Steel Steam and Stars 4 - March 6, 7, 8, 13, 14 and 15 2015

Apologies for starting any unpleasantness by being the first person to mention mid-week running. I'd only been following things from a distance in previous years and had thought it was always a two-weekend gala, but that any regular service days in between involved some visitors so didn't feel it was too daft to ask if the same might apply. It was a hopeful query, as I work most weekends from March to November and have to make nifty use of late or night shifts to attend events. Was obviously an inaccurate memory though, so fair enough.

Good to hear fellow Totnes (well, ish) resident 3205 has made plans to attend. I'll be following it up there for a Thurs and/or Fri element of one of the weekends.

 

I've just double checked before i replied. SSS2 mid week was:

Monday: Cambrian day with 9017, 5526 and 5199
Tuesday: Scottish day with 246, 44806 and 1306
Wednesday: Ian Allan day with 3440, 9017 and 5526
Thursday: 4-4-0 day with 246, 9017 and 3440.

So definitely not a full, all boxes open intensive service.

I was convinced it was, as i was firing 5526 on the Wednesday early morning photo charter, then spent all day thursday shunting to get the sets ready for friday. Thursday evening had a photo shoot around Goods, and Llan yard.

Just trying to remember the themes for SSS3. Was it Scottish, East coast, West midlands then Heads of the Valleys for the mid week days?

 

If any photo charters are planned in between the 2 weekends, there could be use of any visitors on the normal A timetable.

 

By the way, as the person who wrote the full working timetable for SSS2 the Thursday was not a full gala service.

Sat / Sun was 30-minute departures with 6 sets in use and 9 locos.

Mon - Wed was 70-minute departures, with 2 sets in use and 3 locos, with an evening run each night and a morning Charter on Wednesday.
This meant that Carrog and Deeside boxes could be left closed reducing the number of signalman required, as well as number of guards, drivers, fireman etc.

Thu was a 45-minute departures with 3x sets and 3x locos, as I wanted the 4-4-0 to get more turns in. However I wasn't permitted any more signalman so had to shuffle a few things about. To keep within the number of permitted rostered crews I withdrew the request for an evening run, and used the 3rd set of crews for the third set. As there was no evening run I then organised a Photo Charter instead with the 3x 4-4-0s lined up at Goods before retiring to the Shed where I paired 9017 with 7822 for the evening.

Fri / Sat back upto 30-minute departures with 6 sets and 9 locos.

Sun was 30-minute departures with 5x sets and 10 locos, as I needed to reduce the shunting requirements to allow the cavalcade to happen at a reasonable time.

 

Heritage Rly Mag hints at the Mon-Thu being used as such, but no confirmation from 6880 as of yet.

 

,

Ah yes it was SSS2 I was thinking of in my post above.

My SSS3 brochure says that the mid week days were:
Mon 23rd April Scottish Day with 44806 as 44801, Britannia and Caley 0-6-0 no 828.
Tues 24th West midlands day - 5199, 7822 and 49395
Wed 25th Little and Large - 60163, Coal Tank 58926 and N2 1744
Thu 26th North West 1950s - 44806, 49121 (renumbered from 49395) and 58926.
Friday 27th was a full running day

I think the Heads of the Valleys was run at 12.05 on both Saturdays

 

It would be nice if a different visiting engine could work each week day.

 

How many people will attend all three of those though ?, assuming your in the Midlands or Northwest and Llangollen and the SVR are pretty easy, the WSR is a long way, even on a clear run it's well over 2 1/2 hours.

 

City of Wells would be a good shout providing Keighley don't want to keep it to themselves for the first year or two, I was too young to see it in it's volcano of the 1980's state.

 

I certainly intend to visit all three events, but as I live in South Wales none of the three railways mentioned are that difficult to get to - even the WSR which is at least three times the distance by road than the proverbial crow flies. It's only when you get galas occurring on the same weekend that difficult decisions have to be made!
Cheers,

 

I'd say with the interest of economy and boiler management 1 loco would probably be in use for the 4 days, unless individual locos are requested for charters.

 

Unles one of the trips on Thursday had a double header with the SLS board on the front as well. I remember photing it somewhere. But i was on a a loco on both Saturdays.

 

IRRC and looking at my videos from the Thursday, the Thursday had the North West theme, but the Super D and Coal Tank paired all day with Valley's rail tour headboard and Super D renumbered as loco on the rail tour, so a mixed themed day (44806 being the other loco)

 

You're quite correct. I photographed six days of SSS3, from Monday 23rd to Saturday 28th, and the themed mid-week service days were just as interesting as the full gala service on the Friday and Saturday. See my photos organised in six day specific galleries at http://mickrogers.zenfolio.com/f744917843
Cheers,

 

Oh where did you find that?

 

From the 6880 stand at Bewdley. Liz & Q manned it Sat / Sun. Also been printed in HR Mag.

 

In HR it says this is its first visit to Llan, but I'm sure its been there before?

 

Yeah I'm thinking a deliberate mistake, as I'm sure she visited in the 90s at some point and Double-headed with 7822. Possibly first time in BR Livery though, as got a feeling she was in GWR livery last time? RA&FC should be able to confirm though.

 

Definitely been before and in BR livery... pictures of her on Llangollen's enthusiast site, such as 325d28204f50.jpg (not my photo)

 

And one of 3205 / 7822 DH
http://www.llangollen-railway.org.uk/_wp_generated/375d1b5fdb7b.jpg