KWVR Winter Steam Gala - 11th, 12th & 13th February 2011

Friday was horrible at Keighley, very dull and dark. I got this of 957 being banked by 47279:

http://www.railwayherald.co.uk/imaging.centre/showimage.php?image=180458&gallery=174

 

One thing I was surprised at yesterday was no ticket checks all day.

 

Good stuff so far chappies, lets hope Sunday brings some more video's and photo's.

 

Here is a selection of my photographs and Saturday:
http://richardsteampics.weebly.com/2011-02-12.html

enjoy
Richard

 

just posted the first of a 3 parter from saturday.
[video=youtube;hUmyYw4Qr0g]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUmyYw4Qr0g&hd=1[/video]

 

Had a good day today as always at the kwvr they know how put good galas on up there!

Steve

 

My highlights from Saturday 12th February now at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb31kZr-R9c

 

Are there any more planned steamings of 44767 on the KWVR?

 

As I understand "touch-down" at New Bridge is tomorrow, I think the answer must be no!

Steven

 

A damp Sunday didnt spoil the excellant collection of Steam on offer.
Here are a few 'snaps' taken during a variety of 8 journeys.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/goldsteam/sets/72157626050725424/with/5445803979/

 

The DVD for the event is now available to purchase from our website. It will also be available from the KWVR shops within a couple of weeks, the KWVR did manage to get some copies of our advert printed which some of you may have seen, so thank you to the KWVR for getting that sorted.

The DVD covers footage from all three days of the event, including a wide range of express, freight, local & vintage trains. The evening express trains were outstanding and the two we saw on Friday & Saturday enabled us to get some great recordings.
Bonus footage is included of the visiting engines 44767 at the North Norfolk Railway & Churnet Valley Railway, 44871 on the Mainline & East Lancashire Railway plus one final look at LMS 3F No.47279 which attended it's final steam gala before being withdrawn from service for overhaul.

The DVD lasts approx. 65 minutes and until the 25th February 2011 features a 10% price reduction via our website. A short DVD trailer has been uploaded, and we're just in the process of uploading some shots to the KWVR Youtube site.

DVD Trailer & Details available here

 

Just posted part 2.
[video=youtube;wKxyV_SQSPI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKxyV_SQSPI&hd=1[/video]

 

There doesn't seem to be a good reason to create a multiplicity of threads for films of this event so my YouTube film of Friday and Saturday can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOBsAUMnrQg

Both Black Fives 44871 and 44767 are featured as is Austerity 90733, Jinty 47279, Nunny and, briefly, the LYR 0-6-0. Locations are Haworth, Keighley, Oxenhope and Damems and the footpaths, very muddy and treacherous footpaths, in between. Sunday's footage will follow, probably tomorrow.

Regards

 

I have now uploaded my film of the Sunday, an extremely wet Sunday, of the gala. I avoided the footpaths on this day, that from Howarth to Oxenhope being akin to Flanders, and consecrated on the more usual locations. These are Howarth, Keighley, Oxenhope and Howarth again. Locomotives featured are 90733, 47279, 44871, 44767, Nunlow (which was showing signs of patch painting on the nearside tank), 80002 and LYR 951.

The film can be found at the link below and I hope everyone enjoys it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZSScnrSTfc



Regards

 

My first visit to a KWVR gala, and certainly not the last. Very impressed by the professionalisim of the staff, a good and interesting timetable and variety of locomotives. My photos fo the event are now online, www.dave-ballard.co.uk/KWVR.htm




db

 

I'm not sure about that.

The K&WVR is limited to one train at a time south of Damems loop. So, the train must go all the way from Damems to Oxenhope, and come back to cross another train which does exactly the same thing. The timetable is therefore dominated by all-line passenger trains. The minimum frequency for such trains is about one every 45 minutes to an hour. This is supplemented by various shuttles between Keighley and Ingrow.

There is of course another loop at Haworth but that's out of commission and they don't seem to be particularly keen on commissioning it. However, commissioning the loop at Haworth would at least allow three trains to run at once; at an increased frequency of one approximately every 30 minutes. It would also allow them to run the other engines and stock that are otherwise sitting idle -- they had 957, 44767, 44871, 47279, 80002, 90733, Nunlow all in steam -- plus L&YR coaches, non-corridor stock, freight train -- interspersed with the all-line passengers.

Finally, there is a turntable at Keighley, and I realise that the bigger engines are too heavy for the bridge leading to it, but I doubt the smaller engines are. So why not run a couple of turntable demonstrations throughout the day?

 

Signalling, or the lack of, is one of the things that lets the K&WVR down. A fully signalled Keighley would look really nice and there seems some scope to extend the siding parallel to the mainline out to extend a loop which could allow quicker turnarounds and departures at busy times.

 

So Keighley could become the new Bewdley.Passengers unable to cross between 3 and 4 and catch the train about to depart to please photographers on the hill.
No thanks and I have had a lineside permit for over 20 years.

 

I find myself in agreement with 'TonyMay' and 'Neil_Scott'. Although the KWVR has great virtues it also has significant weaknesses and amongst the weaknesses are the lack of signalling, the infrequent trains and the general aimlessness of the railway. It certainly could be improved greatly by commissioning the Howarth Loop and by signalling Keighley, but it could also be improved by recognising that it is in the tourist business and conducting itself appropriately.

It could for example, ban linesiders from wearing hi-vis on the railway's platforms and the area in front of the public viewing ground at Keighley. It could stop its own volunteers dressing themselves in all-over orange and encourage them to dress as the railwaymen of the 1950-60 period would dress. This can be done without compromising safety. ( I actually saw one volunteer at Oxenhope dressed, quite literally, from the top of his head to the tip of his toes in orange. Surely an unnecessary over-indulgence).

The neglect of the unused signal box at Howarth is stupifying. The roof is in a dreadful state and must be letting water into the building and yet it could all be solved if the railway wanted it to be solved. But I get the impression that the railway just wants to stay as it is, wallowing, complacently wallowing, in its 'Railway Children' past rather than having a vision of what it could be in the future.

It cannot be a want of money that is creating this situation, the railway gets an enormous number of visitors each year and must have an income to match. The completion of the signalling would make the railway one of the great railways of the country instead of one of the might-have-beens. What it needs is leadership, and that leadership is lacking.

Sorry for any offence caused, but plain speaking is needed here.

Regards

 

Neil, as I have explained I don't think the capacity issue is at Keighley. Full signalling would indeed look nice but the groundframe-based arrangement they currently use is sufficient. With a basic four train gala pattern, a train that arrives at Keighley should transfer the Keighley-Damems token to another train which then departs shortly afterwards. The train in Keighley should then be run around, to be ready to go when the next train arrives at Keighley. To get a gala timetable you then mix it up a bit. It's not necessary to create a passing loop outside the station, like there is at Alton on the Mid Hants because one in one out operation is possible with two platforms.

It is quite understandable that people want to transfer from the incoming train to the outgoing train and that would then continue to be possible.