EPW035823 ENGLAND (1931). The Sunningend Engineering Works, Cheltenham, 1931

This is the Midland Inn, known locally as the Little Midland because of the much larger Midland Hotel not far away towards Gloucester along the road.

St Mark's

Now known as Cheltenham Spa station. The covered colonnaded entrance by the cab rank has since been removed

Formerly the Midland Railway's main station, and one of some 5 or 6 stations serving the town; now the only one left in use!

Well spotted. Yes it looks like a double-ended mechanical drive locomotive. Not sure about it being a Sentinel... most of them had flat ends at one end and a bunker at the other... This looks more like something out the war department with a curve in at both ends .... so it might be a petrol or diesel propelled loco.

looking at some of the other photographs from this flight the other vehicle in front of the loco on the turntable is a gas cylinder wagon rather than a locomotive.

I agree with Toby44's comment, several previous photos have revealed a gas cylinder wagon and other stock, left on this turntable and the loco has now arrived to push all of them clear.

As Lansdown Station is on the ex Midland Railway line from Gloucester to Birmingham, it is possible these coaches do not belong to the GWR

Who else had Chocolate and Cream clerestory coaches in 1931?

It does seem strange that they are parked here as the GWR had plenty of space elsewhere at Cheltenham St James station see EPW024147. As you say these sidings are just north of the LMS station. I am not familiar enough with the operating pattern of the GWR/LMS around this time, but I believe the GWR ran over the Birmingham to Bristol as there alternative via Stratford on Avon was rather slow. However it would appear that the sequence of pictures suggests a GWR train that is turning here the loco being seen on the train in the siding and than on the turntable as it preparing to return south.

Today the rationalised sidings at this location are used by FGW (First Great Western) to turn/layover it Paddington to Cheltenham services.

The carriages are Great Western because it operated the service on the Midland and South Western Junction Railway, which left the Midland main line at Lansdown Junction just south of the station, going off through Leckhampton and Charlton Kings, through Cirencester and on to Swindon. Locally known as the Tiddley Dyke apparently. This line is the reason for the amazing sign on Platform 1 in Edwardian times indicating that passengers should change here for Southampton and the continent or words to that effect.

With so many trams in the depot during the daytime I checked to see the operating dates of the Cheltenham tram system. One reference gives them as 1901 - 1930, which would mean these are cars awaiting disposal. Not easy, as a number of systems were closing at this time, so the second hand tram market much have been rather weak, especial for mostly open top cars like these.