The Third Gala Vistor is Announced

We are now in the position to announce, subject to contract, that the third (but not necessarily final) visitor to the Cotswold Festival of Steam gala  (May 26th - 28th) "Give My Regards to Broadway".  We are proud to present Riddles, 4-6-2, 70013, Oliver Cromwell.  We would like to express our gratitude to the Great Central Railway, the 5305 Locomotive Association and the National Railway Museum for kindly allowing us to use Oliver Cromwell at our gala this year.

70013, Oliver Cromwell approaching Shap on the West Coast Mainline

The Britannia class of BR standard locomotives were introduced in 1951, with Oliver Cromwell entering traffic on the 30th of May that year.  Although she spent most of her working life in East Anglia or the North West of England, members of the class were not infrequently seen on our line.

Oliver Cromwell at Crosby Garrett on the Settle & Carlisle line

Oliver Cromwell has a couple of claims to fame, the first being that she was the last BR owned standard gauge steam locomotive to benefit from a routine heavy overhaul, emerging from Crewe works after a ceremony in February 1967.

Oliver Cromwell departing Twerton tunnel near Bath

Oliver Cromwell's best known claim to fame is that she was one of the four steam locomotives that hauled the famed 15 Guinea Special on August 11th 1968, which was the last mainline passenger service by BR before the steam ban the following day. We are of course rapidly approaching the 50th anniversary of that "final" steam hauled passenger train run between Liverpool, Manchester & Carlisle.

Oliver Cromwell on Ribblehead viaduct on the Settle & Carlisle line

The real life person that 70013 was named after is one of England's more controversial historical characters.  He was a puritan who joined the English Civil war on the side of the Parliamentarians, rising quickly to becoming a leading commander in the New Model Army.  He was a signatory of King Charles I's death warrant and later became the Lord Protector of England (which included Wales at the time), Scotland & Ireland. His repression of Catholics, especially in Ireland is viewed as near genocidal.  By the time that the monarchy was restored in 1660, he had already died of natural causes, but that didn't prevent his corpse being disinterred and beheaded.

Oliver Cromwell at Crosby Garrett

That is an impressive line up, 6023, King Edward II, USATC S160, 5197 and 70013, Oliver Cromwell.  With one more loco to announce and the first gala to operate into Broadway station, this year's event is simply unmissable.Advance tickets can be obtained by clicking here.