WSR Autumn Steam Gala, Thu 6 to Sun 9 October 2016

There wasn't one this year for obvious reasons. I'm not sure if I still have mine from last year but it was around 16 sides of A4. First the wtt, then individual loco diagrams, then coaching diagrams, all with full shunting notes. I'll have a look for one.

 

I still have a pdf copy of last year's

 

I've paid for gala programmes elsewhere in the past, but the WSR's was the most expensive I can remember (the SVR ASG programme with blurb on the locos and the passenger timetable is free, but the WTT with loco allocations and freight workings is more expensive as mentioned). IIRC, the GCR charges for major gala programmes including the WTT but provides them free with a ticket.

I remember that one. You pay your £5, and the first thing you have to do is transcribe all the locomotive numbers from page 30 onto pages 4, 5, 6 and 7.

 

Turning the locos at both ends of the line so that they are always the "Right Way Round" is (I think) unique to the WSR and one of the biggest 'selling points' of the galas to enthusiasts, especially photographers, and I think to loose this for whatever reason would be a mistake. It is one of the things I most look forward to when attending a WSR gala.

 

This is a topic that has been debated many times over the years on NP.

My personal view is that charging for extras is just a way to cause angst in what should be a purchase of an enjoyable product (i.e. of the ticket itself), particularly when the "extra" is more or less a requirement to enjoy the day, as a timetable is. Far more likely to put someone's back up if you charge them £20 for a ticket and then another £2 for a programme just for the privilege of knowing when the trains run, than if you had just bitten the bullet and charged a single all-inclusive price in the first place. Doing the former just looks like penny-pinching.

Having a glossy, all-singing, all-dancing programme for sale is another matter, but I think as a minimum, all train times, along with loco and carriage allocations should be available for free, as far in advance as is reasonably practical. People will cut you some slack over late unavailability of locos that causes a change in plan - we all know it happens, often out of the organiser's control - and in any case, an online timetable can be kept up-to-date at minimal cost, unlike a printed and distributed version.

I think the gain from promoting what is happening, for free, online more than outweighs the supposed loss often mooted about "if we publish the times and loco allocations, photographers will take photos without paying anything". Some probably will, but I doubt it will occur in numbers sufficient to make up for the loss in goodwill of not publicising such info in advance.

Tom

 

I am inclined to agree.

In a different context with which I have a connection (vintage motor racing) this is solved by the cost of the programme being covered by advertisers.

Robin

 

I have permission from the Plc to post an item alerting folks about the non-turning of locos on the Sat and Sun and this item now appears on the news page of wsr.org.uk (unofficial WSR website). I hope this goes a little way towards making folks aware. However, under the rules applying to staff, I cannot post details of which way locos face at the start of Sat/Sun as this is within the Ops Notice (unless I am given permission to do so). Sorry. Perhaps someone with a little time on their hands can work all of this out from the Programme and post it here?

Steve

 

Steve,
Its not your fault but how amazingly petty that someone cant post which way the locos are facing

 

Thanks for your efforts as ever Steve!

Surely a statement can be made as to which way each loco will face on Saturday and Sunday if they're going to face the same way for the whole of each day? I assume the Minehead TT is only going to be used for 360's on these days too or its going to be a nightmare to work out what is going on. I also note your point about some backwards running on Thursday and Friday, any idea which these are?

I'm sorry but not knowing this information makes having a WTT with the loco allocations less than useless!! It doesn't matter which loco turns up if its backwards. I now feel like I've more or less paid for a copy of the free event timetable.....

 

Watchet Boat Museum, in the former goods shed, has undergone a complete refurbishment this year and is now fully open. Worth a visit at the Gala, perhaps?

Robin

 

In my view it's ludicrous to lose what was a USP for a West Somerset gala (i.e. all locos facing the right way). However commercial considerations have obviously taken precedence!

So, is this the way it's going to be in future on Saturdays and Sundays of galas? If so we've effectively gone back 10 years to the days before the triangle and turntable arrived. It also seems daft to me not to use the turntable for something more sensible than 360 degree spins. If you go back to the days when there was a turntable but no triangle they did turn some locos - this was good as it added some variety. BUT - it was made clear in the programme what was going to be turned when..... Sorry WSR but I don't think this one has been properly thought through!

As to which railways charge for programmes - I regularly attend galas at 6 different railways and here's my experience:

West Somerset - Yes and you have to buy a programme to get the loco roster
Bluebell - As above. In fact they used to have the cheek to charge £3 for what was basically a sheet of A3 paper,
Severn Valley - You can get a FREE leaflet with the timetable and loco allocations. The full WTT costs £5 and is a far more detailed document than many would require.
Mid Hants - No. You get a programme with your ticket
GWSR - As above
Swanage - As above

I think in the case of the Mid Hants and Swanage they publish the loco rosters on the web-site.

Each to their own I suppose - a plus point for the WSR is that they don't charge for car parking (yet)

 

OK, I've asked a few questions and I am able to provide the following info gleaned (by me) from Ops Notice and reproduced here with Plc's permission

Tender/bunker facing Taunton - check Souvenir Programme/WTT for times)
6 Oct 44422
7 Oct 4936
8 Oct 7828, 6435, 53808
9 Oct 44422

Turning 180 degrees at Minehead (not sure if this information actually helps! Check Souvenir Programme/WTT for times)
8 Oct 4936, 6435, 6960, 5542
9 Oct 6960, 6435

Other WSR folks might let me know offlist if I've missed any.

My thanks to the Plc for their help with this.

Steve

 

Another point is that railways such

Now it's getting really confusing! So they ARE turning locos through 180 degrees - doesn't this contradict previous information?

 

What winds me up about paying for a timetable with loco allocations is that the WSR (and other railways that charge for steam gala timetables) provide the rosters and more for free at diesel galas. Is it because the diesel gala organisers are more in tune with their clientele?

Well done to Steve for managing to get all this info out there too!

 

Steve, your efforts are always massively appreciated! Thanks for this


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I know nothing about diesel galas but I do remember the discussion - the feeling is that diesel fans are more interested in getting mileage behind specific locos than steam fans are and that they therefore expect the details of when their favourites are working before they turn up to any gala. The feeling was that if the information is not available in advance and FREE, they will not turn up.

 

Will be coming down on Thursday but was wondering how you get on with buses from Taunton to Bishops Lydeard. Only been once before to the WSR when it was their S&D gala and that time they had the free bus service directly to the station, so this time I'm left to my own devices. Aiming to get there for the first departure and leaving around 4.15. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

So the crunch do you want just to keep the people happy who are mainly wanting to take photos and so the engines chimney first, or the people who want to get the extra mile in and do the Barnstable Branch short section and other running which don't happen other for galas etc. The latter ones are more likely to bring more money onto the railway by riding on the trains so will put more money into the pot to pay the hire/transport costs for the guest engines/coach.

Of cause they could do what the SVR did one gala quite a few ago when a up train was tender first and they decided to play with their new toy the TT and send the same engine on the next down train tender first.

 

As some of us do for steam galas.

It is only SVR and WSR that do not post a WTT online now.

 

Service 28 bus times: https://www.firstgroup.com/somerset...ice=28&routeid=16052881&operator=31&source=sp