GWSR Cotswold Festival of Steam 2015: 23rd to 25th May

Start of their main running season and they need their biggest locos for the heavier trains. Guessing that means T9 4612 4277 6435 be needed being thir bigger locos

 

its 4247 bud not 4277

 

Well they are running auto and steam Monday-Thurs of half term week so I guess they need 2 locomotives of the four, one of which needs to be 6435, so the T9 could leave really.

 

I'm sure they could manage for a few days, especially if they were given enough cash. The SVR next weekend will only have 5 operational and require 4 engines on the Sunday. Many railways do not have 3 or 4 locos lying around, same as last weekend when the WSR had planned for 6960 and 4936 to be away leaving them with only 5542 7828 3850 4160 to cover 3 diagrams.

 

This one's for all gala organisers everywhere I really do sympathise with you

 

If a railway has 50% of their fleet lying around they are turning down good money imo. Many smaller railways only have one locomotive! Even the p&d run their peak service with only one engine available to be out of service for repairs etc at any one time.

 

Factor in transport costs as well thats not cheap

 

The railway are looking for a third guest so I don't understand your post.

 

Replied to wrong post thats why!

 

Are you going to this one? I reckon it's going to be a corker!

 

I thought it was 4472.

 

Im in North Yorkshire from the Saturday!

 

Popped into Winchcombe yesterday to have a quick trip on the line with my wife. £40.
Sorry, with no visiting engines could not justify that.
I know you guys put on a spread with classic cars etc because of wartime weekend theme, but seriously.
We were meeting friends at Broadway for a a cream tea at 1400 hrs, so could no way get value for money.
seriously impressed with what the lads are doing at Broadway. Good work!

 

Sorry that you thought the tickets were overpriced, although having had a quick look around it seems about the norm; and I've heard a number of comments ours are done better than a number of other railways, from these people to go to all these sorts of events all over the country.

Perhaps better placed in the gwsr thread rather than the gala thread.

 

I'm surprised that you even got into Winchcombe. The War Weekend is about 'theatre' and spectacle, not 'quick trips'. As with the Thomas, and other events, Winchcombe, is the centre for most of the attractions. Hence, boarding, and the purchase of tickets, is concentrated at both Toddington and Cheltenham Race Course.

I believe the premise of 'cordonning' the Railway on such occasions is not only to relieve the pressure on the TTI's, but also to avoid the 'train hopping' punters, attending for a full day's entertainment, having to continually produce their ticket for each journey within that event.

It's not as though it wasn't advertised.

And I agree, the work at Broadway is somewhat impressive.

Heathen. I would never consider such anytime earlier than 1500 hrs.

Perhaps a visit on another date?

 

We parked in the school car park as requested and yes I was aware of the event, I was in Winchcombe on business so was taking advantage "two birds with one stone" You might say.

As I live in Weymouth it is not as though I am local enough to visit again in the near future. Pity.

I dont know about your eating habits up north, but squeezing a cream tea between lunch and high tea with dinner at sunset does take planning.

 

Because whilst they may want a third guest it still needs to pay its way. No point having a third guest if it's going to cost the event money, and the further the distance the greater the cost (and you're not talking hundreds but thousands in many cases). Tender locos double your costs instantly, so you need to weigh up whether it's actually worth it.

Say your gala ticket is £20, for a £5k transport bill and with £1.5k in 3 days of hire fees that an extra 325 people you need in through the gate over the weekend. How many locos will be able to do that?