ELR Autumn Steam Gala 17th 18th October 2015

Pannier 6430 + Autocoach 167 announced as first guest alongside the current home fleet:
BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4 Tank No. 80080
LMS Hughes Fowler Crab 2-6-0 No. 13065
Ex-L&Y A Class 0-6-0 No. 12322
WD Austerity 0-6-0ST No. 132 ‘Sapper’
WD Austerity 0-6-0ST No. 75008 ‘Swiftsure’
Hudswell Clark 0-6-0 No. 32 ‘Gothenburg’
Peckett 0-4-0 No. 1370 ‘May’

http://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/events-activities/2015/10/autumn-steam-gala.aspx

 

I wouldn't have predicted that one!

 

Any rumours of a 2nd visiting loco?

Presumably it will be of the GWR variety?

A blue king would be nice! More likely to be a Manor or a Hall i imagine...

 

Timetable is listed on the website now... http://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/downloads/149/autumn-steam-gala-timetable.ashx
From the timetable it looks like there is the Heywood shuttle and a separate Heywood - Rammey service, is this the case or is the Bury-Ramsbottom non-stops the goods, with all the Bury-Heywood's being the auto?

 

If all the Heywood services are the auto-train only there's likely to be a capacity problem with only one coach. I too suspected the Rammy shuttles are extended to Heywood, would make sense.

 

For those wanting to escape Heywood?

 

Your pun is well appreciated, when I worked at a company on the Bury/Heywood border the latter was always known as monkey-town, I know not why!
A lot of visitors on enthusiast's weekend choose to arrive and start at Heywood because of the good parking facilities, just saying it might be tight if the one coach shuttle is the only way onto the railway.

 

thats why we're using two auto coaches! we're still working on another visitor. we'll advise as soon as possible

 

I know there are two auto-coaches at Llangollen, we did them last weekend. I am just quoting the ELR site which talks about a single auto-coach, but if the other is coming, great. It still doesn't fit, passengers from a 4/5 coach train on the Rawtenstall service won't fit into a 2 coach auto-train for Heywood. Interesting if another visitor is lined up.

 

I'm fairly confident there will be plenty of room.
The intention was to try and use the Autotrain to its best potential without it getting trapped in a siding for most of the day (which it would if it was just doing bury/Rammy shuttles) the other Heywood set will be 4/5 coaches and top and tailed. We're trying our best and hope we manage to please the Majority.

 

The Event Is now shaping up with 6430 and the 2 coaches arrived on site and another green engine due to arrive back the week before the gala.

 

Hmmm... any clues to second visitor, would it be a certain 4-6-0 due to visit Keighley?

 

not quite!

 

It wouldn't happen to be Wells would it? since shes not going home to the KWVR?

 

It would indeed.

 

I'll make sure I'll be at this one then

 

I was kind of thinking hearing all that was hearing and also thinking that 34092 needed more miles of track to roam on.

 

http://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/events-activities/2015/10/autumn-steam-gala.aspx


The Gala will also see the return of 34092, otherwise known as City of Wells, for the dedicated steam weekend. A great opportunity to see the loco if you missed it over the summer season.

 

A few snaps of 6430 out on Footplate Experiences today... http://preservedrailway.weebly.com/east-lancashire-railway (video to follow)