GCR Winter Steam Gala 27-29th January 2017

What are the rakes going to be for the passenger services? Hopefully not the sardine Express of last year!

 

Good day Phil, very many thanks for additional information, much appreciated. Useful to have a copy of the WTT although part of me enjoys being 'surprised' when a working appears without 'per-waning' if you know what I mean!
Just need the weather gods to be sympathetic!!
Thanks for note about 'unofficial website'; appreciate that this takes a considerable amount of work to set up and keep up to date. Noting how good the SVR site is (SVR online) something for future consideration perhaps?
Thanks again and see you all there! Andy

 

Is 30541 stopping at the GCR any longer than the gala weekend ? TIA for any information.

 

Afternoon all,

I'll try and answer a few of the questions posed since I was last on here! Firstly please note the passenger timetable for Sunday has been amended so that the first train from Loughborough is now at 0900 in line with Saturday which seems like a sensible move from my perspective.

I have no idea how long 30541 is staying I'm afraid, they may be others on here who are more in the know and can confirm one way or the other but I'm no use on that one, sorry!

From what I can gather the coaching sets for the weekend are likely to be as follows:

A Set: Chocolate & Cream including Griddle Car (6 vehicles)
B Set: Maroon including Gresley Buffet (6 vehicles)
C Set: Blood & Custard including Kitchen Car (5 vehicles)
DMU: Class 101 including Buffet Car (3 vehicles)

In terms of catering I would expect the Griddle on the A Set and Buffet on the B Set to be staffed throughout the weekend but I'm not sure what the state of play will be on the C Set and DMU. I certainly hope we don't have the capacity issues of the last Winter Gala which were caused by having one full set in the carriage works undergoing maintenance. This is something which has not taken place on the same scale this year.

All home fleet locos are currently facing South. The visiting Q had not arrived when I was in over the weekend but I would expect that to also face South for the gala.

Hope to see plenty of you there. As a volunteer these events are a highlight for many of us on the operating side of things and I'm very much looking forward to being involved over the whole weekend. Fingers crossed we'll be able to put on a decent show!

Phil

 

Good afternoon Phil, Very many thanks for updates, much appreciated. I'm planning to arrive for Friday afternoon and stay for the rest of the weekend. As usual for GCR Galas, looks like being a fantastic event and I will be traveling and photting over the weekend.
Thanks for info about the locos and catering and excellent to hear that the Sunday timings have been modified slightly.
Regarding the 'Q' - I note that a photo event (Timeline) has been arranged on 1 February for the loco with a 'change of identity' agreed by the Bluebell Railway and owning group, Maunsell Locomotive Society; loco's number changed to to 30543 as this was one of the class that carried the Std Chimney that is currently on the loco. 30541 (the loco's actual number carried a different chimney in BR days). Hence loco is staying until at least 2 February!
Thanks again, Andy

 

No problem Andy. I knew someone would know a bit more about the duration of the Q's visit, and indeed about the machine itself!

In terms of your point about an unofficial website (which I forgot to mention earlier), I think it would be extremely useful to have a resource available like that. As you say SVR Online and also SVR Live are both very useful for picking up extra bits of info to help plan a day out at the Valley. Ultimately it's beyond my technical expertise to set anything up like that for the GC but maybe one day someone will appear who can.

If I pick up anymore useful bits of info during the week I'll try and post them here but once the gala gets started it can get a bit hectic!

Phil

 

Looking forward to this a lot Three days riding and photting. Hoping it will stay dry with no more than a gentle breeze!

 

As always really looking forward to this. The weather while cold, doesnt look to be forecast as chilly as the last few years. With no rain predicted the carpark at Quorn should be quite firm this year as well.

 

Having not visited the GCR for a while, what catering facilities are available during the gala?

 

Afternoon all,

So we're onto Plan B with the coaching sets due to the griddle car being impounded at Rothley! As it stands the revised plan is as follows:

A Set: Blood and custard with one chocolate and cream including the kitchen car which will act as the griddle over the weekend (6 vehicles).
B Set: No change to the above.
C Set: Chocolate and cream (3 vehicles). Hopefully an additional carriage may be able to be added to make it 4.
DMU: No change to the above.

In terms of catering the A and B Sets will have refreshments available on board with the griddle on the A set having the more substantial menu. There are also refreshment rooms at all four stations serving hot food and volunteer-run tea rooms at Quorn, Rothley and Leicester North. I can particularly recommend the atmosphere of the NAAFI tea room at Quorn and the lovely homemade cakes from the tea room on Rothley platform. There's also beer available from the Tin Shed in Quorn yard which is well worth a visit. Hope this helps!

Also the Q arrived today and as expected is facing South. I'm told it's here for two weeks but don't know if it will be used for passenger services on any other days than the gala.

Phil

 

Always make time for those

Weather forecast isn't looking too magnificent. Looks like a wooly hat and a few layers for trackside! Now...where did I put those old vests?

 

2 hours in and only running 20 odd minutes behind

 

Good day today, forecast was off and the sun came out for a bit ! 70013 on the first TPO tomorrow !

 

Really enjoyed the day at the Loughborough end of the line. It started cold and grey, but the sun came out after lunch, which was totally unexpected! Looking forward to tomorrow

A couple of low res images from today......

 

Not once does the Q class appear on freight or minerals duty in daylight hours ! Very disappointing giving it's a freight loco. I guess you have to stump up the 70.00 + for the charter ! Only gripe so far.

 

Looking forward to riding the trains tomorrow, hopefully the weather isn't too bad.

 

On the whole a decent day today but we did suffer the failure of 6990 with firebar issues which led to the cancellation of one return trip of the local set early afternoon. However it should be back up and running for tomorrow!

There were a few issues this morning with the very cold conditions which led to 777 being about 15 mins late off shed so we were playing catchup after that. Also a track circuit failure on the up line at Rothley also put paid to attempts to make up time. That has also been resolved so fingers crossed for a good couple of days still to come.

I too was surprised at the lack of freight workings rostered for the Q over the weekend but I guess the feeling is with it being the visitor there should be plenty of opportunities for people to ride behind it...indeed over 230 did when I was guarding the 1000 this morning!

Phil

 

Day two started for me at Kinchley Lane in appalling light...so parked up at Quorn and took the train to Rothley where the weather brightened a little. No cake left in the tea room by 12.30 though!

 

I went today and had a fantastic day. I spent most of my time at Quorn which was a good decision as there was a train every 5-10 minutes, a real variety of passenger, freight, minerals and the TPO. The light was dreadful early on, but improved mid-morning, but I could have done with it being a touch warmer! Overall a cracking day, thanks very much to the organisers, who ensured that's there was always something to see.

 

Also had a great day, rain to start with but it improved. Warmer than the last few years on a Saturday, people friendly as always, no significant overcrowding and always found a seat. Lots of youngsters doing key roles as always at the GCR, something you dont see much elsewhere. Didn't get my ticket punched by a TTI all day though.