SVR Autumn Gala 17-20th September

The ELR did night running at 1 steam gala and they don't do it at the March diesel gala anymore.

 

People were TALKING, on a night out?! Whoa, shine on you crazy diamond!

 

Talyllyn have done Night Running as part of Anniversary years, done it twice myself and have thoroughly enjoyed both events. The fact the timetable is more intensive at night than it is during the day is peculiar but all adds to the fun! DJ Dolgoch certainly brought something different to this year's version!

Isle of Wight did All Night running one year too for an anniversary event, and ELR have tried it on a couple of occasions. I'm fairly certain Swanage did it one year when they only operating to Harmans as well, but can't quite remember the details. SVR though seems to be the only one who can make it work regularly. Helps having three fairly large towns to serve, so as soon as those with no stamina have had enough they can head off to their accomodation!

It was a shame this year to see the security hired, and even more disapointing to see them called into use for the Gas-masked iditiot Mr Elvey on Friday night. I'm ok with people drinking and having a laugh but shouting abuse at fellow passengers was crossing a line and the state the Compartment was left in by him and his mates was dreadful. I felt sorry for the poor woman who was removed from her nice clean compartment further up and made to sit in the trashed one as the guard moved everyone who had been drinking into the brake coach. A difficult decision for the guard, and whilst a group of us from the various Manor groups (who were sitting 2x Compartments up) helped tidy the mess up there was nothing we could with the beer soaked seats and sticky floor there/then. Hopefully said group learns to grow up before returning again, and the woman concerned has not gone away too upset.

Done the allnighters religously since 2008 (exc 2009 as I was forced to work), both Friday and Saturday nights. It's the highlight for me, for as many people have said there is a different atmosphere and the SVR is quite special in being able to offer such an experience. 4am with my head out the droplight as we charged towards Foley Park Tunnel is not something many people will have experienced, and long may it continue personally!

2015 gala was not on par with previous events though, for all the reasons mentioned by others. One thing I've learnt from running galas is to make sure the basics are right, and in terms of running a steam gala that is ensuring there is a good timetable to build from. Allnight running, various guest locos matched to this/that stock etc etc is all pointless if you haven't got a decent timetable to showcase what you have got onsite. The SVR has achieved this previously, with 2008 / 2010 being the pick of the best, so hopefully next year we'll see the SVR back to it's finest.

Meanwhile though we have #Manor50 to look forward to. Just need to sort my accomodation out...

 

Yes i agree talking is fine and acceptable, but i mean LOUDLY talking not quietly, and this was at 2am not 11pm. Some were dozing (and admittedly some were snoring) and some were talking at a level respectful of others. In context though this was only 4 people, but others in the carriage did coment later that they spoilt the atmosphere. Personally i just got up and admired the valley at night from an open window.

 

I know there are quite a few people who love the feel of a night train, but for various reasons can't, or don't want to, do the overnights. I'm one of them: I always try to stay until it's properly dark, since it's not as if many galas even go on until 9pm, but I don't think I've ever stayed past 10.30pm. Apart from anything else, that means the Merchants chippy is still open to give me strength for the long walk home!

In my case, one reason I avoid the overnights is that my indifferent health doesn't really allow me to pull an all-nighter these days -- but a more significant one is, unfortunately, the risk of being caught up in trouble like the incident that was mentioned further up the thread. I can't blame the SVR at all for hiring security staff if it's something they feel is necessary -- but a gala with "bouncers" isn't a gala I'd personally feel very comfortable at. Still, maybe one year I'll start my day at 5am or so, to get that pre-dawn feel without the risk of late-night idiots.

 

There wasn't much trouble this year, and hopefully the penny will drop for those would spoiler other people's evenings/nights that such behaviour will not be tolerated.

 

I had a ginger joke and a chip thrown at me out of the window of a 73129-hauled train last year. Good times! I noticed the same fool throwing almost full beer-filled plastic cups out of the same window.

 

Are you sure that was beer...?

 

Quite...

 

As it is now on SVRlive (http://www.svrlive.com/Pages/News.aspx) and therefore in the public domain, the numbers for the ASG were 7300 (compared to 5900 last year)

 

So the doomsayers got it wrong and the timetable did not put customers off the gala. Next year Scottsman, 8000 ?

Now all we have to do is run a successful gala with lots of customers with no overcrowding.

 

Keeping it at 7000 would be good, and surely that's an oxymoron?

 

Are we allowed to use big words like oxymoron. Any way up I am an ordinary moron

 

Don't think many people have said the timetable "stopped" them from attending, more it prevented 2015 event from being "as enjoyable" as previous galas.

 

Indeed; I'd say it was an enjoyable event despite the timetable, and had the timetable been it better it just would have made the event even more enjoyable.

 

I suspect the increased attendance was as a result of 46100 being there.
I attended on the Friday and thought it was a very pleasant and relaxed day, with no-one particularly getting on anyone else's nerves as such. (I travelled to KDR by train which avoided the car parking hassle, and is something I will certainly do again.)
I do wonder about next year's Gala with 60103, and whether this might just be a recipe for" too many" visitors, in that Scotsman will have much attendant hype, and the public may well turn up in vast numbers. Gala's tend to be patronised more by the enthusiasts rather than non-enthusiast visitors, who over a year tend to form the bulk of visitor numbers.
Hopefully the numbers will be manageable. I don't do "wedged" trains, so maybe the Gala will be "look but don't travel" for me, and hope that 60103 stays long-enough to haul some quieter ordinary service trains outside the Gala days.
As an aside, I do recall Tornado's first visit, and the quite remarkable sight of Bridgnorth platform one being totally packed with people from end to end.

46118

 

Hopefully a few extra days, say the weekend before, can be arranged but that's something to come.

 

Indeed, and the small matter of a Spring steam gala first, with hopefully the emphasis on "small" possibly?

46118

 

I'm in agreeance. Long way off the Standard set by 2008 / 2010, which is disappointing considering it was the 50th Anniversary version. Diesel Gala though went beyond expectations, and we still have Manor50 to end the year on!