SVR Autumn Steam Gala on 23 -25 September 2011

Thanks very much chaps, your kind comments are much appreciated

 

Why not run 5 trainsets of 8 coaches at 45 minutes intervals with no shuttles.The smaller locos can be doubleheaded.70 min intervals just promotes overcrowding.
For most people I know who were there came for 828 and because 60163 was there we knew it attracts the general public and so there would be gross overcrowding.
Is it wise to have 60163 at an event which is supposed to be an "enthusiasts" event.The general public have the rest of the year and another time might be better to hire 60163?

 

hello

another great day out up the valley on saturday everything seemed to go like clockwork my results can be found at

www.stevebottrill.zenfolio.com

thanks to everyone who made it happen

 

Not always possible because of the engines that are hired in. 828 was limited to 240 tons which meant a load 6 or 7 depending on the weight of the trainset used.

 

Must echo the comments of 45076 above re the "clash" of Tornado, of interest to enthusiasts and the general public, and the rest of the Gala. However I think in fairness to the SVR it might have been a question of having Tornado this weekend or not at all, given Tornado's busy schedule, and that it did not appear earlier in the year.

I feel sorry for the families with young children trying to get back from Highley to Kidderminster on very crowded trains, which takes just under an hour.

Maybe for the next gala the SVR should consider the "local" trains from KDR running to Highley rather than just to Bewdley. I am sure that the locals have run as far as Highley before, with an ECS shunt into one of the loop lines to allow a full-line service to pass. Would certainly have increased the Southbound capacity Highley-- KDR. Traffic on the SVR tends to be more from KDR due to the car parking, at least compared to Bridgnorth. Also I saw a good few people walking the short distance from the KDR mainline station to the SVR station.

 

Correct so you doublehead it,spare locos and crews available as you dont have any underused shuttles running.

 

I don't understand why you are moaning ! I was there all weekend and saw many trains were full and some standing, but 'gross overcrowding ?' God forbid any railway relies on enthusiasts for their income, if that was the case, many would fold. Its events like this that bring in the big bucks and I was really pleased to see SO MANY people out and about enjoying themselves. Lets NOT try and split the audience - road to ruin IMHO.

Rostering crews and operating staff for a huge event like this must have been a mammoth task and the goodwill, dedication and hard work of the volunteers is a credit to the SVR.

 

The frequency of the service this year was determined by the fact we wanted to run a train service with enough station dwell time to allow comfortable train-changing at passing points, the minimum service we can run full-line is a train every hour, but then we cannot run any local/shuttle trains and there would be a situation where we'd receive complaints about the lack of time to change trains, as in the age-old situation of Bewdley, where a southbound train can be dispatched before the northbound one has come to a halt.
The 4 loco's that everybody had come to see were 828, 60163, 6024 and 92212, these were pressed into a 4 train service running full line, this left (minus the dining train), one and a half sets of coaches which could be split for local services, and with those, the Highley idea was suggested, but mooted due to the fact that 5029 (which was to be used on these shuttles initially) and 2857 were* banned from running into the sidings at Highley, thus, a top and tail formula was used to ship people to the proposed narrow-gauge line at Arley and back.
Also, running shuttles to Highley can cause big gaps in the main-line timetable, the same 'hour and ten minute' paths can be used with an ECS to highley siding, but time is too tight for trains to stop in the platform, de-train and then shunt to sidings before Highley signalbox has been offered its next train, also, the shuttles would then have to use Highley siding 2 to run-round, a road that is banned for a lot of engines.
As for timetable writing, it was my first year in doing so, with little experience to go from, a lot of help was sought, but due to change of line-up, and other slight changes required to meet the criteria of the gala itself, and the many hours of checking and making final adjustments, deadlines were tight. Yes I have learned alot from doing it this year, and have already started next spring with many fresh ideas picked up from the many constructive (and some un-constructive) criticisms I have received. But overall the SVR has heralded it a success!
As for overcrowding, nobody imagined such a surge of people, even with the extra draw of the Tornado effect (even with a rake of 9 coaches) and CR 828 (limited to 6), I look forward to seeing the visitor numbers when they are released.

Think that just about sums up what I wish to say.
Regards
Tom Clarke
SVR Autumn Gala 2011 Timetable writer.

*until 2 weeks ago when the chief engineer gave special permission to use these locos in restricted areas at dead slow speed, too late to amend the timetable, loco, shunt and carriage diagrams at this time.

 

Beautiful bright autumn day in Worcestershire today!

 

Sorry Tom but a few people, including myself, mentioned at the time of 60163's announcement that it would lead to a) overcrowding on trains potentially ruining the day for the families that will have come to see it because it has its own fanbase and b) it didn't really fit into the gala which was going to be well attended because of 828 and (originally) 6023 - imagine if 6023 had attended now!

 

Tom, thanks for posting. It's always refreshing to see the 'other side' of the argument. Hopefully your post will safisfy those whose only contribution to this thread is to 'knock,'

 

I've seen that happen in Bridgnorth yard with 80079. 80079 wasn't going that fast though.

 

Well as usual I had a wonderful time at the gala, and as many others have commented, I cannot remember a busier one.

Plenty of highlights: The Caley, the big little engine that never stopped working for the whole weekend, what a great loco!
2857 and the 9F both looking fantastic and utterly dismissive of any train they pulled. The King looked as mighty as ever and Tornado is the world's most popular sewing machine, never making much noise but easing along as necessary.

The evening "photographers" ticket is a fantastic idea, I bought two, and thanks for keeping the guest engines running until late.

I'm surprised so few were out watching and capturing the nightime scenes on the railway. An hour spent at one of the country stations with a distant burble of the river, owls hooting and the whistle of a train 7 miles away is a truly magical experience, you need to try it!

The timetable was innovative but had some minor niggles, I will drop a line to Tom with some suggestions, no need to air them here, but it was a good first effort.

It was a shame the weather closed in on the Sunday, I was shattered anyway before heading back to York early afternoon, but it would have been nice to have had some sun on the Sunday.

My efforts can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51571133@N03/sets/72157627632247411/

Nice to say hello to a few friends and acquaintances and thanks to all who made the usual premier event of the British steam movement a success again.

Cheers

Duncan


Langtree Photography-5009.jpg by Stokiemacko, on Flickr


Langtree Photography-5303.jpg by Stokiemacko, on Flickr


Langtree Photography-5472.jpg by Stokiemacko, on Flickr

 

A stunning set of Pictures Duncan! Very nice.

 

Some stunning shots in that collection. The night shots are impressive.

 

If you were to do this, there would be criticisms about the timetable being boring and lacking in imagination. Consider what is frequently posted on here regarding the current WSR Gala timetable with its one departure every hour from each end.

 

I had a couple of days at the Gala and was very impressed that everything ran pretty well to time.Tornado and 828 certainly pulled in the crowds.Well done to all the volunteers who give up their time to enable us to experience steam at it's best.My pictures taken on Friday and saturday can be viewed at http://steamgalore.zenfolio.com/

 

Maybe Tom who posted above had an almost impossible job! It must be a nightmare trying to forsee passenger levels along the line, and within a fixed infrastructure, ie only so many passing places, fit in a variety of trains, given also certain locos cannot go into certain places, and the locos change at short notice etc etc. The SVR was after all a secondary/branchline route in its earlier life, and was never designed for nine coach trains hauled by class 8 and 9 large engines. Neil Scott in another post above makes the very valid point about Tornado and its pulling power for the general public, superimposed on what is after all an enthusiasts gala. Perhaps the result was inevitable.

I'm not sure it was actually possible to cater for all eventualities with this gala, and I am sure Tom and the rest of the organisers did the best they could. I do think however the SVR need to consider in their debrief this week how they can improve the situation at Highley. Thank goodness the footbridge has been built . Talking to passengers who had come down on Saturday afternoon, both the crowding on the platform and then on the trains made it unpleasant for families with children, who it has to be said, throughout the year make up the bulk of the ordinary bread and butter traffic.

 

yes i think 828 was the star of the show and thats coming from a a king mad person;
all the best
jane;

 

what wonderful picture's do you sell them?
all the best
jane;