Great Central Winter steam gala

I'm a guard at the GCR and I think 7 is an over estimate for a normal running day!! Most running day's we have 5 coaches, 6 at most as 46521/78019/47406 are restricted to hauling 6 coaches per train.

 

Why are the Class 2s limited to 6? When I used to work on the Strathspey 46512 could handle 7 coaches on 1-150 gradients without any problem.

 

Pretty sure 46521 used to take more than 6 on the (somewhat more demanding) SVR, too...

 

At the two major galas last year in January and October we didn't run a dining train so the kitchen car was placed in one of the sets to allow hot food to be served onboard. This reduces the capacity as the kitchen car has no seats so effectively you're already only running round with five passenger carrying vehicles dependent on what else is in the train. I'm afraid this is a decision taken by the management rather than the ops staff...no need for more than one catering vehicle (griddle or mini-buffet not kitchen car!) per train in my opinion. We're running a Burns night diner on the friday of the winter gala but I'm not sure how the main sets will appear this time round.

Phil

 

When we had 78019 at the Bluebell a couple of years back, it was limited to 5 Mk 1s - almost didn't make it through the tunnel either on its first trip, but that was more to do with rail conditions (first trip of the day after five days of no trains, in February) and a lack of working sanders than running out of puff. The gradients are 1:75 in the tunnel and a steepest of 1:60 elsewhere, and a long length of sustained 1:75. She coped fine with five on once the rails cleaned up later in the day.

What are the gradients on the GCR - on the face of it, limiting it to 6 seems quite conservative, though of course there may be other operational reasons for doing so.

Tom

 

IIRC, 1in176 is the steepest gradient (Leicester North to Rothley I think)?

James at SVN

 

According to my gradients profile book the steepest is 1 in 176.

 

46521 and 78019 both have hauled 7 coaches in the past, 78019 also hauled 6 coaches and a failed class 20 on the rear a couple of years ago although it did have to work fairly hard. 7 coaches the twins can haul haul but its sporadic, and due to operational issues set out by the shed and owning group, 6 coaches is the limit the locomotives can haul passenger trains.

 

I have been on 78019 with 8 but just because an engine can do it, doesn't mean it should, and we have a responsibility to preserve, not run these magnificent machines into the ground. I think there has been enough of that done in the past.

 

Is there any news as to whether there will be any other visitors for this gala or indeed what they might be?

 

Remember when the jinty used to take 8 on the Severn valley.

 

What a loco can shift and what's a good amount for it's mechanical condition over the length of it's ticket are two different things, Jinties and Ivatt's may be able to shift 8/9, but in regular use this was never intended, archive footage of Ivatt's, I've never seen one on over load 4.

I've seen 4555 shift 9 on the Paignton gradients before but the 2-8-0 tanks are favoured these days for good reason.

 

21242 is a BCK, and I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for 15207 (CK) - it's nice to see this getting restored when it was originally only expected to be a source of spare parts, but it'll be a massive job.

 

I see 3803 is now expected to star alongside the King - Excellent news as I haven't seen 3803 before!

Winter Steam Gala 25th, 26th and 27th Jan 2013 | The UK's Only Main Line Heritage Railway

James at SVN

 

I know the debate raged for last years event but are we going to see loco allocations prior to this years event ? It does make a huge difference.

 

At the Autumn Gala last year a public timetable with loco allocations for passenger services was made available online before the event. I would expect the same to take place for this gala with the light engine, freight and postal working timings and allocations available in the WTT on the day.

Phil

 

Will the TT booklet show what locomotives are facing which way at the start of the event?

 

Latest info from GCR Newsletter

GWR 2-8-0 NUMBER 3803 JOINS SPECTACULAR GCR GALA
Additional guest star makes eight steam locomotivesfor three day event
The Great Central is delighted to announce some seriously heavy lifting power is coming to the line for the Winter steam gala. GWR heavy freight locomotive No. 3803 is visiting for the very first time and will take part in the spectacular show, which is expected to feature up to eight locomotives in steam.
Also starring is the iconic GWR ‘King’ no. 6023 King Edward II in striking blue livery. The western pairing will turn heads and make a perfect fit with the Great Central’s recently commissioned award winning signalling installation at Swithland Sidings.
Kate Tilley from the Great Central Railway commented, “We’re very pleased to have no. 3803 join the starting line-up of locomotives for the gala. Along with the ‘King’ it’s another welcome dash of Great Western flavour and will fit in perfectly.”
The remainder of the locomotive line-up features popular locomotives from the GCR ‘home fleet’. The National Railway Museum’s ‘King Arthur’ class locomotive, no. 777 ‘Sir Lamiel’ will also feature.
The event will also feature demonstration high speed mail trains, locomotives being posed on the turntable and the GCR’s famous Saturday twilight steam show. Real Ale will be on sale at Quorn and Woodhouse station and all day breakfasts will be served on board certain trains.
Full details including fares and timetable will be available closer to the event at the GCRs website.

In the newsletter General Manager Richard Patching admits "that more than one loco under negotiation suffered a failure" - so it seems it hasn't been a smooth event to plan.

 

Roster with locos for passenger services;

http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Friday-passenger-timetable.pdf

http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Saturday-passenger-timetable.pdf

http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Sunday-passenger-timetable.pdf

 

I don't think so - certainly not regularly if ever!

8 on over the full length of the "valley" with a Jinty would be a very serious engineman skills test!