#steam #train #winter
In September last year the Severn Valley Railway announced a brand new event for 2024, a 'Winter Steam Gala' for the weekend of 6th and 7th January 2024. The Great Central Railway's 'Winter Steam Gala' has been a fixture of their calender for many years but not too many other heritage railways run events in the period between Christmas and the start of the traditional Spring Gala season around February/March time. Handily for us my son's Christmas holidays from school ran until Monday 8th January so we were able to book two nights Friday/Saturday in Kidderminster Premier Inn to give us the full day Saturday and most of Sunday.
The theme for the gala was one of hellos and goodbyes. Goodbyes as Ivatt Class 4 no.43106 would be making her final runs on her current boiler certificate, WC no.34027 'Taw Valley' would be making her finals runs before an intermediate overhaul (and final runs in ficticious Southern Railway Black as she will be repainted back into BR Green during the overhaul), and star of the Autumn Steam Gala S160 no.2253 'Omaha' would be making her final appearance before leaving the line. Hellos as Stanier Mogul no.2968 would be making her first gala appearance after returning from overhaul in time for the Christmas trains and Manor no.7812 'Erlestoke Manor' was back from a summer on the West Somerset Railway. Joining them Pannier Tank no.7714 and Std 4 no.75069 would share the local trains. The timetable saw three full line and one local set operating throughout the day with evening special servces also running.
So to the weekend and as always things didn't quite work out as planned. 'Omaha' failed while running post Christmas services and could not be repaired in time, so 75069 stepped in and 7714 took the local services all weekend. In a bonus for us the Friday before would see 34027 'Taw Valley' in action on an owners footplate day, making two round trips, so that gave us the opportunity to film two additional shots at Bewdley when we arrived on Friday afternoon, one at Orchard Crossing and another at Church View, they are edited in sequence with the weekends filming. Another bonus was 7714 out on test after repairs, and we caught her at Church View while waiting for 'Taw Valley', a clip which is also edited in sequence.
Saturday we travelled, taking the 9.15am to Highley for a few hours, before a trip to Bewdley for an hour. We then had a final run to Bridgnorth behind 43106 on the 2pm from Bewdley and we returned on the 3.50pm behind Taw Valley. Sunday was spent exploring the other stations we did not get to on Saturday, starting at Eardington, then Hampton Loade and finally Arley. As always we had a brilliant time, the weather was as good as you could get for the time of year which was a bonus. Huge thanks as always to everyone involved, I hope the event worked well for the railway and if it is repeated next year all being well we will be there!
Photos...
www.flickr.com/photos/alts198...
Locations and Locos...
7714 at Eardington 07/01/24.
7812 at Eardington 07/01/24.
7714 at Highley 06/01/24.
75069 at Highley 06/01/24.
34027 at Highley 06/01/24.
7714 at Highley 06/01/24.
43106 at Highley 06/01/24.
2968 at Hampton Loade 07/01/24.
75069 at Hampton Loade 07/01/24.
7714 at Hampton Loade 07/01/24.
34027 at Hampton Loade 07/01/24.
7812 at Hampton Loade 07/01/24.
43106 at Hampton Loade 07/01/24.
7714 at Hampton Loade 07/01/24.
34027 at Orchard Crossing 05/01/24.
7714 at Church View, Bewdley 05/01/24.
7714 at Bewdley 06/01/24.
34027 at Bewdley 06/01/24.
34027 at Church View, Bewdley 05/01/24.
75069 at Arley 07/01/24.
7812 at Arley 07/01/24.
7714 at Arley 07/01/24.
7812 at Bridgnorth 06/01/24.
2968 at Bridgnorth 06/01/24.
7 янв 2024
