Epping Ongar Railway- Festival of Steam - 27th-28th April & 4th-6th and 11th-12th May 2024

1st guest: 2999 "Lady of Legend" (27th and 28th April and 4th-6th May)
2nd guest: 45690 "Leander" (4th-6th May, 11th and 12th May)
Joins
4953 "Pitchford Hall"
L.150
3437 "Isabel"

https://www.eorailway.co.uk/events/festival-of-steam/

27th-28th April: https://www.eorailway.co.uk/events/festival-of-steam---saint-and-hall-weekend/

4th-6th May: https://www.eorailway.co.uk/events/festival-of-steam-gala-event/

11th-12th May: https://www.eorailway.co.uk/events/festival-of-steam---leanders-farewell/

 

Hopefully not so muggy this time.

 

According to the EOR Facebook, the second visiting loco will be announced over the weekend.

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Well, hold on to your hats Ladies and Gentlemen don't fall backwards of your seats in shock, as what I am about to say, will take all of you by suprise.
I hope to the heavens it's NOT Great Western, I think the railway has seen enough of them to last them a life time, perhaps something Southern or Midland is due a visit.

 

Leander is the second visitor. There's now a trio of steam weekends, the first is with 4953 and 2999, the second is a steam gala with 4953, 2999, L150, 45690 and Isabel and the third is a Leander farewell with 45690 and one of the home fleet.

I'm very excited by this as I thought I'd missed out on a chance to see Leander before she's withdrawn.

 

Might have to head down for this one. Get a proper run behind the Saint and it's nearly 20 years since I last travelled behind Leander at the Bluebell.

 

The thread title and first post risk causing some confusion. Leander is at the MHR for their gala on 26-28 April - it then moves to the EOR for the following two weekends, as described above. So if you want to see Leander and the Saint, you need to visit on 4-6 May, not 26-28 April.

 

Yes OK, I have had other things to do first.

 

Timetables are on the relevant event page.

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2999 has arrived, seen at North Weald this afternoon.

 

Is that facing Ongar? Assume 4953 still facing Ongar?

 

Yes. Didn't see 4953 today but don't think it has been away anywhere recently so is probably facing the same way as last year.

 

Thank you!

 

Yes 2999 and 4953 are facing Ongar, as is L150.
Leander planned to face Epping along with Isabel.

Timetable has been developed according to that plan…

 

Enjoyable day yesterday, trains seemed resonably full and the threatned rain didn't really appear. Had a full line round trip behind the Hall & Saint and a run up to Epping from North Weald behind the Class 20. The Hall & Saint were worked nicely up the various steep gradients. My video from across the day, shots from Ongar and North Weald inbetween travelling and I then filmed last three trips at Blake Hall, Marconi Bridge and Coopersale respectively.

 

Photos from Saturday… https://www.flickr.com/gp/alts1985/SnK1X001vT

 

Action from the event yesterday. The locomotives sounded excellent and the weather certainly helped!

 

Some photos of the event now online at https://railwaygalleries.smugmug.com/Epping-Ongar-Railway/Festival-of-Steam-Gala-May-2024

 

I have to say that in all the years I've been volunteering and attending galas I can't recall the last time I saw trains as busy as they were on Saturday - from the off the main sets appeared to be standing room only (if you were lucky!) so I do hope that this risk (four main engines including three big engines including two visitors) spread out over three weekends will turn out to have paid off. What was an unexpected surprise from the originally billed timetable was Isabel's DMU trailer being swapped out for a Rectank with an Austin 7 (I think?) load - that certainly caught people's attention.

A few from on and about the line Saturday and Sunday.

 

Had a good day yesterday at the gala, good to finally get some running behind the Saint outside of Didcot and end a near 20 year wait for another run behind Leander. I didn't get close enough to hear the Jube working hard, but the Western ones made some great noise.