The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) shattered the peace at Broadway and Cheltenham Racecourse yesterday, at precisely midday, by blowing their whistles for one minute.
GWSR whistles in Rail 200
· Locomotives sound whistles for oneminute at midday on 1st January
· Year of celebrations to markbi-centenary of the modern railway
The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway(GWSR) shattered the peace at Broadway and Cheltenham Racecourse yesterday, atprecisely midday, by blowing their whistles for one minute.
Heritage railways across the UK and overseas didthe same, with some 200 steam locomotives in the UK alone sounding theirwhistles to mark the start of Rail 200,a year celebrating the bi-centenary of the modern railway. In 1825, theworld’s first commercially successful passenger and goods-carrying railway, theStockton & Darlington Railway, catapulted railways into publicconsciousness and gave railways to the world.
At Broadway, in pouring rain, Great WesternRailway-designed Manor class 4-6-0 no. 7820 Dinmore Manor didthe honours, while at Cheltenham Racecourse, recently-overhauled Great WesternRailway heavy freight 2-8-0 no. 3850 sounded its whistle.
The GWSR is running a range of events throughoutthe year marking this important anniversary for railways including:
· Cotswold Festival of Steam (24-26 May)
· Heritage Diesel Gala (25-27 July)
· Rail 200 special weekend (27-28September)
· Autumn Showcase (25-26 October)
Ends
PHOTOGRAPHS taken by Ian Crowder on 1 January in pouringrain at Broadway here:
https://www.dropbox.com/t/BCgCpDmuVCa6ZehW
Gallery
