South Devon Railway 40th Anniversary Gala 5th-13 April

So looking at the full line up details here http://www.southdevonrailway.co.uk/news ... y-line-up- whoa going to go and make sure this event is a success?

 

What a great line up. Suggest anyone interested in auto driving experience gets in quick. Eight engines in steam on Sunday 12th + Monday 13th. Small engines bonanza on a beautiful Devon branch line.

 

Must be a rare chance to have a go at driving an auto train has it been done before?

 

It looks like I might have to take a trip down west for this. A good looking new website for the SDR as well.

Paul

 

As this event coincides with the Easter weekend seems like a good excuse ( if one was needed ) to get down to Devon for a few days.As Mrhillingdon says also, a very good revamped website for the SDR.

 

I'm really hoping to drag Tasha and her family down to Devon for this

 

I think its going to be one of (If not) the best galas the SDR has ever run, and possibly will for a while, as I spose the next big milestone is a 50th in ten years time.

The website is also quite good

 

Go on Corbs, you know it makes sense (and you'll be made most welcome again), there is a four day Real Ale festival at Staverton from Friday 10th to Monday 13th. There are even late trains to connect into the festival, and on the Friday night these will be formed of two seperate single car auto trains worked by 55xx loco's - the first time this has happened in preservation.

 

Thanks Ganger. Two auto trains with Prairies passing each other surely not to be missed. Real ale as well. Sounds like heaven to me. Hope this special event with 8 engines in steam on Easter Sunday and Monday attracts the crowds. It deserves too.

 

Not to mention first chance too see 5786 in BR black since 1960s! Thata what im looking forward too!

 

Those clever event planners at the SDR seem usually to match the engine with the correct livery stock. So maybe 5786 with the carmine and cream set is on the cards. Nice mixture of GWR and BR liveried engines for the gala.

 

Indeed that will be the case this time around.

If all goes to plan there should be a two coach carmine and cream branch set formed of former Great Western stock. This will run behind several of the British Railways liveried locomotives. There is also the two-car auto set, again in crimson and cream.

There will be two main five car rakes, one in chocolate and cream, the other crimson and cream. In addition there are also runs planned with just a single GWR Hawksworth brake (sometimes with a single GWR van), and the two-car "Victorian Set" although not yet in passenger service, will make an appearance behind 5542.

Goods trains will be assembled into a variety of formations, but in general BR loco's will work with BR era/painted stock, the GWR liveried loco's with GWR/Private Owner stock. There will be freight trains of several different lengths ranging from branch style goods, short engineers trains, right through to a couple of trips on Saturday 11th with something like a 20 wagon formation. On a couple of days some of the freight trains will feature double-heading, either a pair of small prairie tanks, or a pair of pannier tanks.

Even the miniature railway lads a Buckfastleigh are getting into the spirit of things with several visiting locomotives running including 38xx, 42xx, 14xx and auto trailer, 68xx, maybe a 9F and a Class 08 all expected to appear at some point. There will even be a five coach rake of GWR coaches running round, plus about 20 wagons.

Loads more in the pipeline - more details to follow in the coming weeks.

 

Bearing in mind that in 1969 the railway to Ashburton was still in situ, will the SDR be using its Routemaster Bus to offer a rail replacement bus service to Ashburton in connection with the event?

 

Can I ask which coaches will form the victorian set and do you have any recent photos?

 

I should imagine it will be these two theyve ran at previous galas and look quite nice behind one of the gwr liveried engines! Theirs a full stock list here http://www.southdevonrailway.org/Stock_ ... ml#Coaches Hope this helps

 

A good question.

It was something that we have looked into, however past experience has shown that the service did not prove as popular as hoped. With this in mind it has been decided not provide such a service this time, however the heritage bus service that links Buckfastleigh station with both the Abbey and town will be in operation throughout the gala. It may be possible to arrange for different buses to operate this service on some days.

 

Although this is a railway site, I would comment that the buses are a significant draw factor. I'd happily pay for these, but think legal reasons exist for not being allowed to charge fares. I enjoyed a ride once at Buckfastleigh on a Jennings bus, which used to work on Bude replacement service after closure of North Cornwall lines. Do all the buses comes from Ron Greet of Broadhempston? He has a superb Bedford OB.

John

 

The buses for the service that links the Railway, Abbey and Town do come from Ron Greet - a wonderful collection with many real gems. I'm not a big bus enthusiast (but admire all preservation work) and have great memories of having a superb Devon General open topper for an evening charter run a couple of years back for the S&T and PW Dept.s. The run up the A38 was quite simply magic, not to mention the look on the landlords face as we pulled into a local pub car park and all decanted into the bar \/

 

In addition to the "big" railway, the miniature railway located in the grounds at Buckfastleigh, will be joining in the fun and joining the normal fleet throughout the event will be scale models of a GWR 38xx, 42xx, 1366 class 0-6-0pt, 14xx and auto coach, a L&Y Pug, Class 08 diesel shunter, together with five great western coaches and upto 20 wagons. On other dates various other locomotives will make guest appearances and are likely to include a 9F 2-10-0, GWR Grange, another two 14xx, and maybe a couple of scale diesel locomotives.

Timetables now nearing completion for the event. There will be plenty going on throughout the gala, and on Sunday 12th and Monday 13th, the first movements from Buckfastleigh each day will be a five engine convoy to Staverton. Two engines then cut off, with the other three going forward to Totnes.

More details soon.

 

If the owner of the bus has an Operator's Licence he can charge fares. The bus also needs to have a Class 6 MOT to carry paying passengers. The WSR has often chartered vintage buses from a local operator for its Taunton-Bishops Lydeard shuttles but in this case the railway pays so that that service is effectively free.

John.