ELR Spring Steam Gala 15-17 March 2024

https://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk...51WOENgLA364ceOKNnL9Av1eCyH3jUgNxeRNle9RSwA0w

70000 (assuming repairs are complete) and 60007 visiting for the weekend. 45690 also involved. Tickets available now and timetables already up on website (without allocations obviously), but no mention of what other locos will be involved as yet.

 

Only need a GWR loco and we have a big 5 event, 34092 being resident!

 

Timetables with allocations on now, no ELR steam locos involved
Friday
https://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/LegendsofSteam-V4-Fri15mar24.pdf
Saturday
https://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/LegendsofSteam-V4-Sat16mar24.pdf
Sunday
https://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/LegendsofSteam-V4-Sun17mar24.pdf

Neil

 

thats a bit odd not using the home fleet!

 

especially as they say on there website
'These locomotives will be running an intensive public timetable for the whole three days. They will feature alongside members of the ELR home fleet'
only member of home fleet is a dmu!!!

 

Not attending so does not impact me but if you bill it as "Legends of Steam" what from the home fleet is high profile to be a "Legend?
Agree the DMU could perhaps be a home steam loco as turn times seem quite long, but otherwise why pay for 3 locos and not use them fully?

 

City of Wells

 

I suppose the timetable allows more use of the visiting locos, but rather disappointing. I’ll probably go one day to get a ride behind 70000 on the ELR. Had they been using the full fleet, I would probably have been there all three days.

 

2890 Douglas?

 

Scratching my head a bit why you would put a dmu shuttle in the mix on a legend of steam weekend, can't see who would be attracted to this unless someone can enlighten me?

 

bonkers!! Especially as the blurb on the ELR website says home steam fleet will be involved

Quote
These locomotives will be running an intensive public timetable for the whole three days. They will feature alongside members of the ELR home fleet.

 

To try and enlighten:-
To maintain a service at Burrs, as the other services are to be formed of sets that will be overlength there. Burrs generates many passengers via the Caravan Club and walkers and is indeed the busiest of the (non-main) stations, and for regular weekend passengers. Burrs is a 'new' station, has no grandfather rights and as such, all coaches need to be platformed unless stewards (would need 20+ on the other sets) are there. Use of a DMU keeps costs down - in these cost watching times perhaps some credit should be given.

 

Thanks for the explanation, presumably there will be some form of differential fare structure in operation? Doesn't explain that a fair number of the steam trains stop there, presumably short enough to be accommodated by the restrictive platform length?

 

Al three main sets are timetabled to stop at Burrs at least twice during the day - not sure how that fits in with the above explanation.

 

Fits in with the explanation as passed on when queried, but would admit that I didn't or hadn't looked at the tt's until you correctly pointed this out. I'm sure someone who is up to it will sort it out, its nearly two months off!

 

70000 on test today Crewe-Chester, fingers crossed everything ok for next week

 

dmu shuttle withdrawn now now steam hauled by LYR 51456

 

Sensible!!

 

That's good. It will make it feel a bit more like a gala.

 

Guess I will now have to adjust my plan to fit...