Churnet Valley Steam Gala

Again, ditto! So many lines run events with a lineup that's slightly strange and pleases noone, but this looks outrageous enough to be a good weekend!

 

I will be there not sure if driving anything yet tho will av to wait for the roster!!

Steve

 

We all hope so! ;-)

 

Should be an interesting, looking forward to seeing the so called Yellow Peril, ex 101, ex Railtrack 977391+977392. Only 5 passengers per trip must be due to the alterations for the crew by railtrack. Is it running from Froghall to Oakamoor or on the main line?. Whichever it is I will have a ride in it hopefully, if it's not to full. The gala seems like it's like Pick and Mix, used to be my favourite from Woolies. No pun intended Woolley.

 

With the change to an anything goes gala is a guest still in the pipeline or has that idea been scrapped ?.

An S160 and a Tractor sounds like a noisy day that could be temptiong.

 

There is a clip on youtube of the S160 paired with the Tractor with the 104 as the stock (At a previous anything goes gala).... the 104 can be heard over BOTH the S160 and 37! ;-)

There is no planned 'visitor', just the in house fleet.

 

Speaking as the photographer of said clip, I'm hoping for a re-run of that, would like to try it as a passenger this time

 

Subject to availability 33102 will now be replacing 37075 at the anything goes gala.

 

Will there be a bus from Stoke like there was for the steam gala back in Feb?

 

Ive not heard of a dedicated bus service for the gala, but there is now a service (No15) run by Alton Towers from Stoke Station to Froghall Station and then onto Alton Towers (+ return!) that runs 7 days a week that can be used by those wishing to visit the CVR. Details are somewhere(!) on the CVR website.

EDIT: Ah... forget the above, the 15 service only runs until the end of Oct... which is today!!

 

Please see attached the working timetable for the CVR's anything goes weekend.

Regards

Chris

 

Anyone coming from Stoke station Saturday morning and returning the same evening want to share a taxi? Worth a shot!

 

For a reliable taxi service phone terry on 07732908131.

If you pre book or phone in advance of arrival at Stoke he is alot cheaper than other taxis on the taxi rank.

I have used him before can recommend him.

 

Due to various issues with the set, class 101 977391+977392 wont be in service over the weekend. One advantage to this is..... more thrash out of the 104!

 

Will post comments on the gala tomorrow, when I've had more time to focus on the positives rather than on how much of a shame it was that 5197 couldn't have a decent farewell, but had to fade away quietly (despite several requests and an offer of a blank cheque for some thrash on its last run!).

 

*Post Removed*

 

Well I was going to wait, but seeing as Tynwald's experience was that similar to mine...

Likewise, I'm no stranger to Churnet galas of the past which have generally been excellent. And likewise, I made it no secret that this, for me, was the 'S160 farewell weekend' first and foremost.

Agreed on stalls, timekeeping, etc. And was also quite shocked to see station staff dispatching trains and then walking off back to the station buildings long before they were clear of the platform - on one run a couple then attempted to board a moving train, which was only stopped when the driver/guard noticed ( I couldn't tell who dumped the brake, but it was a good few seconds after they started attempting to board - one had already done so! ) This could so easily have resulted in something quite serious! This, surely, is one of the single most important tasks station staff have - to ensure the safe arrival and departures of trains.

However, as said, the main reason I too have visited Churnet galas in the past and did so today was for some entertaining runs (especially behind 5197). I shall qualify that by saying I (and I'm sure the same can be said for Tynwald) am NOT asking for speed. I am well aware that doing stupid speeds will lead to trouble. I am asking for some sound from locos. I can understand entirely crews nursing 5199 - as the line's only working steam loco (now), that was perfectly logical. I can also understand the "thrashing a locomotive will require parts to be replaced sooner" argument, but not on its last day in ticket! Please, anyone considering posting said argument, bear in mind that the loco is now stopped awaiting an overhaul anyway! I can also understand the "you should respect someone else's property" argument. However, again, the loco is now awaiting overhaul anyway, and if the owner were opposed to hearing the loco work, would he have sent it to Merehead last year to work 1,600 ton stone trains?

Furthermore, my quote about a blank cheque was not an exaggeration. Such is our enthusiasm for the sound that loco CAN make, a couple of us did say "name your price" and would have been willing to make a fairly substantial donation to the line - to the restoration of the other S160 perhaps! - in exchange for some sound, but the crew shrugged this off too. No fewer than four requests were made by us alone for the loco to have a decent farewell run, even if only on the last train of the day, but to no avail. Again, we were not asking for speed - to do so would be quite immature - but a bit of fun in getting to 25mph! With load 5 and a prarie in tow, this would have been possible.

One further point concerns the driver for a tenner runs, an opportunity which a friend took. Not having driven the S160 before, he was unfamiliar with the unusual regulator on the loco, and asked how to open it. (for reference, this is not such a daft question as it sounds - the regulator has to be shoved away, past the off stop, and then pulled back - simply pulling back as per british locos will not do the trick.) Rather than explain this, the driver opened the regulator for him, let the loco get to speed, then shut it, before doing the same on the return. Now, I'm sorry, if you were driving a car but had no control over the accelerator or steering, would you say you were driving it? "Driver for £10"? Read "Cab ride for £10"... A simple explanation, as I managed in a sentence, would, I'm sure, have sufficed. This might sound a small point, but having paid £10 to DRIVE the locomotive, he wasn't too pleased - and understandably so!

On the plus side, some of the stock was quite presentable - the mk2 and half of the VEP particularly. Cups of tea in Froghall tea room were of good quality, and far more reasonably priced than I've paid on many other lines. (would've sampled the food too, but the lure of the black lion called!). All connections I tried to make at Consall were easily done - some lines could learn from that!

However, unfortunately, I have to conclude that the negatives somewhat outweigh the positives on this occasion. The simple fact is, when running a gala without big name locos, a railway will rely on those enthusiasts who come because they appreciate what that railway has to offer. For many, what Churnet has to offer is decent locos being driven in an enthusiastic manner. (and a pub at each station).

I should also say at this point that I can appreciate that no member of shed staff is realistically going to tell a driver to give a loco some thrash. However, when the loco is joining the overhaul queue anyway, so no real damage can be done, and an offer is being made to put a decent donation towards the railway, to not attempt to deliver is frankly a poor show. This reflects badly not only on the crew, whose reply to the offer of a donation was, and I quote, "what good will that do?" - that sounds very supportive of their railway! - but also on the railway itself. This was clearly an event aimed at the enthusiast market, and I find it hard to believe that not one slightly enthusiastic driver was available to give 5197 the farewell she deserved.

As far as I'm concerned, my farewell to 5197 was an absolutely cracking run behind it during the February gala. Today, the loco faded out on an all time low.

I apologise if this reads as "one passenger wanted the loco to be louder". However, I was certainly not alone - as Tynwald has posted and many others on the train said at the time. Again to echo the above post, this is the first time I've come away from a Churnet gala disappointed. Hope for a fitting farewell for 5197 was my reason for visiting the gala, and quite frankly I wish I hadn't bothered. Will I attend the next gala at Churnet? Hmm, I don't know.

 

Im sure your points will be taken on board - the time keeping issue needs to be sorted which was caused by the slower running shunters and the failure of the 04, however the main point that you make through post about the S160 being "stopped" is incorrect. The S160's ticket runs out on December 31st 2009 and will run all of the santa trains as well as the trains between christmas and new year - Subject to availability.

I as much as anyone likes to hear a loco working hard however if the rail conditions were poor etc then the driver has done the right thing by taking his time with the engine rather than pushing it too hard and risking the engine slipping etc.

So what the driver has done is not classed as a disgrace he was nothing short of proffesional.

Regards

Chris

 

Just like to thank all the staff at the Churnet Valley railway on saturday, 3 of us travelled down from the ELR and had a fantastic day, the food was excellent and I even managed to find a few books I didnt have, and well priced too, the food was good at both ends of the line all with some lovely ladies serving it (what more could you ask for), and it was nice to catch up with a few friends also, well done guys on another excellent and well run event, keep up the good work, we`ll certainly be visiting again.

heres some picture from the day

http://gall.theonlyalien.co.uk/v/CVPR/cvr/

 

#One further point concerns the driver for a tenner runs, an opportunity which a friend took. Not having driven the S160 before, he was unfamiliar with the unusual regulator on the loco, and asked how to open it. (for reference, this is not such a daft question as it sounds - the regulator has to be shoved away, past the off stop, and then pulled back - simply pulling back as per british locos will not do the trick.) Rather than explain this, the driver opened the regulator for him, let the loco get to speed, then shut it, before doing the same on the return. Now, I'm sorry, if you were driving a car but had no control over the accelerator or steering, would you say you were driving it? "Driver for £10"? Read "Cab ride for £10"... A simple explanation, as I managed in a sentence, would, I'm sure, have sufficed. This might sound a small point, but having paid £10 to DRIVE the locomotive, he wasn't too pleased - and understandably so!#

Phew yes, a tenner is a hell lot of money to drive a steam loco without proper instruction, maybe they should send all the drivers away on a proper teaching course and then put the price onto customers, 50 quid sounds about right