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• An update from the Special Events Planning Team...
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A very impressive line-up of locomotives will be in action at the West Somerset Railway’s Autumn Steam Gala, which is being held over four days from Thursday-Sunday 4-7 October 2007.
The Gala – a very popular feature of the Railway’s special event calendar – will feature a feast of steam, with at least ten locomotives in action, including a number of “guest” engines being hired-in especially for the event.
The event will see the much anticipated public debut of Southern Railway “West Country” 4-6-2 No 34046 Braunton, which is currently nearing the end of a very extensive rebuild from scrapyard condition carried out in the engineering workshops of the West Somerset Railway Association at Williton. The locomotive – built at Brighton Works in 1946 – has not steamed since 1965.
Visiting the line for the first time at the Autumn Steam Gala will be the only surviving Stanier ‘Mogul’ – LMS 2-6-0 No 42968 – from the Severn Valley Railway, together with GWR 56xx 0-6-2T No 6619 (normally based at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway) and the diminutive LB&SCR ‘Terrier’ 0-6-0T No 662 Martello from the Bressingham Steam Museum. These three will also be joined by the privately-owned GWR 0-4-2T No 1450, which is making a welcome return visit, together with a fifth guest engine which is currently being sourced.
Also in action from the resident fleet will be S&DJR 7F 2-8-0 No 88, LMS 4F 0-6-0 No 44422, the WSR’s own Great Western ‘Mogul’ No 9351 and a pair of GWR ‘prairie tanks’, Nos 4160 and 5553.
Completing the line-up will be Peckett 0-4-0ST No 1788 Kilmersdon – the last steam loco to work in a Somerset coalfield – which will be giving shunting demonstrations at Washford during the event. Martello will be similarly employed shunting the small yard at Dunster on the Saturday and Sunday.
A very intensive timetable will be in operation on all four days of the event, with passenger services running between 08:20 (09:00 Thursday & Friday) and around 19:00 each day. All services will be worked by steam and there will be many opportunities for visitors to “swap trains” at the intermediate crossing places at Blue Anchor, Williton and Crowcombe Heathfield in order to sample travel behind all the locomotives in action each day.
As well as the “whole line” trains operating between Bishops Lydeard and Minehead, the timetable will also feature the Great Western auto train hauled by No 1450, a typical branch line train with a Southern flavour worked by No 662 Martello and the Railway’s demonstration heritage goods train.
Full bar and buffet facilities will be available on most train services during the weekend, serving a good range of high quality hot and cold food, tea and coffee, and a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks – including real ale. In addition, the “Quantock Belle” will be serving its customary popular range of all day breakfasts, together with a range of other hot meals, on selected trains on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Visitors will be able to inspect the main workshops at Minehead – where the overhaul of BR(W) 4-6-0 No 7828 Odney Manor is taking place – together with the chance to see the engineering workshops at Williton where the extensive rebuild of Braunton was carried out. For visitors also interested in more modern traction, the excellent Diesel Heritage Centre at Williton will also be open. Also not to be missed will be the railway museums at Bishops Lydeard, Washford and Blue Anchor, together with the chance to see the layouts of the Taunton Model Railway Group in action at Bishops Lydeard. A number of other attractions are also promised.
Visitors to the Gala will again have the opportunity of travelling to and from the event by train, as one of Virgin Trains’ Class 220 Voyagers will be operating a special connecting shuttle service between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard on the Saturday and Sunday. Special fares apply on these services.
In addition, a special regular free bus service will operate linking Taunton Railway Station, the Park and Ride Car Park at Silk Mill – where plenty of car parking is available – and Bishops Lydeard Station.
For visitors arriving by car, both Bishops Lydeard – where limited car parking will be available – and the Silk Mill Park and Ride car park will be fully signposted from Junctions 25 and 26 of the M5 motorway.
A special souvenir programme – which will include full information about the event, together with the full working timetables and locomotive diagrams – will be available in advance of the event and during the Gala itself, priced £2.50.
Undoubtedly the best way to enjoy the Autumn Steam Gala is to purchase a Rover Ticket, which gives complete freedom to travel on the line for the validity of the ticket. Discounted prices apply for all ‘Rovers’ purchased in advance of the event (before 01 October) – Adult tickets, for example, cost £17, £26 and £35 for one, two and four days respectively. Tickets can be purchased by telephone from Minehead Station and through www.ticketweb.co.uk, using a Credit/Debit Card.
Full details of the Autumn Steam Gala can be found on the various West Somerset Railway websites:-
www.West-Somerset-Railway.co.uk
www.wsra.org.uk
and www.wsr.org.uk
Further information about the Autumn Steam Gala can be obtained from:-
Paul Conibeare (General Manager) Tel: 01643 700 388 E-mail: paul.gm@wsrail.net
Richard Jones (Chairman, Special Events Planning Team) Tel: 07920 022 815 E-mail: richjones@tinyworld.co.uk
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Full details will appear on this website very soon...
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Autumn Steam Gala 2007 Update...
