This weekend celebrates all things diesel for the railway's Autumn Diesel Weekend (10th and 11th October).
This is a great family event and something a little bit different as well as being a nostalgic dive into an important and historic period of Britain's railway history.
The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is rightly proud of the wide range if heritage diesel locomotives based at Toddington and over the weekend all diesel locomotives that can move, will move.
These enigmatic machines represent the period of transition from the days of steam to the modern railway of today. While some examples of the classes operating can still be found on parts of the UK's national network, the days of main-line diesel locomotive-hauled passenger trains are largely confined to history. But they are alive and well on the GWR.
You'll find the full low-down on the weekend's busy schedule on the special event pages. Getting to the railway is easy and there is plenty of free car parking at both Cheltenham Racecourse and at Toddington (in the field adjacent to the station).
The intensive timetable starts with departures at 10.00 from Toddington and 10.10 from Cheltenham on both days, using three train-sets working over the full 12-mile line length, between Cheltenham and Laverton. Different locomotive diagrams will present different opportunities on Saturday and Sunday including double-heading.
Locos operating include
Class 20 D8137
Class 24 5081
Class 26 26043
Class 37 37215
Class 45 45149
Class 47 45149
Class 47 47376
Class 73 E6063
Class 113 three-car DMU L425
On static display you'll find at Toddington Class 37 D6948 now sporting its fresh coat of BR green and Class 47 47105, with cab visits on offer.
At Cheltenham locomotives laying over between trains will be receiving footplate visitors while at Toddington you can quench your thirst in the beer tent, enjoy model railways in the diesel loco shed which is throwing open its doors, brows preservation and sales stands and re-fuel in the Flag & Whistle tea rooms.
And at Winchombe you can take a look at the Bill Ellesmere workshops and paintshop of Carriage & Wagon Department - the recently-opened facility that is the envy of many other heritage railways.
Pay on the Day tickets are available at the main stations but please note, the tickets allow access to all areas including unlimited train travel - there is no access to any part of the railway without a ticket.
Another fantastic event on the GWR - you may not think a diesel event is for you but think again - you and your family will be impressed and want to come again. The Summer diesel weekends have been an outstanding success and that's why a second one has been organised for the Autumn. And the lineside clearance over the years, opening up some of be best countryside vistas you can see from a carriage window, means that leaves on the line definitely won't be an issue!
