Watercress line diesel gala 11-13 July 2025

I actually thought that for a gala the timekeeping was generally excellent, despite a signalling issue at Ropley requiring trains to be flagged through manually for a while. Even had a couple of trains arrive a minute or so early!
Attributable I think to sensible station dwell and/or turn round times and some slick work by crews in attaching and detaching locos.
So credit definitely due there to those responsible and a lesson that could be learnt by a few other gala organisers!
The hydraulics were also the stars for me and yes, the noise and acceleration of the Warship following the token exchange at Ropley on the non-stop run was something very special!
An excellent day all round and hopefully the next 2 days will go equally well.

 

I made the 0848 with the DH 20s and all went to plan. An excellent day staring the Hydraulics. Bus conections perfect but pity about SWT this afternoon. Presumably wrong kind of heat. Brilliant organisation MHR thanks. Seemed very strange standing on KX bridge but not a steam loco in view

Don

 

I would add that 1015 was very smoky. Injectors?

Don

 

Thought the Warship gave the best run. Timekeeping was spot on all day. Amazing.

 

Our Warship don on the 1350 out of Alton was strangely erratic with speed falling to 12.5 mph after Butts Junction before recovering to a steady 26 mph

 

25mph.