MNR Gala June 26th-29th.

A few updated details.

There will be a very LIMITED NUMBER of driver turns with 1310. This will be available on a first-come-first served basis.
Trains will stop at Yaxham over the weekend for people to visit the Yaxham Light Railway.
On Thursday our trains will feature operations based at photographers with run pasts etc.
On Saturday there will be a free vintage bus service up to our station at County School.
On Sunday afternoon trains will stop at the private station at Hardingham so people can visit Hardingham Fete.
Footplate rides on the A4/K4 will be available for purchase. Contact me or Dereham Station for details.

The timetable will be available soon. Tickets are for sale now online now.

 

Looks like 60009's move to Norfolk next week.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/U50718/2014/06/24/advanced

 

And visitors will be welcome to pop in on the restoration of Hunslet Austerity 3193 at Yaxham over the weekend - details at :- http://www.norfolksteamloco.co.uk

Andrew M

 

http://www.mnr.org.uk/events/summer-steam-gala-weekend-2014-06-26/

Timetable for next weekend. Please come and support us.

 

Which way does the N2 face, please?

 

Wymondham, the other three to face Dereham...... we think.....

 

Thank you.

 

Update - the plan is for A4 and K4 to face Wymondham, it depends if they take the avoiding curve at Ely or get put into the station, we don't really have any say, but currently we hope and believe that they will face Wym.

The Y7 will hopefully face Dereham, and I dont know if the tram even has a front end!

Hope to see you all this weekend.

 

QUOTE="KHARDS, post: 880255, member: 1176"]Update - the plan is for A4 and K4 to face Wymondham, it depends if they take the avoiding curve at Ely or get put into the station, we don't really have any say, but currently we hope and believe that they will face Wym.

Thanks again, looking forward to my visit.


The Y7 will hopefully face Dereham, and I dont know if the tram even has a front end!

Hope to see you all this weekend.[/QUOTE]




Thanks for he update. Really looking forward to my visit.

 

K4 and A4 arrived and facing Wymondham. As does the N2.

Cab-rides for sale, trains north and south of the usual service, Photographic day on Thursday with runpasts at Hardingham.
Yaxham Light Railway and the Yaxham workshop open on Saturday as well as a vintage bus service to County School.

Please come and support us.

Kieran

 

When does 1310 arrive at the Mid Norfolk as i'm coming up tomorrow

 

I have been told it has arrived safe and sound at the MNR. I will be along to join it tomorrow ready for service on Friday.

Andy

 

Indeed

 

Last night at Dereham.....

 

An interesting first visit to the MNR today! After all the hype about it being the Heritage Railway of the Year and the good reviews from the West Coast Gala a few weeks ago I left feeling a little disappointed.

The main issue was that due to the 50 minute late running of services by mid-afternoon myself and a friend had to leave effectively two hours early to ensure we made our booked train home.

I understand the first train to Hoe couldn't proceed with the Y7 leading because the cab roof wasn't clear of the end of the gangway on the MK2 coach at the North end of the set. The loco was subsequently replaced with the N2 but the train left a good 30 minutes late.

I completely understand the wish to stick to the timetable particularly because the trips to Hoe were one of the selling points of the event. Whoever was in charge of the operational side of things had a difficult decision to make - run to Hoe as advertised but commit the rest of the day to a significant (30+) minute delay or try to recover the timetable by cancelling the first run to Hoe and let the train return to Wymondham about 5 minutes late. Either way you were never going to please everyone!

Unfortunately with the delays slipping further during the afternoon we were unable to risk missing the train home and had to move to Plan B; head back to Wymondham and find a good pub...which we did and I can highly recommend the Green Dragon about 10 mins walk from the station!

I hope things go more smoothly over the weekend and that the delays from earlier don't dampen the spirits for the remaining two days. I'm sure I'll return at some point in the future but perhaps when the planned operation for the day isn't quite so ambitious!

Kind regards,

Phil

 

I was there today as well, and would firstly like to say what a good line up, and a great little railway. No. 9 was stunning, made a change to just seeing her fly by at speed on the mainline. My gripe though as above was the timing. OK things do go wrong, but it just slipped all day, with my final train of the day that should have been back at Dereham for 16:52 got back in at 18:15. There was still one out that we crossed at Thuxton, so god knows when they got back. The last run by 60009 was cancelled as a result.

I can only assume that despite the obvious problems with the first (and second??) run to Hoe, the 20 minutes allowed in the timetable for the round trip was nowhere near enough. This seems to be where the bulk of the time was lost.

I've already said that despite this it was a good day, but there was no urgency and I know this will be read and hope will be picked up on. When SVR and NNR have dropped 10 minutes behind guards were rushing people onto trains, loco's were changing and running round at high speed. Everything stepped up a gear to maintain time. Today, it was as if they were ahead of time. Lamps being walked from one end to the other at an amble is just one example. Most things were done at an amble.

I'm not being picky here, it's constructive criticism on what was otherwise a good day on a nice railway. Anything that lacked in urgency was more than made up for by the friendliness.


Nick

 

Well Saturday suffered the same failings as Friday - about 70 minutes down when I left. Main problem apparently was that 1310 couldn't pilot the N2 back from Hoe (lack of vacuum?) so came back light engine, bringing the token which then had to be taken back to Hoe by car before the N2 could bring the train down.

The 'non-stop' from Wymondham Boundary to Hoe then spent at least 5 minutes at walking pace before passing the A4 at Thuxton, also suggesting that the timetable was rather over ambitious.

A good try, but I preferred the West Coast gala. However fingers crossed for those there on Sunday.

 

I would accept that the timetable was probably over ambitious in a few places. We have learned lessons from this for the future. The shuttles to Hoe lost time and this will be corrected for future events. I am sorry to anyone who suffered a problem with late running on trains.

On the whole though a successful event for us. Despite the weather being a bit unpredictable we all had a nice weekend and most importantly the railway has made some money.

 

Good, I am pleased that overall the event was a success. My friends and I certainly enjoyed our saturday, even though we did have to depart earlier in the schedule than we wanted due to the late running.

May I suggest that in future when you are running "full line trains" that are "top and tailed" you do not add a third loco. as a pilot as this is asking for trouble with brake compatibility.

 

Great to hear that the event was a success, really enjoyed the gala all locos looked immaculate. The tram provided something interesting to look at in Dereham Station - also driver for a tenner was brilliant 1310 is a stunning little loco! The timetable as mentioned was slightly ambitious and time was lost but this has happened at most galas I've visited at other railways too. More of the same in the future please - looking forward to next years gala already!