STEEL, STEAM & STARS II - Llangollen Rly - 18 to 26 April 09

I know this thread is about SSSII, but I think I should bring you up to date with plans for the Station Heritage. The packing crate shed has indeed lasted well, but if the GWR had required extra storage because of increased business, they would of ordered a corrugated iron shed of standard design as seen at other stations on the line. Currently members of the Grange/5199 groups have been looking at building one based on a design that can be seen at the South Devon Railway. A contact from the SVR Friends of Kidderminster is also looking at recovering an existing one from a disused station in Worcestershire which would be suitable.

There are enough Sugg Rochester Lamp Tops and Sugg Littleton lamps in store (purchased from SVR Bewdley during a refit there) to complete Llangollen Station to its 1950's period finish. We have installed two out of four GWR No.1 posts on plat 2 and two more are on order. That leaves one for the Ruabon end of Plat 1 to get. The brackets that were on the wall for the Littleton lamps need manufacturing. Mark Leman-Lawrie will hopefully attend to this and the design can be seen from the one still mounted above the road entrance to the Henry Robertson Suite. When these are installed, the current cut down municipal lamposts can be removed for use elsewhere or for sale.

Regards the Water Cranes, due to there being no available Platform mounted GWR cranes left, Steelway in conjunction with Heritage Consultants Fayne Redfern are finalising the costings for producing patterns and castings to reproduce them exactly as original. They wont be cheap so don't expect the Railway to splash out! Some serious fundraising will be required.

 

Do you know, its nice to be brought up to date! Perhaps the municipal lamps could be sold and the proceeds go towards the water cranes.

 

Out of interest (sorry to go off topic!) are PP Mackingdales still churning the replica GWR lamp posts out or are you getting them from somewhere else?

 

Regards Locos for Gala facing different directions:

Currently the thinking is that the Cavalcade looks best with them all facing West. I know this is a tad boring, but in general the best lighting is for trains going West. Only very early in the day can you get good shots coming away from Carrog towards Llan.

It also prevents a debate on which of the Guest locos would face opposite directions. I guess the only two that could be separate from the others would be 1306 and 246. However, I don't think Gerald would be too happy about his Loco going tender first up the Gradient on its first ever visit to our line.

 

PP Mackingdales business has been passed on to Steelway. Fayne Redfern have played a part in this (David Redfern is an active member of Friends of Kidderminster) being the consultants for the Moor Street renovations and advisors on the WSR Turntable Project.

I believe 'Steelway' of Wolverhampton have the full catalogue that Mackingdales offered.

 

Any news on the gala itself then? The official website doesn't really have that much on it at the moment...

 

Hopefully one or two announcements next week.

Apologies over the website our admin isn't as hands on as some of us so has to wait for information to be passed to him. We've had a few issues though recently, and we just haven't had a chance to get in touch with him.

 

Not quite as on the ball as the webmaster for sss 1 website then...

 

#-o

 

To be fair, Im sure the SSSII leaflets are being distributed in greater numbers than SSS1 and also further afield! A regularly updated website would be a boost to these, but info is available from other sources and the 6880 Group are informing the railway press regularly of updates...!

However, on a personal note, I would like to see a list on the website of all confirmed guest BEERS visiting for the Gala (Beer Festival)...!!!! =P~

 

Betton Bitter will definately be available!

After that I'm not too sure. I know Young & Wells will be providing some Bombardier, which will making a return following its popularity last time (particularly by Spud on saturday night!)

There will also be bottled beers available on the train too. IIRC Banana Bread will return after its popular appearance at this years Spring Gala along with a few others. We are also hoping to provide some Red Stripe on the train for those not into real ale, along with maybe some mini bottles of wine if we can aquire some. There will be no wine or lager in the actual Beer Fest however I think we are hoping for some cider again. Soft drinks will be available for those who are tasked with driving their companion home.

If you have your own local brew that would like to see appear, then get in touch about sponsoring a barrel. We already have 2/3 people who have offered to sponsor a few barrels for the event, and we will be appreciative for any others offers of such.

 

Excellent! Sounds like a good start!
Personally, Id like to see some products of Liverpools fine Micro Breweries- namely anything from "The Baltic Fleet" (Whopping Wapping is recomended!) and also some "Higsons" (mainly 'cos I cant find anywhere in Liverpool that sells it and also 'cos its brewed 1/2 a mile from my house which makes it really frustrating!!!)

I seem to recall a "Station Porter" beer at SSS1, but I cant remember the brewer... good stuff though and just the ticket after a morning firing 6430 and an afternoon as Porter at Berwyn Station!

Incidentally, Ive just finished off the last crate off Betton Bitter I bought, high time to stock up for Christmas methinks!

 

There must some top quality small local breweries, who'd probly donate a few barrels. Spitting feathers of Chester is pretty good.

Lets hope for some purple moose aswell...

 

http://www.6880gala.co.uk/2007/beer.shtml

List of Breweries who had ales available last time. All have been invited back again.

 

The Website for the last event benefited from being ahead of the Leaflet production. Locomotives were added gradually till the leaflet came out and confirmed them. The point is that this time we published the leaflet in Late August instead of Late November. The website can only report what develops in addition. However, we do appreciate suggestions of things you would like to see on it.

The Beerfest is mainly being organised by Richard Pumphrey this time. However, Dave Hill has offered to help with prior admin and making approaches to the brewers. We don't expect this to happen until early in the New Year.

Richard Cadge has issued a 'Sponsor a Barrel' sheet which is being sent out with the 6880 Newsletter this week.

Meanwhile, Leaflets are being distributed to Gala punters and Model Railway Exhibitions. In the New Year this will expand to Libraries, Tourist Attractions, Model Shops, in fact anywhere you think we can gain extra customers from.

There's a lot developing at the moment, so be patient and gradually all the intricacies of the event will be reported!

 

What with the general Scottish feel developing from are gala and the Scottish day i wonder if anyone could recommend a Scottish ale?

 

Deuchars Bitter.

Bob.

 

Anyone know a Bagpipe Player, the Whiskey and Shortbread are easy to find, but can anyone think of a Scotsman with plenty of Puff?!!!!!!

 

I know one that has puffed

I know of one scotsman who has puffed enormous quantities of hot air for many years

Unlike a hot air ballon he never got us anywhere

 

Harviestoun - Bitter and Twisted