East Somerset Spring Gala 18/19 March 2023

Thread for the ESR gala this year on March 18/19. Website now appears to be updated to show the timetable. Features:
- 4110's first passenger services since restoration
- 7 x passenger trips featuring 4110, 4555 and 46447
- A goods rake shuttling between Cranmore Tanker Sidings and the loco shed hauled by 4110 and 46447
- 'Lady Nan' on driver for a tenner
I believe the rather vague '60th anniversary double heading' with 4110 & 4555 will become more clear. The fact that it is double prairies may be a hint!

Web link: https://eastsomersetrailway.com/events/view/steam-gala-2023

All for just £12

 

Engines all warming through ready for the big day tomorrow! Online tickets sold out but pay on the day is more than welcome!!

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4110 has pulled it's first passenger train since BR days at the ESR. The loco breezed up the 1 in 56 incline with our train from Mendip Vale. Congratulations to the ESR engineering group who have made such a good job of restoring the loco. [BJ]

 

It was a good day, seemed very busy if the platform, car park, trains and cafe were anything to go by!! 4110 looked lovely and was ably supported by 4555 and 46447.

 

To ride the trains all day for £12 is a real bargain. Is it possible that the East Somerset pitched the ticket price a little under it's true value?

I've been visiting the ESR from it's early days but I have not seen the carpark so crammed with later arrivals having to park outside.
The visitor numbers were amazing. Well done to all concerned at the railway. [BJ]

 

Interesting economics - would it have been so busy had the price been higher? Hats off to the East Somerset for making it affordable. With all the locos already there and one hauling it's first trains for 60 years, sounds like the railway have struck gold with this one. Low(ish) cost to put on, high rarity value.
The handful of times I have been able to call by it has always warranted its 'friendly line' reputation - lovely railway.

 

It was the busiest I’ve ever seen the place today, which has to be good news. Ticket pricing a bit erratic - £12 rover (bargain), £10 child (less of a bargain when compared to adult price) but the biggest issue is not having to buy a platform ticket; I observed quite a few not travelling and presumably just wandering round gratis. Maybe they made a donation, let’s be charitable. Anyway, the four-coach set was standing room only, while the new prairie swapped turns with 4555 and 46447. There’s a real positive atmosphere at Cranmore these days, each time I go there’s something new. An independent operator has taken over the café and it’s a significant improvement. Platform 2 looks excellent and a footbridge from St Erth should go up soon. A shame at the end of the line that you can see Shepton Mallet, but can’t get there - a physical link could be great for both town and railway.

 

Thanks for the reports and pictures, I'd been hoping to go for a few hours either today or tomorrow but it's not quite compatible with this weekend's work. Agree that the ticket price was something of a bargain and delighted (but not too surprised given the line-up, price, draw of 4110 and lack of other things on this weekend) to hear it was so busy. Will try to get 4110 on a running day later this year instead, tempted by those days when it looks like the DMU's out too. Haven't been there since 2018 so sounds like there's been plenty of change, and I'd also forgotten just how steep the climb out of Mendip Vale is till free2grice referenced it.

 

My video and a couple of photos from yesterdays trip to the gala.

 

Just back from an excellent day at Cranmore, everything running as advertised and spot on time. I agree that it felt almost underpriced compared to a lot of other gala events, but with a large proportion of "non-enthusiast" visitors, it may be that a higher price wouldn't have led to more money through the tills overall. Interesting comment earlier about platform tickets - my ticket wasn't checked once, on a site with completely unhindered platform access. That might be something to ponder for future events, although I appreciate it needs even more volunteers. Anyway, thank you to everyone involved in a great event.

 

It's a difficult one I think. Cranmore is a particularly difficult site to try and "gate" given the required access for the home owners next to the station, with the access to them being right next to the station and across the tanker sidings. The question would then be where/how you restrict access for non-ticket holders but keeping it freely open for home owners. Another argument would be that you may get a group turn up just to have a look around, and then decide to buy a ticket. As you say, something to ponder, but does require extra bodies! For what it's worth, the one train I did manage to ride on, my ticket was checked.

All in all, another well organised event, well done to all involved. When the signalling is eventually completed, it will open up some operational opportunities I feel!

 

The last couple of times I have visited Cranmore we were in the area and just happened to be passing. One time we decided on spur of the moment to travel, the other we had lunch in the excellent cafe and visited the shop - both visits probably releaved me of £30 - £40.
If the site had been ticket only we probably would have gone elsewhere, as in both cases we were on our way home & didn't have a lot of time available.
In my view, it isn't always a good idea to restrict access to event ticket holders only, bring open and welcoming to everyone can be pretty profitable. I don't think there are many people who will visit a railway and not contribute something - non travellers can bring valuable additional revenue in 'secondary spend' areas and may well be return passengers of the future if they like what they see.

 

I agree that free site access is desirable on anything but a a gala day, but think they'd have made a few quid by charging for access to the platform over the weekend just gone. Yes, it would have been possible to get a gateline by entering from the road by the tanker sidings, but I'd have thought the vast majority enter via the steps to the platform, where a set of railings already exists to channel people towards the ticket office. The train ride is really only a small part of a gala weekend, all the activity at Cranmore is the main event!

Maybe they could keep the tickets at £12 for a single return trip, but increase it for day rovers? That could provide the balance between not scaring off the casual punter and lining the coffers a bit more.

 

This was an excellent event! I will certainly visit this cracking railway again!

Does anyone know how long 4555 is staying at the ESR now that they have 4110?

 

Three years which i believe is up this year now 4110 is back in steam i presume 4555 will move on as the East Somerset Railway has no real need for four working engines

 

Both 4555 and 4110 belong to the Dartmouth Steam Railway. I believe that 4555 will visit other lines this year and 4110 was due to go the the WSR for a while.

 

4555 was on loan to the ESR for three years from 2020 so I guess it will be leaving now that 4110 has entered traffic. 4110 is also on a three year loan to the ESR from the PDSR which I believe started when she returned to steam. 4555 is off to the SVR for their Gala. Not sure if she is returning home to the PDSR after that event.

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Yes, 4555 returns to Dartmouth after the SVR gala.

 

A pedant would wonder what use 4555 would be in Dartmouth?