Spa Valley Railway Cuckoo Line Gala - June 13-15 2025

Very valid questions. They'll be valid on the trains they were meant to be valid for, so if you bought a Morning Rover and the train ran late, if it was meant to run before the time expires on the ticket, you're still fine to travel. We would provide a more formal cutoff and announce it on our social media if necessary.

We could look to offer a 'Middle of the Day Rover', but we have to balance out what the TTIs can manage. The Afternoon Rover starts at 11:30 and is valid until 17:00 which covers a large portion of the day.

 

The Ivatt Tank is sailing on the 17:40 from Fishbourne today.

 

I did think that range of options was very original thinking, especially for those that may have to travel some distance to reach you.

 

Does she arrive at TWW today? Assuming it will be tomorrow at some point

 

I see on the Spa Valley Facebook that like the Bulleid and Std 4, the Ivatt will also be carrying a different identity for the event and will run as 41319.

 

34053 is running as 34050 'Royal Observer Corps', this is being done properly with cast nameplates, numberplate and shedplate plus the emblem above the name and the ROC long service ribbon on the side of the cab.

41313 is running as 41319, a 75F regular and Cuckoo Line engine.

80078 is running as itself minus shedplate on Friday 13th which is how it was outshopped from Brighton in 1954 and ran on test to Tunbridge Wells West, 80144 on Saturday 14th June, the last steam hauled train in the public timetable onthe Cuckoo Line and as 80011 on Sunday 15th June, a regular on the line.

31806... What could that appear as...

 

Well Jonnie, I don't think U class 31806 will appear as N class 31852 (see below - April 1962), but provided it has a U number it will still be a really great sight to see a SR Mogul back on the line for those of us who come to spend time at what looks to be an amazing Gala next week.

Bryan

 

Facebook page says 31806 will be appearing as 31803 and is due to arrive at the Railway on Tuesday.

 

41313 arrived earlier today and has been unloaded.

 

Great news, many thanks. And as mentioned above, 31806/31803 is due on Tuesday.

Is 80078 on the way yet Jonnie?

Bryan

 

It's being picked up on Tuesday. It is running this weekend at Mid Norfolk.

 

In that case is it going to appear in the grubby state that the original ran in on the Wealden Railtour - I understand that it was a last minute substitute for the booked loco that was failed on shed. And while we are at it is the BR Standard 4 chimney on 31806 going to be changed for the proper Maunsell chimney that 31803 carried?

Just asking for @The Gricing Owl as he likes his authentic pictures (or perhaps I'm just being pedantic)

Either way have a good gala.

Peter

 

Peter, thankfully that word you used 'pedantic' has too many syllables for me to fully grasp the meaning of your post. I am just a simple, semi-literate gricing owl.

But I am quite happy with anything that resembles a SR Mogul and as they broadly looked in the 1960s. Hauling anything that looks like the sort of coaches they would have once hauled at that stage of their lives. @Jamessquared Tom fully understands that as when he so kindly posts info about Bluebell workings, he just refers to the coaches I am keen to see behind the relevant loco as 'green'. Although some of the other liveries for BR MK1 s will do.

I timed it on a Redhill-Guildford stopping train in December 1963. So, in whatever form it is appearing at the SPV gala it is coming back closer to home. And, subject to me being able to drag my ageing body over to the Spa Valley Railway every day it is operating, I intend to spend time seeing if it remembers me!

I do hope there will be plenty of Nat Pressers at the event, I will try and not mention BR lined black too often if we get chatting!

Bryan - nostalgia increasing by the day - B

 

Bryan I was just using you as an excuse to hide the fact that I too am a closet fan of BR lined black and love the SR moguls. Alas I missed the last six weeks of regular steam on the Central Section (ie the Brighton Line) as I was away at boarding school but being aware that the end was nigh I saw what I could of remaing steam operations in the Haywards Heath area during the Easter Holidays. One turn that had survived all winter in the hands of a Redhill mogul was still running in the last week of April. It involved an 8.30 freight from Three Bridges Yard to Eastbourne. A 15.44 from there to Hastings and and then an 18.19 to Lewes East Sidings. It then ran light engine from Lewes at 21.02 to Brighton Top Yard via Haywards Heath (to effectively turn it and take water) before ending its day on a 23.25 freight from Brighton Top Yard to Redhill Down Yard. I still have the relevant traffic notice for this working for that last week in April, saying "will be steam hauled in DL timings". The locos involved were my favorite, 31411, on Monday Wednesday and Friday with 31405 on the Tuesday and 31791 on the Thursday.
Here is 31411 on this working on Friday 30/4/65 at Spatham Lane Level Crossing , a short cycle ride across Ditchling Common from home.

I guess that I should not complain too much about boarding school, which I detested - at least I did get to see something of the last summer of services on the nearby Somerset & Dorset. All a long time ago now.

I wont get down for the gala but I will be watching how it unfolds here on Nat Pres. Hope it goes well for you all.

Peter

 

A very mundane matter for @Jonnie if you have a moment. Is the coffee and snacks kiosk going to be open again at Groombridge station this coming weekend please? I know it was shut for a while earlier in the year.

Thanks, Bryan.

 

For info, for those lucky enough to be able to attend 31806 (as it still is) was at Norden this morning, but when I went past the low loader had not arrived.

 

Yes, all back open. The PMV at Eridge which sells much the same thing will also be open.

 

The U Class 31806 courtesy of our friends at the Swanage Railway and JMB Locomotive Services is on the way to Tunbridge Wells West!

Captured by David Stretton at Rownhams Services near Southampton earlier this evening.

 

Wonderful to see it on its way.

Am I dreaming, or was it joined with its tender overnight, steamed and then put on an up Lymington Pier Express?

Or it it just the loco and myself thinking back to when I photographed it approaching Pirbright back in circa 1962? It will pass not that far from there today even it still is on the low loader.

Bryan