WSR Mixed Traction Weekend 10-12 June 2016

Robin,
Talk to the Swanage organising team, they understand and cater for the market. The WSR could do better than Swanage by benefitting from their home fleet, much longer line and more accessible location than Swanage...

 

I take the point.

But I would still like to gather a range of views / suggestions to take to WSR SEPT.

Robin

 

I'd suggest that they visit - at the railway's expense if necessary - a couple of the well regarded diesel galas to observe what works and what doesn't.

Over on WNXX, there's a thread about the MNR gala this weekend, where feedback is being actively solicited and considered. To judge by comments on the WSR mixed traffic galas in recent years, feedback seems neither solicited nor welcome.

They are dealing with an opinionated and fickle market, who like to feel loved and wanted. A gala can be successful without appealing to all 4 segments of the market, but it needs to have a strong identity if so - the GCR did so last autumn with their diesel gala.

 

I am aware the Swanage Gala has a good following.

Where else sets the standard?

Robin

 

The Severn Valley Diesel Galas have become well regarded over the last few years.

 

Class 68 would be great, never seen down this way

 

Severn Valley,and North Norfolk and Spa Valley are getting there. Appears on wnxx several residents of the SW are passing Taunton to go to NNR Diesel gala the same weekend-that's voting with your feet...

 

Others have commented, and probably go to more than me. I'd make three additions:

• Mid Norfolk
• Wensleydale
• Nene Valley

Based solely on others' reports, my comment is that the Mid Norfolk hit the spot well, and the Wensleydale is well regarded despite it's newness. Comments on the Nene Valley suggest a good past reputation which may be waning - though there is a lot of anticipation for their gala in a week or so's time.

The galas thread on WNXX might make useful reading (though with almost as much near irrelevant noise as a certain other WSR related thread...).

 

I quite like the way the South Devon Railway do their November Galas. The last couple of years have been particular good. They have had one visitor and given it plenty of runs. On the main days (Sat/Sun) they have run a robust two train timetable with a few extra short workings and given all the working home fleets diesels, including shunters, at least one run. A fair bit of thought has gone into the rostering to meet the demands of the segments and precision timing means mileage tots up without a lot of festering. Anyone visiting for just one day doesn't miss anything if they study the timetable/roster. On the Friday the visitor has done the majority of trains on a one train timetable with other trains using a locomotive from the same segment.

 

That's much more easily done on a short line like the SDR. Don't forget that the WSR is 20 miles long, so it becomes difficult to give a particular loco more than 3 whole-line runs if all the locos are to be given equal runs.

 

At Bristol class 68s are like buses. None for ages and then two come along at the same time.

68.002 and 004 appeared at Bristol TM this evening.

The same locos will pass through Bristol Parkway a couple of times tomorrow. <BJ>

 

An important point.

How can the WSR play to its strengths - length, gradients, and offer diesel folk what they are looking for?

Robin

 

Accept you are comparing apples with pears when comparing the SDR and WSR. The principal is similar though in that the guest is only going to be their once whilst the home fleet is always their. So give the guest a good crack of the whip. At the WSR realistically that means 2 rounds, possibly two and half so it gets near enough the ton. I think you would agree that some of the WSR guests have not always done a lot. Hopefully this year the star guest D832 will get a very good crack of the whip.

Back in the 1980s and 1990s a lot of diesel galas were home fleet only or one visitor often their for a longer period, very much akin to the recent SDR November galas. In more recent times the thinking seems to have been that you can't have a successful gala unless you have a mass of visiting locomotives. OK, attendances might be higher with a mass of visiting locomotives but so are the costs and visits to the chemist by the organisers. Should we actually be going back to the future and having more less ambitious home fleet only galas which give the resident locomotives a good crack of the whip.

I got the impression a few years ago that the WSR was moving towards a June diesel gala with visitors and an autumn home fleet diesel gala. The latter gradually got earlier and more diluted and is now predominantly steam as the late summer weekend. Consequently you now only get one bite of the WSR cherry each year and if that clashes with something else then that's it for another year. I suspect for many the June date is never going to be possible because of personal circumstances. As an example, for those involved in education and academia it always falls in the exam season, so they now get no bites of the cherry.

 

Myself and others have tried in the past heard nothing back so i agree,
The WSR doesnt care about the diesel faternaty the summer 3 coach diagrams show that,


If there was another WR line near by with the same kinda set up long line climbs good selection of locos ,I'd shove off there but I'm stuck with the WSR,

 

Being purely synical this does just seem a reason to reuse the signs from the last gala

 

Some may say that the West Somerset Railway is stuck with you .....not me of course.

<BJ>

 

Is there steam on the Friday of the gala

 

The WSR website says that Friday will be a diesel-only day.

http://westsomersetrailway.vticket.co.uk/product.php/29/mixed-traction-weekend

 

Every other line even the severn valley and bluebell now have pure 3 days diesel only events , why the mixed traffic nonsence,
If people arrive and havent noticed its a diesel gala, that is their problem,

I'm just hoping that out of im guessing 4 sets
2 of them are pure Hydraulic eg get to minehead behind 832 and 1010 heads back to taunton and another sets the sulzer only set,
no stupid double headers, the 14 and 47 last year was stupid so was a 33 and the hymek,
1010 on top of the 33 was one of the most stupid double headers I had to endure to get 1010 single headed, mixed class double headers aren't appreciated as much as some people think they are clever,
in all seriousnes your not gonna solve problems on a steam forum you need to be looking on wnxx, instead of burying your heads in the sand,

 

How about a Hampshire unit running from Minehead to Blue Anchor and back. And then doing a turn at the other end of the line from Bishops lydeard to Norton and back.