East Lancs Gala Oct 19/20.

In addition to 46233 Dutchess of Sutherland, further visitor is SVR based pannier tank 1501.

Further details to follow, 1501 is expected to stay for the weekend after as well.

 

A 1501 running day with 1501 and 1501,perhaps?

 

Timetables for the event, but without loco's as yet, are up on the ELR website - looks like an intensive w/e as usual, 14 departures in each direction each day, and a parcels in the afternoon. Looking forward to it, the big machine is due Saturday evening after its gallop over the S&C.

 

Anyone know which way the visitors face please?

 

ELR now advise further visitor expected this week - 61994 'The Great Marquess' which will stay until after Christmas.

All locos should be facing chimney Rawtenstall.

 

Am very surprised why ELR have ot made the line from Bury To Heywood double track by now, so there is more services towards Castleton, with the proposed extension, plus the building of a turntable at Bury and signal box at the Heywood level crossing too.

 

Thanks for the update Mr Leyland. With a Brighton built std tank as well it's virtually a big four event now. Promising!

 

That's Ok, Mr Maxim.

charterplan, there are 3 bridges between Bury and Heywood that since since BR days have been built or re-built as single track - including one rather long one over the M66. There are also a number of stretches that are now not wide enough for double track.

 

We regret to advise there is no photographic evening at the sheds in conjunction with this event, we apologise but this is due to lack of available staff to man the event. there will be early morning runpast at Burrs on both days , details below. Many times we have been asked to include one of the visitors for these runpasts and we have duly arranged for this. We hope we can count on your support and look forward to seeing you one or both mornings. As my planned surgery has now been delayed I will quite happily answer any queries via email at elrnumber1@gmail.com regarding the runpasts.

n conjunction with the East Lancashire Railway, the 3P20 Parcels Group will be running the early morning mini photo-charters based at Burrs as part of the Autumn Steam Event on Saturday and Sunday 19th and 20th October.

A highlight of the event is of course Duchess of Sutherland and on Sunday she will recreate the twilight years for the Duchess class, after they had been cascaded down to humbler duties following the introduction of the English Electric Type 4s (Class 40s) on the West Coast Main Line.

An Ivo Peters’ photo published in “The Train Now Departing” showed 46230 hauling a parcels rake of 5 bogie/long wheel base vans and 4 box vans, therefore we will use the 4 No 3P20 bogie/long wheel base vans and 5 No box vans from the Std 4 Wagon Group to recreate this scenario. I accept that there is a livery discrepancy in that Sutherland carries the pre 56 crest (which in her case disappeared around 1960) and parcels workings with Duchesses happened in 1963, however if the sun is out, the back-lighting will largely "burn out" the matter. This is also a bit of a personal indulgence as this was the photo which inspired the whole parcel van project!

On Saturday, the same consist will be hauled by Standard 4 tank 80080.

The train is booked to depart Bury at 07.45 and must leave Burrs by 08.45. Please be in position by 07.30. As in previous years, members of 3P20 will be in attendance at the Burrs footpath crossing to collect the requested donation of £10.00 each day, which will be rewarded with a sticker. You may have read elsewhere that the footpath closure notices, to divert the footpath as part of the Burrs Halt project, have been posted and that we are within the anticipated programme for the works in the “Expressions of Interest” invitation, however, as of today, no works have commenced.

 

Sorry for the auto corrected misspell of Layland David but welcome to the great outdoors of NP anyway. Good to have a confirmed ELR official to rely upon.
Good luck with the event, it deserves to be a success.

 

Spencer, I would have thought with the opening of the line to Heywood , this would have been looked into, as surely it must have not been single all the way, as I can see possible backlogs appearing due to limited passing points, but there is room where it could be doubled from Alfred street to the M66, as its used by maintenance vehicles, and possibly after the M66 too.
Heywood station should have been rebuilt as was,as looking at Rawtenstall with stone buildings and canopy, as Heywood looks basic at the min, but again the turntable should be installed too.
I am just looking at it as a tourist to the line, and am sure your doing your best, but considering other heritage railways have rebuilt the line as it was, then I would have thought that they would do too

 

Where would the backlogs come from with 1, 2, sometimes 3 services a day, passing at Bury and Rammy?

 

Well all am saying is that if you had a train waiting to come from Heywood, then you have to wait 13 or so minutes before sending a train up the line to Heywood, the same applies to any train visiting from Castleton. or heading out like Rileys black 5s had to do.
If there was double line, then at least you would be able to get trains without problems with having to wait.

 

I am sure if you want to fund said 'doubling' of the line (where possible) and provide a fund to cover the increased maintenance costs, the ELLRCo would be more than happy to arrange for the work to be done.

 

1501 has arrived today and is safely in the shed

 

Ah excellent, I shall be there on Friday to polish it ready for the weekend!

 

Mod Hat off..

Its very frustrating to read posts like this.
I wish the railway would do more to achieve it's potential, but dont believe reliance on benefits is the best way forwards.

As a moderator, I toned down my initial post, following "some poking" from the ELR hierarchy, however I am quite sure I am not alone in thinking they could achieve much more, if it tried and that several other railways have accomplished much more, with much less resource and much more imagination in much less time.

Theres a reason for this

Even the worst of their critics have it's interests at heart, beating them up or cajoling them to adopt the party line or silencing them isnt the way to go.

Best of luck with the gala, hope it's the start of an upward trend, on this occasion I wont be going.

 

Roster

http://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Oct-Steam-Event-2013-Public-V1-0.pdf

Had hoped the Duchess would be left alone.

 

1501 appears to be dragged by resident engines for the majority of the weekend too. What a shame

 

Looks like the weather forecast dictates my weekend, photting Saturday, riding Sunday, the rain looks abismal.
There are some "interesting" combinations, I would have hoped 132 might get a well earned rest. Echo the sentiment, 46233 should be on it's own in my humble view.
Still looks a great weekend whatever the weather chucks at us.