BODMIN & WENFORD RAILWAY - STEAM GALA & REAL ALE FESTIVAL - 2-5 September 2010

Right farce today - services already well late and now 30120 has failed on delayed 1205 parkway - general which still hasn't got there at 1300!

 

The biggest farce is when people come on here and say something has failed, but don't say what with!

 

some photos of gala today 4-9-10 30120 30053 30587-85 http://keyhamtrain.fotopic.net 30120 as failed video just before it stopped at http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=keyhamtrain#g/u

 

What is worse is when speculation about what happened and what those involved did, by those not on the footplate / working the railway on the day starts. So, lets hope that everyone is sensible enough not to start that one off!

 

Despite the failure I enjoyed esp a M7 + 5 banked by a 240T working v hard indeed--the noise was awesome+the banker worked v hard.
Still worth visiting the gala!

 

As shymike was there, perhaps he can tell us what he found out when, as I'm sure he did, he asked a member of staff the reasons for the delays, and why the T9 failed.

 

Firstly I would like to thank the Bodmin & Wenford Railway for an excellent Event.

Regarding the comments above: The delays in the timetable are perhaps what you expect at a gala where an intensive timetable is operated and no slack is allowed for mishaps. As for the T9's failure, Ive been to enough events with locos that have failed to expect its par for the course. These are the events as I saw them and in no way am I critising the railway, merely stating what I saw or was told/overheard from members of staff.
The day started 10mins down with the first train due to wet rails/delay in preparing stock. More time was lost with the double headed Beatties when 30585 wouldnt uncouple from the stock at Parkway and then further loss with the descision to add an extra coach to the T9's first train by which time we were approx 30mins down. We had already been told that the T9 had 'suffered problems' the previous day. The run to Parkway seemed largely to be handled by 5552. The return run (delayed 12.05) with 30120 at the head and 5552 banking seemed a different affair with the T9 working hard from the start and after a good shove from the prairie was then left to get on with the job itself. The crew were obviously having difficulty with the injector (firemans side) with clouds of steam errupting when it was turned on. The engine was by now blowing off quite hard and we slowed and eventually stopped just short of the fitzgerald sidings, water seen pouring from the overflow. Despite several desperate attempts to start the injector the unenviable choice was made to throw out the fire. By now the crews of both locos were involved with the guard and they came on board to phone for assistance and to inform train staff/passengers of the problems and delay. The train was then uncoupled and drawn back from the stricken loco (which by now had stopped blowing off). Out of view from us, Beattie 30585 appeared and removed 30120 before 53 appeared and coupled up. After collecting up safety flags etc. we were ready to depart which was delayed slightly by the disappearance of the guard in the train. We arrived at General sometime close to 2pm (in the mele I didnt check the time exactly but did note it was 2.10 when I was in the queue for the Buffet).
I have to say the train staff acted very proffessionally keeping us informed with as much info as they knew especially the 2 young TTI's from the SVR. The guard only let herself down by failing to acknowledge the locos whistles once we were ready to depart and thats quite understandable given the events that had happened. The mood on the train seemed good with only children getting a bit fractious towards the end and was no doubt helped by the goodwill of offering free drinks.
Not knowing the full 'ins and outs' of operating practice my only suggestion would be could 5552 not have taken the train back to Parkway and awaited a loco there?

Mark Tewkesbury

 

The T9 failed with injector troubles or that is what we were all told by the Guard on the train. Nothing to worry about as it was back in traffic this morning on the 11:40 ex Bodmin General.

Well done to all those who were involved with the gala - well worth the £15 rover ticket. Despite the T9 failure and not being able to get a pic of it after it was shunted to the shed, the rest of the day was great and the guys did a great job to make up for the lack of the engine. Well done for offering complimentary soft drinks to the passengers on the 12:05 and keeping us informed of progress. It was great to sit on Bodmin General platform with a pint of beer and watch the trains go in and out and all the subsequent shunting.

Just one comment, I appreciate the guys may have wanted to work on the engine to try and rectify the fault, but could the T9 have been parked with it just poking out of the shed during the day after its failure? At least visitors could have got some pics of it. Having dealt with loco faults myself, I can understand that all you want to do is get it back in the shed and repaired, but I know a lot of people had travelled a long way to see it just to find it tucked away - there were 4 of us who travelled nearly 300 miles from Kent to see it and 3 of us were on the train. Fortunately I was able to nip down this morning and get a photo of it working.

Unfortunately there were some that didn't understand, who my friend heard making discouraging comments as they walked away from Bodmin General station after the T9's failure. I guess you can't please everyone. There is always a risk new engines straight out of the box are going to throw up these kind of complications.

Once again, thanks to everyone for a great day. I'll definitely be back.

Matt

 

To be honest, I enjoyed Saturday quite a bit, regardless of the 'fun and games' with the T9 (which was generally taken with good humour by most passengers, although in the Guard's defence, she did have to cope with onlookers blocking the corridors as she progressed through the train). However the very late running meant that I had to call it a day after a full round trip of both sections as there was no time for me to do a second trip by the final 17:40 train back towards Swansea. As it was, I left on the 16:40 with a few other enthusiasts who were trying to do the same thing as me. I'm glad 30120 is working again, and at least I managed to ride behind all of the locomotives in operation, and I am very impressed with the Beattie Well Tanks. However, the margin for error with a delay such as that may not justify a rail journey again, so next time, I'll probably have to stay somewhere more convenient than Swansea!

 

Had a great day at the Gala yesterday the T9 Sounded superb on the run from Parkway to Bodmin General well done to BWR in getting the T9 back out again on Sunday i would imagine a lot of effort and late working was involved.A very friendly railway i shall be back.

 

That's correct Matt. Wish I'd known you were down here

 

Enjoyed the front bay to Bodmin General on every trip on Friday-30120 is quite a noise maker.

Excellent gala-but how will BWR beat it-perhaps hire and repair a certain loco from Bluebell to complete the line up?

 

Apparently the engineering team were working until 4:00 the next morning to get it running again!

 

I heard a rumour whilst I was at the railway on Saturday that the team couldn't touch the T9 until midnight. If that's the case I think the team need a massive pat on the back. Well done guys.

I must admit I have been in your shoes and you will do anything right up until the last minute, to ensure that everything comes together in time for an event. It's people like that that makes this preservation thing so worthwhile.

Freebie - Why is that then?

 

I would have been very surprised if an engine fresh from o/haul didnt have a few teething problems. as has been said , the Bodmin is getting better all the time & has a frendly attitude.

 

the guard did no such thing and did not let herself down. it was her duty to watch the assisting loco couple up.which she did, then she had to make her way along crowded corridors past people who didnt want to move to the guards van where she did aknowledge both locos. the whistles your heard were the aknowledgement to her flag to proceed.so please get your facts correct next time. as for adding a fith coach that was absolutely nessessary. why go back to parkway as that would have caused even more delay.

 

Well that put me in my place! I am sorry you do not like my words about the guard but they are the facts as I saw and videod them. As I also stated, in the circumstances the guard and all members of staff acted extremely proffessionally. I am no angel either and often make mistakes! but to hide things would be like saying the Battle of Britain was won easily and by fighter pilots in Spitfires alone, clearly not the case. Besides that I thought my comments were not harsh and wanted facts known before anyone else posted wild comments.
OK I'll agree that perhaps I worded my comments about adding the coach wrongly but this was in response to a down right 'slagging off' comment from someone else who didn't even have the decency to put their name to it!
With regard to the comment about the train, my concern here was for the passengers who endured the wait (and the cost to the railway too). Any extra delay with the timetable 'out the window' would perhaps have been negligable? Again from my previous post I dont know the full 'ins and outs' of this as regards good practice and rules so it was only a thought, NOT a critiscism.
For an alternative as the run back to Parkway would have been downhill and away from the stricken loco, would it not have been possible to return, runround the loco and then proceed to General once the line was clear?
Please read and understand comments clearly before blasting someone who was not really complaining in the first place.
Finally despite the problems I did still enjoy the day and can say that the Bodmin and Wenford do their very best to please everyone and achieve lots given the very cramped and IMHO operationally difficult site at Bodmin General.

Mark Tewkesbury

 

Hello All,

A collection of photographs I took during my visit to this Gala have now been added to my fotopic site link here;

http://preservedrailwaylocomotivephotosbyrichardsmith.fotopic.net/c1897110.html

Best regards SteamHawk216.

 

The BWR is grateful to everyone who supported the Steam Gala over the first weekend of September. Indeed, so far as both the fare revenue and number of passengers is concerned, it was the most successful such event ever held on the line. The four LSWR engines made a splendid sight and the event as a whole has been the subject of much favourable comment. Thank you all. The injector problems suffered by the T9 on the Saturday were unfortunate and could not have been foreseen and, believe me, the disappointment was equally felt by BWR staff as by visitors that day. Thanks to the herculean effort of three members of staff, repairs to 30120 were carried out overnight (the job being completed just before 4am) and the loco fulfilled all its booked diagram on the Sunday. In my experience, that is typical of the attitude of BWR staff, who worked very hard not just over the Gala itself but also in the lead-up to the event.