East Lancs Winter Steam Gala - 17th & 18th Jan

Still no loco allocations?

Incidentally I bought advance tickets on line on 31st December and the money was taken from my account on 2nd January but no tickets have been received. I emailed Quay tickets to find out why and they replied saying they had been dispatched but could take 10 days! Nothing takes 10 days in the post so beware anybody else thinking of buying on line. If they don't arrive I will produce the receipt at the booking office to claim my tickets, thus defeating the object of buying on line which was to save time.

Don

 

That happened to me. I'll never bother using them again. They came a month after I'd ordered them and a day after someone from the ELR had already sent me a ticket through the post.

 

Well the ELR should stop using them

Don

 

are you sure? Last I heard it was still awaiting collection from Sheffield Park

 

Winter Steam Gala TT with loco allocations is now live...

http://www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk/events-activities/2015/1/winter-steam-gala.aspx

Rich

 

Where's Hopwood? If it's on the main line, how is the crab allowed there? I know there's a cement works or something beyond Heywood.

 

Hopwood (Ground Frame) is the ELR limit beyond Heywood and Green Lane Crossing on the route to Castleton.

Don't worry, we won't let the Crab escape...................

 

Could not Carnforth sent down Leander, then she could go with 45407 on the 24th Jan

 

I see that there is a train out of Rawtenstall at 09:30, yet no sign of an inbound movement. Presumably there is an ECS working from Bury at some point. Does anyone know when this will run?
Also can anyone confirm the direction each loco will be facing? This would be very useful for planning my visit on Sunday.

Thanks in advance.
Cheers,

 

The first train from Rawtenstall usually runs ECS from Bury just after the early morning photo charter has either gone onto Rammy or returned to Bury.

 

Is there an early morning charter at this gala? The only photographic event that's mentioned in the ELR's gala information is an all day behind the scenes photography experience.

 

Unfortunately there are no Friday night shoots or early morning run pasts at this event. And yes the 09:30 ex Rawtenstall is formed from an ECS move from Bury I think it'll be an approximate 08:30 ex Bury.
If only it was as easy as "just sending Leander" from Carnforth. Still you never know what will happen in the future. It'd be nice to think we get to host her again before too long.
Two black 5's face South. All the rest face the usual north position. Bar 5643 which hasn't yet arrived (due today) but it has been requested to face north.

 

Timetable with allocations now on line.

Does anyone know if Metrolink will be running straight through to Bury from Manchester or whether we once again have the Bus Replacement Service.

 

From informations given by friends also attending, we are once again graced with Metrolink's impeccable timing of engineering works with ELR Steam Galas....

Almost as if they don't want the extra revenue....

 

Victoria and Manchester Airport Engineering Works Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 January 2015
Saturday 17 January 2015
Tram Services will operate;

• Altrincham to Piccadilly
• Bury to Abraham Moss
• Central Park to Rochdale Town Centre
• East Didsbury to Piccadilly
• Eccles to Ashton-under-Lyne via MediaCityUK
• Cornbrook to Wythenshawe Town Centre

Replacement Bus services will operate;

• Crumpsall to Piccadilly - calling at all stops except Victoria and Market Street
• Central Park to Piccadilly - calling at all stops except Victoria and Market Street
• Wythenshawe Town Centre to Manchester
  Airport - calling at all stops

Sunday 18 January 2015
Tram Services will operate;

• Bury to Altrincham
• Rochdale Town Centre to East Didsbury
• Eccles to Ashton-under-Lyne via MediaCityUK
• Cornbrook to Wythenshawe Town Centre until 12 noon

Replacement Bus services will operate;

• Wythenshawe Town Centre to Manchester
  Airport - calling at all stops until 12 noon

Please buy your ticket from a Metrolink ticket machine before
boarding the replacement bus.

Customer Services telephone line 0161 205 2000 (available from 0600 - 2300 Monday to Friday, 0800 - 2000 Saturday and Sunday and 1000 - 1800 on Bank Holidays).

Alternatively, you can write to us at Customer Services at:
Metrolink RATP Dev. UK
Trafford Depot
Warwick Road South
Stretford, Manchester
M16 0GZ

or via email at: customerservices@metrolink.co.uk


http://www.metrolink.co.uk/Pages/PNIArticle.aspx?articleid=145

 

Blimey, that looks like you could actually ride through from Manchester to Bury (allowing for Victoria being closed), well, on Sunday anyway.

It'll be just like old times!

 

I think the bad boys are NR not Metro link. Engineering works at Victoria. They are also affecting my preferred route from the south. Info from a friend suggests allow up to 90 mins from Piccadilly to Bury due to traffic congestion

 

A couple of questions:

The Winter Steam Gala Information download (non-timetable version) says the home fleet lineup includes Hunslet 2857 Swiftsure. Is that right?

Is May doing any sort of passenger rides again this year?

 

You might be right about NR but the areas at Victoria that are being worked on are around the existing Metrolink platforms so I think it's still Metrolink that are at the root of it. By comparison, on a Thursday in November I rode the tram from Shude Hill (just back from Victoria) through to Bury, passing non-stop through Vic. Why they can do that on a weekday but not a Saturday is beyond me. Looks like you can ride straight through Vic on the Sunday too, so why not Saturday?

Your info about the journey time from Picc to Bury sounds about right, maybe a bit high - say 75 mins. They serve all of the Metro stops but to do so take a very in and out route through many a side road and over every speed bump they can find.

It cheeses me off because when Metrolink is running I can get from my front door to the ticket office at BBS in about 75 mins total. With the Bus Replacement it can be about 2 hours - and the same going home again, for a total journey of about 30 miles. Poor.

 

Swiftsure has arrived on site. As it currently stands there are no plans to use it I have attempted to get this removed from said information sheet.
May will be pottering around the station light engine this time.