Severn Valley Railway Autumn Steam Gala 18-21th September 2014

No air pumps to go wrong this year so it should be fine...

 

Much obliged

Don

 

Thanks

Don

 

As it looks like I MIGHT be up for an evenings worth of riding on FRI can anyone
please advise what is likely to haul the 2 goods trains on FRI evening???
THANKS
Neale

 

43106 both ways.

 

I'm not sure if I agree. I like variety, and unfortunately this timetable completely lacks it.

Friday and Saturday are exactly the same, except on Friday evening where the M7 does a round trip off Kidder (it's one and only trip to Bridgnorth) and the 4F does it Saturday.

No doubleheading with the smaller locos like at the Spring Gala, just the same engines doing the same thing. Best 2x ASG I've done are '08 Cambrian & '10 40th Anniversary. The variety provided across the whole weekend for these events was superb, with 5526+813 (08) and 3205 non-stop run (10) being memorable runs.

I've still bought my 3-day Rover as per norm, but looking at the WTT I'm tempted to head home Sunday morning instead of staying till last train as I have done for last 5years as come Sunday afternoon there'll be no unique run of interest.

 

Are there that many smaller engines though? The M7 4566 & 1450 are what Id class as small , 1501's slightly chunkier I think. 4566 & 1450 have DH'eded at spring gala and did an SLS special the other week you could argue its been done before maybe? An M7 14xx on the other hand...

 

There enough to do something different in the evening when the local trains stop running. For whatever reason though it's not happening in 2014. As I say, it wont stop me attending and I've already bought my 3-day Rover, but don't think I'll be using it as much as I normally do. 2011 I had over 500miles of haulage across the 3 days.

 

I have to agree. This WTT is very lacking compared to others and is the same as last year's just different locos and stock forming trains. What I find most annoying is the fact 73129 is paired up with GW2 all weekend and 88 being a pre-big 4 liveried loco is stuck for the majority with the maroon mark 1s, stock albeit in another livery, just as she runs with on her home railway. The locals are made up of LMS coaches yet there is a 3 coached GWR toplight set stuck in the shed all day Friday until sundown. Why couldn't 4566 get given a go with these on Friday daytime?

Another thing I do not like about galas recently are that there seems to be a lot less locals, before locals would begin about 9 and run till 6/7, all Kidderminster-Arley or Highley and return, which would be busy and formed of 4 coaches usually. Now there are a lot less and only 2 coaches. Maybe it's to do with costs of operating now or maybe the railway is trying to get more money incase of another SSG 2013 case where no doubt they didn't make as much money as they had hoped which had a knock on effect at the ASG with rovers been able to be swapped if passengers had decided not to travel.

Personally it would be nice to see these locals return using every path between full line trains running to Highley until lunchtime, as let's face it people want to go to the Engine House and that's why trains at Highley are very busy, and then run ECS to Arley before heading back to Kidderminster, with a reverse in the afternoon (Kidderminster to Arley passenger, ECS to Highley then Highley to Kidderminster passenger). There are no locals off Highley that run straight through to Kidderminster at this gala Friday or Saturday.

Hampton Loade locals can run through to Highley, passenger or ECS, as there is timing for it usually, if I remember correctly the section has to be clear to allow the shunt to/from the siding to take place?

Looking at the SSG timetable, it looks like that was more intensive!

 

And your contribution to the SVR was?

 

And the point behind your post is????

 

Well you did a lot of willy waving when you told us how much time you spent getting to the SVR to take your pic - what did you actually contribute to the SVR?

 

As some may noticed, anyone in Kidderminster at 10.26 on saturday morning can see 5043 on the Welsh Marches heading towards Worcester. I on the other hand will just be leaving Arley at the time...

 

Look forward to hearing what he has contributed in the last 44 years.

 

Is there an echo in the room?.........

In other news, weather dependent, I'm trying not to convince myself that a 3 hr drive to come up for this is a good thing.......... the two main reasons being the 4F & the Caprotti 5 - haven't seem the 4F in 30 years.........

Why the cynicism?.............. you have no right to ask that of somebody - he may not volunteer, as I do - but he certainly puts his hand in his pocket for rail tours from what I've read in his postings, and that ain't cheap!..............