Great Western Coffee Shop

2010 sees the 175th anniversary of the founding of the GWR. On 31st August 1835 a Royal Assent was given and the Great Western Railway was born.


A whole host of events are planned across the west with the 'STEAM' museum at Swindon leading the way.

More information on what is happening where and when can be found on the official GWR 175 webpages. There is information here on events to be held at 'STEAM' as well as links to other locations holding events.

http://www.steam-museum.org.uk/steam/gwr175.htm

Vintage Trains are operating some main line trains in conjunction with FGW, the highlight of which is "The Bristolian on 17th April, featuring fast runs behind 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe run non-stop between Bristol Temple Meads and London and back.

You get one way by steam and the other way on a 125 special service.

Sadly we're travelling that day, otherwise the thought of a non stop run from Bristol to Paddington would be too much to resist.   

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/Content.aspx?id=4772

Details of this now on FGW website - I'd love to go on it but looking at their website - ^125 odd quid per person - bit pricey! Guess I'll just have to watch it pass through Acton Main Line instead.

Interestingly this dropped into my inbox recently...assume there's a price starting from London end too but can't work it out...  ;)spy

Getting All Steamed Up!  Celebrating 175 years of the Great Western Railway - A Special Train on Saturday 17th April for West Country Passengers

2010 marks the 175th anniversary of the founding of the Great Western Railway.  First Great Western is helping to celebrate this important anniversary by joining with rail industry partners to organise a number of special events across its network during the year.  Working with Vintage Trains Limited the first of these events takes place on Saturday 17th April and involves two thoroughbred GW performers ^ the Castle class steam locomotive and the High Speed Train.

On Saturday 17th April passengers from the West Country will be able to travel up to London on a special HST charter service.  On arrival in the capital the passengers will change trains, onto a steam-hauled express train.  Headed by 1936-built Great Western Castle class steam locomotive No.5043 ^Earl of Mount Edgcumbe^, this train ^ called ^The Bristolian^ - will be the first non-stop steam-hauled express passenger service between London and Bristol since the early 1960s.  At Bristol passengers will be able to rejoin the special HST service and return to the West Country.

The special HST charter service will call at Plymouth, Newton Abbot, Exeter St.Davids, Tiverton Parkway, Taunton and Bristol Temple Meads en route to and from London.  Timings are being finalised, but the departure from Plymouth is expected to be c.0645, with the return arrival at c.1715.

Passengers travelling in Premier Dining will be able to enjoy a Great British Breakfast on the special HST en route to London, a 3-course Roast Lunch on the steam service to Bristol and a High Tea on the special HST back from Bristol, including Champagne, Gammon Steak or Poached Salmon, followed by a cream tea!

Tickets are ^150 Standard class and ^225 Premier Dining (table for 2 on steam service ^15 extra/person).  The fares include travel on available FGW services from stations west of Swindon, Evesham and Bedwyn (inclusive) to/from the nearest calling point for the special HST charter service.

Passengers wanting to book tickets should call our partners Vintage Trains on: 0121-708-4960 and look on their website for more details (www.vintagetrains.co.uk/vt2010_0417_down.htm). The Vintage Trains website also has details of other trains being run in association with FGW, with link-in fares from FGW stations.  Book early to avoid disappointment!

Starting from London - 125 pounds standard class.   Details:
http://www.shakespeareexpress.com/vt2010_0417_up.htm

Wot  ! No Advance tickets ?   ;D

Maybe the title ought to be amended to the first non stop steam pasenger train, etc...

Thanks, John R, for your suggestion - I've also taken the opportunity to link TrainSpy's topic to our forum calendar - and thanks for posting! ;)

According to a report in a railway magazine, water troughs are to be-instated for this event in order that steam locomotives can pick up water without stopping as used to be done.

Does anyone know if this is true, or is it an April fool? Though the story sounds plausible, it IS in the the April issue, and testing is to take place in "early  April" which makes me a little doubtful.

That has all the hallmarks of an April Fool's jape if you ask me. Such an idea would be impossible to implement these days, as the water would be a potential breeding ground for bacteria and trespassers and others straying onto the track to rip up and steal signal wiring might accidentally trip, drown, or worse still catch something nasty from the dirty water.

No question. April fool!

Curiously enough, I also thought "do I have 125 quid to blow" or rather 150 as I'm one of those people wiv a straw sticking out of the side of my mouth from West of Swindon.  But when you look at it, an ordinary any time return is 159.00 (standard) and 264.00 (first) just from Bristol to London - without food in standard, and with limited freebies (or "includebies") in First, so perhaps it's not that bad a deal.

In fact ... if this special is commercial viable, why not base the train in Bristol on a permanent basis and have it make a couple of round trips to London each weekday.   Commuter traffic on the peak service, tourists wanting the Steam Train experience during the day.

I'm not going to blow that money ... I would probably have gone if I could have walked down to my local station and hopped on a connecting service, but enquiries confirmed that timings aren't suitable for that  :-\ and I can do without the hassle of buses or station car parks

Stop press - I think it can be done  :)

Melksham 09:18 -> Pad 11:02
Steam Special to Bristol
Bristol 15:00 -> Melksham 15:45

And speaking with the lady on the phone, they would let a group from our town join the down special at Paddington even though we don't actually arrive there on the special HST.

Whilst these specials do sound very appealing - a nonstop London-Bristol run in an HST(albeit the boring MTU engine'd ones we have now) and a nonstop Bristol-London steam run, I think ^125 is a little steep really and I won't be booking.  If however it was priced a little lower at around ^85 I would have probably booked it.

It is a shame there doesn't appeal to any other special runs on the main Great Western mainline this Summer.  A diesel version of the special non-stop Bristol-London runs hauled by for example either a Class 47, 50, or 52 Western priced a little lower than the steam equivalent would have been great.   

I suppose we could put a 142 into Chocolate & Cream / Turners Tours livery.....

 ;D

Unfortunately organizing steam charters is extrememly expensive - that price seems to be fairly typical for an excursion these days. I doubt anyone will be making a great deal of money from it either. That's especially true if the locomotive concerned has a limit on the load it can take (not sure what this is for a castle), so a nine-car charter for example stands much less chance than a 12- or 13-car.