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

From the website:

• For one day only, the Stanier Mogul will be paired with a nine-coach LMS carriage set, as well as the Stove R.

Looks very much like the Thursday in particular will follow a similar pattern to the Thursday of last years Autumn Gala, which worked really well and it was particularly nice then being able to watch the matchbox arriving and then shunting the goods at stations like Arley before then departing onwards. Far more interesting than just a point a to point b goods, and lot more like the pick up / branch goods of the past. The Stanier Mogul on an extended LMS rake is going to look great, and can only hope the full GW Set is back as this looks great behind 4930. Crimson Mk 1s behind the Grange and a short rake of Maroon Mk 1s behind the Manor would make this a most attractive day with loco's & matching stock throughout.

A great Gala line up. I have always fancied seeing 29 on the Valley so that was already a good draw for me, as was 72 as I have always liked the Terriers. Getting 6880 is equally good and I'm sure the event will be a great success. I'm now looking to attend for pretty much the whole gala.

 

Unlikely I would've thought. Probably end up splitting into two local sets.

 

Nah it just drops the Stove R and 7511 off and stays as L(8)

 

Some extra bits of relevant info….

813 does the Pick Up Goods Thursday, not 7714 as advertised on the website

There is an express run Friday, Saturday and Sunday from KR to BH, using 4930, 75069 and 7812 respectively

 

Shame.... I know a certain guard and the man behind 2886 restoration who would prefer it to stay on all weekend.

 

I know a certain Ops Department who’d prefer not to have over length trains all weekend causing delays haha!

 

All being well the final timetable will be completed this week. Last few details being put together and sent off for final sign off.

Photography wise you can expect the following loco directions….
North - 4930, 7812, 6880, Fenchurch and 75069 (Turns Fri AM)
South - 13268, 7714, 813 and Lambton 29
No plans to turn anything during the weekend other than the 75 on the Friday.

 

https://svr.co.uk/event/spring-steam-gala-2/

Public Timetable now live on the website

 

Having paid for "Steam Gala" tickets what the @#*% is the DMU out for?

 

Hi Robert,

Apologies that you feel this way.

The conversation was held at one of our gala meetings, with regard to the DMU and whether we should make use of it or not. The DMU was brought in to the mix to supplement the steam service. It’s an additional path that we either left empty, or filled with a railcar service.

We are not the only railway to supplement the steam service with a DMU, it’s quite regularly a feature of the GCR galas, and I’ve known it at a few others.

I dare say your next question is “Why not use a steam loco for that path?”… The answer is in 2 parts.

1) We don’t have enough steam locos to do that, without using the spare locomotive. If we use the spare and something fails you will end up with a diesel out anyway. We cannot afford to bring in another visiting engine, as the costs of doing so would take us over budget.

2) The number of coaches available to us (Particularly brake coaches) makes it difficult to put an extra steam set out. As such again the DMU is the ideal fill in service.

I can promise you this gala looks set to be a cracker, and if you don’t want to use the DMU there is many more options!

 

Thanks for the explanation.
Perhaps a knee jerk reaction on my part but now explained a reasonable path to take.
Much looking forward to the 4 nights 5 days away attending.

 

It is disappointing the carriage sets aren't made available to the public. I actually emailed the SVR asking politely if the carriages could be included this time around. The railway has the most varied fleet of carriages of any heritage railway, which are just as much an attraction to some, but has fallen on deaf ears sadly.

 

Not quite. They will be published in good time. We are still finalising one or two bits.

The loco allocations have been made ready first, the carriages we need to get the exact formations sorted and so on prior to publishing.

 

Great stuff!

 

A great timetable, no issues with the DMU being out whatsoever (but then I am a GCR man). Reality is though with so many trains out it isn't exactly difficult to avoid it if you don't like it. Still well worth the money imo and I'll be there for two days to enjoy it all

 

A DMU at a steam gala doesn't actually look out of place, it's sort of being kept out the way at this one.
But if it's only operating because you can't afford a forth visitor, then no-one should really mind, it really is optional if you wish to ride it.

Although, I do wonder whether it's going to be a 2-car or 3-car diagram.

 

Three car as 3 are currently operational!

 

Re the DMU, in any case it could be seen as a fair swap given that 7714 featured at the last diesel gala!