Severn Valley Railway Autumn Steam Gala 18-21th September 2014

Only managed to visit on the Saturday this year. Personally, I enjoyed the gala - highlight of which being the 4F. However, the numbers appeared low to me. A number of people also seemed to be disappointed with this years line-up, suggesting no real big attraction. It is a shame that some people fail to appreciate the significance of a 4F being away from its home line for the first time in preservation. I also enjoyed with evening goods with the Pig - the timetable had slacked off a bit by that time (about 40 minutes late), largely due to SKP needing to raise vaccuum at Highley.

I also heard a few grumbles about the timetable. Personally, I liked it - wasn't too crammed full of trains, yet had interesting variety throughout. I never used to like WTT's from a few years ago where the south end would be a bustle of activity, yet the north end would be dead for long periods. I'd only suggest two changes.

1. The set diagrams were a bit all over the place. This could be due to maintenance with various coaches, but assuming a full complement of 6 sets, i'd have give a BR set each to SKP and the 5. The LMS set would have been behind the 4F, with either one of the GWR or LNER set behind 88 (as it didn't fit with anything anyway). The remainder could have then been used for the locals.

2. The M7 on the Saturday should have been rostered to 4566's diagram, and 4566 to the M7's. This would have allowed it to get up the line twice on the main day. Unfortunately, it only made one trip up the line on the Sat, which I felt was a waste and could have been used more.

I'd also like to reply to a comment posted a while back now that i've just read.

I really can't see the harm in just suggesting the times off BN and KDR for the 5 - the original poster shouldn't have had to pay £6 for that information. You are no doubt aware that the WTT contains much more information that just the locos on trains - the poster did not require info on the set, facing, or time on/off shed. I do hate comments like this, especially when all of this information was freely displayed on Hampton Loade platform throughout the duration of the gala. I myself asked for timings of the 4F off BN, just so that I could arrange to arrive at an appropriate time, not because I wanted to get away with paying £6 for a complete WTT.

Rant over.

 

Picking the right sets would not please everyone and I think most vehicles were in use. One point to remember is that each set needs at least one brake. All bar one set had accessability coaches. Would customers apreciatee a MK1 on the local?. not all the LMS or GW coaches can couple to MK1s. Factor in seating capacities and you plan what is possible. From the loadings on the locals I think the two LMS sets and the LMS/GW set were apreciated.

 

Here's my efforts from Saturday at the gala, despite the weather being a bit iffy at times, it was still a pleasant event.

 

Whilst I appreciate your reply, I clearly stated ``assuming a full complement of 6 sets'', therefore I was making suggestions under the assumption that the brakes typically used in each set were available. Unfortunately, i'm not up to speed on the state of certain coaches in relevant sets, but it is clear that some juggling had taken place to get full strength sets out in force. Also, I appreciate and am fully aware of the difficulties in combining LMS/GWR and LNER/BR coaching stock - in fact, there is an interesting piece in the current SVR news which clearly highlights the height discrepancies in the gangways of each coach. The reason I suggested splitting the teak rake is that I remember this being done a couple of years ago - 46443 was at HL with a rake of three of them.

From experience, people seem to generally praise the SVR when correct sets are matched to correct locos, as has been the case over the last couple of years. In fact, the SVR is in a pretty envious position of having so much flexibility in its rolling stock that it is able to achieve pretty realistic matchings.

 

lil bear's bitten my head off on more than one occasion. He needs to learn when to shut up.

 

Assuming they have one at all...

 

I attended Friday PM to photograph although I ended up studying the working timetable in the Railwaymans Arms, and a brief visit to Highley, Travelled all day Saturday and photographed Sunday until lunch time. The GWR First Class Coach Bridgnorth end of the set is a very comfortable coach. A selection of my photos can be found at http://paulsimpson.zenfolio.com/p808375300

 

I reckon maybe one reason the line up of locos wasn't quite so start studded this year us perhaps to contrast mire with presumably what will be next year an attempted best yet for their 50th? Either way I'm getting a whole weekend rover next year

 

Not everybody has a 4-6-2 fettish & in many ways such big locos are completely out of place on many of our heritage railways (they are very much best seen in full flight on NR).
Much better to host locos of the right size for the line which fit in much better, are attractive in their own right and still credible at 25mph.
To many the M7, 4f, 88 and other similar sized locos are stars enough, leave the really big stuff and its followers to pose elsewhere.

 

I had a great weekend, I thought it was fairly busy on Saturday standing room only on several trains I travelled on.
The locals were great and bridgenorth at night was incredibly evocative even for those of us to young to have been arround when steam was about.
Only one issue was the behaviour of some idiots who were so drunk they were urinating into glasses and then throwing it out of the window.
Additionally I would suggest that they have info on volunteering in the evenings I know I was definitely more persuadable after a couple of beers

 

Sorry about the idiots. I believe they were escorted off the premesis. It is an unfortunate that some in society act in an unruly behaviour when having taken too much drink. The responsible majority should not IMHO be disadvantaged by not having access to alcoholic beverages.

My sympathy goes to the overnight TTIs, volunteers, who had to clean up the mess they left having actually urinated in the coach

 

I'm not the only one. At least I know what I'm talking about.

 

Having bought a WTT I do know exactly what it entails, but that's not the point. Everyone who attends the SVR ASG knows that to get the diagrams the SVR sell them as a full WTT. They can't just sell a select few of certain locos between certain times though, as everyone has different wishes and it would be just too time consuming. You don't go to a shop & buy a CD but only ask for just 1 or 2 songs, and its a similar situation here. All the monies help pay for the gala, and the income no doubt gives the SVR a healthy return compared to the cost of printing it. However why should some people go online and ask questions expecting to be given such information for free, when there are those honest enough to have paid the £6? How is that fair?

It be ok if the SVR had made the decision to give the information out for free like other lines (Swanage & Keighley come to mind), but they don't. So if you want the information you pay like the rest of us, or take pot luck when you turn up. The fact the stations advertise the diagrams during the event is irrelevant, as the original request asked for information before the event. What is done during the event by the event organiser is their choice.

 

hello
after a misty start sunday was mainly the opposite weather wise to fridays
thanks once again for yet another great gala some more pictures at
www.stevebottrill.zenfolio.com
regards

 

I do get annoyed at the Hampton Loade loco thing it's the same with the WSR at Crowcombe I believe. People are made to purchase this information so those honest of us enough to do, but then some freeloaders probably turn up early and note this information down.

If you wanted 4F times, buy a WTT like the rest of us. £6 is nothing in the grand scheme of a day out, it's two pints of beer or a breakfast with a drink in the Valley Suite. People expect something for nothing these days. People may complain it is a lot, then I suggest they find an alternative. I get this 'it's too expensive' etc in another of my interests... the SVR want to make money and it costs a lot of money to put an event of this size on.

 

My video from the Sunday of the event.

A special mention to the Venturer team who delivered a great at-seat service four course breakfast aboard the 0848 train off Kidderminster. I enjoyed myself immensely and recommend anybody to try it one day! See https://www.flickr.com/photos/jbtevans/15321384135/

I had an enjoyable pint from the Bewdley beer tent too so hope that stays in future, seems popular enough. The atmosphere along the line was great!

 

First Autumn SVR Gala for me!

My gala set from the SVR now online: https://www.flickr.com/photos/frank47524/sets/72157647899035072/

Cheers.

 

Went over again yesterday, was on the line from about 7 in the morning til 5...the time flew by! My camera battery gave up around 3, still got hundreds of photos to sort through now. First time I've properly been to a gala, already looking forward to next year's events. I'm sure that with the golden jubilee there'll be some 'high profile' visitors - not that there was anything wrong with this years line up. 88 my personal favourite.

Interested to know if they were enthusiasts or general members of the public? I'd guess (and hope) the latter?

 

100% agree about the WTT. People are happy to hand over far more than £6 for all sorts of other things, many of which are a lot less value for money, yet make a fuss about paying for information like this, which as has been pointed out, helps pay for the event we all enjoy. My only complaint about the WTT was the size of font used for printing which seemed small given the size of the pages. Quite a few of the pages have a lot of empty space on them which you'd have thought could have been used up by upping the font size a notch. There were times when I was sorry I hadn't got a magnifying glass with me, especially after a few beers, : )