Later this month, the Great Central Railway will be hosting its Annual Steam Gala, which will run from the 22nd to the 25th of January.

The railway has an exciting line-up of visiting locomotives which will join their home fleet.

There are three visiting locomotives, including BR 9F No. 92134 – renumbered as No. 92043 (courtesy of Self family and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway),  3809/18 Hunslet ‘Austerity’ (courtesy of Locomotive Maintenance Services), and No. 34072 ‘257 Squadron’ (courtesy of Swanage Railway and Southern Locomotives Limited (SLL)).

No. 92134 will appear renumbered to mark an anniversary, with the gala taking place 60 years after the GCR’s principal locomotive depot in Nottinghamshire closed in 1996. The 9F have a close link with the GCR’s history and is the only surviving single chimney 9F preserved today.

The four-day event will see an intensive timetable of both passenger and goods trains.

Visitorswill also be able to enjoy refreshments at stations with both hot and cold food to help you warm up.

“The Winter Steam Gala is always a fantastic way to start the year, and we’re delighted to welcome three very special visiting locomotives to join our home fleet. With an intensive timetable, a real emphasis on goods workings, and the atmosphere you only get from steam in the winter months, it’s an event that offers something for everyone—whether you’re a lifelong enthusiast or visiting us for the first time.”

Malcolm Holmes, General Manager of the Great Central Railway