WSR Spring Steam Gala, 20-21 & 25-28 March 2010

My final video from the Gala with footage from Sunday morning and one of the King (very noisy!) working the 13.00 from Minehead;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tge4-u4aOI

Once again thanks to all involved at the WSR, and a special mention for the flailing teams whose hard work is much appreciated by everyone.

 

Re: GWR 175 - "The Standard Revolution" Spring Steam Gala on Saturday, 27th. March 20

Hello Mr. Orion. I've just had a look at your latest video clips. I notice that before your disappointing visit to the WSR gala you visited the GCR's 1960s gala. I was quite surprised to find that most of the footage was taken of the A1 pacific 'Tornado' and the Jubilee 4-6-0 cruising through the virtually flat Leicestershire countryside with just 5 or 6 coaches behind the tender. Hardly a challenge I would have thought for these powerful beasts. You must surely have returned home once again a very disgruntled person. <BJ>

 

Re: GWR 175 - "The Standard Revolution" Spring Steam Gala on Saturday, 27th. March 20

May I recommend some industrial railways with "field" in the names?

 

Re: GWR 175 - "The Standard Revolution" Spring Steam Gala on Saturday, 27th. March 20

No Your hardly going to get an 8P/F thrashing up there though,lol

 

GWR 175 - "The Standard Revolution" Spring Steam Gala on Saturday, 27th. March 2010.

Hello All,

A collection of eight photographs taken when I visited the West Somerset Railway, for their excellent and most enjoyable GWR 175 - "The Standard Revolution" Spring Steam Gala 2010, on Saturday 27th.March 2010 have been captioned and added to my fotopic site.

Link click here;

http://preservedrailwaylocomotivephotosbyrichardsmith.fotopic.net/c1831728.html

Please view and hopefully enjoy.

Best regards SteamHawk216.

 

I have uploaded 19 of my favorite photos from Friday and Saturday to a set on my flickr website...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alts1985/sets/72157623618182245/

Those and more are also on my fotopic website...

http://ashleysmith355.fotopic.net/c1831778.html

I will be uploading a couple of videos to Youtube at some point as well.

 

i didnt read your post until i got home so i didnt know who you were! lol

 

haha thanks!

 

Not from Blue Anchor but I do have them crossing at Williton if that's any use to you?

 

Our Vids are now up from the weekend...:

Part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn6ra4JMr-U

Part 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQYS9OzMhpM

Part 3:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iavXi52luQ


Part 4:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twRCgdAwJho

Cheers,
Mark

 

Just uploaded my photos of the 2nd weekend to http://jasonhull2000.fotopic.net/c1832027.html
Thursday spent day riding trains mainly due to the weather.

 

andrew, thanks for posting the image of the two 9Fs.

 

No Problem, hope you liked it

 

My first two videos are on Youtube in HD now...

92212 leaving Watchet...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H0bD1qD5F8

34046 between Blue Anchor and Washford...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCe9u5PwAs8

Three more to follow.

 

We had a first ever visit to the Railway and were very impressed with the efficient operation of the Gala, fantastic variety of Loco's and beautiful scenery. Many thanks to all those who put the hard work in that we witnessed on 6 full line trips and other visits to the line over the period Wednesday 24th to Sunday 28th.
Memories of 9f's as a boy in West Yorkshire were re-kindled but it was great to see all the engines in action.

Here are a few short clips from the first 2 days before we travelled the line. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW03cy-n7rg

 

Over 7800 visitors enjoyed the 2010 Spring Steam Gala. The Chairman of the Special Events Planning Team, John Cronin, reports "Despite the cold and wet weather which we endured on four of the six days we still managed to welcome 7891 visitors to the Railway for the Gala, some 24.8% less than the record number of 10,636 visitors in 2009 which had better weather and the first preservation runs of Royal Scot."

So the trick is a) ensure good weather on all Gala days b) get something in that'll really create some interest. Some trick!

Steve
(WSW)

 

I agree that to get 7891 visitors is an acheivement and well done to them, BUT ... another part of the trick is not to alienate those who come year-in-year-out and the timetablers are doing a good job of this.

Because of infrastucture issues, which cannot easily be resolved without the expenditure of lots of money, the WSR is restricted to a departure every hour. The timetable therefore is really important, much more important than on lines where a 40min frequency is possible. This year's Spring Gala was the second on the trot where the timetablers got it wrong and I do wonder just how long this can go on for before the railway sees a drop in its attendance figures.

The railway cannot do an awful lot about the weather in west Somerset in late March, which is iffy to say the least, and it can never be entirely sure that any one theme for a gala will capture the imagination of the steam railway community, but it can ensure that there are an equal number of chimney first departures from both ends of the line and that they are equally spread throughout the day. In this year's gala there was an instance on every day of a tender-first arrival at Minehead where the locomotive was turned and then sent out tender-first so guaranteeing an unequal number of chimney/tender-first services. On the last weekend there were no chimney-first departures from mid-afternoon from either end.

To be perfectly frank, I think the turntable is being used as a toy, a plaything, and not the business tool it ought to be, and this has got to change.

Regards

 

Can you explain what you think was wrong with the timetable ?

David

 

David,

Quote from the third paragraph of my post:-

'In this year's gala there was an instance on every day of a tender-first arrival at Minehead where the locomotive was turned and then sent out tender-first so guaranteeing an unequal number of chimney/tender-first services. On the last weekend there were no chimney-first departures from mid-afternoon from either end.'

I think that answers your question, whether you agree with it is up to you!

Regards

 

Ah, you mean loco rostering rather than timetabling. Actually I think your re-stated words are not quite right as there were chimney-first departures on the last Sat and Sun from mid-afternoon. And of course sending out a tender-first departure from Minehead means it will be chimney-first from Lydeard on its next working, which should please some folks.

Steve
(WSW)