West Somerset Railway Spring Gala

HOLY MACARONI! I spent 9 years waiting to ride behind a 28XX and in the space of 9 months, (SVVR ASG 2021, MHR SSG 2022, WSR SSG 2022) I've ridden behind 2857 THREE TIMES!!!

This MUST be my lucky year!!

 

Is there a cut-off for prebooking? And I assume it's just email confirmation and pick up the actual ticket at the booking office?

 

The actual ticket being nothing more than a receipt these days

 

Seemed I jumped the gun a bit about not publishing it at all in advance

 

It can be collected from booking office or, if there's a queue, show confirmation to the TTI.

 

With five sets diagrammed, will the DMU set be used as hauled stock during the event to help make up the numbers ? Certainly wouldn't look out of place with one of the BR liveried loco's hauling it.

 

Hi, no this is not the plan. We have sufficient Mk1s including Brakes to run 5 sets

 

Tickets booked last week but no email with allocations received yet.

 

I received a copy about 10 minutes ago.

 

Arrived a minutes ago too.

Just noticed the QB is part of the megatrain. Will it be serving food? If not, will it be accessible to eat food in?

 

Can't work out how to book a day rover, and then claim the discounted fare for the "Mega" train. Any pointers?

Do tickets need to be pre-booked up to 24 hours in advance? Or can you book them on the ride over, it's what I was able to do at Ecclesbourne where I was able to book online 15 mins before departure...

 

The site says phone to book the ticket for the megatrain. It doesn't say how much or what the options are.

Edit. The options are there now. Can't work out how to get discount, having already booked day rover for Saturday and Sunday. Also, is the Fish and Chip seating in the QB coaches?

 

Just phoned now. Not only did the person not have a clue what I was talking about, he also put the phone down abruptly without saying goodbye.

 

Got my timetables with loco's when I got home, sent 3 times within ten minutes, all the same, no differences around 3.00pm!!
Still showing one loco as TBA so this is probably 2857 as it doesn't appear to figure anywhere. Surprising amount of tender first working in view of them advertising both the turntable and the triangle in use.

 

I live near the line, so called into Bishops Lydeard station shop this afternoon, and asked about the gala programme & working timetable.

The man there unfortunately didn't know when the programmes would arrive, which he was really apologetic about - the programmes may be available on Wednesday before the gala, or Thursday at the start of the gala, or not until Friday or later :-(

I’m off on a badly-timed holiday on Saturday morning, so was intending to try to photograph all the visiting locos on Thursday and Friday (between the showers) - but unless the programme & WTT is available, this'll be well-nigh impossible! Especially as @Britfoamer mentions a fair bit of tender-first running :-(

 

If you are only intending to photograph please remember the considerable cost of putting on this event and consider contributing accordingly.

 

Just a heads up, Caley tank 419 arrived this evening, hoping to hear more news on 2857 and 75069 soon.
Then we can get this gala wagon a-rollin!
https://m.facebook.com/WSrail/photo...223167861039230/?type=3&source=49&__tn__=EH-R