Railway200: The Greatest Gathering. Derby Litchurch Lane. 1-3 August.

From what i can find out the last train into the Great Gathering will be the BLS tour on the Thursday night with the 57/390, then nothing in or out till it is all over!!

 

The latest addition:

 

It's already there I understand. A couple of electric locos from Barrow Hill have also been delivered. I guess getting them on site earlier makes sense with the amount of road movements required.

 

Apparently a couple of chunks of the Clan will be present as well

 

Now sorted, managed to swap my pair of Friday tickets for a pair of Sunday ones

 

45669 Galatea added to line up (and likely 44932 as well now too??!)..

Latest issue of Trackside also hinting at an A1/A2/A3/A4 first, with talks underway with A1st and LSL regards availability of Tornado & Blue Peter and Scotsman arriving on the Pullmans Saturday lunchtime.

 

45669 Galatea added to line up (and likely 44932 as well now too??!).. Please tell me Galatea has not been renumbered and renamed again? It's confusing enough as it is!

 

A shame in a way ifthe line up tkaes place, honour suggests that should ne Barrow Hill's gig

 

Plus 46045, 86401, D8568 and a WCRC 57. The main problem will be finding time to see everything.

 

According to Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways' social media, Prince & two vintage FR carriages will be giving rides. Joining them will be Trangkil no. 4 from Statfold Barn Railway.

 

There will also be a 15" gauge line with "Katie" from Ravenglass and "Anne" from Perrygrove https://www.alstom.com/press-releas...-aec5-46ce-a197-e8116de33a9c&utm_campaign=TGG - and scroll down.

 

Bit unfair on Fridays visitors if it does happen on the Saturday
/Sunday

 

The latest issue Steam Railway that arrived today, are reporting that Scotsman will be hauling the British Pullman from Wellingborough to Derby on August 2nd, it says Scotsman will be in Derby during the event, but won't be taking part in the Gathering itself, so the wait for the A1, A2, A3 and A4 lineup continues it seems.

 

https://www.railwaytouring.net/wa-03-08-25

I think that's another big indication that the lineup won't happen.

 

I chose not to buy tickets as I wasn't sure whether I would be available to go or not - as it happens probably not. That said, I'm sure I am not alone in thinking that previous Railfest type events like York in 2004 and 2012 did not require pre-booking so I probably thought I would get away with 'pay on the day'.

Given that the event is now 'sold out' I do find myself bemused by looking at streams of 'our next guest loco is...' announcements when it won't sell the organisers any more tickets. As a life member of a loco owning group who are providing three locomotives I did find it rather disappointing that there was no suggestion from them before the tickets went on sale that I may want to make sure I got one...

 

Perhaps not for 2004 or 2012 in terms of tickets. But unfortunately the world, and particular Safety regulations have much moved on. With 10,000 tickets, plus a railtour per day carrying probably another 500 people or so, and I dare say well in excess of 1000 staff members it’s going be a busy site. Evacuation policy, site safety regulation, will all come in to it, and I think practically that many people is very much the top end of what’s safe. It seems very much forgotten by number of people Lithcurch Lane is a mainline depot, and as such comes under the very stringent Network Rail site rules just as much as anywhere else. In this modern age I think they’ve done amazingly well to get it held on a site like they have.

I personally think the updates are great. For those who have got tickets it’s very much building up to the event for them, and actually for a number of those that haven’t it’s still good to see the showcase. Some people are only actually interested in the mainline moves they might see.

I gambled that I could go with my loco owning groups sales stand and have managed to get in that way, but otherwise I’d had been ticketless too.

 

I too was unable to commit to buying a ticket as that far in advance I didn't know if I was available those days, it now transpires I am available, so whilst acknowledging it's my own fault I am rather disappointed I am unable to get a ticket now, but such is life

 

There is still tickets available via railtours to the event (Vintage Trains I think is the cheapest & gives a very decent amount of time there).
An interview with Gus Dunster in one of the Railway mags indicated that a small amount of tickets have been held back, so some maybe released closer to the time.

 

There is never a right time to sell tickets that suits anyone. I was going to buy tickets, but left it too late. As it turns out, I have to avoid crowds due to the effect of chemo on my immune system so wouldn't have been able to go, so would have had to unload them. Some you win.....