Watercress Line Spring Steam Gala: 29th April - 2nd May 2022

So, this is what I have found out.

Visitors:
48305.

Home Fleet:
506.
53808.

I don't know what other engines from the home fleet are joining them and they do mention guest engines, so another guest might be announced nearer the time, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

https://watercressline.co.uk/spring-steam-gala/

 

Another guest loco to be announced soon.
Home Fleet is listed as:
506
30925
53808

 

That would be 30925 rather than 926

 

Well spotted. Slipped up a bit there

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I'm guessing the Ivatt 2 and the 76 will be in traffic too?

 

Great to see that 30925 finally isn't the spare at a gala

 

Probably not, if there not on the website now, they are probably not planned to be rostered, though the 76 will probably be the spare engine.

Also Tickets have now gone on sale

and in the page update it is stated that at Medstead & Four Marks on the Saturday and Sunday, you will be able to have a ride on the freshly restored Wickham Trolley

 

£40 for a rover still, woah........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Don’t go then! WOAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

How can they charge that though when they have a shorter line than longer railways offering £35?

 

£30-£45 will very likely be the new gala prices from now on due to COVID/rising prices in pretty much everything nowadays. I think if the line-up is different and "new"(in which this gala is) then I am very happy paying that much. I never been disappointed with the MHR galas I visited its always a favourite of mine.

 

Yeah don't get me wrong I understand rising costs.

 

Can I just ask where you are getting your information from? I've checked the official website and nothing has changed since I posted the link.

 

Refresh the page.

 

There is a shortage of coal
and where it is available the price has doubled.

So ticket prices ...........

 

Why not ask them directly rather than just complain about it on an internet forum? They obviously think they can turn a profit so let them do their thing. If they can't, then the railway will soon adjust.

James

 

Maybe those charging £35 are undercharging in the current climate.
There is a interesting discussion to be had now regarding if running galas in the current climate is less economic (many locos and movement costs) compared to just normal running with one or two locos at around £25.

 

I would not disagree with your logic Pete, and maybe this would be better moved to a different thread.
But this gala is roughly 2.5 times a day ticket, which may seem about right to me. More locos, more coal, road movements etc. I believe it was either SLL or Swanage who quoted £3K saving for being able to use an inbound road movement to ship a loco out. But if a movement costs £3k before the latest fuel mega hikes then you need to sell 150 seats at £40 just to cover the transport of two locos. No idea if £3K is right but from when I was at work 10 years ago does not seem unreasonable for a low loader on a heavy movement, and is it £3K each way?
Of course 2.5 regular fares would lead to some eye watering prices on some of the longer lines.
The other thing I was thinking of and explained poorly I guess was trying to keep coal stocks as long as possible to keep being able to operate longer through the year.
The same issues of course apply to diesel galas regarding costs where on a different forum red diesel was quoted as going from 55p per litre to £1.23 in the past 12 months.

 

Moving the 8f’s tender from GCR to MHR and back will cost way in excess of £3000 and the loco itself considerably more .
I’ve recently paid a haulier ,for moving a pannier sized loco ,over £1600 for a 3 hour trip ,which was probably an 8 hour day for them from start to finish .