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Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
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Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWR, GWSR or Gloucs-Warks Steam Railway) is a volunteer-run heritage railway which runs along the Gloucestershire/Worcestershire border of the Cotswolds in England.
The GWSR has restored and reopened around 14 miles (23 km) of track, operating between Cheltenham Race Course and Broadway. The most recent extension to Broadway (completed in 2018) involved the company raising £1.38 million. The 28-mile return trip on steam and heritage diesel trains follows part of the route of the former Great Western main line from Birmingham to Cheltenham. There is a long-term aim of extending a further 6 miles (9.7 km) from Broadway to the national rail network at Honeybourne.
The line was originally part of the Great Western Railway's Cheltenham–Stratford-upon-Avon–Birmingham line, known as the Honeybourne Line, built in 1900–1906, and runs through the Cotswold towns of Winchcombe and Bishop's Cleeve. The line was run down over the years and finally closed after a derailment damaged a stretch of track in 1976, with the double track being lifted from 1979.
The preservation group rehabilitated the line, starting steam train operations at Toddington in 1984 over 700 yards (640 m) of re-laid track. In 1987, the line was restored as far as Winchcombe, where the station was reconstructed using the former Monmouth Troy station building. The railway continued to re-lay track west of Winchcombe, through the 693-yard (634 m) long Greet Tunnel, and past the villages of Gretton, Gotherington and Bishops Cleeve. The line to Cheltenham Race Course was re-opened by Princess Anne in 2003. The latest extension of the line, to Broadway, opened in March 2018.
The GWSR runs trains from March to the end of December, with the line closing during January and February as well as November for line and locomotive maintenance. The GWSR runs regular train services every weekend, plus most weekdays from Easter to the end of October, and some weekends are used to host special events including steam and diesel galas, Wartime in the Cotswolds, Real Ale Weekends and Santa Specials.
The railway operates a wide variety of both steam and heritage diesel locomotives, as well as heritage DMUs, and often hosts visiting locomotives during special events. In 2021, the resident steam locomotives on the line were 7820 "Dinmore Manor", 28xx class 2807 (undergoing 10-year overhaul), 42xx class 4270, 7903 "Foremarke Hall" and 35006 "Peninsular & Oriental SN Co". To complement the running stock, a collection of over 210 carriages and wagons of various origins has been compiled, many of which are still being restored.
The GWSR opened its extension to Broadway, Worcestershire to the public on 30 March 2018.
In December 2021 the railway returned to running a standard timetable after the removal of Coronavirus restrictions.
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Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWR, GWSR or Gloucs-Warks Steam Railway) is a volunteer-run heritage railway which runs along the Gloucestershire/Worcestershire border of the Cotswolds in England.
The GWSR has restored and reopened around 14 miles (23 km) of track, operating between Cheltenham Race Course and Broadway. The most recent extension to Broadway (completed in 2018) involved the company raising £1.38 million. The 28-mile return trip on steam and heritage diesel trains follows part of the route of the former Great Western main line from Birmingham to Cheltenham. There is a long-term aim of extending a further 6 miles (9.7 km) from Broadway to the national rail network at Honeybourne.
The line was originally part of the Great Western Railway's Cheltenham–Stratford-upon-Avon–Birmingham line, known as the Honeybourne Line, built in 1900–1906, and runs through the Cotswold towns of Winchcombe and Bishop's Cleeve. The line was run down over the years and finally closed after a derailment damaged a stretch of track in 1976, with the double track being lifted from 1979.
The preservation group rehabilitated the line, starting steam train operations at Toddington in 1984 over 700 yards (640 m) of re-laid track. In 1987, the line was restored as far as Winchcombe, where the station was reconstructed using the former Monmouth Troy station building. The railway continued to re-lay track west of Winchcombe, through the 693-yard (634 m) long Greet Tunnel, and past the villages of Gretton, Gotherington and Bishops Cleeve. The line to Cheltenham Race Course was re-opened by Princess Anne in 2003. The latest extension of the line, to Broadway, opened in March 2018.
The GWSR runs trains from March to the end of December, with the line closing during January and February as well as November for line and locomotive maintenance. The GWSR runs regular train services every weekend, plus most weekdays from Easter to the end of October, and some weekends are used to host special events including steam and diesel galas, Wartime in the Cotswolds, Real Ale Weekends and Santa Specials.
The railway operates a wide variety of both steam and heritage diesel locomotives, as well as heritage DMUs, and often hosts visiting locomotives during special events. In 2021, the resident steam locomotives on the line were 7820 "Dinmore Manor", 28xx class 2807 (undergoing 10-year overhaul), 42xx class 4270, 7903 "Foremarke Hall" and 35006 "Peninsular & Oriental SN Co". To complement the running stock, a collection of over 210 carriages and wagons of various origins has been compiled, many of which are still being restored.
The GWSR opened its extension to Broadway, Worcestershire to the public on 30 March 2018.
In December 2021 the railway returned to running a standard timetable after the removal of Coronavirus restrictions.
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