[Feb 22, 2014] Churnet Valley Steam Gala 2014 (Churnet Valley Railway)

Wow, so little? at the gwsr we are oversubscribed in C+W, with about 80 people on the mailing list, and a good 20 turning up on any given day! it seems to be the preferred department to join, with no rosters or anything, and something for everyone, high skilled like welders and those who can just about wield a paint brush (me!). We were almost ashamed when we discovered that one coach last year had spent a year in the workshop. This sounds like an area that needs to be seriously addressed, get some flyers out on those trains this weekend! Here we are advertising mostly for OTC and manning tills, sounds like you should be yelling from the parapets for more C+W workers.

I'd love to help, but as I have said numerous times I work on the gwsr, so to get to the cvr would be a bit of a treck, even when staying with my Grandparents in Wolverhampton it's a good hour's drive or so if memory serves.

Do you offer volunteer benefits like free rides or anything? might entice some, I get unlimited rides on 6 railways around the country we have agreements with, it's brilliant.

I shall definitely try and pop in and take a look around C+W next weekend, might be worth organising some trips to other C+W departments to see how they do it etc.

I do feel for those railways with little in the way of support for coaches, I'm lucky in that I get to spend my hours in a nice warm paintshop, it's not much fun when it's so cold the paint begins to freeze - and yes that did happen to me, March last year!

 

Can't wait for Saturday, its like the first rite of spring! And then down to Derby to see the world's oldest surviving railway roundhouse, which, by sheer coincidence, just happens to be hosting the National Winter Ales Festival. What a weekend!

 

Due to delays in completing the repairs of the S160's air pump at our contractor 6046 will now be double heading with 69621 throughout the weekend. They will swap around during the day so that both locos are used as the pilot loco.

This does mean that 34007 has 140 miles of solo running over the weekend and working un assisted up the steep gradient to Ipstones Loop with 6 coaches.

I have attached the new timetable.

Regards

Chris

 

Sorry for cursing it, saying all information now correct and ready for the weekend ahead!

 

All locos now prepped, R93 and S160 test runs complete, all ready for tomorrow. Looking forward to a blast up the bank with the Bulleid.

34007 is on 6x Maroons all weekend.

6046 / 69621 on mixed rake all weekend.

R93 solo along CVR.

Looking forward to a fun weekend

 

Can't wait, will be there tomorrow, have been looking forward to this for a good while now, I haven't visited the car for ages, not since anyone had even heard of mcr!

 

Can anyone advise which station is best to aim for in terms of available car parking, given that it's likely to be a tad crowded?

Thanks!

 

Froghall station as there is a big overflow car park just past the station as well.

 

What will parking be like at Cheddleton, I can't remember how big the carpark is there.

 

I'm sure it will be busy there too, it depends on what time you get there for.

 

Thanks for that.

 

About 10am, the question is how bright and breezy is the average steam enthusiast?

 

From memory, it's OK if you are arriving early (before 2nd train of the day, maybe earlier), but otherwise very congested. A few people will start leaving early afternoon, but safest to head for Froghall

 

Catching second train is the plan, just remembered my grandad has a blue badge so we'll probably be fine.

 

There no disabled spaces at any of CVR car parks (that I'm aware of). It's first-come, first-serve I'm afraid. As we said, the earlier you can get here the better, and Froghall has the bigger Car Park.

 

Well, that was an, erm, interesting morning at the cvr! What was the actual problem this morning, from various places I've heard it was either Wadebridge failing or point problems or a combination of both. Never the less, I still enjoyed it, nice to visit the line, but I'd suggest it probably can't handle a full on gala with the present infrastructure.
Hope Sunday goes better

 

I have heard from a friend that they have been stuck on the same train for over 2 hours.

 

Yep, I was too!

 

I coudl see it was going to be one of those days, left just after 12, hopefully tomorrow will be better, anyone any news on wadebridge?

 

Repaired ! Captured a video of it attacking Bradnop on the climb to Ipstones loop ! Sounded superb. Video to follow