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Events Involving the
COTSWOLD LINE PROMOTION GROUP

 

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THE COTSWOLD-QUANTOCK EXPRESS.
Saturday 18th September 2010.

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After a series of excursion trains organised by the Cotswold Line Promotion Group with the former Central Trains, First Great Western stepped in to provide  an excursion to Torbay in 2009.  This was a great success and, for its next venture, the Group persuaded FGW to allow one of its High Speed Trains to leave Network Rail territory and travel over the West Somerset Railway to  Minehead.  This proved to be even more popular with about 440 passengers booking for the trip. The train called to collect passengers at Worcester Shrub Hill, Pershore, Evesham, Moreton-in-Marsh, Shipton, Kingham, Charlbury, Hanborough and Oxford.    Below is a selection of photographs taken on the day.  A fuller report will appear in the Winter issue of the Cotswold and Malvern Line News, due out in late November/early December.

PICKING UP OUR PASSENGERS.

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KINGHAM
(Photo: Steve Widdowson.)
CHARLBURY
(Photo: Steve Widdowson.)
HANBOROUGH
(Photo: John Crane.)

 

ON THE JOURNEY.

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SWINDON - for crew change
(Photo: Steve Widdowson.)
NORTON FITZWARREN
(Photo: Jonathan Gill - reproduced under a Creative Commons licence - Unique link to this image and caption.)
BISHOPS LYDEARD
(Photo: Steve Widdowson.)
 

ARRIVAL AT MINEHEAD.


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ON THE APPROACH
(Photo: Martyn Snell - WSR)
HANDING OVER THE TOKEN
(Photo: Martyn Snell - WSR)
ENTERING THE STATION
(Photo: John Crane.)
 

GOING HOME.

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WAITING FOR THE SIGNAL
(Photo: John Crane.)

ON OUR WAY HOME
(Photo: John Crane.)
THE END
(Photo: Steve Widdowson.)

 

The Cotswold Line Promotion would like to thank all those who helped in any way to make this excursion such a resounding success.  This includes the staff at First Great Western and the West Somerset Railway, without whom it could not have taken place.  Thanks also go to all who paid to travel on the train, the profit on which will go into the Cotswold Line Promotion Group's Station Enhancement  Fund.

Further photographs can be found on the web site www.wsr.org uk. 

A video showing various views of the train while on the West Somerset Railway can be found on YouTube .   Look out for the fox crossing in front of the train in the opening sequence.

Page added on 29th September 2010.