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[Apr 15, 2021] Spring Steam Up 2021 (Severn Valley Railway)

Discussion in 'Galas and Events' started by D1039, Jan 27, 2021.

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Spring Steam Up 2021
Severn Valley Railway
Confirmed Attendees: 0
Posted By: D1039
Start Date: Apr 15, 2021 09:00 AM
End Date: Apr 18, 2021 09:00 AM
Time Zone: Europe/London +01:00 BST
  1. Pete Thornhill

    Pete Thornhill Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Administrator Moderator Friend

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    It reads quite clear to me, optional visit to the Engine House for those who want to and the train will pick you up 80 minutes later. For those who don’t wish to visit the EH the SVR isn’t going to make them sit on the train or station for 80 minutes waiting for the rest!!!
     
  2. D7076

    D7076 Well-Known Member

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    Either stay on the train for 3 full trips or at some point option of getting off for 80 minute break whilst the train continues to Bridgnorth and back without you and picks up on the return .It might do that on a couple of trips so as to enable social distancing in the Engine House .Not really that difficult to understand .
     
  3. Old Wusser and Wusser

    Old Wusser and Wusser New Member

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    How about putting the full timetable up on the website so that idiots like me can plan properly which train they want to take out of the series that will be available once the all-day ticket has been purchased. It's a bit poor to have to pay an additional £5 to get a copy of the souvenir brochure that will contain the timetable but which won't be available until you actually go to the station for your train at a time you won't know in advance unless you go for the first train.
     
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  4. jamesd

    jamesd Member

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    I've bought a ticket anyway and I don't really mind what happens during the day, it'll just be nice to be on a train again.
     
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  5. D1039

    D1039 Guest

    You can do this on a 'normal' excursion service:

    The Adventurer: departing from Bridgnorth at 11am, you'll steam all the way to Kidderminster. During your day, you have the chance to visit The Engine House at Highley, spend some time in Bewdley, a Georgian riverside town, or explore the picturesque countryside at Arley, before returning to Bridgnorth later in the day.

    https://www.svr.co.uk/pdf/Top Travel Tips/The Adventurer_ Timetable and Top Tips.pdf

    I'd suggest people who just want a trip each way along the line with time for a sandwich and cup of tea are better catered for on normal days rather then events aimed at enthusiasts.

    A consideration is that the SVR wants to limit and control the number of people on the railway, to minimise transmission of COVID-19. Another train, with more people, might not fit this plan.

    On both the 'normal' excursion service and the steam and diesel events the SVR service currently is that you reserve a compartment (with a few table seats available) and it's yours for the day, gain to minimise transmission of COVID-19. The trains are heavily cleaned at the end of each day. Their compartment stock is fully in use on the event timetable. Loco-wise they're running 2857, 6960 Raveningham Hall, 7714 and 813 double-heading, 43106 and 34027 Taw Valley: spare are 1501 and 75069.

    To run an additional short service during the Steam event they'd have the costs of 1501 and a further rake (and I guess additional costs of making the open rake COVID safe, and cleaning it). Personally, even if it were practical to do it, I can't see it'd be much cheaper than what's on offer?

    Patrick
     
  6. pete12000

    pete12000 Member

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    Sounds like the same approach as the MHR October '20 gala with Bahamas, colour coded wrist bands for your allocated train, worked well there
     
  7. Gladiator 5076

    Gladiator 5076 Part of the furniture

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    I will not be attending as the way things appear to be going down here I may be lucky to have even received my first vaccination by then. However purely as an observation by time of the gala, with the exception of Christmas, most folks will have had no steam since around the end of October. Unless the guest loco comes "free" or very cheap I would have thought, based on the MHR event, it would sell out anyway.
    I would have thought any railway would be looking to minimise costs as much as possible in the current climate.
    Still either way I hope it does go very well for the SVR, and maybe one day, although the way things are going I suspect not in 2021, I will be able to visit again.
     
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  8. D7076

    D7076 Well-Known Member

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    Better to maximise net revenue .
    Best way to minimise cost is to follow the WSR model and locos and stock suffer no wear and no water or coal costs to cover .
     
  9. alts1985

    alts1985 Well-Known Member

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    Pretty sure they said timetable will be available shortly, not just in the program.
     
  10. D1039

    D1039 Guest

    "The locomotive roster for each day will be confirmed shortly"

    @lewis.maddox might know whether a timetable is to be published before the event to enable potential visitors to decide whether to come, if they wish to join at Bewdley and what time time to book a visit to The Engine House; or whether it will only be available to those that buy or collect the souvenir guide on the day.

    Patrick
     
  11. lewis.maddox

    lewis.maddox Member

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    D1039 and Paul42 like this.
  12. deltic22

    deltic22 New Member

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    What are the requirements for wearing of face masks, if any?
     
  13. D1039

    D1039 Guest

    I guess it will depend in part what national and regional restrictions are in force at that point, but the current rules are:


    • You must adhere to social distancing guidelines at all times during your visit.
    • Please bring your own face mask and face covering to be worn at all times.
    • Table bookings: your party will be seated around a table. Please do not visit with any more than the number of people you have booked. Face masks must be worn at all times. You may remove your face mask or face covering when consuming food and drink.
    • Compartment bookings: your private compartment can accommodate a maximum of six people. Please do not visit with any more than that number. You may remove your face mask or face covering in your private compartment or when consuming food and drink.

    More at https://www.svr.co.uk/NewsItem.aspx?a=932

    Patrick
     
  14. Wyreman

    Wyreman New Member

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    Some very interesting and helpful posts there, thank you, and the updated FAQ for the "Spring Steam Up" is also interesting. Thoughts on that...

    * Being able to start at Bewdley is obviously of interest to people who live nearby as I do! I guess that means you can also *end* your day in Bewdley, otherwise it's a little bit pointless.
    * Offering Platform Tickets at BY, AY and HL is an interesting move. I wonder how popular that will be at Arley, where good viewing is available from the road bridge anyway, but at Bewdley I'm sure it will attract interest.
    * This does mean that Bewdley, unlike any other station, will have to cater for both passengers and non-passengers.
    * The final question, "Can we bring our own food?" is still not answered by the new FAQ. It needs a specific "yes" or "no", as I think most people will assume "yes" unless told otherwise.

    I'm not sure whether I'll be comfortable travelling myself as early as mid-April, but my view that £30 for a single traveller is very decent value for a day like this remains. Not having to do all three round trips if you don't want to does increase the attraction a bit.

    As for the points about the "normal" services from then until June, I am indeed glad to see that they are a bit more flexible than they were last summer. It would also be useful to know whether it's possible to start/end your day in a station other than KR for those as well, since I would find something like KR-HY-AY-BH-BY (possible with "The Adventurer" timetable) more interesting than KR-BH-KR. The £50 (well, £52) table price is still something of a stumbling block for single travellers, but it's not absolutely prohibitive as a one-off.

    As for the VIP guest, I have one or two private thoughts about what it might be, but I'm not as well informed as many here and so I won't speculate openly - partly because I am likely to be proved spectacularly wrong!
     
  15. Sidmouth

    Sidmouth Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Moderator

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    A Saphos tour from Bridgnorth two weeks after the event may help narrow the guest field down a little
     
  16. Davo

    Davo Well-Known Member

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    So I'm guessing if I join on the 9:15am dep kidder on Friday the 16 april would there be a loco change at bridgnorth and vice versa on the return from bridgnorth back at kidder for the 2nd round trip? It does seem the only way it can be done to ride neary all 7 engines is stay on the same coach and booked table unlike on a usual gala rover ticket, unless the journey either way is broken at highly. I and others on nat pres will most certainly look forward to this event in these uncertain times when lockdown restrictions finally ease.
    Dave 56F
     
  17. Ben Jenden

    Ben Jenden Member

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    Yeah there are loco changes at Kidderminster and Bridgnorth, 7714+813 are double heading first and you will then get 34027 BH-KR, 43106 KR-BH, VISITOR BH-KR, 6960 KR-BH, then finally 2857 BH-KR.

    Your train will only stop at Highley at 1:35pm and I presume those who stay on the train have that particular loco up to Bridgnorth which will then likely pick up those who departed at Highley again at 3:00pm as per what the information says on the webpage.
     
  18. lewis.maddox

    lewis.maddox Member

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    Make sure you tune in!



    Lewis
     
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  19. D7076

    D7076 Well-Known Member

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    I very much doubt it !
     
  20. gwalkeriow

    gwalkeriow Well-Known Member

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    It’s the Saint, it’s on the front cover of Heritage Railway.
     
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