WSR Spring Steam Gala, Thu 26-Sun 29 March 2015

Ah excellent. Thanks for that

 

I noticed that too, Which is why I asked about returns etc

 

got my timetable in post today,

couple of things i need to clear up is the goods running thursday as it said it wasnt confirmed at time of printing
Also where it says 6695 is that now the other 56xx
thanks in advance

 

The Thursday goods shows up in the Working Time Table issued to staff and is mentioned in the Gala briefing paper to staff.

I would expect 5643 to take the rostered turns of 6695.

Steve

 

No chance that both could be running then?

 

Apparently no chance as one of them is quite sick ;-)

Steve

 

Hope all went well today for the first day, weather's looking very dicey for my visit on Saturday, Dad says he's not driving an hour and a half there and back and organising overnight accommodation just to get p*ssed on - he's got a point! The BBC have got their "Not a clue" icon showing at the moment:

- It's going to be cloudy, but then it's going to be sunny, then it's going to rain, oh sod it we don't know - is what it means...

 

Friday - Patchy rain around, generally cloudy, with lighter winds
Saturday - Spells of rain with strong winds, should brighten up a bit in the late afternoon.

Info from the met office.

 

It was gloriously sunny today but very windy. I'd go whatever the weather, it'll be well worth it. Britannia and Raveningham Hall were particularly excellent today on my trips and it was great to have a bit more variety in the timetable with the goods heading to Washford, the top/tailed Minehead-Washford, the auto train getting about a bit, two of the main sets having Norton trips. First time I'd been to Norton since a brake van ride with D9526 in the October 1992 diesel gala, I think. The timetable did slip a bit more than usual, didn't seem to be any massive dramas or problems, more some things taking longer than expected and delays knocking on, but nothing I saw or rode on was more than half an hour out of place at worst. Most trains and stations were very busy too. Another cracking WSR gala so far, I'd say. Might try to go back for more between shifts tomorrow - the double-headed Halls are tempting.

 

Watched the weather and looked a bit more encouraging tonight, some showers in the morning bit afternoon should be mostly clear.

Does anyone know what time the attractions at Washford will be open, ad planning to get there on the first train of the day from BL arriving at 9:53, will stuff be open then? Cheers

 

After a frustrating morning of filming at the WSR with the sun disappearing at the wrong moment (sounds familiar?) the departure from Bishops Lydeard at 16:40 of ex Canton loco 70021 'Morning Star' (aka 70000) was extremely nice as it coincided with a cloudless sky. It was well worth the wait.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow as I will be travelling on the trains.

Many thanks to all concerned at the railway. <BJ>

 

'Kilmersdon' appeared to be shunting wagons for most of the morning.
GWR 4270 arrived spot on time with a 9 wagon goods train. <BJ>

 

Speaking of 4270, I am a bit puzzled by why it's doing so little seeing as it's a visitor. I know it's well-travelled (I've now seen it at the Avon Valley, Mid-Hants, Llangollen, Severn Valley and West Somerset [but not the GWR!] in six months), but Saturday's the only day it's really covering any decent passenger miles. Having 46521 and 5643 each spending one day just shunting at Dunster seems a bit limiting for guest engines too. Guess there are sensible practical reasons but it seems odd on paper.

 

It more or less started right from the off at BL. I believe train staff have been told to wait for the connecting bus service from Taunton, so the 0935 from BL was left hanging around for 10-15 minutes waiting on a bus that should have arrived 4 minutes before departure! We had been waiting nearly 10 minutes past departure time when the guard had had enough and said to go, at which point the bus turned up!

I did hear late in the day that there were points problems at Crowcombe which didn't help, plus brake problems with 5542 on the Auto, which meant the one run of that I actually wanted to catch ended up being cancelled completely.

Obviously there are some things you can't help, but I think things like waiting for a connecting bus need a limit to them. Yes there's the argument that there are paying passengers on the bus who were planning on getting X train if the bus was on time, but if the bus has already caused the train to be late by them waiting for it, it gets harder for the crew to catch up the time!

My understanding is that 46521 has been limited to 5 coaches, which on a Saturday probably is the best option to have! As for 5643, who knows! Maybe 4160 would have been a better option for the Sunday.

But anyway, here is my video and a couple of photos from yesterday at the gala.




It seems someone got their greens mixed up when making the cab sticker for 70021!


5643 arriving at Crowcombe with 7 on.


46521 sits at Blue Anchor with the return run of the shuttle to Washford. Out of shot 5643 sits on the rear of the train, having top 'n tailed the service with the Ivatt.

 

some photos i took yesterday 26-3-13 are at http://keyhamtrain.weebly.com/

 

Your shot of 70021 at Nornvis bridge is a cracker. Well done. What a beautiful loco it is.

I was talking to a chap who lived at Newton Abbot in steam days. His views on the Britannia class demonstrated how much the Great Western crews loathed them. Each to his own. <BJ>

 

Seems a bit of a half hearted effort with the Brit. It was planned to run at the MHR in the guise of a Cardiff engine, with the appropriate smoke deflectors, etc, but IMO it looks a mess with that cabside number effort.

 

I could only make the Thursday this year but had an excellent day both travelling and photographing. I agree a frustrating day photography wise, one of those which make you better at changing your camera setting at the last minute as the sun either appears or disappears.

The slipping of the timetable was unfortunate but I have to say there was little effort by the staff at Bishops Lydeard to get the second train away when it was clearly running late. The service from Minehead was in, it had the road and yet there was staff ambling about dispite the late running. Waiting for a connecting bus may explain it but then, wouldn't it be worth informing the passengers and having the doors shut and the train ready to go when it arrives?
I witnessed the same later when due to the late running the auto trip to stogumber and back was cancelled. (Which wouldn't have pleased me had I been waiting for it anywhere other than Bishops Lydeard!) This meant there was nothing in way of the next departures and gave the opportunity to make up 40odd minutes and be back on time again, yet it still left 7 minutes late. Similar happened at Crowcombe when I got off, with the station staff eager to get the train away the guard and signalman enjoyed a chat for five minutes.

I don't mean to complain, it really is an excellent gala superb engines, cracking line, one that I rarely miss, and one that I'd recommend to anyone at a loose end this weekend. But year on year it's apparent that the timetable is not of any great importance to some staff and it always seems to slip, even with the more recent and less strenuous hourly format. I'd have thought the swift dispatch of trains would be something a station staff prided itself on. The SVR are an excellent example of this during their galas with staff ready to direct connecting passengers, shut doors and get trains away, particularly if there's any late running involved. However I guess it requires everyone to be of that mind set.

Late running aside, thanks for another superb spring gala, hopefully the weather will turn out to be better over the weekend

 

Had a good day yesterday apart from a few things
1. the timetable slipping, gave up on last two shots as no one had any idea when the next train was actually gonna arrive,(dont understand the need to run the auto to Stogumber when the timetable was out the window, no one seemed in a hurry to make time up.
2. 4270 being Bunker first on the goods,thought the triangle and turnable were there for a reason...

70000 looked great as morning star if you was at an angle where you couldn't notice the green as much on the cabside.

Few photos and full Album Link
4936 Kinlet Hall Roebuck Gate
https://flic.kr/p/ruSVR6

46521 Crowcombe https://flic.kr/p/ruSqX4

70021 Roebuck Gate https://flic.kr/p/rLV5YU

Kinlet Hall Crowcombe https://flic.kr/p/ruTkka

Full album link

https://flic.kr/s/aHsk68gpnr

 

I couldn't quite believe this when I heard it, almost decided not to film it at all! The two different reasons I heard for it running bunker first were:

1. It was better to have the engine facing that way for shunting at Washford.
2. They didn't have enough time to turn it.

I'm not sure I really believe either of these reasons, obviously I can't really dispute the supposed Washford reason if that's actually the case, but I understand the loco arrived on Tuesday, so how they couldn't find the time in the 24-48 hours before its first run (being the goods train!) is a mystery to me, especially since it was also down in the WTT as running chimney first! There were quite a few audible moans at Nornvis Bridge when it could be seen in the distance!