The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway's (GWSR) annual Heritage Diesel Gala offers a colourful variety of action on rail.
 
The Heritage Diesel Gala (26-28 Jul 2019) transports visitors back to the immediate post-steam era when British Rail ran diesel locomotive hauled trains throughout the UK, a sight that has now largely disappeared from the national network as electric, hybrid, and multiple-unit trains take over.
 
The railway will be running no fewer than eight locomotives including visiting Class 50 number 50035 "Ark Royal" which is normally based on the Severn Valley Railway and appears by courtesy of the Class 50 Alliance.
 
Peter Smith, one of the small team organizing the event comments, "Heritage diesel locomotives have a special appeal and this event offers an opportunity for visitors to enjoy the variety of designs that used to operate in the UK, of which very few remain in national service. Many people lamented diesel power displacing steam, but these diesel classes often had a sadly short life as modernization gathered pace. This event celebrates the special place that diesel traction has in British railway history. It's also a wonderful testament to the skill and dedication of volunteers on the GWSR who have restored and operate these often highly complex but always impressive machines."
 
David Martin, another of the event organizers added, "The Heritage Diesel Gala offer a unique opportunity to enjoy diesel power. Diesel fuel is gradually being phased out on rail, and in time it will be events like these that, similar to steam, will provide the chance to experience transport that was familiar to our parents."
 
The event will see up to ten trains each day with a 45 minute frequency over the 14 mile GWSR between Cheltenham Racecourse and Broadway, through the glorious landscape of the Cotswold escarpment.
 
Matt Hall.