Great Dorset Steam Fair

Swanages U Class 31625 is going to the Great Dorset Steam Fair at the beginning of September as a load for the heavy haulage arena.

 

Weathering red livery?

 

Good news regarding the visit of 31625.

If anyone has the chance of attending the Steam Fair I suggest they do so. It's an excellent day out. <BJ>

 

Surely not in the livery she left the MHR? A certain magazine made such a fuss about this too. Or has the magazine paid for a temporary paint job for the Dorset event?

 

Indeed, when I went a couple of years back I spent one very long day looking around everything, then spent the 2nd day just sat at the main arena, although that was the year they had that record breaking roller gathering which took 2 or 3 hrs, so this year I'll probably try & get through it in a day. If you haven't been before, you may want to avoid Sunday, as it's a shorter day with the main arena finishing at 3pm rather than 6pm.

 

There were 298 full-size steam engines in 2013. That was probably the biggest gathering of steam-powered machines there has ever been. I've attended it 7 times. It has to be seen to be believed.

 

Stratford (30A ) on a weekend in its heyday could possibly have beaten that

 

Really? That must have been a sight!

 

I never had that privilege but I'be heard it described. Locos everywhere. According to Wiki, its allocation in 1922 was 555 locos and even in 1948 was 414 locos although a significant number were outstationed at sub-sheds..

Thread drift but, whilst Googling for facts on Stratford, I came across this:
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/train-graveyard
I wonder what happened to that smokebox numberplate? (69647)
I also wonder whether that chappie routinely ignored the fact that a loco was being shunted within a couple of feet of him!

 

I am going for the whole show. Camping tuesday to monday

 

seeing that 31625 is due to be at the great dorset steam fair as a heavy load demonstration
after a quick search it seems 34028,73096,34051, amongst others have all been there, i'm
curious to know if a steam loco has been every year and if anyone has a list of visiting locos
since the show started in 1969

 

No, there hasn't been a steam loco every year. First one I recall was around 1994-5, Hunslet 1684 went as a load, then a Fowler diesel. Steam locos on Allelys trailers and before them Engineering Services seems to have been more in the last 15 years or so. Rod Done took the Y7 and a coach from memory and in recent times, 35005 and 80104 have been but I haven't been to many since 2000.

This year will be there on Friday for certain as chairman of www.ntet.co.uk come and say hello in our marquee! Maybe even consider joining if you like what you see

 

What should we do to you if we don't like what we see?!

 

Get me out...

 

31625 as it appears now. Picture courtesy of Neil Walking

 

I'm off down today for 2 days and rushing back late on Friday night for the Welshpool gala!

 

Nice to see 31625 yesterday. As well as it sitting on temporary track it was put back on its trailer and hauled around the arena by tripple traction engine power. They struggled a bit up the 1 in 12 hill but it made a great sight!

Photo by David Collidge

 

I wish I'd seen that. I spent about 6 hours waiting for something to happen and all the trailers stayed put.

 

Most of the trailer work seemed to happen after 14.00 ish. Saw both large trailers being towed round as well as the loco. Only just got back today