SVR Autumn Steam Gala on 23 -25 September 2011

I visited Friday Afternoon to Saturday evening (excluding the Night) )Photograhing at Highley on Friday afternoon and travelled in the Evening. I was advised by a ticket inpsector that evening tickets had sold well.I was travelled allday Saturday. 828 off Bridnorth at 9.22 was busy but I do not remember many standing, I got off at Bewdley and waited for the next Bridgnorth train hauled by Tornado which arrived 30 minutes late, and manged to get on the second Carriage. When we got to Arley people were trying to get off but it was very diffcult to move down the train. Someone opened a door at the rear of the second carriage which was off the end of the platform and under the supervison and assistance of SVR Staff some passengers left the train via this door. Some passengers gave up and left the train like I did at Highley( I planned to leave at Highley.)
I had an enjoyable lunch at Highley in the Engine House.The Catering team seem very well organised and efficient dealing with the constant influx of people. There was good selection of Food and Drinkls available, one of the best preserved railway catering facilities i have been to.

There was enought recovery time in the timetable and the trains seemed to be back on time later in the day.

The trains i took (until the off Bewdley at 17.05) were busy, but not crowded. The 17.05 behind 828 was Standing room only when it left Bewdley, I managed get a seat at Highley, but we left with more people, than we arrived with. The train was very crowded. One of the Station staff was overheard saying " There is plenty of room on the roof". Despite the train being crowded most people seem to be happy and enjoying themselves

The number of Railway staff/Volunteers about at the stations was very impressive.

Thanks to all the staff and Volunteers involved for a very enjoyabe Gala.

My photo's for Friday can be found at http://paulsimpson.zenfolio.com/p191952498


With regard Highley my suggestions : -

either a top and tailed Shuttle from Kidderminster - Praires and or Panniers when they are back in service

or if possible an addtional full line service in the morning from Kidderminster leaving between 9 & 11 and then split to form local services, and that is rejoined in the afternoon to leave Bridnorth between 4 & 6.

 

So if 60 min intervals at WSR is boring,what is 70 min intervals north of Arley?

 

Duncan,

Marvellous shots. I would really appreciate being able to obtain a couple of large prints for framing. I was the driver of the King on the Saturday late turn and I would like to obtain prints of the two photos at Highley. I was firing on the day shot, (which is probably why it was blowing off: I was still getting acquainted!) and driving on that gorgeous night shot. Please pm me at your convenience to arrange financials.

Kind Regards,

John

jtx

 

There seems a view on here that mentioning the over crowding is moaning but when you pay a premium price for a event you should be able to fully enjoy it if you can book your tickets in advance maybe you should be able to book seats as well.
I have been to a large number of galas at the severn valley and this one which should have been the best one for years was not due to over crowding but a positive that should be taken from this is that 828 showed that pregrouping locos will bring in the crowds for next year i suggest no more tornado and a shuttle from highley maybe the steam railmotor.

 

To those who have complained about overcrowding, albeit, not unreasonably, I am afraid there are no easy solutions. We always try to put on the best show we can. It (The Gala) has gained a well-deserved reputation over the years for excellence and has, perhaps, become, to some extent, a victim of its own success. Our timetable planners consistently try, and succeed, in simultaneously producing a varied timetable which, not only displays all machines in as many and varied turns as possible, but also seeks to extract the maximum performance from our track and signalling. This is why a SVR Gala rocks.

The Severn Valley Railway was, and remains, a country branch line and was never designed, intended, or expected, to deal with current traffic levels. It's a burden we gladly shoulder. Deal with it folks. Long may it continue!

jtx

 

Hi Duncan; will be in touch later today;
all the best
jane;

 

I accept that there are no easy solutions and that the SVR Autumn Galas will always be crowded (at least they have been for the 5 years I have attended) but this year it got particularly bad at times. Those of us who are enthusiasts are prepared to put up with a little discomfort at times and as others have said people seemed to remain good humoured throughout, but I hope the railway do at least give some consideration to the problems as I think there are some serious safety issues here. I too heard the story of passengers being allowed to disembark from a train off the end of the platform at Arley on Saturday as was frankly amazed that they were allowed to do so. It would not, in my experience have been allowed on the "big railway" even in a less Health and Safety conscious age. In my view you should travel in the right part of the train for the station where you want to get off and if you don't, tough! Similarly the platform overcrowding at Highley is worrying. It will only take one person to fall in front of a train and the whole event could be placed in jeopardy.

 

To be absolutley clear, the passengers did not get down with either the approval or agreement of the staff in question. The Guard saw what was happening as the first climbed out. He told them they could not get off to which they responded they could not get down the corridors and were getting off whether he liked it or not. If one of them had fallen their selfish action would have stopped the gala then and there. Certainly it needs to be asked what else the gaurd could have done and what other help could have been given to him and I am sure the railway will consider it as the incident went on both the gaurds and drivers tickets.

Whilst I agree if someone fell it would be a problem of equal concern is that some 'enthusiasts' thought it acceptable to go into the 4 foot at Bewdley to take a photo!

 

Being in the right part of the train to disembark at stations is another issue that needs to be addressed. There has never, to my knowledge, been any notices at Kidder, Bewdley or Bridgnorth indicating which part of a train you should be on to get off at Arley, Highley or Hampton Loade, even on normal operating days.
Something else for the management to look at.

 

I would suggest on gala days annoucements at stations should be made.

On a train behind the King on Saturday evening, the ticket inspector was asking where people were getting off, and if they were in the wrong part of the train, telling them which part on the train they needed to be in.

 

Best gala I've been to from the lineside and the platform, worst gala riding the trains after about 10am.

Regarding the overcrowding, perhaps a partial solution would be to run a bus shuttle service from Highley to Bewdley or Kidderminster as part of the event. A few buses an hour could shift a lot of people. And have another look at getting the shuttles able to embark/disembark at Highley.

 

Thanks for clarifying that - I did not witness the incident myself (I was at Highley at the time) but heard it second-hand. Not surprisingly the report I got was inaccurate. As I say, I found it very hard to believe that SVR staff would allow this as they are normally very safety-conscious.

 

Don't think buses are the answer since a) most of us don't go to steam galas to ride on buses and b) you would need several of them to shift the number of people concerned.

The point is that the SVR need to recognise that the Engine House is a major attraction on gala days and need to provide extra trains on the Kidderminster to Highley part of the line. These trains should be at least 4 coaches as I don't believe and auto-train or railmotor could cope with the numbers. How it would fit into the timetable I'm not quite sure.

I do remember "local" trains terminating at Highley in the past, with the train being rapidly shunted into the loop to allow a full-line train to pass before the engine runs around and the train returns South. Can't remember which gala it was at but will look up my WTTs when I have a moment. The other alternative is the top and tail arrangement as used between Bewdley and Arley this year. I don't particularly like it but it does make for a rapid turnaround.

 

Like the poster above I must dig out my previous gala timetables, because as mentioned the "locals" have run to Highley and fitted in with the full line services.

At least on Saturday there were clear announcements over the pa system at Kidderminster asking people to travel in the first four coaches if they wished to get off at the intermediate stations. That does rather assume thay they could actually get into the first four coaches in the first place!!

At Kidderminster on Saturday morning there were so many people on the platform that as the nine coach formation for Tornado was very slowly shunted in by the yard pilot people started to open doors to get on. Station staff were shouting at the top of their voices asking people to wait for the train to stop. I know they are absolutely right to do this, but I thought to myself is it really worthwhile being there with all those people around and staff getting a bit irate? I much prefer to travel on the SVR at the much quieter "shoulders " of the season and will avoid these big events from now on. At least I'll get a seat.

 

Pretty much maximum capacity... I apologise on behalf of the SVR that we're not a double-tracked mainline...

 

This was the initial plan, using 7812, 2857 and 5029, but as mentioned before, were banned from using Highley sidings, the top and tailed formation would have to slide between trains and there just isn't enough room to do so without sacrificing what is already a diminishing intensive service...

 

Tom: You did a very good job, no need to apologise for anything. You can only work with what you are given, and try to fit it onto a fixed infrastructure.

 

Is this a permanent ban on larger engines using the Highley loop, or is there a possibility that the track can be "refettled" to allow it in the future ?

 

2857's ban has been lifted by the infrastructure manager, although must enter only siding 1 and with extreme caution at dead slow speed... useful to know for spring next year eh?