West Somerset Railway – 30 Years of Galas
June 3, 2026
The Story of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
£14.95
The in-depth story of the beginnings and subsequent re-opening of the line between Cheltenham Racecourse and Broadway. We see
archive films of the line from the mid 1960s through to closure in the mid 1970s with a summary of the route
between Stratford Upon Avon and Cheltenham and all the stations and halts in between. We follow the
rebirth of the railway with its heritage base at Toddington beginning in the 1980s and later its arrival at Winchcombe and Cheltenham Race
Course Station in 2003. The latest section to be rebuilt was to Broadway where we see the grand re-opening day in 2018.
The programme takes a look at the rebuilding of each station along the line which were
demolished in the 1970s and resurrected by volunteers over a 20 to 40-year period.
Sequences of the construction of the new station buildings at Broadway and the very first trains to arrive at this current
terminus in the north. ‘Return to Broadway’ celebrations are seen with Nos. 35006 P&O Line and 7903 Foremark Hall.
Steam operations during all the recent gala events with visiting locomotives, such as ‘Schools’ Class Cheltenham, ‘King’
6023 King Edward II, ‘Britannia’ 70013 Oliver Cromwell and more recent galas with new-build 2999 Lady of Legend, 6880
Betton Grange, ‘Castle’ 4076 Pendennis Castle, a number of visiting small tank engines and many others.
The latest improvements at Winchcombe and new buildings on Platform 2 at Broadway feature as do the restorations
of engines such as 2874 and 76077. Altogether, a complete record of the run-down of the railway in BR times and
the triumphant re-opening of this volunteer-led preserved line in the glorious Cotswolds.
Revised 2026 edition
75 minutes duration
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Railscene No. 44
£14.95Contents
Steam news: Flying Scotsman visits Dorset and a hire period on the Swanage Branch. Scenes of it
arriving by road and operating on the branch.
Gala time at the East Lancs with Black Five No. 5407 and visiting GW engines, Odney Manor and
Clun Castle plus celebrity Jubilee No. 5552 Silver Jubilee (5553 Kolhapur).
Bluebell Railway sees the newly-built station at Kingscote opened with ‘C’ Class No. 592 all
dressed up and U Class 1618 also in operation.
Gala days at the Dean Forest Railway. Midland 1F No. 41708 re-numbered 1780 for the weekend.
Also newly overhauled small Prairie No. 5541 and Pannier No. 9681.
Mid-Hants Railway receives its first Great Western type in preservation. No. 7029 Clun Castle
appeared alongside Nos. 35005, 34105, 30506, 73096 (as 73080) and the S160 in wartime black.
The Foxfield Railway with no fewer than nine industrial engines working mineral and passenger
trains up the 1 in 19 incline.
Bluebell steam gala showing MN Class No. 35027 Port Line and Baxter with Nos. 847 and 263.
Great Central Railway witnesses the NRM’s Duchess No. 46229 Duchess of Hamilton which was
being run in following wheel and axle overhaul.
No. 75014 returns to operations following an overhaul on the NYMR along with scenes of
No. 34027 Taw Valley.
Cab Ride – Crianlarich to Oban: A view from the cab of a Class 158 along the stunning
route to Oban.
Midland Railway: Diesel gala included a triple-header with Class 50007, 55015 and 47401.
Also seen are 31162, 46045, 20227 and 45113.
Isle of Wight Steam Railway: Summer on the island with A1X No. 8 Freshwater and J94 No. 198.
Main Line: We see Duchess of Hamilton to and from Scarborough.
Steam on the Met – with N2 No. 69523 at Watford, Amersham and Rickmansworth.
Also Pannier L99, 80079 and Class 20227 with Sarah Siddons.
West Highland Centenary – A special feature showing Nos. 2005 and
3442 Great Marquess with Class 37s, Nos. 37152 and 37221 in Intercity livery as they
arrive at Fort William to great celebration.
Approximately 90 minutes duration
