West Somerset Railway Spring Steam Gala, 27-30 March 2014

''If you have 4 guests there's only so many workings each can do on a line the length of the WSR''

May I suggest 4 guest engines at two round trips each ..... now we're talking.

By the way, does anyone remember the Somerset and Dorset gala in 2006?
http://www.wsr.org.uk/ssg2006.htm That was an example of how a gala could be run.
I believe Don Bishop had a hand in that one. A shame that the weather didn't play ball. <BJ>

 

That would require each loco to run round and return on the same train at each end (which, in my opinion, would make for a rather boring gala!). This would probably rule out chimney-first running on all trains (which would not bother me - more noise when the chimney is next to the front coach) as I doubt whether the 32 minute turn round time at BL allways sufficient time to run to NF, turn or the triangle, run back to BL, take water and re-join the train. 25 minutes at MD is probably tight as well, even with the turntable adjacent to the platfom, as the loco would need to go to the yarfd for water (I don't think there are watering facilities on the turntable side of the station).

 

The 2006 gala is recognised as being one of the greats. It should have set the standard for the future although I am not sure how it did financially.
Sadly however, it has been downhill ever since.

 

There are now (as of last year I think) which speeds things up considerably.

 

I did not attend the 2006 gala but my first WSR gala other than the Winter Steam Festivals was the Spring 2007 event. Wow! Now that was one hell of a gala! 14 locomotives! I do think this was the best ever gala event I've ever attended, doubt we will ever see anything like it again. Full line length Auto + NF shuttles, Dunster goods shunt, hired in SPRS Maroon rake, QB breakfasts!! Even about half of the services the day I went were double headed! Plus there was the voyager Taunton-Bishops Lydeard shuttle. Basically there was a lot going on and I swear the rover was under £20. Goes to show how much costs have gone up in the last 7 years!

http://www.wsr.org.uk/ssg2007.htm

Guests (7) - 850, 34007, 5051, 7802, 7822, 5521 & 4247 (replaced the unavailable 92203)

Home (7) - 6412, 9351, 88, 80136, 3850, 4160 & 5553

Plus Kilmersdon made 15 really - is that a steam gala record? As I recall not all engines worked each day, generally there were two spare, I went on the 18th and it was 80136 at Minehead with 88 at Williton (which even piloted the last train back to Minehead with 850), but all other locomotives covered a round trip at least except 5553 which did shunting at Dunster all day then a MD-BL run late afternoon with 5521.

 

I'm curious about how the economics of all that stacks up! (And yes, I did visit that one, and also the S&DJR-themed one). When I've visited WSR galas, I seem to recall a maximum of about 5 or 6 sets of coaches - any more I think is beyond the capacity of the line to find available paths, and in any case would stretch the ability to provide serviceable coaches. So realistically about 6 big engines is the maximum you can utilise; any more and some engines are going to be standing idle for all or part of the day.

Add in, say, £5k for a two-way loco move and, say, £1000 / day to steam a visiting engine (roughly, £500 per day hire fee and £500 per day in coal etc) and a weekend with 14 engines, seven of which are visitors, is going to set you back well over £50k in loco costs alone. That's a lot of rover tickets to sell!

Tom

 

Sure I remember an svr gala around 1991/2 when I think 17 locos were around? Might be wrong, time does funny things! As for costs, everything has gone up! Transport, coal and loco hire fees. Gala organisers can't add all these costs to a rover ticket so have to come up with new revenue ideas! As a member of the gwsr gala committee it's always a battle to do something different.

 

Tom

at the 2007 gala both 5051 & 7802 arrived & departed via NR & associated special workings probably reducing or eliminating the transport costs to/from the WSR. Around that time a set of coaches was also hired in for the Gala period (from West Coast?) IIRC so the equation was a little different.

 

Based on that: -

On Thursday, Friday and Sunday there are 8 departures from either end ( passenger) so only visiting locos would be used.
On Saturday there are 10 departuresfrom either end so only 2 home locos would be required.

I looking forward to travelling behind the home fleet in particular 6960 and 7828. The visitor I am most interested in is 5322.

It does seem strange though that 34070 does 3 full line runs/ half round trip on both Thursday and Friday, 1 round trip on Saturday, and a half round trip on Sunday.Note excludes 1 goods run.

Based on the number of departures 3 visiting locos would have been sufficient.

 

A number of the WSR Spring Galas attracted in the region of 10,000 people.

 

Although today (Wed 26 Mar) is not officially part of the Gala, there are lots of trains and stock movements during the day. So it's a kind of "preview day"! An interesting early train (and not to be repeated during the Gala itself) was this Network Rail Test Train which arrived from the mainline before 8am and ran to Minehead and back.


Picture by Martin Southwood (this work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence © Martin Southwood)

Steve

 

''On Thursday, Friday and Sunday there are 8 departures from either end ( passenger) so only visiting locos would be used.
On Saturday there are 10 departuresfrom either end so only 2 home locos would be required.

I looking forward to travelling behind the home fleet in particular 6960 and 7828''.

I don't mean to be rude Paul, but perhaps a visit to the railway on an ordinary service day
would be more suitable for you when there would be no LSWR locos in service . <BJ>

 

Because the Railway is too far from me to visit just for the day. It would require at least 1 nights accomodation.

 

What exactly is the status of 6960? Is she on the WSR for good, or just for a spell following repairs? Who owns her?

John

 

Owned by Jeremy Hoskings see http://www.iconsofsteam.com/about-us/

 

Make a mini break out of it. The Quantocks are a particularly nice part of the west country.
East Grinstead to the WSR is not far. You're website includes photography in the Harz Mountains. <BJ>

 

I am driving down Friday, and staying for 2 nights in Minehead. Travelling Saturday, Photography Friday Afternoon and Sunday Morning ( weather dependant otherwise walking on Exmoor or the Quantocks). Also attending nightshoot on Saturday evening . Return visit long overdue last visited 2010. I had similar breaks in the area when I attended Spring Galas 2006 - 2010 inclusive plus Autumn Galas 2005 and 2006.The last few Spring Galas have clashed with Midhants Galas ( I think in 2011 and 2012) and opening of Bluebell extension last year.

 

The "preview" day produced quite a lot of pictures! Click here for the Latest Pictures on www.wsr.org.uk

Steve

 

There certainly is a lot of pictures from the preview day, the WSR should try build on this in the future, maybe run a goods rake for a round trip too? And introduce the format to the Thurs/Fri maybe?

Good day out at the WSR today, video to follow and some pictures can be found on my flickr below. 34007 on ballast was a great sight!

The (3850 hauled) 1445 MD-BL today was well loaded and ideally needed an extra coach, plus there was no fridge, therefore no sandwiches or cold snacks/drinks, nor microwave so no warm food either, as this rake (set D) had the BSOT buffet, I ask why when there is a perfectly good RMB sat at Williton?! (plus a BCK that could be used to strengthen!)