup for the railway and it joins another National Railway Museum-owned celebrity, the Great Western Railway ‘City of Truro’, which is now 105 years old.  It was the first engine ever to reach an official 100mph – way back in 1904

 “Last year proved that variety of engines and trains offers an irresistible spectacle with over 1,000 people per day riding our rails. This year there are lots of important dates to celebrate so we think it will be more popular than ever!”

2008 marks:

A century since the first expresses trains started running over the line between Birmingham and the West Country
60 years since the railways were nationalised, meaning the Great Western Railway, Southern Railway, London Midland & Scottish Railway and London & North Eastern Railway became ‘British Railways’
40 years since British Railways ended the use of steam
40 years since wildlife and railway artist and conservationist David Shepherd took delivery of his then nine-year-old locomotive Black Prince, which he bought from British Railways and is resident on the GWR

“David Shepherd’s beloved Black Prince will be working over the festival, and he will be visiting the railway on the last day, 1st June.

“The RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will also be making a flypast on that day, with the Lancaster bomber and Spitfire and Hurricane fighters.”

During the nine-day Festival there will be opportunities to travel on coaches reminiscent of the old ‘Coffee Pot’ service that ran between Cheltenham and Honeybourne until 1960.  “This is bound to evoke a lot of memories,” says Ian.  “Many local people went to work or school – or to the pictures on a Saturday night – on the train, which used to consist of a tank engine and one or two coaches that the engine either pushed or pulled.”

You can find out more and download a copy of the special timetable by visiting www.gwsr.com or call 01242 621405