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Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway
Another return, as well as a first, in our visit to the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway. Contradictory - read on. A return as Pam and I have travelled on it before some years back and the boys and I have visited it whilst staying at the Caravan Club site at Cheltenham Racecourse , one of its terminus. The first, comes about, as it will be the first time that we have been able to catch the train at the Broadway terminus, which is adjacent to the Caravan Club site. The railway previous to this year only ran to Toddington, where it terminated. The extension to Broadway has been ongoing for a number of years and finally came to fruition this year. Buying a day rover ticket we travelled from Broadway all the way through to the racecourse terminus and then returned, but stopped for lunch and a look around the main station at Toddington, the location of the engine sheds and workshops. We had a reasonable hot meal in the on site Flag & Whistle cafe. As appears to be the case with our visits and travel on heritage railways this year we once more travelled on a Deisel Multiple Unit (DMU), both to Cheltenham and back to Toddington, but then, thankfully, we were steam hauled back to Broadway. A picturesque line, which a number of preserved railways can boast, this one meandering 14 miles with stunning views of the Cotswolds to the south and the Malvern Hills to the west.
Above: Scenes at the recently opened Broadway station. Work is still on going within the station building, allthough the essential parts, ticket office and toilets are fully functional. Work still in hand on the platform bridge which, will be impressive once completed. Amazing what a bunch of volunteers can achieve.
Above:Our mode of transport to Cheltenham and back to Toddington a smartly painted DMU. Pam, relaxed as ever waiting for our train to depart from Cheltenham racecourse. The last picture is of our steam train having brought us back to Broadway and is seen now running around its coaches to take the train back to Toddington.
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The train into Broadway station actually passes the perimeter fence of the Caravan Club site, thus providing excellent photo opportunities. The club still retains within its grounds the old goods shed, which as been restored and tastefully converted into toilets and a storage area for the clubs old Wanderer Caravan. Pictures above show the train slowing to approach the station and the caravan club site in view. The large brick building is the old Goods shed.