[Apr 18, 2024] Severn Valley Railway 2024 Spring Steam Gala (Severn Valley Railway)

That's fantastic news

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I don't want an event that appeals to everyone. There's only so many seats in so many coaches on any line. If everyone is crammed like sardines on every train it won't be enjoyable and could be dangerous.

 

I agree. The Saturday of the Spring 2022 event was so packed a lot of people ended up standing. Mostly due to the incoming charter at the time. It was a great gala though that being said.

In terms of this gala. I DO regret not attending but at the same time I did have other things to consider. I'm not fussed on if there is a theme or not. It just sort of depends on the line up for me especially if it's a rare visitor, one that hasn't visited before or in recent times or one nearing the end of its ticket. Depending on availability and hire costs of course.

Is there any indication on the visitor numbers from the gala yet? I appreciate it's a bit early but interested.

 

Generally they were consistent with what we’d expect. They weren’t record breaking, but they were certainly on the right side of average. The lack of what some called a “big namer” certainly hasn’t deterred many by the look of the figures.

 

I doubt you’d ever get an event that appealed to everyone! It’s clear even from this limited discussion that some of the people who like little old Victorian things are a bit meh about big Pacifics and vice versa; and you’d probably find a third group who if you try to reach both groups with an “anything goes” gala will complain it is all a bit unfocused!

The feedback here and on Facebook seems to suggest that the organising committee got this one done pretty well. About the only issue I’ve heard is lack of seating on Fenchurch’s trains. I’m not sure what weight limit was felt prudent with an unfamiliar crew (nor whether any restriction was placed by the Bluebell), nor what carriages were actually available - both of those may have influenced a decision to run with only two, no doubt.

Tom

 

Possibly another reason to run with two was the need to put the set in the siding at Hampton Loade. I'm not sure there would be room to get a third coach in without fouling the running line.

 

70 Ton limit - So quite literally 2 coaches, because even with our lightest two we couldn’t have stuck a Brakevan on as we normally would.

Limit of where it was allowed to roam as well, so really Bridgnorth-Hampton was the only feasible thing to do. Which then means you’ve got to be maximum 2 coaches (And Brakevan if allowed) to go in HL siding.

This point was indeed raised a lot over the weekend. Trouble is people want to see/ride behind the tiny locos working to their potential on the steep bank, but also that limits lengths of trains, etc before a weight limit is even imposes

 

The Terrier was indeed, for me, star of the show and these shorter sets will always be a bit tight for space. I'm not too certain on comparative space but I've always felt compartment stock offer less than opens (certainly that's the case for Marks 1s?). I suppose it's getting the balance right - I image to have had two opens on the set would have meant it needed to be a pair of Mark 1s rather than the very nice GWR pair. Personally, busy though it was, I didn't mind too much as it was nice to ride behind the Terrier in the GWRs and I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much were it some Mark 1s.

If anything, I would have liked to see it have gone further along the line but I understand water and haulage limitations meant that wasn't necessarily possible.

I have to say overall I was very impressed; the only gala I'd done here before was the one in January, but this was much more of a 'show' which I enjoyed; can't go wrong with some goods trains after all.

 

MK1s behind Fenchurch were considered but then MK1s behind a Terrier is rather dull and not very fitting in. So we paired it with two of our nicer GWR coaches. You’ll always loose 1/3 of a coach to the brake.

 

The star of the show near Hay Bridge

 

One of those Mk1's would have to be a brake, unless you put a BV on the back. Most half brakes seem to be compartment versions and even the 5 compartments versions only gets you 40 at a "comfy"4 a side, so 104 if the other is a second class open.
Not sure what the SVR got from the GWR stock.

 

There were 88 seats in total on the Fenchurch train. 40 in 650 and 48 in 6045.

 

Just to add with the Fenchurch Train and indeed other locals we are a little limited as to what we can do with what coaches for a few reasons.

Firstly the paid carriage cleaners (mentioned above) also doubled up as a majority of our paid shunters. So as such we don’t have as many paid bodies to do the pre and post gala shunts. It’s generally volunteer dependant. So we try keep everything in the sets they are to be used in for the season. And then the spare vehicles get marshalled in to the local sets.

Again with the above point we also have to take up paid carriage fitters time to set gangway heights and make adjustments necessary when we put different coaches together, whereas in their season formations all this is done.

Sets L, C, N and GW were formed exactly as their season formation. So they were already shunted together prior to the season beginning, hence they stayed as such. The M coaches which made up the local were just the north end 4 of Set M, as such all the volunteers needed to do was reattach the south end 3 coaches and that was all back to normal (No gangway adjustment needed).

This left us with 3 spares M’s, 1 spare L and then the 2 spare GWs. (the remainder of the regular M set was on planned maintainence as the fitters new it wasn’t being used at gala).

The highest capacity set we could have with the veichles available was 96. But that was a mix of a MK1 and GWR coach and that would look absolutely s**te behind Fenchurch so the GWR pairing was thought best.

 

At the end of the day, B'nth to HL is only 20 mins, even with a stop, most can cope with having to stand for that length of time.
There were plenty of seats available at 07.55am on the Sunday!
Completely agree that Mk1s would have been totally inappropriate to pair with Fenchurch, she looked great on the GW coaches.

 

A few more images taken on Saturday and Sunday:



















Richard

 

There was also a spare C… it should have been on the C set, so I had a game of “hunt the coach” on Friday morning. Due to an apparent oversight it was in the shed behind the spare M vehicles. We did come up with a plan to get it on the set during the course of Friday but unfortunately as maintenance had started on those M vehicles we couldn’t move them.

 

I've got quite a few photos to sort through, but here are two of my favourites.

 

In a way I wish I hadn’t looked through this thread, it was one gala I really wanted to attended but unfortunately I was otherwise engaged for three days with the consolation of a great run round Kent with the finest engine on the mainline. It’s good to see the SVR has got back to where it should be, well done to all involved and it’s galling that I’ll also miss the September event as I’m on holiday. I may be biased but the star of the show was always going to be 13268.

 

Problem with trying to answer that one is it is subjective therefore difficult. A completely oddball line up might either do it or not do it.

In/general/ I prefer steam locos in the power class 3/4/5 range i.e not hopelessly small, nor so big they don't work properly; but then having said that small wheeled thing like 28xx/8F do it - yes you can read there a conflict with power class 8, but, as I said, subjective.

w.r.t. Terrier, I see from this thread it was popular, and I'm not trying to undermine it nor say it should not have gone - merely that it does not do it for me, and that applies to all Victorian micro-tanks on any current railway descended from any pre-1923 outfit, be it home turf or visitors.

If say at least 2 of 1501 43106 2857 had been available then that might have tipped the balance, so one could equate that to a different visiting big pannier (like a 94xx) and or a Mogul of some sort (really any would do) and or a 28/38xx/8F/7F from any that are currently available. But that is only refering to SVR home machinery and equivalents.

Or a themed event, like a couple of Moguls, or 262/264 tanks, or 060 tender locos, whatever (LM 4F / 2251 / Q for example or similar array) Or a war / austerity theme like S160/USA/8F/USA (Q1 !!!) etc. (Yes I know Q1 does not work.) ((Or the Q for that matter does it ?????))

I'm none too familiar with what is available from other lines for movement so it is not easy to suggest something specific.

But don't forget it is not /just/ the line up and the timetable - the travel cost and accommodation expense are key factors too. This time around £400 (at least!) was too much for me for what was on offer. The money and time will surely end up on another event somewhere.

The 09/24 SVR steam gala is already out for me; I have a clash with another event much nearer to home that daily travel to is possible.

So we will have to wait until 2025 for my next look at a SVR steam gala.

In the mean time, I already have a SVR visit lined up and booked in June and pot luck with what machinery is working.


Lastly, thanks for the positive comments welcoming debate and alternative views. I did hold back comment until after the gala and not wanted to "stir" (as some people do see it) before hand. Too often trying to debate something like this ends in confrontational words. This one has not !

 

I went on the Sunday and really enjoyed myself. It didn't seem to busy and I got a seat on all the trains. Really liked Fenchurch and No. 29, nice to see the little engines take centre stage.