I UNDERSTAND

Real Ale Festival

Date:

June 14, 2024

to

June 16, 2024

Time:

9:00 am

to

5:00 pm

Book tickets now
SOLD OUT

Get ready for a journey back in time, where vintage locomotives and the finest brews come together in perfect harmony.

On Friday 14th, Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th June we are delighted to once again team up with our friends from the North Cotswold branch of CAMRA to bring you the 22nd Ale & Steam event. Why not join us and relax with a pint of real ale or cider while watching all the action on the rails.

As in previous years we will have bars available at both Winchcombe and Toddington stations, with up to 25 ales available at Winchcombe and up to 20 ales at Toddington. A good variety of ciders, as well as soft drinks and hot and cold food will also be available at both Winchcombe and Toddington.

New for this year sees Friday as a ‘Mixed Traction Day’. As well as a steam locomotive running between Cheltenham Racecourse and Broadway, two of our heritage diesel locomotives are expected to be in operation (subject to availability) from early afternoon until the close of the event. This will include a combination of double heading and top and tailing. Our ever-popular DMU will also be in operation throughout the day.

A special timetable has been written for the Friday, which allows extended station dwells at Toddington and Winchcombe, enabling passengers wishing to sample some heritage diesel traction to also visit the bars at both stations, without missing out on any mileage!

On Saturday two steam locomotives will be in operation, with the DMU running a shuttle service between Toddington and Winchcombe throughout the day and a diesel locomotive operating additional late trains to both Broadway and Cheltenham.

Steam and Ale Bars at Toddington will be open from 1030 until 1815 and at Winchcombe from 1030 until 1830 on both Friday and Saturday.

Normal train fares apply and there will be free entry to the festival with a valid train ticket for the day of your visit. Members and Shareholder vouchers will also be valid. If you are not travelling on the trains, but wish to sample the beer at either station, we ask you buy a platform ticket priced at just £3.

To make purchases at the bars, beer tokens must be purchased from CAMRA representatives. These will be valid at both bars and on all days of the festival. Unused tokens can be refunded or donated to charity at the end of your visit. You will also be required to purchase a glass from CAMRA representatives at £2 each.

On the Sunday both bars (subject to availability) will be open to sell any remaining beer from 1100. While we cannot guarantee a full range of beer will be available, every effort will be made to ensure a good selection of ales remain and this will offer an ideal way to finish the weekend. Bars will close at 1500, or earlier if beer supply is exhausted. On the rail side a normal pink timetable will operate with one steam locomotive and one diesel locomotive operating.

Join us for a journey through the Cotswolds countryside, and stop off at Winchcombe where you will be able to purchase and enjoy a range of real ales and ciders.

Prices

Adult

£26.00

Child

£10.00

Family

£65.00

Dog

£4.00

Book tickets now

Prices

Adult

£26.00

Child

£10.00

Dog

£4.00

Family

£65.00

2 Adults and up to 3 Children

Extended Family

£100.00

4 Adults and up to 3 Children

Book tickets now
SOLD OUT

Contact Information


01242 621405

Trains Running

21 "Mavis"

Diesel Locomotive

No 21 "Mavis" has been stored at Toddington for some while, awaiting refurbishment. It is privately owned.

Diesel Locomotive

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TSO 4763

Preserved in 1987 by the Paignton & Dartmouth Railway, moved to the GWSR by March 2004.

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BSK 34929

Preserved 1982 By Stratford area group of GWSR.

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FO 3132 (Mary)

Named 'Mary' in honour of a long-serving volunteer on the railway.

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DMBS

DMU / Railcar

Cars W51360 and W51372 are owned by Cotswold Diesel Railcar Limited . W51360 is currently the 'spare' for our 117 set and W51372 is awaiting restoration.

DMU / Railcar

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Class 122

DMU / Railcar

W55003 is a Class 122 'Bubblecar' owned by Cotswold Diesel Railcar Limited and is currently undergoing refurbishment plus the creation of wheelchair-friendly accommodation at Toddington.

DMU / Railcar

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Class 117

DMU / Railcar

Normally comprising cars W51405 (DMS), W59510 (TCL), W51363 (DMBS), this Class 117 unit was purchased in 2011 by Cotswold Diesel Railcar Limited and is now running regular services from Toddington.

DMU / Railcar

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John

Steam Locomotive

'John' has been on the Railway for over 30 years. The loco is presently undergoing restoration including the construction of a virtually new boiler.

Steam Locomotive

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20228

Diesel Locomotive

20228 (D8128) - Class 20 Diesel Electric Locomotive. 20228 is privately owned and is now a permanent resident on the GWR. 20228 moved to the GWR in 2020 and should become serviceable during the 2022 season.

Diesel Locomotive

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Des 372

Diesel Locomotive

372 arrived at Toddington in October 1999 and since then has been used extensively as yard shunter.

Diesel Locomotive

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D2280

Diesel Locomotive

D2280 arrived on the GWSR in 2018 and is now part of the shunting fleet at Toddington. It is privately owned . There is a Bachman model of this locomotive available in BR green.

Diesel Locomotive

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11230

Diesel Locomotive

11230 arrived on the GWSR in 2003 and is now working at Toddington with its restoration almost complete.

Diesel Locomotive

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D2182

Diesel Locomotive

D2182 is usually to be seen shunting at the carriage works at Winchcombe

Diesel Locomotive

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47376

Diesel Locomotive

47376 is owned by The Brush Type 4 Fund and is a permanent resident on the GWR. The Brush Type 4 Fund was formed in 1992 and, in November 2002, bought No 47376. The loco was transported to the GWR in 2003 after receiving a replacement engine at Ashchurch from sister loco No 47295.

Diesel Locomotive

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47105

Diesel Locomotive

The Brush Type 4 Fund was formed in 1992 with the aim of preserving a Series Parallel Class 47, after 2 years of fund raising 47105 was bought from Crewe in January 1994.

Diesel Locomotive

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45149

Diesel Locomotive

A class 45/1 Diesel Electric Locomotive. This locomotive is owned by The Cotswold Mainline Diesel Group and is a permanent resident on the GWR. It first ran in preservation during the 2013 Heritage Diesel Weekend.

Diesel Locomotive

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37215

Diesel Locomotive

A class 37/0 Diesel Electric Locomotive, is owned by The Growler Group and is a permanent resident on the GWR. 37215 was preserved in 1994 and was returned to working order in 1998.

Diesel Locomotive

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D6948

Diesel Locomotive

A class 37/0 Diesel Electric Locomotive, is owned by four individuals who are both Growler Group members and active working members of the GWR diesel department and is a permanent resident on the GWR. 37248 came to Toddington in 2010 and has undergone an extensive refurbishment including the provision of steam heating and a return to BR green.

Diesel Locomotive

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D5343

Diesel Locomotive

A class 26 Diesel Electric Locomotive. This locomotive is owned by The Cotswold Mainline Diesel Group and is a permanent resident on the GWR. 26043 ran for the first time in preservation during the 2013 Heritage Diesel Weekend.

Diesel Locomotive

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5081

Diesel Locomotive

A privately owned and is a permanent resident on the GWR. 24081 was preserved in 1981 and has remained operational throughout its life in preservation. Its bogie refurbishment is now complete and the loco is fit for service.

Diesel Locomotive

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20137

Diesel Locomotive

A class 20 Diesel Electric Locomotive. 20137 is privately owned and is a permanent resident on the GWR. 20137 was purchased from British Rail at Wigan in 1994 and moved to the GWR. 20137 was returned to working order in 1995.

Diesel Locomotive

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76077

Steam Locomotive

A BR Standard Class 4 mixed traffic locomotive, built 1956. Restoration started.

Steam Locomotive

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3850

Steam Locomotive

A '2884' class heavy freight locomotive, built 1942. Owned by Dinmore Manor Locomotive Limited, it is at Toddington for its 10-year overhaul.

Steam Locomotive

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2874

Steam Locomotive

A '28xx' class heavy freight locomotive, built 1918. This locomotive is owned by The 2874 Trust Limited and it is slowly being restored from 'Barry Scrapyard' condition.

Steam Locomotive

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2807

Steam Locomotive

A '28xx' class heavy freight locomotive, built in 1905. This locomotive is owned by Cotswold Steam Preservation Limited and, after a 29 year restoration, is one of the GWR's resident locomotives.

Steam Locomotive

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Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co.

Steam Locomotive

35006 Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co. is a Southern Railway rebuilt Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 steam locomotive. It was built at Eastleigh locomotive works in December 1941 and given the Southern Railway number 21C6.

Steam Locomotive

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Foremarke Hall

Steam Locomotive

Although every inch a Great Western Railway thoroughbred, No. 7903 Foremarke Hall was one of the 79XX series, in the last batch of the Modified Hall class built at Swindon in 1949 under BR auspices.

Steam Locomotive

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Dinmore Manor

Steam Locomotive

7820 Dinmore Manor is a British Railways locomotive, part of the Manor Class. It is one of nine locomotives preserved from the class, which originally numbered 30.

Steam Locomotive

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