GWSR Appeal Event, 9th & 10th April, at the Great Central Railway (Loughborough)

Looks like it was fantastic event, unfortunately I wasn't able to go but I've found quite a good video of the event from 'Hanglands' on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlWvkubMiPo
(It isn't one of my videos this time!)

 

Well done, GCR !

My humble efforts at http://cliffjones.zenfolio.com/p1065446472

 

Very impressive show for a very worthy cause, top marks to the GC! Very impressive timetable, a rather motley selection of loco's, all looking excellent, well loaded trains, a very spirited TPO run, and to top it off, my first sighting and mileage with 45160, a very smart looking machine.
A spirited bunch of SVR volunteers of various grades partook in a daytrip to the event, I think the smiles say it all...


More photos if you click on the link below

 

Was a fantastic day today,well done the GCR/GWSR for putting on such a great event and I really hope the funds raised help towards the restoration of the embankment. Good luck and thanks to all!

My photos from this afternoon are now up at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark-walker/

Cheers,
Mark

 

Another enjoyable day ,all in a good cause. Well done GCR for making the event a success.
My pics from saturday are at http://steamgalore.zenfolio.com/p712772524

 

Another Excellent and enjoyable gala at the GCR, Well done. Some pics from today at http://philmetcalfe.zenfolio.com/p315285020

 

Vid now up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpxfhh-fpNY&feature=channel_video_title

Cheers,
Mark

 

Had a very enjoyable day at the GCR on Sunday and a chance to chuck some money in the bucket towards a very good cause. SOme great pics as well as sounds. One of the best events I've been to in a long time but just one criticism. Why was the last round trip top and tailed by tender first locos at both ends?

 

Fantastic day out at GCR on Sunday - they really know how to put on a show and the weather was perfect - so good we had a lineside fire after the TPO roared through Quorn. The Autocoach was a treat - beautiful job, and the Turkish 8F was joy to behold - one of the best finished loco's I've ever set eyes on. Didn't realise they are right hand drive - very odd looking into an Stanier cab with everything back to front!

Hopefully the GWSR funds received a significant boost - it certainly wasn't for a lack of trying, raffle tickets, cases of GWR175 beer, teddies and a regular de-shrapnelling of the pockets - a thorough job lads. Good luck with the slip.

Turkish 8F on the TPO through Quorn (our cars have a walk on part in the background )

Shed scene at Lufbra with 8F and Autocoach

 

If any of you chaps who have videos up on YouTube or photo collections online would be willing for me to link to them from our website could you drop me a line at webmaster@gwsr.com with your name and URL(s)?

Many thanks,

Steve
GWSR webmaster

 

Here's a few of mine from the Sunday. Loads more to process though.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50963614@N03/sets/72157626349603759/

 

As one of those shaking a bucket at the lineside for much a the weekend, can I say a big thank you to everyone who attended. We received a chunk of money from all tickets sold and had our takings increased by all those who brought a ticket when they were linesiding rather than travelling, otherwise have free travel on the railway or threw money in one of the many buckets being shaken. We made a lot of friends at Luger Baruga and the one complaint I have is that I'm now mightily sunburnt!

Alberta, I was standing next to you when you videod the mail drop - its quite something!

Regards

JP

 

Brilliant line up of motive power (with the possible exception of the 47 - I'm an EE man!), great weather and a great atmosphere on the Sunday. Happy to support the GWR in this way and top marks to the GCR for doing so. Without exception the GWR people I saw were tireless in their efforts without it being too 'in your face'. Good luck with the landslip and thanks for a great day out...

 

Congratulations to all concerned for providing a great day! Find my photos at

http://rickeborall.zenfolio.com/p886378534

All the best....Rick

 

I'll agree it was an excellent event.

I was making my first visit to the line for a steam gala (my previous visits being normal operating days and a diesel gala) and was impressed by the loose-coupled freight action! I set out for plenty of freight (especially Windcutter) shots and was certainly not disappointed. Is it really true that diesel enthusiasts don't want to photo the freights? When asked I was told that was why they don't run them during the diesel galas...

The Gloucestershire & Warwickshire fund raising collections at Kinchley Lane were done in a very friendly and professional way in my opinion. I hope they raised a reasonable sum from them and also hope that the gala overall provided a meaningful boost to the appeal.

My efforts are uploaded here.

 

I'm putting together a CD of photos of the GCR gala for sale to GWSR volunteers and supporters, as being on loco/train/platform most of the volunteers didn't get many pictures at this unique event. Each CD being sold for £5, all proceeds to the slip fund. I currently have my lineside photos and shed shots, together with various people shots. If anyone has any nice lineside pictures that they would be prepared to share with the masses then could they please PM me so that I can send them my email/post address?

Also, if anyone has any nice video I could put together a DVD for similar sale.

Regards

Jonathan

 

Just some notes from the GCR President, Bill Ford, about the GWSR Appeal Event at Loughborough last weekend. They were published in the weekly e-mail newsletter today, so I hope I'm not breaking any confidences by posting here...

"The figures for the weekend have been very disappointing and we believe this is due to a combination of circumstances
including the weather, which dare I say it, was too good! There were other events like the Grand National, opening of Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, Thomas the Tank at Shackerstone, which obviously had some effect".

I didn't attend as, too be honest, a line up of 2-8-0's really doesn't do it for me and the good weather meant I was more attracted to the garden and cycling. (I did make a donation, though). I'm very sorry that the figures were disappointing and I hope that it hasn't put off the good folk from both the GCR and the GWSR from working together on future events.

I think the marketing of the event was very difficult, ie trying to explain to Joe Public that it's a gala with a load of freight engines raising money for another cash-striken railway. The name 'G8 Escape' didn't really mean much to the man-in-the street.

Still, for the enthusiasts it looked like a great event so well done to all involved. Good luck to the GWSR.

 

http://railways.national-preservati...lden-Oldies-Gala-GCR-Fri-27-May-to-Mon-30-May

Interesting one. Certainly events such as Wirksworth and Shackerstone will have had an impact of sorts on visitor numbers (though if you hold a gala every weekend you will inevitably clash with other galas! :lol, but would more people have turned up had they not attended the 60s gala the previous weekend (featuring 8624, 45160, 3850 and D1705 amongst others)? Part of the reason why the Grand National attracts such huge crowds is that it's an annual event...

 

Agreed - it'd be interesting to find if the GC's almost-continious gala weekends are actually beginning to cause some footfall issues. Too many cooks spoil the broth?

 

I do sound recording and the one feature that was appreaciated was stopping the freights at the Quorn up advance starter. This gave us all the clanging of buffers once so common on the railways and a wonderful sound effect for my recordings so another well done to the GCR.