NYMR Steam Gala 22nd -25th September

Just seen on NYMR website tickets on sale for Steam Gala in September, 1 day rover ticket £45

Hope they still have some coal by then

Neil

 

Yes, hopefully!! I also see Sir Nigel Gresley is confirmed as the first guest loco, with a second visitor TBC: https://www.nymr.co.uk/event/annual-steam-gala

Looks like 'Sir Nigel' should be back in blue by then.

 

Bahamas would be I nice second visitor for this gala

 

We can now confirm the full line up of visiting locomotives, LNER A4 'Sir Nigel Gresley', BR Standard 5 No. 73156 and No. 85 Taff Vale Railway Class 02 will be joining us for this hugely popular event.

Ride behind our guest locomotives and home fleet engines across the four days with services calling at Pickering, Levisham, Newtondale Halt (by request), Goathland, Grosmont and Whitby stations.

Home Fleet Locomotives

• BR 9F No. 92134
• S15 No. 825
• Black 5 Eric Treacy No. 5428
• Award-winning Lucie No. 8
• SR Schools Repton No. 926

• BR Standard 4 No. 76079
• BR Standard 4 Tank No. 80136
• Q6 No. 63395
• J27 No. 65894
• Peggy No. 29

All locomotives are subject to availability.

 

That's an awful lot of locos! I've not been to an NYMR gala before, is there the capacity to use 14 locos all at once, or will some home fleet take it in turns to be parked up? A very tempting line up anyway...

 

Last year the Thursday was more of a preview day which featured all the visitors and a couple of the home fleet - think it was two of the Whitby locos. The other days had around 8/9 locos in steam with 2/3 from the home fleet spare, was usually a Whitby loco, a smaller loco either 29/J27 and 4MT(T)/9F spare.

In addition on each of the days last year Lucie was shunting freight in Levisham - not sure if that'll be the same this year or if she'll have different duties/be based elsewhere?!

 

Chances are that not everything listed will be available on the day, and based on some past performances one or more of the visitors will find it all too much and fail! 8 or 9 locos at any one time seems to be as much as can be made sensible use of.

 

I had planned to go for the full weekend, but now the guest loco's have been announced not sure its worth £126. Having done the SVR earlier this year for Sir Nigel and the GCR my local line which has there gala the following weekend not sure I can justify that plus travel and accommodation.

 

jasa76, well think about it this way, if you take 4498 and 73156 out of the equation, you still have 85 and 29 that will look stunning double-headed, all those mainline steam trips to Whitby [I recommend a lovely Italian restaurant] and the many other engines that you might not see on other railways: 825, 5428, 76079, 80136.

Besides, seeing a Std 5 attack the 1-in-37 unassisted sounds very exciting!

 

Its 1 in 49, I think you are getting muddled up with the Lickey which is 1 in 37.
With all those engines I wonder how many unassisted trips 73156 will do?
Certainly very pleased that its going to the NYMR gala look and I forward to seeing how it goes.

 

Probably, but still, it's pretty steep!
Hopefully at least ONE turn.

 

I've regrettably never made it out to the NYMR, but I think I'll be changing that this year....unfortunately something came up that meant I missed SNG at the SVR, and so the chance to see it in Wartime Black is a nice draw for me. I've also not been to any other preserved lines as a visitor since COVID, so it'll be good to hear locos working on a gradient again, especially now that I know more and better appreicate the subtle arts of firing and driving!

Having been fortunate enough to have had several turns on 73156 at the GCR, I'm sure it'll perform well, it is well liked by everyone who crews it, and given the love and care the owning group spend on it, it'll certainly be turned out well also.

 

Is it possible to access the stations and platforms without a ticket, are there platform tickets or is it full ticket access only please? Looking at doing the full day on the Saturday riding the trains but travelling there and back on Friday and Sunday, so be good to enjoy a bit of the gala atmosphere on those other 2 days as well without riding on the trains. Any tips on good places to watch the trains when not travelling in reasonable walking distance of a car park? Want to make the most of the weekend

 

All stations are open access Grosmont is the best place I think. You can also go round the shed and there are plenty places to take photos there

 

Thanks!

 

Make sure you find the time to visit the LNERCA in the Atkins Building at Pickering ECJS 189 alone is worth the long journey up to the NYMR. I'm not sure if the LNERCA's off-railway works at Kirby Misperton are open to visitors that weekend, but if they are it's another must-see for anyone interested in carriages! (and there will be people at work there on Friday to show you around by arrangement, I would think).

 

Levisham is also a very pleasant place to lose a morning or afternoon - if they do like last year Lucie will be shunting wagons there which made for lots of entertainment and unusual movements.

 

Parking your car will be a problem anywhere that weekend, but (if you can find a space) Goathland is a good place for train watching, (and enjoying a beer or two)., and it is an easy walk from there down to Darnholme, where locos should be working hard to tackle the last part of the 1 in 49.

 

Again parking could be an issue, but Moorgates is a lovely place to sit and watch the trains pass. Lots of different angles to watch from there too!

 

On top of the above, the old railway walk between Grosmont & Goathland is worth doing - you're rarely out of earshot of the railway, and it's a pleasant stroll with some decent views of the railway at the Grosmont end.