All over the UK, there were celebrations to mark the bicentenary of the first successful commercial railway, the Stockton & Darlington and not least at Hopetown, that railway’s former carriage works. The GWSR was no exception in organising its own ‘Railway 200’ event, which celebrated the GWSR’s ‘Past, Present and Future’.
The event, generously sponsored by the GWR Trust (GWRT), was graced by the presence of Sir Tim Laurence, husband of HRH The Princess Royal and Lord and Lady Faulkner of Worcester on Saturday, 27th September. Sir Tim is President of the GWRT, while Lord Faulkner is President of the Heritage Railway Association and a Patron of GWSR Plc.
Of course, the railway on which the GWSR today operates appeared long after the S&D, opened throughout by the GWR in 1906. But this was an opportunity to lift the lid on volunteering and to celebrate the outstanding contribution that volunteers have made in creating this heritage railway, maintaining and operating it. And visitors clearly loved it – the opportunity to visit steam and diesel footplates, explore the workshops at Toddington and Winchcombe and get an idea of what volunteering is all about.
The Saturday started with Sir Tim Laurence and Lord Faulkner presenting long service Awards to several volunteers in the Tim Mitchell Building at Winchcombe, where there was also a display tracing the history of the line. Sir Tim praised volunteers for the remarkable job they had done in the past, present and will continue to do so in the future, applauding their tenacity as the railway has developed. Over the weekend, there were short presentations from GWSR railwaymen and women explaining how they became involved and why they volunteered – captivating stories that underlined the value of volunteering.
Sir Tim also made a point of meeting many of the railway’s young volunteers at Winchcombe, recognising that they represent the future success of the railway. He and Lord Faulkner toured the Cotswold line, first visiting Gotherington – travelling there in a GWR Toad brake van at the end of the goods train. This clocked up a ‘first’ for Sir Tim and, at Gotherington, they enjoyed another ‘first’: working-out on a ‘pump trolley’ on the private siding. The journey to Toddington was taken ‘on the cushions’ to explore the locomotive workshops and a range of demonstration stands at Toddington.
Commented Philip Young, Chairman of the GWRT: “This was an outstanding day and clearly enjoyed by both Sir Tim and Lord and Lady Faulkner. They took a great deal of interest in what they saw and the volunteers they met and I have no doubt that that interest will remain as the railway develops in the future.
Image credits: Ian Crowder
