SVR Autumn Steam Gala

Slight error Sunday evening - It’s 813/1450 on the 2nd to last BH-KR trip. 813/49 do KR to BH, but 49 swaps for 1450 there due to positioning move for 1450.

 

Just looked at the allocations and as somebody who has done his fair share of gala planning in the past, I must say they look to be well thought out with a good spread and plenty of variety, so congratulations to those involved for doing all the hard planning work. As much as I'm a fan of Bullied Pacific's the appearance of a "Jinty" on the line after so many years is what has turned this into a must attend event for me personally.

On the coaching stock front any info on what the local sets are - I'm assuming (hoping) one is a four car rake of Carmine & Cream Mk 1's.

Also as a lover of the odd pint, which set/coach will the travelling tavern be in Mk 1, GW, LMS or LNER ?

Off now to sort accommodation for all four days and looking forward to what promises to be a really first class event.

 

Thanks for your kind comments. This year is our first try at mixing locos around to the absolute max so like the Bridgnorth local is a different engine every day and so on.

Coaches -

Firstly it should come as no surprise to anyone that the Blood and Custards set is largely depleted following the issue at Kidderminster last week. So unfortunately a 4 coach rake is not possible.

Secondly, due to said issue at Kidderminster the local and overnight sets are still being decided in full. So I’m afraid I can’t really give you firm detail on those yet. I will share when I can.

Main Sets

Set N (LNER) Teaks - 7 coaches all teaks. This set includes the Travelling Tavern.
Set M (Maroon) - 7 coaches. Does what it says on the tin.
Set GW(8) - 8 GWR Coaches. All shirtbutton livery. All Collett design. Includes the new 9581 Wheelchair Access Buffet. An SVR first to have a uniform 8 Colletts in this livery.
Set TL(7) - 7 GWR Coaches. A mash up of toplights and spare GWR vehicles.

DMU - This should be the Class 101 this time. And if anyone is worried about historical inaccuracy or running a DMU at a steam event - It’s only 12 months younger than 75069/73082 and it’s 3 years older than 35005 in its rebuilt form!!

 

Many thanks for advising on the timetable. Are loco directions expected to be as per your 18 August post please? Tickets and accommodation all booked; first time at an ASG for a few years!
our

 

Absolurely no change there. All locos expecting to face as per that post. I’ll do a summary about a week before so it’s at the top of the thread for everyone.

Thanks for booking tickets. You’ve joined the masses that’s for sure as we are nearly 250 up on this point for last years ASG which is amazing.

 

So a slight coaches update for SVR gala….

We pushed 6 MK1 through that block at KR and we’ve got to have them examined and they won’t be available. We had looked at some WCR coaches but for reasons that can’t happen. So after spending since about 1600 head scratching……

It’s meant a bit of a change round of sets….
- It does mean on Thursday it’s now GW(9) for Hagley Hall and the Coach 9581’s launch train. 9 Colletts in Shirtbutton livery
-That 80776 disabled coach has now had to be drafted in to TL(7). Luckily it’s on the non old coaches end.
-Jinty will now run with a rake of MK1 Thursday, and LMS over the weekend as opposed to other way round. Not much to be done there.

So yeah. Basically it’s all gone a bit tits up.

Anyway this is how we believe we will line up…..

- GW(9) - THURSDAY ONLY - A rake of 9 shirtbutton Colletts. 9581 launch train. 4930 on the front. Lovely.
- GW(7) - 7 Colletts for main day as two get split for a local after Thursday.
- TL(7) - 6 GWRs and that 80776 Disbaled coach.
- M(7) - 7 maroon MK1s. Well 6 plus that BR livery LMS coach we have.
- N(7) - 7 teaks! Just about the only thing not changed!
- MK1(6) - THURSDAY ONLY - 6 MK1s with the Jinty. Might have to be 5, we are just waiting on some weight restrictions for the loco.

Locals
- GW(2) - Bridgnorth to Hampton Local.
- L(4) - South End local. 4 LMS, we might manage the Stove R on this if we can.
- 101 DMU

Overnights
- MK1(4) - 4 MK1s. Can’t really say fairer than that.
- C(3) - 3 Open MK1 coaches. We might manage a 4th for this set with a real bit of luck.

 

With less than 2 weeks to go now seems as good a time as any for a gala update with what I hope will all be the final elements of it.

Loco Directions
North - 75069, 4930, 813, 7714, 1450, 35006, NCB 49, 47298
South - 7802, 13268, 73082

35006 Turns Saturday 2nd Round Trip to face south.
75069 and 7714 both turn Sunday to face South.

Coaches
Final coach sets are in. I won’t go in to masses of detail but as below…..
- GW(9) - THURSDAY ONLY
- GW(7)
- TL(7)
- M(7)
- N(7)
- MK1(5) THURSDAY ONLY - 5 MK1s with the Jinty. Was 6 but weight restrictions don’t quite permit.
- GW(2)
- L(4) - No Stove R as earlier thought as it’s unavailable.
- 101 DMU
Overnights
- MK1(4)
- C(3) - 3 Open MK1 coaches. We can’t manage a 4th but this will be a very high capacity 3, TSO/TSO/BSO.

Cosch 9581 had a test run this week just gone which I believe was a success. The launch for that is Thursday, behind 4930. 1145 (I think!) ex Kidderminster.

Goods
It’s all GWR wagons for this one. We’ve done this quite a bit recently and it’s popular. Plus we’ve a nice shiny one or two wagons to go in! No prizes for guessing which locos the Loco Coal wagon will be nearest too when they head the train Smokebox first.

Tickets
These are selling really well which is a great positive. Would encourage booking in advance to save the % off that it gives you.

Weather
Yeah sorry we can’t quite plan this to work in our favour, you’ll all just have to pray!

The vast whack of detail can be found here - https://svr.co.uk/event/autumn-steam-gala-2025/

Fingers crossed for a good event, we hope you all enjoy it!

 

Ticket booked, very much looking forward to it.

 

3 day rover booked B&B booked Bewdley Friday night, then a first for me and yes I am 68 doing the Sat/Sun allnighter!! 4930 first then change about 3am to 13268
Looking forward to this

 

Hi Harry,

Will the GWR Buffet (9581) be running throughout the Gala please?

Cheers,

Reg.

 

Yes. It will be going into the GW set either the back end of next week or when the main gala reshuffle is taking place. Once its in place, it will be staying put. Toplight 9055 will be released into the toplight/ early GW set.

 

Hi Harry

Thanks for this interesting and useful update. Just out of interest, given that you were potentially considering hiring coaches, what is the status of the rest of set L? Normally 8 vehicles with a spare, so with regard to the above, L4 would account for 4, the BR(M) liveried coach being loaned to set M would account for another, but presumably this would still leave 3 or 4 others from set L? Or have I missed something? Hope you don’t mind me asking, always interested in the coaches…
I’m looking toward to attending the gala Thursday - Saturday. Shaping up to be a brilliant event.
Julian

 

Hi,

No worries about asking. Always glad to try help. The other L Brake coach is currently out for maintenance, and the remaining 2 at the buffet and a TK, neither of which have gangway adaptors so therefore coupling them to MK1 stock, etc isn’t an easy task. The buffet also isn’t ideally suited to night work. So really those two just kind of have to sit in the shed this time round, as there is no practical use for them.

We always try and balance the heritage flavour, with operational requirements too, so finding a place for 2 LMS livery vehicles some of the sets isn’t easy, another reason they’ve sat on the side line.

 

Interesting - thank you.


Pleased to see two full GW rakes out including the “new” buffet - appreciate there will always be a need for vehicles to come out for maintenance but looks like the SVR is getting steadily closer to the ambition I read about on SVR wiki to have a GW1 and GW2 set.

Julian

 

Yes hopefully. 4786 is awaiting mechanical attention and then I beleive should be ready to join the GWR sets giving 16 operational vehicles in total. But I believe the Siphon may also not be far away, thus again adding some slightly different interest to the consist.

 

Very much looking forward to the event and got my Friday and Saturday tickets weeks ago. Will there be a timetable with the sets on available before the event? Thanks

 

Sunday looks the best day as 49 is running the whole line (albeit double headed). Will it be on a full rake and is it planned to hang around after the gala at all?

 

Non of the visitors are planned to hang round after the event.

49 is only allowed to do 120 ton when by itself so getting it out full like is difficult. It actually also does full like Friday and Saturday albeit fragmented up in to locals.

On Sunday it is on local set for its solo full line run in the AM, and all the double headers are on big sets.

 

Excellent, thanks for the reply

 

4786 should be available sometime during 2026. We cannot defer certain vehicles any further than we already have done. 4786 has to fit in with that plan.
The run on Thursday morning will be a unique spectacle as there is nowhere else in the world that you can witness a 1920s built GWR shirtbutton liveried Hall on 9 GWR coaches in the same livery (assuming 829 hasnt snuck in).

Next year should hopefully see the LMS set have more attention thrown its way. 2025 was meant to be about the Carmine and cream Mk1s and so far weve acheived........ 0. This is due to factors outside our control such as a demand on contract work and more work needed on 9581 than originally intended. We should rattle through a minimum of 4 CnC's over the winter with 1853 coming out of Bewdley 16202 from Kidderminster and 4345/ 9220 getting a quick spruce up.

1257, the outaide framed siphon has, over the last 2 weeks been recanvased and work to finish the vehicle will continue throughout the winter with a possible quick trip into Bewdley paintshop after 1853 and before 4509.