SVR General Discussion

Both are major events, so yes, I would suggest they tap into the same market. There was discussion regards the same people attending both Swanage and SVR diesel galas & having to decide between the two as far as cost is concerned with them being close together on the calendar - imagine that is a similar distance to NYMR. I'm afraid us enthusiasts are quite a small pool!
It was an interesting experiment having the SVR spring gala in the school holidays, did notice a lot more families attending - no bad thing in my view.

 

Makes getting visiting engines that little more difficult. Then you’ve got the clash of passengers. As far away as it sounds there will be a hit on that. You’ve also got clash with volunteers who work at both, and yes there are definitely some. And generally you’ve just got unwanted competiton.

 

Correct. The school holiday based galas have had a very positive impact on passenger numbers.

However they have a negative impact on visiting loco availability. So it’s 50/50

 

I guess there is if you live in the Midlands or the North. But when I lived in London SVR and GCR was a day trip, NYMR was a holiday even if it was just a long weekend.
Living in Dorset they are all "holidays"

 

The SVR ASG has changed, it is now a week earlier. I posted this on another thread.

2023 has the same calendar as 2017.
2017 ASG was Thursday 21st to Sunday 24th September.
2023 it's Thursday 14th to Sunday 17th September.

The SVR ASG always used to be the first Saturday in the 20s since my first in 2008, other than in 2015, until 2020.

2008 - Saturday 20th
2009 - Saturday 26th
2010 - Saturday 25th
2011 - Saturday 24th
2012 - Saturday 22nd
2013 - Saturday 21st
2014 - Saturday 20th
2015 - Saturday 19th (the random ASG with no locals)
2016 - Saturday 24th (Pacific Power with 60103)
2017 - Saturday 23rd
2018 - Saturday 22nd
2019 - Saturday 21st
2020 - No gala
2021 - Saturday 18th
2022 - Saturday 17th
2023 - Saturday 16th
2024 - Saturday 21st

 

Limits the pool of locos that can go to either, and going off YT videos there are quite a few people that go to both. Both are premier lines so their geography doesn't really make much difference, with massive populations in between.

 

You say that but I do think would they have gone to the railway anyway if it was a normal day, and instead of spreading out guests, it was quieter on another weekend where the gala could've been. I guess we shall see next year as the kids are back in school the week of the gala.

 

You can agree but it has moved forward a week, see my detailed dates post #4025.

 

Give or take it’s always the 3rd FULL weekend of the month. Including the start day of the gala be that Thursday or Friday. There is the odd exception

 

But it’s better they come to us on a gala. The more revenue the gala brings in the more it’s covers the high cost of running it. Special event traffic is massively up, vice normal traffic so there is no evidence to suggest they would come on a normal day. But the last two spring galas have been school holidays and it’s made a huge impact financially

 

The current thing is value for the pound. And a gala offers that and the general public see it. Boosted by publicity of a big namer coming, or by a rare sight occurring and suddenly they flock even more. And if it’s the end of the school holidays you’ve got them bang on, looking for soemthing to do to keep the cherubs entertained before going back to school

 

Pre 2008 I have no idea but you say it was always the 3rd weekend, simply that is not true as it sometimes was as late as the 26th September, which would make it the fourth weekend beginning on the fourth Thursday/Friday in September. I'd say the 'rule' was to use the Saturday whatever that year was 20th-26th, which is being applied in 2024.

 

2024 is the third full weekend again. As is normally the case, with the ODD exception.

 

I've seen plenty of the same faces at the Moors and the Valley. Plenty of population centres within driving distancing of both. Google maps reckons about 2hrs for both Pickering and Kidderminster from Manchester for instance.

Wrt the discussion of the SSG being in school holidays, of course the date of Easter has helped as it been roughly the middle third of April. Next year Easter Sunday is 31st March so to match the SSG with the school holidays would pull it quite early (yes, I know the SSG used to be in March but the weather was always very hit or miss).

 

I think what pleased me was seeing how impressed they were with the quantity and variety of locos / trains on offer - may just have sparked the interest and railway bug in a few.
You are correct regards gala v normal running day, as a family we are seeking as much value for money at the moment - special events offer more bang for your buck.

 

History from the first "Enthusiasts Day" through to 2008 (I was debating adding a list of dates in the SVR Wiki at some point, so I happened to have them to hand):

1975: 27 September
1976: 11-12 September
1977: 10-11 September
1978: 9-10 September
1979: 8-9 September
1980: 6-7 September
1981: 12-13 September
1982: 11-12 September
1983: 10-11 September
1984: 15-16 September
1985: 28-29 September
1986: 20-21 September
1987: 26-27 September
1988: 24-25 September
1989: 23-24 September
1990: 22-23 September
1991: 21-22 September
1992: 26-27 September
1993: 25-26 September
1994: 24-25 September
1995: 23-24 September
1996: 21-22 September
1997: 20-21 September
1998: 18-20 September
1999: 24-26 September
2000: 22-24 September
2001: 21-23 September
2002: 20-22 September
2003: 19-21 September
2004: 24-26 September
2005: 23-25 September
2006: 22-24 September
2007: 21-23 September
2008: 19-21 September