Toddington Steam Railway

 

30 March 2002

 

 

While Helen was at home, we decided to spend a day at our local tourist attraction, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway (GWR).

 

The line runs from Toddington to just past Winchcombe at present, but work is in hand to extend it to Cheltenham Racecourse.  A wide variety of rolling stock is owned by the GWR, mostly from the age of steam, and much of it still awaiting restoration.

 

 

 

Toddington Station is just a few minutes’ walk for us.  The station has been fully restored and there are extensive sidings and a goods shed.

 

 

A fine sunny start to our day

 

The station staff are there to greet the passengers

 

 

 

 

Our engine for the morning run is to be the King George

 

 

 

Being a holiday weekend, the train is filling up rapidly, and we have to buy first-class tickets to get a carriage to ourselves

 

Teresa and Jay settle in

 

 

 

First stop is Winchcombe station, beautifully restored

 

 

 

 

On the way we pass signal boxes outside Winchcombe and Gotherington

 

 

The carriages have narrow corridors running down one side of the car

 

 

 

The compartments have wooden décor and tasteful pictures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After our first run, we watch preparations for the next departure, which is to be pulled by a diesel (right)– not so popular – and we give it a miss, returning later for an evening run on another steam hauled train

 

 

 

 

 

We see our engine taking on water for the journey

 

 

 

 

 

It is a much bigger beast than the little King George from the morning

 

 

 

 

 

 

It fills the sky with black smoke from its boiler

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winchcombe again

 

 

 

 

On the way, we pass the Pullman cars, on which we hope to be travelling later this month

 

 

This time, we return to Toddington on the up line, and have to cross the footbridge, from which we get a good view of the station

 

 

 

 

 

Our engine detached itself, and makes its way to the sidings for the night

 

 

 

 

 

We look forward to the next event

 

 

 

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