MHR Diesel Gala 5th-7th September

Isn't the first day of the gala tomorrow?? Pity the 40 isn't arriving, I might have gone to take a shifty at that. As it is, I am involved with the Alresford show from 06:30- 19:00 on Saturday,( I suppose I might nip up to Alresford station after Doctor Who) and working all day Sunday.

 

I heard them rumble past me at work just after 16.30. My Father just missed them after he had come out of work. Looks like there will be a nice selection of liveries on show over the weekend.................
Oh no! I just mentioned liveries on the NP forum.

 

Loco roster has now been add to time table.

http://www.watercressline.co.uk/shopimages/products/extras/Diesel locos 4-9.pdf

 

The gala is three days only (Fri-Sun).

They have arrived!

And it looks like I get my wish as 37901 seems to be coming out to play a bit more on Saturday.

 

Just got back from gala and all went ok. Must say the class 31's and the class 24 looked and sound great.

 

I heard a lot of rumbling at the bottom of the garden!

 

Day 1 of the gala went well. A good variety of traction, and interesting to be hauled from Ropley to Alresford by a brace of 08s.
A shame that the sky was a uniform grey all day, hoping for a bit more blue tomorrow.
Photos from the gala today uploaded to:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/timw1/sets/72157646853912779/
(More to follow).

I thought the 24 looked exceptional today.

24081 D5081 at Ropley by timz2011, on Flickr

 

Another great day at the gala. Must say every think seems to be going very well. Two photos from the gala.

 

Nice pics. I will be visiting tomorrow. What have the visitor numbers been like over the first two days?

 

From what I've heard the visitor numbers are good.

 

Had a good day today with trips behind the Class 24, both 31's and the blue 37. The timetable worked well with loco's being attached/removed at Ropley. However, it was very disappointing to see the Railway so empty. A very poor turnout today. I have seen more people at the Railway on a Midweek one train service Day. Talking to several volunteers at the MHR it appears Saturday was the busiest day with Friday being pretty quiet like today. I can't see that the MHR have done very well out of this Gala. It looks like the loss of the Class 40 has hurt the visitor numbers. A real shame for the MHR after a good turnout for last year's Diesel Gala.

 

Strange from comments elsewhere numbers well down on last years?

 

People working the gate at Ropley gave that impression on Saturday morning and a fair few cars had arrived before me. Maybe they were talking the figures up and hoping for a better turnout on Saturday and Sunday.

 

As said, they are comments published elsewhere, couldn't get to this one I'm afraid, as at the NYMR till after their Gala.

 

Last year's event was very busy. This year's event was very quiet. The car park field at Ropley was not even half full today. When we went to Alresford my Father & I were the only people browsing in the shop. There were more cyclists on the station using the West Country Buffet than people attending the Gala. The trains we travelled on had loads of empty seats even in the front carriage. When we went back to Medstead there were more MHR staff/volunteers than visitors. We stayed here for a while and it was deserted. It was rather sad to see the Railway so quiet for a special event.

 

Added a few more shots to
https://www.flickr.com/photos/timw1/sets/72157646853912779/
from Saturday & Sunday.

 

Just hope the railway covered the cost of bring in the loco's with ticket sales and shop sales. Just hope they take the low turnout on the chin and run the event next year.

 

If the numbers of Priv Travel for rail staff is as much as indicated by others in the ticket queue then it doesn't sound to good.
After all the efforts put in here as everywhere when arranging a Gala i do hope they at the very least have covered all costs.

 

The MHR did well out of the trainspotters balls a good few years ago now. They then dropped diesel galas (very publicly and partly down to speeding issues).
Swanage Railway then took on the baton that the MHR had dropped and ran with it. To be honest I think the SR and NYMR have almost totally corned this market with quality events.
The problem is the market for this type of event is saturated and people go to places where they know and trust. People travel from across the uk in search of a quality one stop shop event. That used to be the MHR without question, but unfortunately for them the, Swanage Rly now flag bearers diesel events in the south of england.

 

No issue with the quality this weekend surely though.
Despite the gauging problems preventing the 40 from turning up, there was the 24, two 31s and three 37s, plus Lion, the 08s and the Hampshire unit.
The MHR had obviously listened to comments from other events, as there was no double heading except the early morning 08 haulage, and 37901/37905 double headingthe last couple of round trips on Saturday night (two 37/9s together being an event in itself).
Numbers were evidently down on last year, but if people stayed away due to the non appeaance of the 40, then they missed a good event.