Mangapps Silver Jubilee Gala, August Bank Holiday W/E.

Mangapps Railway, at Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex, will be holding their 2014 Gala over the Bank Holiday weekend, 23rd, 24th & 25th August- exactly 25 years since the line opened to the public.

The provisional list of operating locos is: "Empress" (Bagnall 3061/1954), "No.8" (Barclay 2157/1943), 47 579 "James Nightall G.C.", 31 430 "Sister Dora", 03 081, 089 & 197, 04 D2325, plus industrial diesels. In addition, 2 (possibly 3) o3s currently under restoration or overhaul will be available for inspection.

Rolling stock will include some unusual items, there will be a model railway display and, of course, the largest and best public railwayana collection south of York! (Well, so our visitors tell us!)

Saturday 23rd will be all diesel, Sunday and Monday will be steam and diesel. Further details and updates can be found on our website, mangapps.co.uk

 

Can you point us to where to find further details on the website? All I can find is a couple of notes on the Opening Times page saying that this event is happening, but nothing in the way of details.

 

What would you like to know?

 

Will all locos be running each day? Apart from Saturday when there's no steam.

 

All diesel locos will be running on Saturday, plus the two steam locos on Sunday and Monday. The diesels may run less frequently on Sunday and Monday, to give the steamers a chance!

 

Are you running a bus from Burnham?

 

There will be a bus from Burnham to Mangapps on the Saturday, we are currently awaiting confirmation from the operator re Sunday/Monday.

 

It's Sunday or Monday I'm interested in. Never visited Mangapps, but may give it a go if I can get there.

 

Its well worth a visit

 

There will be a dedicated bus meeting trains at Burnham-on-Crouch Station on Saturday. On Sunday and Monday the local "Dengie Dart" taxi-bus will provide the service. You can check the "Dengie Dart" service by ringing 01621 874410.

 

Well worth a visit, allow more than a few hours, easy to suddenly realise you've been there for 4 hours without noticing it.

 

Many thanks for the recommendations, D7076 & 3855. We have a relatively short line and not a single Bullied pacific, but we always strive to give satisfaction. As in other areas of life where satisfaction is important, size dosn't really matter!

 

Pleased to confirm that all the locos listed as operating in post #1 are expected to be in operation. 31 430 still has some issues, but we hope that it will at least be able to operate in "top & tail" mode, in which case it will be working for the first time since 1999.
A new feature this year will be the opportunity for visitors to drive an 03 for a tenner!

 

Never been before so hoping to visit for this... just wondering do you have to pre-book the driver for a tenner & will the steam loco's double head at all?

 

"Driver for a Tenner" will be first come, first served and yes, we intend to double-head the steam locos on at least one train on each day (Sunday & Monday).

 

do you have a roster for saturday as to the times each loco will be working. thanks

 

Thanks Flaman, much appreciated.

 

We don't operate a set roster (experience at other railway's Galas is that they seldom survive long!)
However, our line is relatively short and our track layout enables us to do very quick changeovers. Each loco generally does two runs, taking about 25/30 minutes, then swaps with another, so all locos should get at least two runs each day. Should you have to wait to see/ride behind your particular favourite, there will be plenty of other activity and a lot of other things to see.

 

Further to this post, 31 430 "Sister Dora" has just completed a 5 mile test run, the first time that she has moved under her own power since 1999. Her bodywork is still a bit untidy and train brakes still require attention, but she should be capable of working demonstration freight and, hopefully, passenger trains, the latter in "top & tail " mode.

 

Will the steam locos pull the freight at all? Also are there any good vantage points for photo's along the line?