West Somerset Railway Autumn Steam Gala Thu 4-Sun 7 October 2012

I *think* so.

 

Programme arrived today! Yet again 88 & 4160 are running the show Sunday... I can understand 88 at this gala, but it seems both these locos do 2 round trips every gala and the guests/other homebased get a round trip and a half or less.

 

On this occasion 4160 (originally shown spare) is substituting for "Britannia", so it would have been a visitor on 2 round trips. Unfortunately I guess it was too late to redraw the diagrams to put another visitor on that duty. Additionally it depends a lot upon which end of the railway the visitors have to end up due to arrangements for going away etc.

92203 gets two round trips on the Saturday.

 

Yeah I get that 4160 is replacing 70000, but as both 4160 and 7828 start and end the day at Minehead, 7828 could have done what 70000 was suppose to do and 4160 do what 7828 is doing. It's a bit annoying to see the same engines doing the majority of services gala after gala.

 

"It's a bit annoying to see the same engines doing the majority of services gala after gala."

Maybe, but if I lived, say, in Newcastle and was considering whether to make a long journey to attend a WSR gala as my first visit to the line, I'd be keen to see their regular locos as well as the more exotic guests. 4160 represents a class that worked the line in BR days , and Manors look far from out of context, so as a first time visitor I'd be glad to see them in use. Galas need to attract new visitors, not just old lags like myself. Anyway, I'll never have a problem with 4160 and 7828!

 

What I was getting at, why use 4160 all the time at every gala on two round trips? 7828 does one round trip, I meant use the Manor on two rather than the Prairie.

Also I misread this the first time, I thought you said you were from Newcastle. If the WSR plan for visitors coming to their railway for the first time during a gala to see the homebased fleet, I would question the point of running the gala. The majority of people at a gala go to every gala, after a while you start to recognize people. If you want to see the homefleet go on a normal day, I don't mind seeing them doing a round trip at a gala as after all a round trip after so many galas is a lot more than two on one day, but at the expense of guest engines I don't get it, they are paying to have them there so should be making the most out of them.

 

We come from Wakefield and if it weren't for our holiday home in Dawlish I probably wouldn't go at all in some cases,I'd much rather see the likes of 43106 or 42968 than another boring run with 4160....

 

You can't please all the people all the time! Whatever you lay on for a gala there will always be someone who isn't happy. I'm a bit disappointed that 3850 is confined to shunting at Washford but I'm sure theres a good reason for it. If you don't like 4160 go on Saturday when it's doing "driver for a fiver" duties only.

 

The WSR currently has a home fleet of six locos. On a normal running day, a maximum of three of those will be in operation. On a gala day, I would expect as many locos as possible, both from the home fleet and visitors, to be in action. If a loco is in steam, then I would like to see it used on at least one passenger train each day, rather than standing spare or used purely on goods trains - gives more variety for everybody. Having said that, I do agree that 4160 does seem to be rather over-used at the forthcoming gala.

 

I can't make Thurs/Friday due to Sixth Form and Saturday my football team are playing at home, so I can only make Sunday. The point I'm making is that 4160 does too much at every gala, it did two round trips at the last ASG on the day I visited and so did 88.

 

This is my point exactly really. I think each home loco should do only a round trip, apart from 7828 and 6960 maybe as they have just been returned to traffic, and at this gala I suppose 88 goes with the theme, but 3850/4160/9351 do not to be used on two round trips a day, and it seems 4160 does a lot of turns at every gala. I plan on writting to the SEPT after the gala and may highlight this.

 

Joshua, two comments: first there is no point at all in writing to SEPT, they ignore everything; and secondly, just sit back and enjoy the gala. Life's too short, even for you!

All the best

 

I'm sure that SEPT plan everything for an attractive gala that brings the most people to the line. The availability in advance of a working timetable enables visitors to travel behind/ photograph their favourites. Sometimes I think it might be more fun not to know what will turn up on a particular working - like BR in the early/ mid sixties!

 

The idea of posting suggested photographic locations is excellent. A similar idea for other lines could help prevent trespass on both the railway and neighbouring landowners properties.

 

Castle Hill, near Williton is a very popular location for photography. The farmer has had a lot of grief from photographers in his fields over the years. He now only allows individuals onto his property who have asked for permission. Gala days are a problem because if a couple of people are allowed to stand in his field, the chances are that 20-30 others will join them.
Please respect his wishes and don't upset him .....or his wife! <BJ>

 

Absolutely agree with the above advice. This result (not my pic) can be had from the roadside:

WSR :: West Somerset Railway :: Snapshot

Location is near Sampford Brett Bridge (OS ref ST091404) on the A358 just south of Williton. Parking limited - get there early. But please take care as it is a busy road.

Steve

 

Don't say that - we'll get about 5 pages of protests from photographers! Actually I remember a couple of Mid-Hants galas like that - there was a working timetable but what happened in reality bore little resemblance to it. They seem a lot better organised these days.

 

Two in Blue. Must be seen: http://www.wsr.org.uk/cgi-bin/galleri.cgi?h=Snapshot&p=2012/10/021012_1_gle and http://www.wsr.org.uk/cgi-bin/galleri.cgi?h=Snapshot&p=2012/10/021012_2_gle Go along to Washford Station this weekend for a look-see! And of course travel behind a real SDJR loco in blue...

Steve

 

Weather looking reasonable for the weekend although Sunday afternoon might be dodgy BBC Weather : Minehead

I'm just hoping that the farmer who owns the field at Ker Moor will find an alternative location for his flock of sheep. The smell there during the SSG with several hundred of the creatures in the meadow was horrendous!

Regards

 

Yes, these railway photographers do smell a bit don't they

Steve