Watercress Line Autumn Steam Gala, 4th to 6th October 2024.

Visiting locomotives:

- 34072 257 Squadron
Courtesy of Southern Locomotives Ltd.

-4144 GWR "Prairie Tank" courtesy of Didcot Railway Centre.

-6695 GWR 66xx Class 0-6-2 Tank, courtesy of the 6695 loco group and the Swindon & Cricklade Railway.


Home fleet:
- S15 506
- Ivatt Tank 41312
- Kilmersdon

"Picture the scene at a busy joint railway hub with Southern & Great Western trains and locos hauling express trains and local shuttle and freight. This gala event is intended to go someway to recreate this scene.

The day starts with Southern engines at Alton and Great Western engines at Alresford with trains only running part way on the line. The idea will be to operate as two separate railways for a time, GWR at one end and SR at the other end.

As the day progresses, inter-regional mainline trains begin to appear at each end of the line, with branch shuttles connecting in and out of the mainline trains."


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Interesting

 

MHR made a (hastily deleted) post on FB announcing 34072 as a gala guest (makes total sense of course) ....but the attached image was of 4144!

 

Could be a 2nd guest spoiled then. Guess we'll find out!

 

4144 announced via the email newsletter.

 

Had that at Didcot but be nice to see how it goes when let loose. Would also good to see 6880 at the Gala. Sorry Owl but you know I am a secret copper cap fan

 

6880 definitely won't. Its at North Norfolk the same weekend until the end of that month

 

May I suggest that it would be a good idea to change the date of this topic to 4th - 6th October. <BJ>

 

Or as the email read 4414.
I thought maybe another cut and shut from Didcot, but they had managed to keep this one quiet.

 

Now corrected. Not sure why I put the other dates.

 

Or 2999. Again I have only had it plodding about at Didcot

 

Be nice to see that puffing up The Alps with five greens in tow.

 

Trying to remember what other large prairies have been to the Mid Hants. I recall 5164 and 5199 and also 4160 although I think that last one had failed and wasn't running the day I visited. Any others?

 

I don’t think 6106 or 4141 visited, 4110 hasn’t been out visiting since its return to steam I don’t think.

Chris

 

So far these are the only three that have visited the Watercress Line.
IIRC 5164 visited in 2013 and 5199 visited in 2018.

4160 visited way back in 2006 for the Autumn Gala. 4160, fresh from overhaul, unfortunately failed on her first train from Alresford to Alton with a hot box. I was on the train heading in the opposite direction and found out 4160 had been removed from service at Alton. I was rather disappointed as 4160 is my favourite of the Class. I have very fond memories of travelling behind 4160 over the WSR as a child during our family's annual holidays to Devon and Somerset.

Hopefully 4160 might be able to visit in the future although it seems to have disappeared into a black hole during its very protracted overhaul due to issues between the owners and the WSR.

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It's still being overhauled by Locomotive 5542 Ltd at South Devon, though reports on what's left to do are hard to come by.

 

I think I'll stick to normal operational days when the usual choice includes 34072 and 41312, plus 30506, albeit not running as that - at present anyway!

 

6695 added to the line-up.

 

Shaping up to be a great event.
The website is still stating that there are more visitors to follow. I wonder if a recent Great western new build loco is paying a visit?

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I wouldn't be too trusting in that, the website said the same for the diesel gala after the final guest was announced! We'll see