MHR Autumn Gala 23rd - 25th October 2015 - LMS theme

One of the best Mid Hants galas of recent years featured the M7 as the only guest. Mind you weather was good!
If 43212 is back and 76017 too, a single visitor this autumn might suffice. I would like to see an 8F though.....

 

The M7 Gala was not one of my favourites . Everything seemed to be against me on that one. Got held up in a massive traffic jam on the way down even though we left home very early and missed the train we were going to catch. After that nothing went right; didn't have any luck with pictures or video as there were some right burkes about at that event, usually walking in front of the cameras!

 

If we are talking about galas in recent years. My favourite gala would be the 2007 End Of Southern Steam Gala. What a gala that was. Run over Saturday and Sunday in wall to wall sun.

 

Wasn't the M7 gala the one where something set half of Hampshire on fire near Medstead or was that a different gala?

 

That was a really brilliant Gala. Had a very long but very enjoyable weekend. Visited Ropley the day before the Gala when the suitably grimy loco's were being prepped. Thick black smoke coming from the Bulleids made my face and my Fathers face black by the time we left! It was wonderful to just soak up the atmosphere of a SR shed recreated at Ropley. Then on Saturday we attended the Gala. Highlight was watching Bob Deeth drive 35008 (35005) up the bank from Ropley with the heavy CE Railtour on the drawbar. We watched from a gateway on a lane opposite the line. We could see and hear CP working right from departing Ropley and nearly all the way up to Medstead. After that we went in pursuit of 34067 on the return leg of the Railtour on the ML. The following day we travelled on the other CE Railtour with 850 which unfortunately failed at Westbury. We got home early hours Monday morning

 

Yeah it was. I was on the M7 when we got to Medstead and eventually the M7 ran round there. But things got back up and running in the end. As we are talking about past events, most of the MHR Gala's I've been to since I started going to them in 2011 have had great weather.

Looking forward to seeing 6100.

 

I'm with you there, just looking back through my pictures...

Autumn 2011 - Sunshine
Spring 2012 - Sunshine
Autumn 2012 - Sunshine (and hot, it was first weekend of September)
Spring 2013 - Overcast, slightly brighter later
Autumn 2013 - Overcast, became wet & windy (the Sunday was the St Jude's storm as I recall)
Spring 2014 - Sunshine
Autumn 2014 - Overcast but bright

Certainly only one which was wet or unpleasant (the Autumn Gala in 2013)

 

I think that is already the plan. IIRC, it was discussed in the general Q&A after the 2013 AGMs. Invite a 7F and a 4F and you've got very convincing S&DJR line-up.

 

No, you don't need 4 or 5, but you probably do need 2, and as has been said already, the more unusual (for the district) the better. Personally speaking, the presence of Caledonian 828 on the Severn Valley or Morayshire on the GCR had the desired effect for me, though I couldn't get excited about the Fairburn tank, so I guess that just shows that one man's meat is another man's poison...

My choice for a second visitor at an MHR LMS Gala would be something older and smaller than a Royal Scot or an 8F, ideally in LMS or pre-grouping livery, and more unusual than a Jinty or a 4F. Sadly, Midland compound No. 1000 hasn't worked a train for many years. Something like the L&Y 0-6-0 might fit the bill.

 

What about the G2, is that still in ticket? Never been south before.

 

I believe its laid up again following expiry of its ticket (is it still at the ELR?), there was some talk of Pete Waterman overhauling it again.


Chris

 

It's been to the WSR various times!

 

Didn't the G2 attend a MHR gala some years back.

 

Yes it did. Can't remember which year, however.

 

Autumn Gala 2009

 

Nice one. Anyway, that's the last I'll say of that on this thread before I get told off.

 

Then I do apologise, I missed the whole 2007-10 period of MHR galas

 

There are no plans for a livery change

 

when was the last time you attended an east lancs gala? I've been event organiser for the last 6 years and i can assure you we've turned out ALL available locomotives at every steam event. we've never been in a position not to!

 

I've never missed one since 1989 except one in January years ago with Green Arrow, 45407, an other black 5, the crab and 75014. I'm sure the ELR do turn out all available locos but it's not like some railways when you know exactly what's likely to be running. Sometimes, engines go away from the ELR and come back and take me by surprise. The fact that the jinty isn't working in this gala doesn't necessarily mean y'all of ticket, whereas if the KWVR weren't to use 90733 in a gala, you could safely assume it was because it wasn't working.