Railway 200

https://www.sdr200.co.uk/
Details of the local festival celebrating S&DR200
Hopetown entrance free until 28th March.

The short replica first train is moving from the NELPG 1861 shed where its currently on the far non NELPG road to the Carriage Works in January where A1 steam were previously.

 

I've been told I may have attended one of the events in 1975, but I'd have been a babe in arms so certainly don't have any recollection of it. I concur that I don't see anything compelling in the programme to make a return visit likely.

 

Are there as many railway enthusiasts today as there were in 1975? Is that why there has been a broadening of the remit of the modern celebration so as to be more inclusive?

 

it is possible that this broadening of events to encourage a wider inclusion in the celebrations is that because the organisers think that many people don't see the relevance of either heritage / history or railways to them personally.

 

I think it does.

 

It’s also about seeing a wider view.

For a few years, there was a festival entitled “Gravity Fields” in Grantham. It used Isaac Newton’s coming from the area as inspiration, but then combined arts and science in a range of ways; some interesting and some possibly drug induced! When it worked, it kept the inspiration in mind and created something greater than the sum of the parts; when it didn’t, it was typically because the artists vision slipped its moorings on what the purpose of the festival was.

I’m getting similar vibes about Rail 200, but without the clear anchor on why the festival’s happening in the first place.

As I started this post, I also thought “well, a cavalcade won’t get the public’s imagination”. Then I remembered the excellent “Mallard 75” event, and how that drew in significant crowds for a very simple small scale rolling stock exhibition( though with ultra high profile exhibit!).

 

I think there is some confusion about responsibility for two distinct 'events' or more accurately 'programmes'.

S&DR200 is being run by the local authorities and is solely focussed on the North East and areas bordering the original railway route. It mixes railway with arts and and community focused events to tell the story of the S&DR and what it meant to the development of the area.

You then have Rail200, which is the railway industries wider take on what the anniversary means to the whole sector and is very focussed on trying to encourage a new generation into careers in the industry. By definition it is a bigger undertaking as it covers all the UK. In that context Alstom's Derby Works makes perfect sense for the big gathering because it is large enough and I suspect has capacity because of timings in delivery of orders, which perhaps Newton Aycliffe doesn't.

As far as I can see the only time the two programmes truly cross is the actual anniversary runs in September. The S&DR200 team need the rail industry help to deliver it and vice versa because the local authority now owns the 'Locomotion' replica.

Regards,

Dan

 

Celebrated with the production of a new coin:

 

Doncaster’s got in on the act and applied vinyl to one of the Azumas:

 

Today I popped into Robert Humm's to pick up a book I'd recently purchased: a rather grand affair in a slip case entitled The Last Parade, which covered the Shildon festival in 1975. I shall look forward to reading that.

 

It's a good one, I bouthg it yesas ago as someone who didn't go in 1975 (I was 18 mnoths old!) but I do have fond memoreis of Rocket 150

 

I was ten at the time and train mad Robert went to it and said it was something we'll never see again, not least because the venue has disappeared and the fragmented nature of the modern railway. Apparently the people with the cheap tickets who stood in the field got the best photos as the sun was behind them - unlike those who paid for a seat in the stand...

I found two copies of it on Abebooks for around a tenner, posted.

 

My father and I had paid-for seats but they turned out to be down wind of smokers, which bothered me badly then as it still does. So we moved.

 

That's the sort of thing that would make me move too.

 

Oi! I resemble that remark ....! Tony Quirk, B.R. Liverpool Area's chief PRO, who later went on to organise Rocket 150, arranged a special train direct from Liverpool and that may well have included entry tickets in the package. However, when we realized that the stands were facing into the sun we chose to look for a more suitable place from which to take our photos. Bill Mc.Alpine had set up in a field on the other side of the line (I presume he had rented it) and allowed us to share it as long as our group sat down and didn't get in his view - a true gent.
Maybe Tony learned from this as all the stands at Rainhill were on the south side of the line.
Ray.

 

I was in the “cheap seats” stood all day right on the fence line. Great view with the sun behind me. Still have it all on Super 8 somewhere. Must get it digitised.

 

From the BBC Archive:

 

I just hope there will a good few days of SR heritage lines just operating Bulleids, and SR locos used in the 1960s all in BR lined black.

Nooooo, don't all hit the dislike button at once, it will crash the internet worldwide.

Bryan - BRlb - B

 

There is something special, 29th March Bahamas over Shap and the S&C with proper Mk1 coaches.