What a festival of steam!
posted 15th May 2007

Following are the visiting locomotives booked to appear at the GWR’s Cotswold Festival of Steam. We are deeply grateful to the owners of these locomotives and their host railways for allowing them to pay a visit to the Cotswolds for this special event.

LNER V2 2-6-2 no. 4771 Green Arrow
Somerset & Dorset 7F 2-8-0 no. 88
SR West Country class 4-6-2 no. 34007 Wadebridge
Port Talbot/Great Western 0-6-0ST no. 813
Autocoach no 178
 

V2 class 2-6-2 no. 4771 Green Arrow
Built: 1938 at Doncaster

History
Designed by Sir Nigel Gresley, chief mechanical engineer of the London & North Eastern Railway, the V2 class were a great success. Designed for mixed traffic work, the prototype, no. 4771 (British Railways number 60800) was turned out of Doncaster works in 1936 and named after the Kings Cross to Glasgow express freight which was know as The Green Arrow. The locomotives were mainly allocated to depots along the East Coast Main Line although could be found all over the former LNER system. The locomotives had a BR power classification of 6MT.

Preservation
Green Arrow is the only survivor of a class of 184 and was selected for the National Collection. It is owned by the National Railway Museum, which returned it to steam for the first time in 1971 and it has visited several heritage railways, as well as performing frequently on the main line. Unfortunately, the locomotive will no more be seen on the main line and this is its final year of operation before being returned to static display in the museum. You can read a feature on the V2 class by clicking here.

Picture thanks to Benjamin Boggis. You can see more of Benjamin’s excellent photos on his site.

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Somerset & Dorset Railway 2-8-0 no. 88
Built: 1925 by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn of Doncaster (to a Derby design)

History
No. 88 is a member of a class of 11 locomotives designed specially for the switchback route of the Bournemouth to Bath Somerset and Dorset Railway. The line was jointly owned by the Midland Railway and the London & South Western Railway and the Midland were responsible for providing locomotives. There were no existing Midland classes suitable for dealing with the S&DJR’s gradients and this class was the result, the first six being completed in 1914 and numbered 80-85. Their success was such that a further five were added to the fleet in 1925 and numbered 86-90. The engines were taken into LMS stock in 1928 and numbered 9670-80. They were renumbered 13800-10 in 1932 and in 1948, British Railways added 40000 to their numbers, making them 53800-10. They lasted well, remaining throughout on the S & D, the last being withdrawn in 1964. Although designed for freight, they were certainly at home handling heavy passenger trains too. Their BR power classification is 7F.

Preservation
Two found their way to the infamous Barry Scrapyard in South Wales and were preserved. No. 88 was purchased by the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust in 1968 and it returned to steam on the West Somerset Railway in 1987, where it is now normally based. Although the locomotive always carried black livery, it is now finished in the highly attractive S & D express livery of Prussian blue. Its sister, no 89 (BR no 53809) is in BR black and based at the Midland Railway Centre at Butterley.

Picture - Somerset & Dorset 2-8-0 no. 88, resplendent in Prussian blue, with the Somerset & Dorset Trust’s 40 years commemorative special passing Kentsford on the West Somerset Railway in March 2007. (Photo by Don Bishop www.steamrecreations.co.uk)

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Southern Railway West Country class 4-6-2 no. 34007 Wadebridge
Built: 1945 at Brighton

History
Designed by OVS Bulleid, CME of the Southern Railway, the West Country and identical Battle of Britain classes perpetuated the unusual design adopted for the larger Merchant Navy class. The objective was to provide a mixed-traffic locomotive that could operate throughout the Southern system and these ‘light Pacifics’ were the result, with an axle load of only 19 tons. They immediately helped to relieve the war-weary Southern fleet and, emerging with a bright Malachite Green livery on their ‘air-smoothed’ casing, complete with yellow stripes, must have struck an optimistic note during the post-war austerity. 110 were eventually built, most being completed by British Railways. They proved capable and fast although in their original form, the new technology they incorporated proved a maintenance headache. Most of the class were rebuilt to conventional appearance by British Railways but with the decision to bring steam to an end, some survived in their original form, including Wadebridge, which is the oldest surviving member of the class. The first was withdrawn in 1963. 34007 lasted until 1965, although Bulleid pacifics remained in charge of express passenger services on the Southern Region until the end of steam in 1967 – 40 years ago. The first number was 21C107, renumbered by British Railway as 34007.

Preservation
34007, like many of her sisters, found her way to Barry scrapyard in South Wales and was rescued in 1981 by the Plym Valley Railway, which then sold it to the newly-formed Wadebridge (34007) Locomotive Limited. The engine was eventually moved to Bodmin in Cornwall, close to the Bodmin & Wenford Railway which remains the engine’s spiritual home. Overhaul steadily progressed until she steamed for the first time in 2006. The engine moved to the Mid Hants Watercress Line early in 2007. Several Bullied pacifics survive.

Picture - 34007 Wadebridge shows off its sleek, air-smoothed lines at Sampford Brett on the West Somerset Railway, during the line’s successful Gala during March. (Photo by Don Bishop www.steamrecreations.co.uk)

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Port Talbot Railway 0-6-0 saddle tank no. 813
Built: 1901 by Hudwell Clarke, Leeds

History
In 1901, the Port Talbot Railway (South Wales) ordered six 0-6-0 saddle-tank locomotives and this example was numbered 26. It initially worked at Duffryn yard. In 1908, the PTR was absorbed by the Great Western Railway and it was not until 1925 that the engine was ‘Westernised’ and given number 813. The Swindon treatment included the brass safety valve bonnet, which looked slightly odd sitting on top of the dome protruding from the saddle tank. In 1934 the locomotive was sold as part of the GWR’s standardisation programme and was despatched to the opposite end of the country to Backworth Colliery in Northumberland, where it ran as no. 12 (later no. 11 when absorbed by the National Coal Board) and stayed there for 33 years. Although this delightful locomotive received a new boiler and firebox and was rebuilt in 1950, fortunately the NCB retained its distinctive GWR fittings. The engine was finally withdrawn in 1967.

Preservation
The engine was discovered by Paddy Goss who bought it and moved it to the Severn Valley Railway after withdrawal in 1967. It has been overhauled and restored to its former GWR appearance. It is a popular member of the Severn Valley Railway fleet although not sufficiently powerful to haul normal service trains. It makes regular visits to other heritage railways and this is its first – and hopefully not the last – visit to the GWR. Make sure you pay a visit to Cheltenham Race Course during your visit to enjoy this lovely machine, which will be offering brake van rides as well as footplate visits.

Picture - 813 at the Severn Valley’s branch line gala in March 2007. (Photo by Clive Hanley http://clive-hanley.fotopic.net/)

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Autocoach No 178

The Cotswold Festival of Steam sees a welcome return for this lovely Great Western Autotrailer which proved so popular at the Centenary Festival last year. The vehicle has received an “intermediate overhaul” over the winter including a new coat of GWR chocolate and cream.

History
Autotrailers were an important feature of the Cheltenham to Honeybourne services with the locomotive (usually a 14xx class 0-4-2T) propelling the coach northbound and hauling it back. This was particularly helpful at Cheltenham because the train had to reverse at Cheltenham Malvern Road to gain access to the Honeybourne line and vice -versa on the return to gain access to St James’s station (which stood where the Waitrose supermarket is now). The service - which ended in 1960 - was known locally as the Coffee Pot. On this occasion, the coach will be worked throughout the Festival by 2-6-2T no. 5542. Although this engine has been auto fitted since preservation, some members of the class were so equipped. No. 178 was one of a batch of 10 built at Swindon in 1930 and have a driving compartment, a combination of bench seats and seating bays with a capacity of 72 seated passengers, a guards’ vestibule and small luggage compartment. 178 spent most of its life at Barmouth, working trains to Dolgellau and Harlech; and Ruabon (see the picture above), working trains to Llangollen. In late British Railways life it was transferred to South Wales for operation on Tondu and Abercynon services before being taken in to departmental stock at Kidderminster in 1961 and then to Wolverhapton from where it was purchased.

Preservation
The coach was acquired from Wolverhampton in 1968 and moved to the Severn Valley Railway. It subsequently changed hands, appearing at the Dean Forest Railway and Llangollen before going to Swindon in 1995 for a full overhaul and was on the Swindon & Cricklade railway by 1999. It returned to the DeanForest, and after a spell at Llangollen returned to the Dean Forest Railway where it is now normally based. It is owned by Tim Hornby and normally operates with Mike Little’s 0-4-2T no. 1450, which is also based at Dean Forest Railway.

Please note!
The Autotrailer, powered by no. 5542, will make eight return trips between Toddington and Winchcombe each day. Please note that the maximum capacity of the vehicle is 72 seated plus eight standing - total 80 people. GWR staff will politely but firmly ensure that this maximum capacity is not exceeded. Please respect this important historic coach and please do not eat or drink while on board - sticky Coke mixed with crunched-up crisps doesn’t do the upholstery much good! It is possible to accommodate a couple of wheelchairs within the guard’s vestibule at the locomotive end of the coach. Riding in this lovely coach is a special and evocative experience and rightly, many local people remember the auto trains – known as the - ‘Coffee Pot’. Enjoy!

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