PHOTO GALLERY – Gloucestershire

Gloucester ‘Castle’ No. 5017 The Gloucestershire Regiment 28th 61st waits to depart Gloucester Central with the 12.7pm to Paddington in December 1960.

Another shot of No. 5017 after leaving Stroud approaching Downfield Crossing Halt with the 1.45pm Paddington to Cheltenham in April 1961.

On 11 March 1961, ‘Black 5’ 4-6-0 No.45427, a visitor from Carnforth, takes the empty stock of the 9.15am stopping train from Bristol out of platform 2 of Eastgate station.

Standard ‘4’ 4-6-0 No. 75022 pulls away from its Frocester stop on 11 April 1961 with the 9.15am Bristol to Gloucester stopping train.  The station closed later that year on 11 December.

‘4100’ class 2-6-2T No. 4135 arrives at Oakle Street with the 4.08pm Gloucester to Hereford local on 11 April 1962. 

Collett 2-8-0 No.3841 coasts across the causeway towards the Severn crossing and Over Junction with a train of empty coal wagons for Severn Tunnel Junction on 11 April 1962.

Running alongside the Stroudwater Canal and A419 road, 0-4-2T No.1472 propels the 4.0pm Chalford to Stonehouse auto-train downhill from St Mary’s Crossing Halt on 6 July 1962.

On 10 July 1962, auto-fitted 0-6-0PT No. 5420 passes Over Junction on the approach to Gloucester with the 3.30pm unadvertised working from Lydney Junction to Sharpness. Following the collapse of the old Severn Railway Bridge on 25 October 1960, this service was put on for pupils who were still attending Lydney Grammar School but lived in the Berkeley area. in the background in a classic Red & White Guy Arab bus with Duple body is about to cross Telford’s original road bridge spanning the west channel of the River Severn with a service from the Forest of Dean.

‘4300’ class 2-6-0 No. 6369 bustles west approaching the A48 road bridge at Minsterworth with the 11.20am Gloucester to Cardiff parcels on 1 November 1962. The mixed rake includes an ex-GW Siphon G next to the locomotive.

‘4500’ class 2-6-2T No. 4564 prepares to take the 1.45pm Paddington to Cheltenham Spa onwards from Gloucester Central on 22 August 1964.

‘Castle’ class No. 7011 Banbury Castle storms through Honeybourne to take a run at Chipping Campden bank with the 1.10pm Worcester to Paddington on 30 August 1962. The Honeybourne pilot and banker, a Collett 0-6-0, rests in the siding on the left of the picture.  

‘Castle’ class 4-6-0 No. 7007 Great Western arrives at Moreton-in-Marsh at the head of the 1.15pm Paddington to Worcester express on 30 August 1962. The Worcester route was the last to use steam on London expresses, and it is a credit to Worcester MPD that they still managed to keep their ‘Castles’ in such a splendid external condition.