ELR AUTUMN STEAM GALA 14/15 OCTOBER 2017

My comment from 5 Dorset Coast Express and one Swanage Belle trip is that USA has looked nicely "real" all summer and if anything looked shiner in the few images I have seen of it over the ELR Gala weekend.

 

Did you make these "observations" to the owner and the support crew? I'm sure they'd be delighted to hear them.

 

How did the Austerity conversion perform? Haven't seen it featured much in videos. Sorry to Divert from No.9's appearance.

 

Not my video, but a good one.



I believe douglas had to double up on it's duties following city of wells failing.

 

It was working a 6-vehicle mixed passenger/parcels shuttle between Bury and Ramsbottom. It seemed to be quite comfortable with its load, with no slipping.

 

One very minor grumble ... The viewing area in Castlecroft Yard is a prime location to watch trains emerging from the Bolton Street tunnel. There just wasn't enough space to meet demand, and this was made worse by the brake van partially obscuring the view. Not intended as a criticism, but a possible area for improving the visitor experience in future.

 

Douglas was commandeered to rescue the train stranded at Ramsbottom on Saturday morning following the failure of Wells and took over its diagram working full line with 5 mk1's for the rest of the day without issue covering 106 miles over the day. Sunday was a more relaxed affair working Bury- Ramsbottom shuttles with the mixed parcel passenger set.
To coin a well known phrase "its a really useful engine!"

 

my picture from the event here - also some links in discriptions to some drone videos I also did - very enjoyable weekend.

http://steamingnorth.com/

 

Photo from todays 3P20 charter which the engine was kept in grubby condition for
https://www.flickr.com/photos/45407and44871/37760848701/in/dateposted-public/

 

Some people are keen, I've only just got home, it was a good day though worth getting up at 4 this morning

 

Brilliant photos indeed. It's great to see shots like these and also the comments that people had enjoyed themselves. The slipping of the timetable on Sunday was not the railways fault but an incident, not railway related I hasten to add, that the police attended to. It was a precautionary measure so I do hope it didn't affect anyone too much.

As mentioned above about loco conditions, two of them had been recently repainted so that would also give a more ex-works appearance to everyone.

 

Thanks for the compliment Ben.

 

No worries Britfoamer.

I have more of a scatter gun type way of taking photos. Point and hold the shutter!! My good friend can take a shot or two with good results and so I can appreciate a good photo. These are great to see. I was volunteering both days of the gala so I like to see the shots people get as you do get to see the railway from a completely different perspective at times, especially when people take their time to get to different vantage points too.

 

Be careful - someone might start thinking it's named Thomas with comments like that !