South Devon Winter Gala 13-21st Feb

Building on the success of our previous winter gala's, 2016 will see an expanded gala which will again showcase West Country Branch Line travel from a bygone era. There should be six locomotives available for service throughout the event, including two visitors.

Plans are coming together well and I am just starting to compile the timetables and loco diagrams for what will be a great start to the 2016 season on the SDR. The outline plan is as follows:

Sat 13th / Sun 14th: BR(WR) Days featuring four locomotives, all in BR livery and all of which were originally preserved at Buckfastleigh. Passenger trains formed of BR liveried stock, including auto trains, plus various goods trains.

Mon 15th-Thu 18th: (TBC) Branchline days with two loco's in steam operating passenger services.

Fri 19th: "Panniers & Pints" - After a similar day earlier this year, Panniers and Pints returns, but this year featuring four different pannier tanks. There will also be an evening photo shoot at Buckfastleigh (spate charge) featuring various locomotives on shed and plus in the station at Buckfastleigh. The Devon Diesel Society bar will be open at Staverton. Trains running through the day and into the late evening with a frequent service of both passenger and goods trains.

Sat 20th & Sun 21st: All six loco's in steam working an intensive service of passenger, auto, and goods trains. The bar will again be open at Staverton and there will be late trains on the Saturday.

More details in due course.

 

Book the week off back in May hoping this would happen. Can't wait.

 

Just completed the draft timetables and loco allocations for the February event (13th to 21st). We'll be following the traditional branch line theme again with a total of six steam loco's, 1 diesel and the railcar expected to work during the course of the event.

1369 will be back from C&PR and with only around 12 months left on its boiler ticket will get a quick make-over and appear in BR black.

L92 will be in use on the second weekend and with this loco... booked to visit C&PR for the 2016 season, the gala will be one of just a few workings at home during the year.

3205 will be back from Battlefield and of course the ever popular 6412 will be in use too, including working some auto services.

Visiting traction will be 1450 - a welcome return of an old friend that appears courtesy of Push Pull Ltd and the Severn Valley. 1450 is expected to be in use on six days including both weekends and will work a number of services including several auto services.

Second visiting locomotive will be 4612 from our friends at Bodmin. This will be the first appearance of 4612 on the line and it will look very much at home working the two coach GWR passenger set. A Fruit D van is also expected to be added to the formation for certain services.

The first weekend is earmarked as BR(WR) and in addition to four steam loco's, Class 04 D2246 is also expected to appear shunting at Staverton and also working a couple of goods trains to and from Totnes.

Monday to Thursday it is planned to run six round trips per day, using two loco's and two sets of coaches. On the Monday and Tuesday the second set will be run as a two car auto, whilst on Wednesday and Thursday it will be replaced with a GWR era two coach branch passenger.

Friday is another "Pannier & Pints" day with services in the day being operated by no less than four pannier tanks. There will be an evening photo shoot at Buckfastleigh (more details to follow) and the real ale bar at Staverton will be open. Late trains will operate on Friday and will include a couple of early evening runs by the railcar W55000.

Saturday and Sunday 20/21st will see all six loco's in steam with a variety of passenger and goods trains running. The bar will be open at Staverton and there will be late trains on the Saturday.

Plenty more info to come, so keep an eye on social media and websites for further announcements of what should be a great start to the SDR's 2016 season. Full working timetables and loco allocations will be released closer to the event.

 

Could you please provide info on which locos you plan to have working on Monday-Thursday? I need to book advance tickets and ideally come on a day when 6412 is running.

 

Monday should be 6412 on three choc cream Mk 1's, 1450 on 2 car auto
Tuesday should be 1450 on three choc cream Mk 1's, 6412 on 2 car auto
Wednesday and Thursday 1369 on three choc cream Mk 1's, 4612 on two coach GWR rake

Six round trips in total each day, three each by each set.

 

Thanks, Ganger, for that very helpful information.

John

 

Many thanks Ganger.

 

A bit more detail:

Saturday 13th / Sunday 14th: 1369, 1450, 3205, 6412 & D2246 in use both days. A variety of both passenger and freight trains, including single auto car services using both 1450 and 6412. services operate between 09.00 and 17.30 on both days.

Monday 15th: 6412 + 3 coach choc/cream Mk 1 set & 1450 + 2 car auto, six round trips in total, 3 round trips with each set.

Tuesday 16th: 1450 + 3 coach choc/cream Mk 1 set & 6412 + 2 car auto, six round trips in total, 3 round trips with each set.

Wednesday 17th & Thursday 18th: 1369 + 3 coach choc/cream Mk 1 set & 4612 + 2 car GWR set, six round trips in total, 3 round trips with each set.

Friday 19th: 1369, 4612, 6412, L92 & W55000. A variety of passenger (3 sets) and freight workings starting at 10.00 and running until 22.40. Real Ale festival at Staverton. Evening photo shoot at Buckfastleigh (separate admission charges - details to follow - apply featuring two shed scenes: one with 1420, 1450 and 6412, the other with 1369 and 3205, plus 4612 and GWR set in the platform.)

Saturday 20th: 1369, 1450, 3205, 4612, 6412 & L92. Intensive service from 08.00 to 22.40. Passenger (4 sets including single car auto), goods, milk and parcels workings. Real Ale festival at Staverton.

Sunday 21st: As Saturday 20th but with services running from 08.00 until 17.45.

Full working timetables including loco and stock allocations should be available early/mid January free of charge. The aim is very much to feature typical branch line style services and as such double-heading etc will be kept to the minimum and for most of the event loco and stock combinations will be an authentic match.

More details to come in the early New Year.

 

Working timetables with loco and stock allocations for the South Devon Railway's February gala are now available via the main SDR website under "events".

 

I cannot seem to access the details. "URL not found". Last years event comes up ok.

 

I have got it now I was on the SDRA site !! My error.

 

What is the fare structure on the Friday? Will it be special event fares for day rover tickets not the normal £14 all day return?

 

There are separate rover tickets for the main weekend dates, with one and two day rovers available the first weekend 13 & 14, and one, two and three day rovers available for the second weekend 19-21. An adult rover will be £20 for one day, £32 for two days, and £45 for three days.

On the Monday to Thursday normal fares apply and will allow unlimited travel, the adult return being £14.

In addition to the advertised services, it is now possible that there will also be engineering trains running on Monday 15th using 1369. These will operate in and around the booked passenger services which are booked for 6412 (3 x Choc Cream Mk 1's) and 1450 (2 x auto trailers).

Everything else is going to plan and 1369 is due to be shunted tomorrow ready for repainting into BR black and in a change from its last appearance in this livery, will carry the early style crests this time round.

3205 is due to return home tomorrow and will appear at the gala in BR lined green livery. It will run like this for the gala and a few odd days after but is due to be repainted into GWR plain green in April / May, so the gala will be one of the last chances to see the loco in BR guise.

1450 is due to move south on 8th Feb with the SDR's tamper then moving to Bodmin to undertake some tamping work. 4612 will then move to Buckfastleigh using the same lorry and is due to arrive at Buckfastleigh on Weds 10th.

The two weeks leading up to the gala will see the on track flails working along the line and the branch should be neat and tidy by the time of the gala.

The ale is on order and the bar at Staverton will be open on 19th - 21st.

I am also exploring the option of using our Routemaster bus to run a direct connecting service from Newton Abbot to Buckfastleigh on Saturday 20th. Further details and times will be confirmed in due course.

 

For those interested on both Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st we will be using the Routemaster bus to provide an early morning service from Newton Abbot direct to Buckfastleigh. The bus will depart from the stop opposite Newton Abbot Railway Station at 08.15 arriving at Buckfastleigh in time to connect into the 09.00 departure, with a second run departing from Newton Abbot at 09.30 arriving at Buckfastleigh in time to connect into the 10.25 departure. The service will be free of charge however any donations towards the cost of the fuel and running costs of the bus will be much appreciated.

 

Landslip on the SDR.

http://www.torquayheraldexpress.co....way-s-Winter/story-28700732-detail/story.html

 

Enough trees, stumps, rocks and earth has been moved today to allow passage of a Wickham trolley. The remaining part of the slip is to be assessed tomorrow to ascertain if any further action is needed.

 

As both the PW Manager and the co-ordinator of the gala I am very confident that we will be running as previously advertised this coming weekend. 1450 has now arrived and late this afternoon 4612 was on the low loader at Bodmin and is due to be unloaded at Buckfastleigh tomorrow morning. 1369 is fast returning to BR black and will be ready for this coming weekend, and 3205 was steam tested today and looks good paired back with its tender in BR lined green.

 

I've just heard on Radio Devon that the gala will go ahead, but 'with some restrictions'. He didn't go into detail.

Anyway, I'm going!

John

 

Only restriction will be a short 5mph temporary speed restriction past the slip site, apart from that everything else is pretty much in p[lace as I type and waiting for the off on Saturday morning.

 

Where about did the slip take place ?