East Somerset Spring Gala 29/30 April

East Somerset Railway Gala

Timetable here: http://www.eastsomersetrailway.com/page.php?pid=105

5637 and 46447 will both be running. Passenger and freight. Brake van rides available in price of ticket.

 

I can appreciate that the dates of galas can invariably clash but holding the East Somerset Railway steam gala on the same weekend as the West Somerset gala is far from ideal.

A group of us from the Bath and Bristol areas have decided that the draw of two 4Fs, two 7Fs and an ex BR Standard cannot be missed and we will be spending a couple of days at the WSR.

Rather unfortunate but that is life. <BJ>

 

Always something will clash with another gala.

 

Well you are right there of course, and you could make a very good argument that two lines this close together having the same weekend is a real boon if your travelling a long way to the area, and remember the weekend does have two days in it, why not spend one day at each??

 

With the recreation of double-headed 4Fs, a weekend at the West Somerset Railway has to be our choice. <BJ>

 

Suits me fine, I'm planning on visiting both galas making a long weekend of it...

Last year was the same, there were a lot of people likewise visiting both railways

 

Exactly if you live miles away then two press lines close together gives the opportunity to visit the area and make a nice weekend of it, I can remember the GCR and the battlefield had galas the same weekend and that was very handy with a handy travelodge at Tamworth,tip top that was

 

I agree, if I'm travelling a long distance to somewhere I'd certainly try to get multiple lines in while I'm in that location so overlapping galas is great for me - the Great Central and Ecclesbourne Valley diesel galas coinciding being a recent example (and I snuck in a trip with the T9 on the Battlefield too while in the region). With no disrespect to the ESR, I don't think its relatively modest gala bill would draw a lot of enthusiasts from far flung corners of the country. If it's deliberately 'piggy-backed' the WSR date aware that a lot of enthusiasts will be heading to Somerset that week/end, that seems wise to me. My plan is the West Somerset on Thursday then an early ESR visit before work on Saturday or Sunday, with the luxury of living in the west anyway.

 

Shame that they don't make use of bank holiday Monday 1st May and run then.

 

The passenger timetable for the gala:

Passenger trains depart at 11.:10, 12:05, 14:00 and 15:55.
Goods trains depart at 10:10, 13:05 and 15:00.

The Monday is a normal service train day again with four departures at 11:00, 12:30, 14:00 and 15:30. <BJ>

 

Is the ESR still connected to mainline rail?

 

It allways used to be the roadloading/unloading point for the quarrys wagons or loco's that needed to be roaded away so I expect it still is, and I'm sure there was a rail tour that went down there recently

 

clashing with the wsr gala will not make much difference to passenger numbers as it is home grown locos enthusiasts would not turn up in any great numbers mostly families different story when the other ivatt runs in june.

 

Yes it's still connected via the Merehead branch to East Somerset Junction near Frome.

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My video and some photos from today at the gala! Good to see the eastern side of Somerset putting on a good show too!

 

Video from today (sunday)