129-year-old steam locomotive to star at Cotswold Festival of Steam
A ONE hundred and 29-year-old steam locomotive will be the star attraction at the Cotswold Festival of Steam.
The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) has announced that the South Eastern Railway's O1 class 0-6-0 steam locomotive, number 65, will be making a rare appearance at the Cotswold Festival of Steam, which runs from May 24 to May 26.
The locomotive, built in 1896, is on loan from the Bluebell Railway in Sussex.
It is believed to be the first time that the locomotive has worked on railways outside the South East.
Number 65 was one of 122 'O' locomotives designed by James Stirling, built between 1878 and 1899.
Of these, 58 were rebuilt by his successor Harry Wainwright, including number 65, to become the O1 class.
They were designed primarily to handle goods traffic and many were very long-lived, in their later years eventually finding work handling both passenger and goods trains on the numerous branch lines of Kent.
Most had been withdrawn by the outbreak of the Second World War but a few soldiered on into British Railways ownership and two, including number 65 (number 31065 in British Railways days), lasted until 1961.
It was bought by a private individual from British Railways and was dismantled, eventually arriving in parts at the Bluebell Railway and returned to steam in 1999.
Tom Willson, chairman of the Cotswold Festival of Steam organising team, said: "Number 65 truly is an elegant addition to the festival and will be the headline act for what is shaping up to be a spectacular show.
"It is a remarkable survivor from the days when practical machines were built to look beautiful.
"It really does reflect our theme - celebrating railway 200 - marking the bi-centenary of the birth of the modern railway network, highlighting the development of steam locomotives from the Victorian era to British Railways days."
The festival will also feature a display of 100 O gauge models at Winchcombe, illustrating the development of railway locomotives over 200 years.
There will also be several full-size and miniature traction engines in steam at Toddington.
For more information and to book tickets, visit the GWSR website.
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