Railway200: The Greatest Gathering. Derby Litchurch Lane. 1-3 August.

The BLS railtours are now available to book https://branchline.uk/current-fixtures.php

These do not include entry.

Shuttle 1, Friday 1st August:

1 x GBRf Class 66 (Chesterfield - Derby - Barrow Hill Sidings)
1 x GBRf Class 69 (Barrow Hill Sidings - Derby)

Chesterfield P3 (PU 10:20) - Derby P4 (PU 11:18) - Toton Centre - Alfreton - Chesterfield - Sheffield - Woodhouse - Beighton Jn - Barrow Hill Up Sidings - Belper - Derby P6 (SD 13:55)

Shuttle 2, Friday 1st August:

1 x GBRf Class 69 (Derby - Barrow Hill Sidings)
2 x DBC Class 66 (Barrow Hill Sidings - Derby - Chesterfield)

Derby P6 (PU 14:15) - Toton Centre - Alfreton - Chesterfield - Sheffield - Woodhouse - Beighton Jn - Barrow Hill Up Sidings - Belper - Derby P4 (SD 17:04) - Chesterfield P3 (SD 18:00)

Shuttle 3, Saturday 2nd August:

2 x DBC Class 66 (Chesterfield - Derby - Barrow Hill Sidings)
1 x FL Class 70 + 1 x FL Class 66 (Barrow Hill Sidings - Derby)

Chesterfield P3 (PU 10:18) - Derby P4 (PU 11:16) - Toton Centre - Alfreton - Chesterfield - Sheffield - Woodhouse - Beighton Jn - Barrow Hill Up Sidings - Belper - Derby P6 (SD 13:55)

Shuttle 4, Saturday 2nd August:

1 x FL Class 70 + 1 x FL Class 66 (Derby - Barrow Hill Sidings)
1 x DRS Locomotive (Details TBC) (Barrow Hill Sidings - Derby - Chesterfield)

Derby P6 (PU 14:15) - Toton Centre - Alfreton - Chesterfield - Sheffield - Woodhouse - Beighton Jn - Barrow Hill Up Sidings - Belper - Derby P6 (SD 17:18) - Chesterfield P3 (SD 18:11)

Shuttle 5, Sunday 3rd August:

1 x DRS Class 68 (Chesterfield - Derby - Barrow Hill Sidings)
1 x Locomotive (FOC and Details TBC) (Barrow Hill Sidings - Derby)

Chesterfield P2 (PU 10:20) - Derby P3 (PU 11:05) - Toton Centre - Alfreton - Chesterfield - Sheffield - Woodhouse - Beighton Jn - Barrow Hill Up Sidings - Belper - Derby P5 (SD 14:13)

Shuttle 6, Sunday 3rd August:

1 x Locomotive (FOC and Details TBC) (Derby - Barrow Hill Sidings)
1 x Locomotive (FOC and Details TBC) (Barrow Hill Sidings - Derby - Chesterfield)

Derby P5 (PU 14:36) - Toton Centre - Alfreton - Chesterfield - Sheffield - Woodhouse - Beighton Jn - Barrow Hill Up Sidings - Belper - Derby P6 (SD 17:36) - Chesterfield P3 (SD 18:36)

 

Exciting News from The Greatest Gathering!

''We’re thrilled to announce our next exhibit as 60532 Blue Peter courtesy of Locomotive Services Ltd will be on display at our three day event, subject to operational availability''. <BJ>

 

Delighted it's been finally announced. Still disappointing for people with Sunday tickets they'll miss the gathering of the four LNER locos but never mind, hopefully it'll happen again in the future, a Gala surrounded it would be cool.

 

Site map https://www.alstom.com/sites/alstom.com/files/2025/07/15/The_Greatest_Gathering_Map_EN.pdf

Rides on Test Track (TR1) and Steam Train (TR2), plus the HS2 interior mockups will be bookable via a QR code.

Cab Rides (TR6) will be bookable via a QR code with an additional charge.

 

One minor annoyance for me is that with my ticket being for the Sunday, part of my journey to Derby will need to be made by road as the line is closed between Peterborough and Leicester...

 

Except the QR code just takes you to the booking page for event tickets, not site rides

 

46203 Princess Margaret Rose has left Butterley! She has started her journey to Derby to take part in The Greatest Gathering .

 

Well, 7 days from now we should be wheels up from YYZ en route to LHR and our week in England including my Sunday jaunt to Derby for the Greatest Gathering. If anyone sees someone with a camera running around like mad trying to catch as much as they can Sunday afternoon in a Toronto Railway Museum ball cap (see pic, trust me, you won’t see another as I had them custom made and the other two who own them won’t be there), say hi!

Hope everyone going has a great time, not sure how I’m going to get around and see everything I want to see from the seemingly never ending list of announcements!

Cheers,

Stephen Gardiner
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

 

Have a fantastic trip!

Really looking forward to this, looks set to be a once in a generation 'I was there' event. Hats off to the organisers for pulling this together.

Also very pleased (& proud!) to see a strong SVR representation heading to Derby. After the difficult year they have had hopefully some cause for celebration finally, starting this weekend with Flying Scotsman.

 

Tickets are released on Monday according to the greatest gathering social media.

Based on comments on the Facebook post TR1 will be a class 345, TR2 will be 44932 & a class 37 and TR6 will be a class 93.

 

I'm now a little more positive about it - it's just a pity I'm travelling on Sunday where engineering works are affecting the line between Peterborough and Leicester. I'm wondering whether to drive to Leicester and get a train to Derby from there or take a risk, drive to Derby and find somewhere to park my car relatively nearby.

 

Thanks Alan, as I may have said before, so many events you get in the UK have left me watching from the sidelines an ocean away. My lucky happenstance that we had already booked a trip over when this was announced and me getting to go has me positively giddy! I know I won’t see everything on Sunday in my give or take 4 hours between my train from London getting to Derby at 11:25 if it’s on time and the site closing at 4, but I intend to do as best I can as for once I’ll be able to say I was there!

Still considering a Saturday morning run to Didcot before we go to the concert Saturday night, will probably be a Saturday morning decision depending on how gassed we are from travel/arrival day on Friday. Other than that, this trip will all be around London, but I’ve got some time in the calendar for railfanning around the City. My goals are to get some Eurostars and 225’s.

Just Three more work days to go before I’m on vacation!

Cheers!

Stephen