An album of high quality colour photographs which take the reader on a journey along the 14-mile rebuilt section of the former Great Western Railway from Broadway to Cheltenham Racecourse. Now under the custodianship of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway, the book showcases some of the remarkable achievements of the volunteer-led group that has re-laid the permanent way, rebuilt stations and signal boxes, built new facilities and purchased and restored rolling stock.
The book begins with the inaugural train in preservation, which ran in 1984, and follows how the line has grown and developed, culminating with the opening of the Broadway Extension in 2018. Today the railway is one of the foremost heritage lines in the country.
The photographs are mostly presented in one-per-page format and feature a variety of steam locomotive classes, including the home-based fleet and many notable visiting locomotives that have travelled the line over the years. All the stations and halts are illustrated and described, as are key viaducts and tunnels along the line.
All the photographs are accompanied by informative captions, often containing historical information relating to the line or anecdotal information about the subject. A brief interlude also takes in the Toddington Narrow Gauge Railway. Hardback. 128 pages.