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- A star-studded cast of GWR locos brought to life using smoke machines, subtle lighting and re-enactors at STEAM, Swindon
A star-studded cast of GWR locos brought to life using smoke machines, subtle lighting and re-enactors at STEAM, Swindon
Photographic evening at STEAM", Swindon with some iconic GWR locos in preservation brought to life using smoke machines, subtle lighting and period re-enactors.
£85.00
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About this event
Swindon is amongst the most iconic and historic railway locations in the world. Home to the famous Swindon Locomotive Works which opened in 1843, an entire town grew up based around the railway industry and some of the Company’s most famous engines now reside at the STEAM Museum. The Museum tells the story of the town and the Great Western Railway, from its earliest days being engineered by the famous Isambard Kingdom Brunel, through the transition from broad gauge to standard gauge operation by 1892, through two world wars to Nationalisation in 1948 and the progression from GWR to Western Region, the end of Western Region steam in 1965 and the eventual closure of the works in 1986. It shows what it was like to work in the complex which constructed and repaired thousands of locomotives for over a century. The Museum is housed in one of the former works buildings, others of which have subsequently been redeveloped for a mixture of office and commercial use.
Amongst the most famous residents are steam locomotives City of Truro and King George V. City of Truro was built in 1903 and is widely believed to haves been the first loco to pass the speed of 100mph when, on 9th May 1904, it is reputed to have reached 102.3mph on Wellington Bank at the head of the Ocean Mail working between Plymouth and London (Paddington). City of Truro is now part of the National Collection and has had several spells of main line operation in preservation since its original withdrawal in 1931; No.3440/3717 has been on static display in Swindon since 2015.
King George V is the first of a class of thirty express engines which were the largest of the Great Western Railway’s locomotives in regular traffic, capable of hauling heavy trains of thirteen coaches or more in length at high speeds. No.6000 entered traffic in June 1927 and visited the United States of America for the centenary of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in September-October 1927; it still carries the bell presented in memory of the occasion. The Kings were heavy ‘red route’ restricted locos on Western Region which limited their route availability. King George V was withdrawn in 1962 and became part of the National Collection. In the early 1970s while based at Bulmers Cider Works in Hereford, it became the first preserved locomotive to break the steam ban which British Railways imposed following the cessation of main line steam in August 1968 and effectively opened the door to the subsequent return to the main line of many steam locos in the following decades. Both King George V and City of Truro will feature prominently in our events in November.
The Museum itself will be open all day before our shoot from 10.00 until 17.00. Car parking is available at the Designer Outlet's North Car Park. The Museum cafe is open for refreshments until 20:30. Our evening is planned to start at 18.00 and will run until 22.00.
An unmissable opportunity to photograph period scenes in one of the most historic railway locations in the world.
Images for illustrastion purposes taken from our previous events here.
Event requirements
Equipment
- Spare batteries
- Camera
- Lenses
Knowledge
- All levels welcome
Fitness
- Low