Swanage Diesel Gala 08-10 May 2015

'The Swanage Railway are delighted to announce Driver Experience details for the
Railways forthcoming 10th annual Diesel Gala and Dorset Beer Festival, which is running from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th May 2015.
Courtesy of the Western Locomotive Association, D1062 'Western Courier' will be operating Driver Experience courses on Saturday 16th May between Swanage and Norden Park and Ride.The limited number of courses will be available at various times throughout the day with each courses costing £325 per participant.
In addition to the one return trip driving D1062, each participant will also be invited to enjoy a additional trip riding behind D1062 with a guest plus a guided tour of the signal box at Swanage,followed by light refreshments.Each participant will also be given a years free membership to the Swanage Railway Trust which includes various discounts on the Railway plus the quarterly Swanage Railway magazine.
For further information please go to
http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/events/detail/d1052-driving-experience
For regular updates on this years gala,please visit the dedicated
Diesel Gala page on the Swanage Railway ( http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk )
For any further updates and details please visit the Swanage railway website
(http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ ), by phone 01929 425800, or contact 'The
Swanage Railway',Station House, Swanage, Dorset, BH19 1HB.

 

Below is the News Release for this years Gala at Swanage,hope you like it!.....
'Trains of the Western Region are to be recreated on the Swanage Railway on Thursday 7th May as part of the exciting opening to this year’s 10th annual Diesel Gala and Dorset Beer Festival running between Friday 8th and Sunday 10th May.
The 'Go West' gala preview day sees Class 45 45060 'Sherwood Forrester’ and Class 50 50035 'Ark Royal' operating alongside steam-hauled trains with the first train departing Swanage at 10am.
Courtesy of GBRf,one of their Class 66 locomotives will be named ‘Swanage Railway' on Thursday 7th May at Swanage Station by GBRf's Managing Director John Smith and Wave 105 FM DJ Mark Collins (One of the presenters in the "Trainspotting series").
The three-day Diesel Gala from Friday 8th May to Sunday 10th May will see an intensive three-train service operate between Norden Park & Ride, Corfe Castle, Harman's Cross and Swanage from 8am to 12 midnight on Friday and Saturday and from 8am to 7pm on Sunday.
The visiting loco line up is (subject to availability)
Class 20 - 20118 & 20132 requested (courtesy of HNRC)
Class 25 - D5185
Class 33 - D6515 , 33111 & 33201
Class 37 - 37057
Class 45 - 45060 'Sherwood Forrester'
Class 50 - 50035 'Ark Royal'
Class 56 - 56006
Class 66 - 667** (Courtesy of GBRf)
Visitors will have the opportunity for the first time to travel over the Swanage Railways newly acquired 3 mile 'Furzebrook Branch' route from Norden to the Network Rail border near Worgret Junction.
At Corfe Castle station the Dorset Beer Festival will take place where popular Swanage Railway Ales 'Old Pusher’, 'Regulator' and new brew 'Swanage Pride' will be on sale. Other attractions include the Swanage Railway Museum and Exhibition Coach at Corfe Castle, trade and enthusiast stands at both Corfe Castle and Swanage.
On the Diesel Gala's Friday and Saturday evenings a 'Beerex' train service and Wessex Belle 'Bistro’ dining train will operate. Advance booking on the Bistro is essential at http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk
Traction for the trains will be:
'Beerex': Friday 37057, Saturday D5185 and 33201.
Wessex Belle 'Bistro' Friday 45060, Saturday 50035.
On Saturday 9th May Hastings Diesels and GBRf will be operating a charity mainline charter 'The Swanage Sampler' tour from Hastings to Corfe Castle with the 6 Coach Hastings DEMU,all proceeds will be donated to the Swanage Lifeboat Appeal ( http://rnli.org/NewsCentre/Pages/Sw...ebrate-the-halfway-point-in-their-appeal.aspx ) and GBRf's nominated charity, Leukaemia& Lymphoma Research ( https://leukaemialymphomaresearch.org.uk/?gclid=CNWpgNiB5MMCFWaWtAodOzoA0Q ).
On Saturday 16th May the Swanage Railway is offering the opportunity of driving Class 25 D5185. At only £200 the driver experience includes a return trip at the controls of D5185, a return trip behind D5185, signal box visit, certificate of participation and a year’s membership of the Swanage Railway Trust.
Fares for Preview Day Thursday 7th May 2015
Adult £12.50 Freedom Ticket (All Day Travel) Child £7.50 Freedom Ticket (All Day Travel) Family (2 Adults + 3 Children) £35 Freedom Ticket (All Day Travel)
Fares for Diesel Gala Friday 8th May – Sunday 10th May 2015.
Adult Rover Tickets: £25 One Day Rover, £38 Two Day Rover, £46 Three Day Rover.
Discounted fares are available for children.
'Priv' card holders and CAMRA members are £18 One Day Rover, £28 To Day Rover, £36 Three Day Rover.

Preview Day, Gala Weekend Updates and further details go to http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk or telephone 01929 425800.
Bookings for the Swanage Railway Diesel Gala Rovers, Wessex Belle Bistro and Class 25 Driver Experience go to http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk or telephone 01929 425800.
Bookings for the Swanage Sampler go to http://www.hastingsdiesels.co.uk/Railtours'

 

Final details for this years gala at Swanage,spread the word!.....
A few additional notes that aren't in the release,....
- The HNRC Class 20s have been withdrawn from the line up due to mainline commitments.
- D6515 has been withdrawn from the line up from the line up due to ongoing wheel set issues,it is hoped it will be on display at Corfe Castle for the weekend.

'History will be made at this year's 10th annual Swanage Railway Diesel Gala and Dorset Beer Festival from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th May when a 1960s British Railways Class 35 'Hymek' locomotive hauls trains on the award-winning Purbeck heritage line for the first time.
The 'Go West' preview day on Thursday 7th May will the start of the popular annual three-day event, British Rail's former Western Region will be re-created.'Hymek' , D7076 , Class 45, 45 060 'Sherwood Forrester’ and Class 50 , 50 035 'Ark Royal' will be operating alongside steam-hauled trains
Wave 105 FM DJ Mark Collins will be naming a GB Railfreight Class 66 locomotive 'Swanage Railway' with GB Railfreight Managing Director John Smith at Swanage station on Thursday, 7 May, 2015.
This year's Diesel Gala will see an intensive three-train service operate between Norden Park & Ride, Corfe Castle, Harman's Cross and Swanage from 8am to 12 midnight on the Friday and Saturday and from 8am to 7pm on the Sunday.
Resident Class 33s , 33111 and 33201 (subject to availability) will be working alongside visiting Locos :
Class 25 - D5185
Class 35 'Hymek' - D7076
Class 37 - 37 057.
Class 45 - 45 060 'Sherwood Forrester'.
Class 50 - 50035 'Ark Royal'
Class 56 - 56 006.
Class 66 - courtesy of GB Railfreight.

The Beer Festival will take place at Corfe Castle station where popular Swanage Railway ales 'Old Pusher’, 'Regulator' and new brew 'Swanage Pride' will be on sale.Other attractions include the goods shed museum, exhibition and coach as well as trade stands at Swanage station.
'Beerex' and Wessex Belle 'Bistro’ dining train services will also be operating on the Friday and Saturday evenings. Advance booking for the Bistro trains is essential.
On the Friday evening, 37057 will be hauling the 'Beerex' train with 45060 working the Wessex Belle 'Bistro'.On the Saturday evening D5185 and 33 201 will haul the 'Beerex' while 50 035 will be working the Wessex Belle 'Bistro'.
Due to high demand, there will also be a additional day of Driver Experience courses operating on Sunday 17 May using Class 25 , D5185 for £200 per participant. For further details, visit the Swanage Railway website at http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/events/detail/class-25-driver-experience
Freedom of the Line all-day travel fares on the Thursday 'Go West' preview day will be £12.50 for adults, £7.50 for children and £35 for families (two adults and up to three children aged three to 15 inclusive).
Diesel Gala Adult Rover fares for unlimited travel are £25 for one day, £38 for two days and £46 for three days. Discounted fares are also available for children.
Adult Rover fares for 'Priv' card holders and CAMRA members are £18 for one day, £28 for two days and £36 for three days. Standard single and return fares are also available.
Swanage Railway train times – and special event details – are available online at http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk or by telephone on 01929 425800.

 

The loco diagrams and TT will be available well in advance and free to download.

The glossy Gala brouchure will be free to those purchasing rover tickets......

 

I'm hoping go get there for Friday or Saturday.

 

http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/events/detail/diesel-gala

 

This has all the hallmarks to be the best Swanage diesel gala ever. Can't wait.

 

Well there is still loads of hard work, blood , sweat and tears before during and after the event before we can say what sort of gala it will be.

 

It'll be worth going for D7076.

 

If I recall correctly, last year's glossy brochure had many, many photos of men who seemed no longer to be in the first flush of youth. They were all looking very pleased with themselves, and this caused a lot of amusement when one of our group spotted said photos. Admittedly we were somewhat past our first sip of beer. More phots of locos & fewer of old gents might be wise for this year's brochure?

 

Timetable now available for all four days....
Oh and free to download at now extra charge....

http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/userfiles/downloads/diesel_gala_ptt_2015_(v5).pdf

 

Updated WTT with loco diagrams...

http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/userfiles/downloads/diesel_gala_ptt_2015_(v6).pdf

 

On Thursday 7th May we are running a Wessex Belle vip special from Swanage to the new Network Rail boarder near Worgret Jnc after the naming of the GBRf 66. 45060 and 33201 will be the traction for this train.
As part of this there will be very limited seating for non dining passengers,these seats will be available for a supplement of £10.Anyone wishing to book on this train must have a valid ticket for the day.
If you wish to book on it please go to this link.....

https://www.myonlinebooking.co.uk/swanagerailway/sessions.aspx?tid=80

Once these seats are sold there will be no more made available.

 

First visitor has arrived....

 

The best aspect of this gala, was the consistency of liveries. No hotch- potch of mixed liveries from different eras, which never coincided in service. Rail blue and original green predominated, liveries that ran alongside each other from the mid 60's to the early 70's. Only jarring note was 73 107, in Railfreight grey. 66 741 was an honourable exception of course, being there for naming. Good planning there or, was it just a lucky coincidence?

 

Probably a bit of both.
Sometimes beggers cant be choosers...