The Annual Gala took place from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th September 2023 with an intensive timetable featuring home based and visiting locomotives. Many of our Wings and Wheels Society members visited this brilliant gala over the course of the weekend, for many I'm sure this railway holds a special place for them as it does for us! So Nick, Dr Bill and I visited the gala on Friday meeting up with fellow members and gricers Fred, Sage and Dave, and what a day it was too as you can see from our photos and video, I've also added in a few pics from Dr Bills selection too. It was great to see the return of Victorian Furness Railway No.20 Britain's oldest working standard gauge steam locomotive from 1863 (in 2023 it is 160 years old). Also LNWR Coal Tank 1054 built in 1888, and Keighley Gas Works No 2 built 1911 courtesy of the Tanfield Railway. Also Home fleet loco Rosyth No1 from 1914 made it the most modern loco in action on Friday meaning that all operating locos were well over 100 years old. This was one special gala, and the volunteers operating the gala and trains were very friendly and helpful throughout the day as usual. On Friday we caught the end of the UK's late heatwave seeing us taking our photographs in sweltering 28 degrees plus sunny weather, even at the railway's height of approx 1300ft above sea level. So from all of us that visited the excellent 'P&B Rly' we would like to say many thanks to all volunteers and organisers for their hard work in making this, as in previous years, a brilliant railway and gala to visit, keep up the great work folks from all at Wings & Wheels Society Dursley.
Copyright of all pictures in this gallery belong to R Kelsey.