West Somerset Railway, Mixed Traction Weekend Fri.7th.-Sun.9th.June.

Looking forward to this weekend on the West Somerset Railway. Especially the visit of the Class 37 37215 from The Growler Group.

Link here to more details of Mixed Traction Weekend;
http://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/section.php/14/1/mixed_traction_weekend

Link here for more about 37215;
http://thegrowlergroup.org.uk/

Link here for more about 24081;
http://24081locogroup.weebly.com/index.html

Enjoy.

 

Yes - a must for me anyway. Imagine that the Minehead branch had stayed in BR operation and we are taking a time machine back to a summer Saturday in 1976. A Birmingham to Minehead through train could conceivably have brought a class 24 to the line, a class 37 working on a Swansea to Minehead working and a Western or class 47 on the London trains? WSR always put on a great show that I try to attend every year.

John

 

The class 24 makes it a must for me, but the seriously weird roster mean that I'll be travelling alone. All three of my original travelling companions cried off when they saw the extraordinary double headed combinations.
I seem to recall that draft one of the tt had the 24 doing 3 solo round trips - the last version I saw it's one and a half round trips for it. Perhaps too much Somerset Cider was responsible? The steam roster a couple of months ago was so stupid that it kept me away.
It is a fantastic line though, and a 24 at the coast will be a great reminder of North Wales in the 70s!!

 

I normally go on the Friday, as for the last few years the gala's fallen on my weekend of nights at work, and this year's no different. However, the bizarre diagramming has put me off. I don't mind waiting around at Minehead for an hour to avoid the 47, at least there's stuff to do there, but there isn't a great deal at BL. I worked out a rough itinerary for Friday, but I don't think I can be bothered to make the effort to go.

The diagramming for Saturday is awful. Hymek works 09.55 BL to MD, for Western and Warship back, all well and good. Except when you get to BL, the train continues to Norton Fitzwarren, before coming back non-stop through BL with a pair of Cromptons! So Hydraulic bashers will bail at BL on the up before 1pm, then have to wait until 15.45 for the next oil slosher back out, as the other departure is steam. It's as if the railway is trying to deter people from going.

 

I hate silly double heading combinations, but on Friday, the 24 is down to make two return trips on her own. Fewer on Saturday and Sunday, but still some on her own.

John

 

I can only go on Saturday, so would only get one return trip behind the 24. The more I think about it, I might give this a miss and head elsewhere. It's a blooming long way to go for such a shambolic show....

 

Not the greatest timetable I have seen for a West Somerset gala, however, you will never please all the people all the time and anything that includes a trip with D1010 is worth the journey no matter how far !!! I will be there.

 

Think yourselves lucky, guys. At least you get the see the roster in advance and for free. If this was a steam gala you wouldn't have access to the roster at all unless you had bought a copy of the gala programme.

 

I don't think it's a bad timetable at all. Something there for most diesel enthusiasts. Personally, I'd get rid of unnecessary double heading especially combinations that would never have happened in 'real' days, but there are many who like that kind of thing. If I insisted on it all being exactly as I wanted, I'd be asked to stump up some serious money or hire the railway for a day!

To be honest, I don't mind paying for a WTT showing loco workings; but it's the delay caused by organising payment and then waiting on the post that can be a pain. I'm sure that there will be opportunities to make an appropriate donation apart from buying a ticket to ride.

John

 

Nice price for a rare trip...

Steve

 

Interesting to see D9526 is diagrammed to run solo on particular turns, will these loads be reduced?

 

Less coaches behind 9526 today but still made plenty of noise 24 was good also on load 7 1010 doubled up with 832 from Williton both engines on the Western running.

 

Mixed Traction Weekend gallery on www.wsr.org.uk now up to 65 quality images with lots more to come...

Steve

 

Here’s my video, taken on just the Friday (until the rain came):

 

My video of the event from Sunday -

 

My efforts from the event on Saturday. Seemed to be a good turn out for the event, difficult to find a seat on some trains, but to be somewhat expected with certain motive power in attendance!

 

A collection of twenty-nine photographs, from my visit to this event, is now available to view via this link;

http://railtractionphotosbyrichards...st-somerset-railwaysaturday-8thjune-2013.html

I hope you enjoy viewing them if you decide to do so.

 

I went on the Friday -an excellent event. My motivation was mainly 24081; a reminder of happy Summer Saturdays in the 70s heading down to Aberystwyth or Pwllheli along with half the population of Birmingham! The Cambrian Coast Express headboard was probably never carried by these locos in BR days, and I'm not sure why it was necessary to turn her 360 degrees on the Minehead turntable, but all great fun.

The events committee on WSR have done a brilliant job, as ever.