[Apr 18, 2024] Severn Valley Railway 2024 Spring Steam Gala (Severn Valley Railway)

I got all excited there!

 

You can rule it out. I 100% guarantee it’s not running. It’s going on display in 2 Engine Line Dock at Kidderminster

 

I note no denial on Gordon though

 

Im 27 and I doubt I’ll ever see Gordon steam! Why would it? No business sense in a coal, water and oil guzzler!

 

I don’t think you’ve got the humour in what @Dead Sheep has posted.

 

Is Blue Peter still going to be on show at the steam Gala as it has been removed from the gala highlights page?

 

So you're also ruling out Blue Peter for the rest of its ticket?

 

So, less than two weeks now to go. Any update on the Grange. Its getting quite touch and go

 

Those who are important know what's happening. The mere minions who pay their hard earned money to attend don't need to know.

 

What is there different to know? There is nothing changed so there’s nothing to tell

 

its getting all cloak and dagger now!!!

 

Easy to say but if there is no changes, there is no update.

 

i have booked to come Thursday and Saturday down from Yorkshire which is not a straightforward journey by train 4 changes and £50 a pop rail fare with senior rail card and split fare planning which equals 3 hours plus travel time so hoping everything goes to plan with star attraction

 

The star attraction is leaving Pickering tomorrow

 

I think the main concern being voiced by some is more that in hard-pressed times, people will feel a little upset if they've gone to great expense to attend a gala on the 'promise' (as much as you can in heritage worlds) of seeing a specific guest only for it to not be there for reasons other than unexpected failure/development of issues.

To the best of my knowledge the Grange has not even steamed yet (it certainly hadn't by Friday that I was aware), so a week to undertake a gentle first warming of the boiler, checking for leaks, steam test, initial test runs at Tyseley, transport to SVR, reconnect, warm up again, gauge run, load test and carry out the inevitable fettling jobs that will flare up seems highly ambitious to me and my honest opinion is that 6880 may well make it to the Valley, but currently appears highly unlikely to be running during it. And that feeds back to my point above; if people involved know this to be the case but have not yet said anything, then potential visitors who have planned specifically for seeing that locomotive may well be in their right to be upset that no confirmation is coming for any outcome.

(Not intended to be a jab at anyone or the SVR, merely my own thoughts on the situation based on what is available to me.)

 

That was what I was trying to get at earlier on in this thread and you’ve put rather more eloquently than I could, thank you.

 

Why not just go and enjoy a day out, if the grange is there and in steam treat it as a bonus ‍♂️ yes they are leaving it very late, but hopefully the valley will be open enough and early enough if they know a certain loco isn’t going to make it.

it’ll be ready when it’s ready, a shame they’ve announced it already at a few railways, but hopefully they’ll learn from this in the future. Treat it as a bonus if it arrives, if not I’m sure the valley will put on a cracking display and few days as they usually do

Matt

 

So taking your first point of course it comes with the usual *subject to availability* caveat. I think what people can/are likely to forget is that the SVR do not decide that availability, the Grange group have told us it will be available and as such they will also be the ones to tell us IF it’s not. As I said earlier there’s no change that we know of currently so we can only treat the loco as available.

In terms of list of jobs the “warming of the boiler” should simply be a warming fire as with any engine, steam test next day. That’s fairly standard across the board. You can rule out gauging runs at the SVR as both a Manor and Hall fit so this will too, that’s a guarantee.

The main thing here is we have never, and will never, plan a gala round a specific loco. And that’s because not everyone wants the same thing. We’ve heard lots of jibes that it’s “just another GWR 4-6-0” so clearly to many it’s not as special as say Fenchurch or Lambton 29. If people do choose to plan round one loco, well that’s never wise no matter what loco. These things will often bite back, if specifically targeted.

I’ve said elsewhere and I’ll say again, we do have a plan IF 6880 cannot make it. That plan does not see us loose any services, that plan does not take any passenger mileage away and that plan does not detract from the overall running of the event.

I can promise you as one of about 10 people who’ve spent well in to the hundreds of hours on planning the timetable, gala booklet and so on, it’s well worth attending! It’s so much more than just one loco, and we are all looking forward to it come what may!

 

Blimey, you have 10 people to do all that, we only have four at the Wizzer