50 years at Didcot Railway Centre - 14-17, 22-23 and 29 April - 1 May

Visiting locos announced:
813 from the Severn Valley Railway
11 from the East Anglian Railway Museum

Home locos:
93
4144
6023 King Edward II

Info from https://www.facebook.com/events/1852885028257393/ http://www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/events/galas.html

 

Might be able to make this, been meaning to get to Didcot for ages and this seems a good excuse. Will everything listed be in steam every day? I'll be a bit annoyed if the day I turn up it's only 2807 in steam!

 

I would assume all locos would be in use, but best to keep an eye on the loco roster. http://didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/events/loco_roster.html

 

Thanks very much. Looking at going on Sunday 30th which looks like it'll be one of the more happening days as well, cheers.

 

Loco roster has been updated. 813 and 2807 are in use all gala days. Other locos TBC.

 

I think it unlikely that all six will be in steam every day, they probably would if the gala was a single weekend but to steam them all for an event that spans several weekends it might be a tad expensive. Best plan is do what has already been suggested and check the loco roster for the day you're going.

 

2807 no longer appearing.

813 & 6023 operating all days. Other loco operating days TBA.

 

Thanks for that, shame about 2807 but glad to hear 813 and the king will be in steam all days!

 

Wrong thread

 

As the event goes on until 1st May, it would be great if 1st May could be added to the roster. Currently it only goes as far as 30th April.

 

whens 6023 leaving Didcot for speed trails on WSR??

 

This may be of interest if you plan on travelling there by car and using the main Foxhall Road car park.

https://www.gwr.com/about-us/media-...lion-multi-storey-car-park-for-didcot-parkway

 

Didcot these days is thoroughly depressing - out of service engines and rotting GWR coaches.

 

No "speed trials" are on the menu as far as I'm aware (unless it's to cover point 3 below), more of a "can-it-pull-a-decent-load-up-a-hill trial" to prove the revised exhaust arrangements beyond doubt.

The last Official News I heard was:—

1:- Weighing - Done
2:- TPWS & OTMS - still to be finally tested with the all-new Mk. 3 Control Unit.
3:- Speedo - to be calibrated
4:- Gauging Acceptance - it was 3D-scanned by Balfour Beatty about a month ago & as far as I know the data has been submitted to Network Rail for consideration.
5:- TPWS Isolation Procedure - accepted by the ORR & Network Rail notified of this.

How long Network Rail's pontifications will take is anyone's guess, & until they give it the all clear, 6023 is stuck at Didcot, so don't believe anything you read on any railtour sites about it hauling the XYZ Express from A to B via C, D, F & Q on Julember the umpteenth.

If you do Facebook, there's a Great Western Society group that might have more up-to-date snippets. It's not an open access group though, you'll have to sign up to it.

As ever with these things, patience (& Industry) is a virtue.

Pete S.,
C&W Dept.,
GWS Didcot.

 

Here's my offerings from a trip to Didcot yesterday.

Enjoy!

 

Loco roster has been updated. This weekend locos are: 11, 93 & 813.

 

Any idea what will be running on 1st May (the last day of the gala, but not in the loco roster)? Thanks.

 

Hoped 6023 is use sun 23 but loco roster saying otherwise, but will the king be visible?

 

The King should be out side the shed in full view.

 

You can not get much better than this: