Great Central Railway Autumn Gala 3-6 October 2019

Just announced on the Facebook page guests include:
No. 30120 T9 & 926 Repton!

More information to follow soon!

 

Oh no!!!!

 

Got a problem with Southern locos? Sounds good to me!

 

Must admit, that was my reaction. Love the locos, especially the Greyhound, but had hoped for more appropriate locos for the area: particularly freight ones.
Won't stop me going though, my hotel is already booked! GCR galas are about as near as we can get to the 1960s main line gricing experience.

 

Oh yes. Feel free to stay away from the gala. One less photter in the gallery.

 

Agreed. What's not to like about a pair of 4-4-0s no matter where they originate from?

 

Two 8Fs and a 9F - albeit a green one - would seem to fill the need for freight locos "appropriate to the area".

 

Or even the Southern if you include the south end of the S & D on to the Southern. So two birds with one stone.

 

I believe that 48624 has now been withdrawn for overhaul, so only one 8F.

 

Indeed. And last time I was on the GCR with two 4-4-0s, it was Repton with Butler Henderson, so quite a nice symmetry.

 

Is the T9 likely to stay a while or just for this weekend? It is a loco I have always wanted to see, but I don't think I am able to make this weekend.

 

The furthest south the S&D got was probably somewhere around Guisborough...

 

In which case the GC needs to update their web site. Still show both 8Fs as operational.

 

Much as I enjoy the conversation and your insight, you might just get your wish with me not being there. While as much as I do have distain for most nearly all Southern engines, the reason is partly that one engine is from the Moors and thus seen often.

Still, there will be many others who will be happy with the choice and they can all enjoy how they perform on a virtually flat railway!

 

Why disdain for Southern locos? OK, I josh about "Swindon Tin" but I would never not visit a railway just because it had a GWR loco running.

 

Personally, I just don't think that Southern designs were as good as their contemporaries, with many not even close (most early midland engines would be the same). If choosing off region I would be taking a very close interest in those Swindon tins....

Now I know that such comments are preference, that others would naturally decide to defend Southern's stuff capabilities, etc. but I think that some are awful and down right shocking. Sometimes its nice to see engines of other regions to compare and admire, but for me that certainly isn't early southern engines.

**Swaps Black for tin hat**

 

Will the T9 have had its work completed in time for the G.C.R. gala.

 

Oh dear. The Southern companies produced some good designs. They may not have had the heavy freight locos like those of the NER bit they didn’t have the traffic to warrant such types. The Maunsell Moguls were amongst the most modern designs in the country when introduced. As for the S15s, built like battleships and strong as oxen. Excellent mixed traffic locos and the one on the NYMR is very popular with the crews so I’m led to believe. I take it you won’t be getting in my shot when the T3 enters traffic on the Swanage.

 

Spamcan has already pointed out the excellence of Maunsell's mixed traffic designs (Moguls, S15s). Perhaps it's also worth adding that he designed the finest 4-4-0s to run in this country. If 926 on the NYMR doesn't impress you, I don't know what will. Besides being recorded at 95mph (the fastest ever speed by a 4-4-0 except of course, for City of Truro's hotly-debated romp down Wellington Bank), these engines were designed for a route which regularly involved taking 11 coach trains up a gradient as steep as 1 in 47 which also included a 90 degree curve - not for the fainthearted.

I would grant that not all the engineers who worked for Southern's constituents produced consistently good designs. Billinton's B2s for the LB&SCR were nothing to write home about and his son's rebuild of the B4s were even worse, but his moguls and Marsh's Atlantics were good engines while over on the SE&CR, Wainwright produced a whole series of engines which were simple, competent and elegant. On the L&SWR, yes, the Drummond 4-6-0s ranged from indifferent to downright awful, but once Urie had removed a few odd features from Drummond's 4-4-0s, the T9s and D15s in particular were as good as (almost) any other 4-4-0s in the country. Going a bit further back, I could also mention Adams (L&SWR) and Stroudley (LB&SCR) who also produced excellent engines which were the equal of their contemporaries further north.

I doubt if I'll change your opinions, but may I add as a Southerner that I don't feel the slightest antagonism towards locos from the companies North of London. I was delighted when the Spa Valley Railway procured the use of the L&Y 0-6-0 52322 last year and made sure I had a ride behind this fine engine during its stay down south. Furthermore, if any heritage line near my home was to bring down one of the NELPG's locos as a guest engine for a gala, I would write a a big note in my diary to make sure I didn't miss such an event.

 

Besides we all have to come together to fight our one true enemy. That Swindon lot...