Steel Steam and Stars III

Footplate roster is out anyway! The timetable looks interesting...

 

I have just noticed the SSS3 element of the 6880 website has been updated with details of how to buy a footplate ride at SSS3. Steel, Steam & Stars III | Betton 6880

 

Any news on the appearance of the Beavertail?

 

Has the extension been completed?

 

When you say completed, what do you mean??

The track is down as far as the farm and B&B, just short of Bonwm halt. 1.5ish miles from Carrog. All has been ballasted and tamped. The final inspection is due to take place this week.

The (Corwen) extension will only be completed when there is enough funding to complete the final mile of track, and build a new station. All donations are most welcome to finish the job.

 

Was referring to the extension to Bonwm Halt.

Wondering if its going to be ready and passed by HMRI in time for the gala

 

Sounds like it's just awaiting a man to say yes judging from the above.

 

That's exactly it. That man is coming tomorrow or Wednesday I believe.

 

Presumably he will be bringing the mark of an Inspector: a brolly! (He'll need it...)

 

Hope he passes it first time and doesnt find anything wrong...

 

Apologies for posting the same message in two places...

Is a working timetable (i.e. including rostered locos) going to be available on the web for the weekend if 21/22 April? I have the weekend free and may visit SSS3 and/or Tanfield Gala for Captain Baxter, but as neither railway has brilliant public transport links, particularly on Sunday, I would like to know what I would be getting before I set off.

 

Can't comment on the availability of the timetable and roster, but I can say that there will be a free bus operating between Ruabon station and Llangollen, every 1/2 hour.

Also, the bus link between Ruabon and Llan on a normal day is t all that bad. Weekdays and Saturday's, a public service operates every 15 minutes.

 

The front end of 828 has landed in the yard at llan this evening! 10 days to go now!

 

Yes, I agree that the bus service from Ruabon to Llan isn't bad on Mondays to Saturdays (except when you wait at bus stop at Ruabon station and the bus goes straight past on the main road, which is what happened to me last time I went). My problem is that I would like to go to SSS3 and Tanfield. Neither are too much of a problem on Saturday, but Sunday is a different matter - both requiring use of rail replacement buses to get there at a reasonable time.

It's the working timetable that I'm more interested in for SSS3 because with so many locos available, some of them may only get one trip or not be used at all. The loco I'm really interested in is 828, so if anybody can advise what passenger trains it's rostered to work on 21st and 22nd, that would be useful.

 

All visiting engines are in use each weekend day. Tornado and the Brit have more trips than the smaller locos, but they all do a minimum of 2 trips.

I'm not sure where they are at with the timetable yet, and if they are going to make it publicly available.

 

Wish I could help.

For previous SSSs my son and I were heavily involved with the gala brochures and publicity material so I could have quickly answered your enquiry. I clearly remember having to burn the midnight oil to ensure the timetable was in a visitor friendly format before the SSS2 brochure went to print!

As I haven't been involved with the SSS3 gala, I (like yourselves) have been reliant upon the 6880 website (and this forum) for information/updates. Its been a complete contrast to SSS and SSS2 !

 

Back end (or "tender" if we're getting technical) left Bridgnorth this afternoon.

 

The atmosphere of discontentment on this thread seems ( imho ) to be declining even further... with ten days to go and counting there seems to be no information getting out, not even a hint of a working timetable / whats running when etc
There are small snippets but nothing concrete and a revelation from NDSTN comparing how information was handled for SSS1 & 2 and by the looks of things a lot better than this!

I assume the Betton Grnage society has a board of directors and that some if not all will be reading this? If so why can't they post on here the information that people are after? You dont have to publish a full working timetable, just whats being asked. Looking back into that old thread it seems to have done last time.

The main customer of a steam gala is someone who wants to ride the trains. The level of information provided regarding the timetable might be the difference between somone going to SSS3... or avoiding SSS3.

 

Steel, Steam & Stars III | Betton Grange 6880

Very basic departure times. Difficult to decide whether to go. Freight train times? What events on in the Glyndyfrdwy field? Needs more information putting on the website really.

 

I have seen a copy of the TT.

There are no freights after 4pm, all evening services are Passenger trains meaning there are only 3x freights a day at the weekend.

No mention of the Beavertail as there was previously, but they are hoping to have the Hawksworth saloon in action.

Loco In-Use:
Sat 21: 70000 / 49395 / 6430 / 58926 / 828 / 60163 / 5199 / 1744 / 44806 DH Only
Sun 22: 60163 / 44806 / 6430 / 58926 DH Only / 828 / 49395 / 5199 Freight only / 1744 / 70000
Mon 23: 70000 / 828 / 44801
Tues 23: 7822 / 5199 / 49395
Wed 24: 60163 / 1744 + 58926 TnT
Thu 25: 44806 / 58926 + 49395 DH
Fri 26: 7822 / 5199 / 6430 / 828 / 59826 / 70000 / 60163 / 49395 / 1744
Sat 27: 70000 / 49395 / 6430 / 58926 / 828 / 60163 / 5199 / 80072 DH Only / 1744
Sun 28: 60163 / 49395 / 6430 / 828 / 58926 / 70000 / 80072 DH Only / 5199 + 1744 DH

Set A: 7x Blood/Custard inc Thompson Buffet
Set B: 5x Choc/Cream inc Hawksworth Saloon
Set C: 5x Maroon + 1x B/C
Freight
Auto-Sandwich

And don't worry Neil, you weren't the only one burning the midnight oil last time for the SSS1+2. As you say the new team's efforts are a complete contrast to ours in terms of their publicity on the website etc. Hopefully they pull this off though.