Royal Forest of Steam Gala

Royal Forest of Steam Gala – 1st & 2nd November 2025

Our signature Royal Forest of Steam Gala returns to finish our normal operating season for 2025 – full timetable now available here!

A weekend where home and visiting locomotives join to give you a fantastic opportunity to enjoy them in action against an autumnal Forest of Dean.

Featuring visiting engines working alongside our home fleet with an intensive timetable, with multiple passenger trains in operation as well as the popular shuttles at Norchard station.

Home fleet:
9681
Uskmouth 1

Visitors:

The Dean Forest Railway are pleased to announce the visit of BR Standard 2 No. 78019 for the 2025 Royal Forest of Steam Gala, courtesy of the Great Central Railway, Loughborough Standard Locomotives Group and the Charles Newton Trust.

A small number of BR Standard 2s were based at Gloucester’s Horton Road shed, and at least one of the class visited the Forest’s lines in the latter days of steam.

This marks the first visit of a BR Standard locomotive to the Dean Forest Railway, and we’re looking forward to seeing the loco perfectly matched with our BR maroon stock as well as goods stock.

We’re delighted to confirm that what was once lost will soon be found in the Forest of Dean – Newstead “the Lost Engine” will be joining our line up for the Royal Forest of Steam 2025!

The 1929 built 16″ Hunslet engine – which is possibly the greatest barn find – has now been returned to steam, and makes a perfect addition to our Gala on 1st/2nd November from her home at the North Norfolk Railway.

Our thanks to them and her owners for making the locomotive available to us.

We will also be joined at Norchard Station by the Worcester & District Engineers, who are bringing their portable 5″ running line and locomotive.

Travel in style on board the Hawksworth Inspection Saloon, available for an upgrade charge of £6 per person (payable by cash on the day to the saloon attendant) on Set B throughout the day. Note: we regret that the saloon is not wheelchair accessible and dogs are not permitted to travel in the saloon.

Rail200 – British Rail’s last mainline steam train ran in 1968, but the first preserved locomotives were already working on restored lines.