Spa Valley Railway - Latest News

My video and a few photos from the Thursday and Saturday of last weekend's Summer Diesel Gala. This was my fifth consecutive year of attending and I can definitely say I haven't ever been disappointed. My thanks go to all involved for their efforts.

 

The Y14 no. 564 from North Norfolk will be visiting from October to January.

Info from https://www.facebook.com/SpaValleyRailway/posts/1509207915888090

 

An update from the Spa Valley Railway.

The railway is just on the other side of the most successful Diesel Gala ever held with visitor numbers hitting 1,438 and 'profits' exceeding £10,000 after all costs are taken into consideration (loco hire fees, lorries, fuel, advertising, our own internal costs, Eridge Track Maintenance etc). Bringing in the 'Warship' and the Class 27 from Scotland certainly brought in the crowds with our catering teams breaking any previous records for takings.

The event is vital to the Spa as the income from it is used to pay the annual insurance premium which becomes due each August. Insurance isn't cheap for a heritage railway, we changed insurer a number of years ago and saved over £10,000 but the premium is still a large 5 figures!

Visitor number wise we are more or less the same as 2018 if we exclude the Thomas events that we no longer run, the loss of DOWT has had a big impact on our finances with over £20,000 'profit' being in effect lost to the business. Whilst we are a not-for-profit organisation we still have to make money to pay bills, running normal trains for us doesn't make enough money to keep us going, it is the dining trains and special events that enable us to operate on other days.

As mentioned above the Great Eastern Railway Y14 No. 564 owned by the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Society and based at the North Norfolk Railway is visiting us from October to until early January. We expect this to enter service for the Beer Festival from 18th to 20th October alongside the visiting Class 27 27001 and two of our resident diesels. The Beer Festival is now one of the biggest in the South East with 200 Real Ales, 30+ Ciders and all the other extras that go into making it what it is.

The Y14 will then be operating throughout the Santa Special season (no general public accommodation) and at our post Xmas Gala on the 28th & 29th December alongside 'Ring Haw' and 'Ugly', the latter entering the final year of its boiler ticket. 564 will finish its steaming hire with us on the 30th, 31st December and 1st January working standard 'Green' timetable services.

For anyone that would like to enjoy the visiting 'Warship' No. D821 'Greyhound' it is at the Spa Valley for another two weeks and is operating on the 24th, 25th, 26th & 31st August and 1st September. Bank Holiday weekend will also see No. 1982 'Ring Haw' and the visiting Class 27 27001 in service on a two train timetable with departures every 50 minutes from Tunbridge Wells West and Eridge.

Class 33/2 33201 which hasn't been in service this year is about to leave the railway for repairs off site and our resident Class 33/0 33063 'R. J. Mitchell' is visiting the Dean Forest Railway for their 13th to 15th September Diesel Gala.

 

Southern Locomotives Ltd's Austerity loco 'Norman' will be on long term loan to the Spa Valley Railway from late 2020. It will be restored in Longmoor Military Railway Blue.

Info from https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1765076880295603&id=368167126653259

 

Over the weekend (28 + 29 December) the Railway ran its Winter Steam Up, with the visiting Y14 No.564, visiting 16" Hunslet "Ring Haw" No.1982, and resident Robert Stephensons & Hawthorn "Ugly" No.62 in charge of services, aided by Class 31 430 "Sister Dora". It was meant to be "Ring Haw"'s last steaming with us, however with the Y14 failed on shed Sunday evening, she has been pressed into service for a few extra days.

If I recall rightly, there are still two crane vehicles for sale; the runner from one was sold to the IOW earlier this year. All other stock that was for sale has sold and departed the Railway.

 

The Spa Valley Railway's Facebook website is reporting that the two restored dining cars were vandalised overnight at Tunbridge Wells West.

 

Reprehensible. Hopefully they'll catch the miscreants responsible and hand them an appropriate punishment - say, cleaning road drains for 6 months. Alas, these days they'll probably be sentenced to sensitivity training.

Noel

 

They're a bit empty in the skull if they thought it was a good idea to let fireworks off inside the carriages, let alone their other thoughtless acts of vandalism!

 

The Spa Valley Railway - 75F Loco Department Facebook page has posted a clue to a visitor that is due to arrive in the summer.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1814361452033812&id=368167126653259

It will be announced tomorrow evening.

 

My first guess was a Jinty, but the smokebox seems wrong for a Jinty (the Jinty's has rivets visible at the front).
My second guess was an L&Y engine, but the lamp iron is too high for an L&Y engine.
My third guess was a GWR 14xx, but the chimney doesn't match and there's no handrail where the 14xx has one.
Some on FB suggested a Terrier? The chimney's too short to be a Terrier....

I think I finally have it now - Hunslet 2890 'Douglas'. This page gives us a photo with a good match: http://www.docbrown.info/docspics/ArchiveSteam/locoz2890.htm

 

Would love to see a 9F on the line, a good bit of overkill.

 

"Overkill", meh? We've got the Lavender Line, just down the road, for that!

 

LOCOMOTIVE No. 2890 TO SPA VALLEY

Locomotive No. 2890 is to join the Spa Valley Railway this Summer on a medium term deal. The “A Class” locomotive will arrive in mid June and is on hire to the railway until at least March 2021.

No. 2890, owned by Andy Booth, has recently been operating on the East Lancashire Railway seeing a lot of use on their Wine and Dine trains.

The Spa Valley would like to extend its thanks to Mr Booth for making this loco available to us for a long period. It’s good to see that our care of 52322 during the Summer of 2018 has been reflected in the hire of 2890.

Matt Dives, Spa Valley Railway

 

And we're pleased to announce that @MattA wins this week's "guess the loco from its chimney" competition.

Tom

 

Shouldn't that have been on the Picture Puzzle thread?

 

https://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/...s-affected-emergency-line-closure-2006066?amp

 

Incidentally, while there have been several posts about the impending visit of 0-6-0 No. 2890, something that seems to have slipped under my radar (and I am a member and very occasional volunteer) is the return of 80078! I only found out by chance and have no idea how long it is staying, but here is the loco roster, showing it in action every weekend this month apart from the diesel gala. Apologies if I have been a bit slow off the mark here, but if anyone else has missed out on the welcome return visit of just about he most appropriate class of engine to run on the Spa Valley in preservation days, here is confirmation that it's back.

 

Just announced on the Spa Valley Railway and the 75F Department FB pages, 34053 Sir Keith Park is going to the railway for storage initially and then maybe be used late 2020/early 2021.

I wonder if it would fit the headshunt at Tunbridge Wells West...?

 

It won't fit... at the moment, it's about 6ft too short the headshunt. Biggest loco we can 'run round' is a Black 5/Class 47, however never say never, if you follow our Facebook pages you'll see the whole yard is being re-laid at the moment which is partly being done to make 'Sir Keith Park' more operationally friendly (not just restricted to one line because of curvature).

 

Good news that SKP is going to be well looked after and used.