A Gloucestershire heritage railway joined a worldwide “whistle up” to mark a major anniversary. Railway enthusiasts from Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) braved the pouring rain to shatter the peace at its Broadway Station and Cheltenham Racecourse.
The special event organised by the Heritage Railway Association saw locomotives across the UK – and as far away as New Zealand, South Africa and Sierra Leone – sounding their whistles and horns at noon on New Year’s Day. It marked the start of Rail 200, a year celebrating the bi-centenary of the modern railway.
In 1825, the world’s first commercially successful passenger and goods-carrying railway, the Stockton & Darlington Railway, catapulted railways into the public consciousness.
At Broadway, Great Western Railway-designed Manor class 4-6-0 no. 7820 Dinmore Manor did the honours, while at Cheltenham Racecourse, recently-overhauled Great Western Railway heavy freight 2-8-0 no. 3850 sounded its whistle.
The heritage railway runs for 14 miles between Cheltenham Racecourse to Broadway via Winchcombe. Broadway’s station was demolished by British Rail in 1963 but GWSR volunteers have been painstakingly rebuilding it to restore it to its former glory.
The GWSR is running a range of events throughout 2025 to mark the anniversary. They will include the Cotswold Festival of Steam (May 24-26), a Heritage Diesel Gala (July 25-27), the Rail 200 special weekend (September 27 and 28) and an autumn showcase (October 25 and 26).
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