Steam and Diesel Galas on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway holds gala weekends each year, when visiting locomotives join its own and the timetable fills up. In 2026 there were three: the Cotswold Festival of Steam from 23 to 25 May, the Cotswold Diesel Gala from 24 to 26 July and a Mixed Traction Extravaganza on 10 and 11 October. The 2027 dates were not published when we checked on 27 October 2026; if the steam gala keeps to the spring bank holiday weekend, it would fall on 29 to 31 May 2027, but that date is to be confirmed by the railway.

The Cotswold Festival of Steam

The spring bank holiday gala in 2026 brought six guest engines, among them the Black 5 No. 45110, the Bulleid Pacific 34070 Manston and GER No. 229, known as Coffeepot, alongside the home fleet. Every station had something on: signal box tours at Broadway, the sheds, trade stands, brake van rides for over-16s (an extra ticket) and narrow-gauge steam at Toddington, the carriage works at Winchcombe, and pump trolley rides at Gotherington. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flew over on the Saturday and Sunday, and children travelled free on the Monday.

The Cotswold Diesel Gala

The July gala runs an intensive timetable for three days. In 2026 the visitors were a Class 27, a Class 25 and a Class 35, with Class 20s working in multiple all weekend. Day passes that year were £36 for adults, £17 for children and £98 for a family, with two-day, three-day and cheaper late-entry passes.

Tickets and what to know

Gala tickets are passes for the day, bought in advance online or at the booking office on the day; there are no platform tickets, so everyone needs a wristband. At the 2026 steam and diesel galas members', shareholders', HRA and off-peak passes were not accepted, though some passes were at the October gala, so check each gala's page. At the 2026 steam gala two buffets were cash only; the other catering took cards. The galas suit enthusiasts first, but the steam gala is a good family day out, with something at each station.

Getting there and parking

Toddington has the railway’s largest free car park, with limited free parking at Winchcombe, a council pay and display car park opposite Broadway station, and a large free hard-standing car park at Cheltenham Race Course, which a gala shuttle bus links to Cheltenham Spa station on some gala days. In Toddington, the Pheasant serves homemade food and Donnington ales.