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

For those that don't want a rover ticket, ordinary return trip and single tickets are available at normal prices.
Joint tickets (not rovers) are available for the Railway and the Totnes Rare Breeds Farm.
The Butterflies & Otters at Buckfastleigh are not yet doing joint tickets as there are not enought butterflies to justify that. They are open however and I understand they will (but don't blame me if they aren't), be offering reduced entry fees to compensate. Ring them on 01364 642916 to find out.

 

Just got back from a very good first day travelling on the SDR, I have a feeling from what I've seen that this gala is going to be something "Special" especially at 11:15 tommorrow.
Joking aside the engines all look superb, including Dumbleton, which is now on display and had a clean too.

All I can say is roll on tommorrow.

 

Thanks for the reply Grumpy Git, the missus is happy now!
We are now installed in Paignton and have access to wifi, can't be bad. \/

Hope to get across to the SDR soon, it's been a few years since my last visit and this event sounds like one not to missed.
I do enjoy seeing tank engines on a branch line and you have one nice line =D>

 

I've jus uploaded my photos of the Gala so far from Wednesday and today, there was 158 of them altogether so hopefully they give a nice preview to teh events ahead

www.kelvinsgallery.fotopic.net

 

http://www.kelvinsgallery.fotopic.net/p57308520.html

How do you get to that location from Staverton station by foot, or is it easier to park up somewhere by car?

 

From the level crossing take the path alongside the track and have the new development properties on your right.Continue along the path through the wooded areas and you will arrive at that spot. Keep walking the path until you get to some sluice gates on the river and there is another photo spot there also.

 

Thank you!

 

Has anyone got any photos of Friday's Press launch? Looking for anything of 6695.

 

I actually travelled a bit further than that to get the ones up near Nappers which were of on a small track, as fo pictures of 6695 there are a few of her hiding in the running shed but unfortunately I havn't seen her running yet.
Although if you look at the SDR news pages on the website there is quite a good picture of her on the front of a train and you do get a mention

 

Have a look at Steam in the Blood web site by Sarah Jane Harvey
http://www.steamintheblood.com/index.php?p=1_16&p2=3

Ian

 

Thank you they are great pictures I also took a look at the ones taken at the WSR gala. Thanks for letting me know.

 

Unfortunately I don't think 6695 is running till Tuesday, so sadly I won't get to see her till next weekend as I have to get back to the real world and go to work, although it ha sbeen great fun the last two days.
I have also just uploaded another 123 photos of todays events

 

6695 nicely settled in at Buckfastleigh; be careful though she might just get to like that running shed, she's not used to being available for traffic AND living under a roof! She has also had some TLC from SDR staff (thanks Ray and others) plus a good spruce up and looks good for the Gala. She made her first runs on the line on Friday which I think Andy and Keith both enjoyed.

Thanks to all at SDR for the warm welcome, look forward to coming back later this week.

 

Look who she's sharing it with at the moment too, A Hall, 3 Prairies, 3 Panniers and a 38xx, must be good company eh!!

 

I was down at SDR today, 6695 was lit up around lunchtime today. Had quite a good day, shame about the absolute soaking I got later! 5786, 5526 and 6435 in service. 5526 was booked to do an autocoach driver experience this morning before the service started, but the person who booked it didn't turn up so it was run as a service train - with one passenger!

One thing that puzzles me was the way the locos were rostered. One loco does the first round trip of the day, then does a couple of trips on the goods. Today it was 6435, tomorrow it's 6695. It meant if you were arriving by train you could only do the visiting loco in one direction. Personally I would've prefered to seen the home locos on the short passenger and goods turn, and the visitors on the main diagrams during the day.

 

I think you'll ind you wanted to visit today then as its visitors day and 5542, 6435 & 6695 are all in use

 

I think you'll ind you wanted to visit today then as its visitors day and 5542, 6435 & 6695 are all in use

 

I know, but work does occasionally get in the way!

 

The rosters were done to provide maximum variety over the course of the nine days, whilst at the same time trying to match locos with stock as much as possible. As such the early morning (10.00 ex Buck and return) is formed of the two coach ex GWR set in carmine and cream, whilst the goods is formed of a six wagon British railways era rake. For the "quieter" days Monday through to Thursday, these services (worked as one diagram) are worked by 6435, 6695, 5552 and 5786. Hope that helps explain the thinking behind it al, however I am glad to hear you had a good day with us.

The gala is going well and today 6695, 5542 and 6435 were all out to play with 5552 and 5526 being prepared ready for tommorrow. We had hoped to hold the last down train of the day at totnes to see the passing mainline special but this was running late. The other good news from today is the arrival of all the ale for the four day real ale festival at Staverton this weekend. On Friday evening there will be two seperate 55xx worked auto trains running until 23.00, whilst on the Saturday it will be one auto until late, plus 695 and a "chili and rice special" earlier in the evening.

If everything continues to go the way it has for the last few days, having spent so many hours planning all the moves and rosters etc, I'll be a very happy bunny \/