Embsay Harvest of Steam - 26/27 September 2009

I'm sure there could be something available from Foxfield if you're in need next year!

 

I am very sorry to hear that it was not a very successful weekend.
I attended the photo charter the previous week and the experience of riding a suitable train for the line (78019 and two mk1s) was lovely and the length and quality of the freight set was unbelievable for (forgive me) a relatively small line and puts a lot of larger railways to shame.
However, for the one day I could spare over the weekend the lure of the SVR gala was too strong. I realise it is almost impossible to avoid clashes but I do think it greatly improves the chances of a successful event.

If enthusiasts are the key demographic for gala weekends (as suggested in another thread) I think an industrial gala as suggested or hiring a suitable tank engine for the branch (hopefully reducing transport costs if nothing else) along the lines of 80151 or 69023 might be an idea.
Alternatively the key for the general public seems to be to have a named and brightly coloured (i.e. not black) engine on the front.

Hope this helps a little

Ben

 

I was at SVR, would have loved to make my first visit to Embsay but couldn't be at both and I haven't managed to make it SVR this year until now. I think Embsay always had a hard job competing with SVR, then the steam started dropping out as well and frankly it was a no brainer for most steam fans. To be honest the autumn gala season is now jammed packed, however I noticed august was wide open, kids of schools as well, so my suggestion is move to a week in august, after all there wasn't even anything special on on the bank holiday weekend.

Still think you need all steam, but fox field clearly demonstrates a good industrial will fit the bill.

 

August may be a possibility, but as far as the bank holiday weekend goes...

errrr. Well. Apart from one of our busiest events of the year! Maybe not the one enthusiasts flock to, but it does generate revenue (Thomas).

On a side note, it is also the best operationally in a number of matters, with a variety of working, frequency of timetable, etc.

 

I suspect that this may be a problem with Embsay.

The poster lives in Sheffield but has never visited this particular steam railway which is reasonably easily accessible from Sheffield.

There must be very little about what Embsay does that is sufficient to attract this particular poster and I wonder if that is common across the remainder of the 'enthusiast' community.

Certainly the railway attracts very respectable passenger numbers but, presumably, few who would describe themselves as out-and-out enthusiasts.

Is it perception? Embsay's image?

As I see it, and I speak perhaps subjectively as a volunteer of 30 years service to the Embsay cause, the railway can offer very scenic locations for photography, a pleasant train ride, good loco action, two-train service with the Stately Trains set plus the Mk I set, occasional ex-BR locos to bolster the home fleet, etc.

So, what's not to like about that?

I was disappointed at the attendance at one of the two events that the railway puts on to attract enthusiasts. I recognise that we cannot compete with the SVR over the particular weekend but what holds people back from attending a such an event at Embsay.

I don't believe that the 2008 event with Morayshire was particularly lucrative for the railway despite the apparent 'sexiness' of the guest loco. It doesn't augur well for the future of steam galas.

 

This is something I have thought about in the past, does Embsay have an image??
We have a collection of industrial steam locos, 13 BR Mk1's, a lovely collection of vintage rolling stock, any gods amount of various themed wagons. and 3 stations painted in 3 different liveries.
Topped off with a mass variety of industrial shunters and mainline diesels.

Suppose one answer is... it keeps things intresting...

What does everyone else think?:smt102

 

Well before I visited last year for the D49 I had a few low opinion of Embsay mainly due to a bad experience with a member of staff in previous years, however the line has some of the best photographic locations all within walking distance! From what i've experienced, even on Thomas days the crews are enthusiastic towards photographers... I did want to attend this year but with moving away for Uni it just wasn't feasible. Unfortunately since my previous post I won't be attending next years either due to me moving to America although I have every confidence in the railway bouncing back from this years event!

 

Does anybody know what sort of timetable is running on Sunday with 78019 ?? No timetable on Embsays site.

 

I am puzzled by pennysteam's comments about Embsay "competing" with the SVR. I assume the poster means that both railways had a gala weekend at the same time. However surely they dont compete, they are in different parts of the country, and offer a different experience. You dont go to Embsay and expect a "Severn Valley" type operation, and vice-versa.
Personally I think the smaller lines with smaller motive power have their own individual charm, and they should develop what they have, and not try to join the bigger league.

My comparison would be from the South-East, where out of choice recently on holiday I visited the Kent & East Sussex rather than the Bluebell. Why? No disrespect whatsoever to the Bluebell, but I just love the totally rustic charm of the K & ESR, including the small engine including Austerity/J94 type motive power. ( It is worth it just for coming up the bank from Rolvenden behind an 0-6-0 with five mk1's.)

As I say though, different lines, different offerings, no need to change.

46118

 

I suspect most people were not at all puzzled, however will go over logic.

1) While being in Yorkshire as I about as far south as you can get in yorkshire and just of the M1, journey wise SVR is about the same as Embasy.
2) Not a great fan of diesel as most people know.
3) Member and line side pass holder of GCR, so I have seen 78019 running around dozen times this year.
4) Not been to SVR all year and it one of the major events of the year.
5) SVR had oodles of steam.

I would still love to make it to Embasy, and will do , but for all the above and several other reasons SVR was a no Brainer. Hopefully next time around the cards will fall in favour of Embasy and they have more luck with there steam.

 

Like I said, I dont see these two lines knowingly "competing", the only common factor is that they happen to have a special event over the same weekend.
Equally from the enthusiasts point of view deciding which to visit, they both offer an essentially different product. Clearly the respective "Gala" offerings were in different leagues, but that is no disrespect to Embsay.

 

A bit late now, I know, but I am puzzled by the 'lack of timetable on the website'.

As it says on the page, click on the running day to see the timetable...

 

Tim, if you click on the 4th and 11th Oct the link takes you directly to the White Rose Rally section of Events and this has not had the promised update and therefore no timetable.

Guess that is the background to the comment.

 

78019

Very pleasantly surprised to find 78019 working on the line this week end and equally surprised to find no mention of it on the web site beforehand.

Surely a bit of advertising would have helped towards the hire and transport costs of the loco.

Is it staying any longer or is the low loader that returns the WD to Ingrow returning the loco to the GCR?

 

Ah... That'll be because the update didn't 'take' Just looked back through the log and found an error I hadn't spotted. Very sorry for that!

As far as the advertising of 78019 goes, that WAS on the website as soon as we had it confirmed. It was also in ALL the magazines - full page adverts mostly.

The extra running weekend (having just re-read the post) was something I was not aware of until a few days before, and so I posted it on here, not having had time to put it up elsewhere.

For some reason Steam Railway do not list our events (even though they are sent through) in the up and coming events. That is the only place I am aware of in which we *could* have improved. Unless you've spotted any more (In which case, please let us know!)

 

Having tried to update the soecial events page I have been hit by further gremlins which refuse me access via ftp to my own site!!

For those that want further information, the services will be to the standard timetable:

http://www.embsayboltonabbeyrailway.org.uk/steam.html

Hopefully I can sort it out soon as I have SHED LOADS of updates to do...