Swanage Autumn Steam Gala 12 - 14 September

The gala did indeed excel itself from the timekeeping aspect, (unlike most galas anywhere really). It was especially impressive bearing in mind the shunting and running round needed for the freight set at HX. Trains sadly never looked to full, especially Sunday, although the railway must be used to that as it is difficult to get to the railway by public transport before at 11:30 and that if it is a rare Sunday without engineering works somewhere, yesterday buses between Bournemouth and Southampton Airport Parkway and on the coast line between Southampton Central and Havant. It is like the third world down here.
Purely unscientific but I reckon the first train on Friday was 15 late which also delayed the second. But the 10:00 left basically on time and it all ran fine after that. Saturday seemed on time apart from possibly the last two trains. We certainly heard the 22:10 going out at about 22:25. Sunday despite the very bad weather after lunch still ran to time, although the last train achieved this by only having the S15 at the front and Manston as well as the U on the rear, rather than the double header with the U on the back planned in the timetable.
Whilst the railway performed with excellence, your poster had less than a sparkling weekend.
I misread the timetable on Friday afternoon being convinced the U left the river at 15:30, so I missed it. I also misread it Sunday morning and sat on the first train at HX (having wondered why it went into P1 and why the crews were taking photos on their phones) and hence missed the rare shot of two double headed trains with all four locos boiler first crossing each other. Neither was as embarrassing as misreading the platform sign for the gents and wandering in to wash my hands and wondering how I had not noticed the refurbishment and why had they moved the urinals (just call me Gloria).
Saturday I did catch the S15 at Creech but only due to the weather being heavy showers in the morning. It was my Dad's 99th birthday and although he lives next to the railway he is basically housebound and being on the ground floor can only see the tops of the locos so the plan was to wheel him out into Gilbert Road for a couple of hours to watch and photograph the trains, when there would be lots of activity. Changed to after lunch when the weather improved, it gave a short window in the afternoon as I had to take the wife somewhere at 16:00. Delayed further by another visitor and some cake, we ended up mainly during the one hour gap in the afternoon, so he only got to see the T3 and Manston.
It is great living so close to the line but unlike a normal gala where you go for a day or more and focus on it, other distractions occur.
An old work colleague at BA had contacted me a few days before, he was coming down on Friday and as we had not met since he took the money and ran, then moved to Freightliner, I did want to meet up. He suggested mid afternoon, but I said later as I wanted to photograph the S15 on the climb to Furzebrook (yes the train I totally missed in the end) so it became 17:30 and after some drinks and then dinner at home my evening behind the S15 was no more. A bit like Saturday where my wife's I will be finished by 17:30 led to a call for collection at 18:10 so I missed the Repton departure in great light at 18:15. Plus by the time we then had dinner that evening's trains were a bust as well.

Best run of yesterday by far was the T3 on the front from the river yesterday. There was assistance from the U to get it moving but after that seemed to be all T3, although there was a mammoth slip just after Holme Lane that seemed to go on for ever, plus about 3 more on the climb to summit at Furzebrook, despite which it was still a faster climb than the S15 achieved on the previous train. I suspect that maybe the crews were less familiar with the S15. When we arrived at Corfe Nathan Au in full bowler hat attire was checking the loco, so I guess he was driving, and he of course has lots of experience of the T3.

When I have gone through the vast amount of images I took, many I suspect are rubbish I will post some in the next day or so.

 

Some images from Day 1 of the gala.

 

On Friday we got to Corfe Castle at 1034 by using the 0755 Swanwick then 0827 Soton to Poole and Bus 40 at 0938. We could have got to Swanage at 0905 from London . Portsmouth or Southampton by changing at Bournemouth to the 0758 Bus 50 all much earlier than 1130.

 

I was talking about getting here on a Sunday Don. Other days as you say are not an issue.

 

Sorry yet another very senior moment!

 

My limited offerings from Day 2, dodging the morning rain and having other things on in the afternoon. Nice to see Grange Road Bridge without a TSR again.

 

Day 3 images. A day that started dull and turned very wet after 13:00.
I do not normally photograph tender first locos, unless on freights and I thought the S15 looked very good on the fright set.
Corfe features so heavily as I was riding the trains all day, the final image being the last train of the gala on arrival at Swanage.

 

Some photos from an excellent gala weekend.

Friday





Saturday








Sunday

 

It was good to meet you on Saturday. I was with you for the final Saturday shot on the climb up to Furzebrook and also for the picture of 30506 at Town End Bridge where you wisely took your picture as it came round the corner before the rogue cloud appeared to spoil my shot. Funnily enough, Saturday's earlier run with 30506 was almost a carbon copy of your photo from Afflington Bridge 24 hours earlier- ths sun stayed out but Town End Bridge was in shadow as it passed.

I hope you didn't get too wet on Saturday night. It absolutely chucked it down on my return journey.