The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway is set to become the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Diesel Railway as it holds its annual Diesel Gala.

The Heritage Diesel Festival will be held at the GWSR between the 27th and 29th July 2018 and will take advantage of the new extension to Broadway.

At the top of the list for operating locomotives on the 14-mile line will be ‘Warship’ class diesel-hydraulic no. D832 Onslaught and ‘Hymek’ diesel-hydraulic no. D7017.

Locomotives like the Warships were among the diesel classes that took over from steam locomotives on the express services out of Paddington to the West Country and Wales. Hymeks were used on the North Cotswold line and worked over the route which is now known as the GWSR.

There is plenty for the whole family to do, if your an enthusiast or just looking for a day out, this gala is definitely one to look at going to.

The extensive and impressive Carriage & Wagon Department at Winchcombe will also be welcoming visitors who will discover how the railway restores and maintains its impressive fleet of Mk1 coaches.

What did the officials say?

Says Peter Smith, one of the event’s organisers:

“You don’t have to be a diesel aficionado to appreciate these giants from a past age when diesel took over from steam half a century ago. That’s when makers such as English Electric, Sulzer, Brush, Metropolitan Vickers and others, as well as British Railways’ works, produced a wide range of locomotive classes each stamped with their makers’ individuality, providing variety and interest.

“Over the weekend the railway will be operating no fewer than NINE main line locomotives as well as a diesel multiple-unit, following an intensive timetable over the full length of the 14-mile line between Cheltenham Racecourse, Gotherington, Winchcombe, Toddington and Broadway. Overall the trains will clock up more than 1,000 over the three days.

“Features will include an intensive timetable featuring double-heading of some trains, in a range of locomotive combinations. There will also be opportunities to look ‘behind the scenes’ in the diesel shed at Toddington where you can get close up and personal with locomotives being overhauled as well as enjoy what’s on offer from preservation group and sales stands. Be sure too to enjoy the narrow-gauge delights of the North Gloucestershire Narrow Gauge Railway at Toddington, too.

“It’s going to be quite a weekend that celebrates what is now a long-gone age when a wide variety of powerful and impressive diesel locomotives ruled the rails.”

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