The Gwili Railway thread

With all respect I doubt if more than a VERY few of the passengers on a Santa train care about the colour of the coaches.

 

The priority for a Santa train at the Gwili is to concentrate on simplifying services during the Santas, or at least it was when I was the Head Guard and Operations Manager. Toping and tailing allows a smoother operations, especially as very few of the customers would be particularly interested i9n seeing a loco run round it's train.

 

Maye Green paint was in stock.

 

Same philosophy on Cambrian (and no doubt many other heritage railways)

 

Took the family on the santa special and it was an absolute hit!

Fox and edwards seem to know how to deliver great events.

The gwili does have a great preservation angle and with 2 matching four wheelers almost complete for a victorian train and the service set is coming on with one carraige almost complete in Cranmore and another with fundraising live - in a couple of years a nice maroon set will be on the cards kept in the dry in the new shed. Testament to the railway being able to put on a seven coach train and two steam locos in steam - with the engines now owned by the railway or its a associated bodies. This was unimaginable when I volunteered 13 years ago.

It's an interesting topic with l150, I would love to see it in great western or br colours but the other members of my group have no real interest in railways and were so much more interested to hear the loco had pulled the orient express and been around europe! Again something not normal for a prairie. Or relevant to the carmarthen to aberyswyth line. Just the fact the railway owns a loco like that is a dream come true for many supporters. For years an austerity and 3 carraiges was the staple of the railway.

A prairie with 3 chocolate and cream 4 wheelers or even tvr 28 in a few years time is a dream that I am sure will be come a reality in time.

The management should be commended as the railway is lightyears away from what it was only a decade ago and the mis match carriages is a symptoms of dramatic growth.

Tom