BARRY AT WAR SAT / SUN 30 / 31 AUGUST WITH MET 1 AND RED ARROWS

This weekend we at the Barry Tourist Railway have our biggest event of the year.

We have hired in the unique Metropolitan Railway 0-4-4 tank loco MET 1 and have booked the Red Arrows on the Saturday and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Dakota in D-Day colours for a fly-past on the Sunday.

Our Barry at War event is happening at both ends of the line at Barry Island Station and the Waterfront Stations. Displays, including a living history encampment, have been organised to reflect the important role that Barry and the Vale of Glamorgan played in the two world wars. In particular we are commemorating the centenary of the start of the Great War and the 70th anniversary of D-Day.

We will be running the GATEX Stock on Saturday with MET 1 and the Class 73, 73118, topping and tailing. There will be a continuous shuttle service from the Waterfront Station at Hood Road Barry to Barry Island Station departing every 15/20 minutes from 10.00hrs until 12.15hrs (this being the last train to get you to Barry Island in time to see the Red Arrows whose display starts 12.30hrs).

If you're planning to come to our event and to see the Red Arrows, we recommend that you come to the Waterfront site and park at the car park there or the overflow car park at the nearby Innovation Quarter and catch the shuttle train. The only road to the Island, Harbour Road is likely to be jammed. Park and ride on the train costs £5 for a car with up to 4 passengers and £10 for a car / MPV with 5- 10 passengers….not much more than the car parking charge at the car parks on the Island………..and this must be the cheapest steam haulage per person in the country to boot!

The next service after the Red Arrows display from Barry Island will depart at 13.05hrs and arrive at the Waterfront at 13.10hrs. The shuttle service will then recommence from the Waterfront to Barry Island at 13.15hrs with a 15/20 minute shuttle service to/from the Island which will operate until the last train - the 17.00hrs departure from Barry Island to the Waterfront.

We will be running MET 1 on its own on Sunday hauling IRIS II stock. We will again be running a regular service but at half hourly intervals as we have to allow for the run-round moves. This service will again commence at 10.00hrs and the last train will depart from Barry island at 16.30hrs for the Waterfront.

The Dakota fly past will now be at 14.40hrs and the plane will fly over both the Hood site and Barry Island Station. Again there will be a short break in the train service whilst the fly past takes place.

As for Saturday, the event is likely to be very busy so park at the Waterfront and ride the steam train. Park and `ride fares are the same as for Saturday.

For more information, see our website (http://www.barrytouristrailway.co.uk) and the linked Barry at War website (http://www.barryatwar.info/wartime-weekend).

John Buxton
Director
Barry Tourist Railway