Spa Valley Railway - Latest News

Probably the best version I've managed of this shot. Return of the late morning Polar Express yesterday.

And for those for whom rods up is best, sorry.

At that location the space constraints mean the loco decides - so this one falls into the rods down school of preferences!



And below, my only panning 'success' so far - 34053 on the rear of the early afternoon Polar Express yesterday. My Nikon 28-300mm lens at 28mm and can't get the whole loco in at that location!

Can't repeat it with the return, uphill leg yet - a number of not even close failures so far.

Very nice to see all the Polar Expresses I've seen so far looking to be full.

Bryan.

 

I'm still trying to get a decent pan shot of the loco at line speed on the return run climbing to TWW.

I will try the location I took the second photo in #1561 again but will have to ditch 1/30 sec and go for 1/5oth or faster. That's because I don't have a steady base to stand on and can't get a smooth swing as the loco passes; essential to stop the camera moving at a different speed to the loco, thereby blurring the loco image as well as the background! But my aim is to get a really blurred background so I need the loco at line speed and as low a shutter speed as I can get away with.

I did go from my usual wide angle to 135 mm with 1/30th at a different spot not far away from the #1561 pan shot, but still not a really firm base to stand on. The result did give some loco blurr, but for once Topaz the Photo AI cleaned that up - I have found that software can give variable results but is is constantly being updated and improved.

These lovely Polar Express trains look to be well supported and I think may be close to sold out for the trips due between now and just before Christmas @Jonnie will know of course! And I hope the Spa Valley Railway get some really good income from all their hard work in operating the trains for the licensee. And I think 80078 maybe taking turns to haul them soon - I always get a warm feeling seeing that BR class 4 tank in use here, as it's the only line that became a heritage railway that I have some photos of in the 1960s - April 1962 to be exact: that class of loco were used back then to quite an extent. And the Spa Valley Railway these days, IMHO , does a wondeful job with the locos and events they operate.

Bryan B

 

An advance in my attempts to get a decent panning shot of a loco climbing the grade at line speed on the Spa Valley Railway. 80078 has now joined 34053 as one of the two steam locos available to haul the sold out Polar Express trains.

I got this shot on Thursday, and am still hindered as I can't get far enough away from the track, and the track is on a slight curve there.

But I gave up with trying to use 1/30th second and used 1/60th instead. I now aim to work my way down through 1/50th and 1/4oth to see if I can get some better blurr on the rotating wheels without blurring the main body of the loco.

Bryan

 

Apologies for the lack of postings, the Polar Express arrived and become our priority and it's pleasing to say that out of 141 deparures all went within 15-minutes of their booked departure time, only 6-steam turns were missed, although on each nobody noticed any difference due to our way of working, and overall we carried just above 47,000 people this year.

Year to date this brings our visitor numbers to a record high for the Spa Valley (with them already surpassing expectations by the end October) we've now carried over 91,000 people between 1st February and 23rd December 2024.

The turnover up until the end of October was £925,000 and the profit was at a breakeven level so we've done ok.

Polar income is accounted for during January but thanks to a successful season we went into this with a significant sum of money saved by the company to spend on projects. This has already been done in part with the urgent need to replace Broom Lane Bridge landing on our doorstep. Whilst the bridge is a topic on monthly meetings, is monitored, inspected regularly up close and has been subjected to ongoing and enhanced load testing, sadly the rate of corrosion has now reached a point where the bridge must be replaced. It is inspected regularly and rail traffic can continue to run at 5mph but we must do something now before it is closed for railway vehicles.

To this end, the Company spent £21,500 last month on phase 1, which is a certified design of the replacement structure and all the various other elements that go with doing this. The admin/planning/design/sign off is probably more appropriate words but it is a lot. This is going to be completed by March, the new bridge then has to be built but I am assured from the moment I say go it is 16-weeks from starting the build of the bridge to in the ground. Only a single span with bridge strike protection is going in as opposed to the double one there currently. The old bridge will be scrapped.

We have an appeal launch planned for early January once Christmas is out of the way but we need to raise £300,000 to replace it, and we need to do it fast. Whilst income from events and that saved will go a way towards this if any National Preservation readers and following this and feel generous we'd be very appreciative of anything you can give. Especially given we've emptied our banks for Christmas!

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/spvr-broomlane

We're open each weekend in January with 34053 as the main locomotive as 80078 is leaving next week for winter maintenance and 828s having its other big end bearing re-whitemetalled and machined plus the valves are out to redo the glands, they're white metal on 828. Hopefully it won't be too long before she's steaming again, she's my favourite loco to drive!

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and a wonderful, safe and Happy New Year.

 

The highlighted bit is puzzling. Could the customers really not see or hear the motive power?

 

On the days we had no steam due to failures, we parked a locomotive in the platform. They walked past it but once on board they're so immersed in what is going on they've no idea what's on the front. The moment they sit down the getting off it's a 1hr 1min show.

I'm told the people in carriage 1, right behind the steam engine, even with the 4MT in main valve pulling about 400t up the hill didn't really notice as they were concentrating on the show.

We'll always run steam on the Polars but it just showed once they're on board anything could have pulled the train.

 

I had guessed that, in the rare event of a steam loco not being able to run with the train, you would park one in the platform to do exactly what you said above.

Typical of what I have seen re the very caring way that the Spa Valley Railway always tries very hard to do what is best for the visitors.

Bryan

 

@Jonnie Does the justgiving route provide the facility for full gift aid to be added by the donor please?

Bryan

 

JustGiving are very good at ensuring charities can receive Gift Aid.

 

Out photographing the ones at Swanage it appeared to be mega rare to see a toplight anything other than fully closed, so I am not surprised at all.

 

Presumably @Gladiator 5076 is referring to either droplights or quarterlights.

Sent from my PGT-N19 using Tapatalk

 

On Mk1's I have always referred to droplights for the doors and toplights for the sliding windows above the tables. Obviously incorrectly then. Every day is a school day.

 

I was wondering about the "celestory" carriages. Probably involves a flying helmet and a bitter, stringy stick-like vegetable ...

Tom

 

Being one of those right behind the 4MT, with everything going on it was hard to hear, but what I could I am glad that I was able to.

The Railway put on an amazing event, with my three boys being unaware where we were even though we visit through out the year. Congradulations to all of those that put on such an event.

 

Hi Jonnie, can I clarify the bit (hopefully) in bold? Is 34053 running on 4th January or is it every weekend from the 11th?

I had ruled out a visit on the 4th as it wasn’t billed as a steam day on the website?

Good luck with the bridge appeal Dad and I will contribute in due course

 

They don't (not allowed to?) make programmes like that anymore Tom.

Bryan

 

4th and 5th is Class 207 DEMU 1317.

34053 is then booked out each weekend from 11th January. Please note, our Sunday timetable January to March is not the 'normal' 10-4 heritage railway service I expect most people have grown used to over the years.
There are only two public trips on Sunday's the other two paths are for driver experiences.

 

It has taken me a while to get round to printing the image below (which is also now my avatar) but it so happened that on the morning of the Friday of the beer festival, 80078 was running with the correct headcode discs for a Cuckoo Line working and the fog cleared just in time for this shot taken at Pokehill crossing, so here is a taster for next June's event!

 

In regard to the Cuckoo Line event, since Jonnie's post, it's been announced that 34072 is returning to Swanage, so will it still be part of the event, just as a visitor this time or is it still too early to confirm?

Also the Facebook page says that 80078 has left for winter maintenance and then returning to the Mid Norfolk after, but it will be returning later in the year and hints at it appearing at the Cuckoo Line event.