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|  Spring Steam Gala in 2008
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• Issued by the Special Events Planning Team...
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A VERY impressive line-up of locomotives is steadily being assembled for the West Somerset Railway’s SPRING STEAM GALA, one of the most eagerly looked forward to events in the heritage railway calendar.
This year’s Gala will again be held over two weekends and span six days in total, on Saturday-Sunday 8-9 & Thursday-Sunday 13-16 March 2008, and is a little earlier than usual due to Easter falling on the event’s ‘traditional slot’ in late March.
The theme has been confirmed as “British Railways Steam 1948-68” and will seek to tell the story of how the newly nationalised railways eliminated steam in the space of just twenty years, enabling a good variety of locomotives and train types from across all the former regions of BR to hopefully feature.
The Gala will feature a feast of steam, with at least twelve locomotives expected to be in action, including a number of ‘guest’ engines being hired-in especially for the event.
The highlight for many will be the appearance of LMS ‘Jubilee’ Class 4-6-0 No 5690 Leander, its first appearance in Somerset for over forty years since its days with British Railways when it was based at the former Bristol Barrow Road shed. The popular engine has worked on a number of heritage railways, and worked charters on the national network, over recent years and is currently based on the East Lancs Railway at Bury.
Other visiting engines so far confirmed are the return of the sole surviving LNWR ‘Super D’ 0-8-0 No 49395 (now part of the National Collection) and BR(W) 4-6-0 No 7822 Foxcote Manor from Llangollen, together with two very popular Great Western auto-fitted tank engines – 2-6-2T No 5542 and 0-4-2T No 1450.
At least two further ‘guest’ engines are currently being sourced. The Railway had reached broad agreement to hire SR Bulleid ‘West Country’ 4-6-2 No 34007 Wadebridge – which proved extremely popular at last year’s Spring Gala – but the planned visit is now in some doubt following the very unfortunate fire suffered on the footplate of the locomotive in late December whilst stabled at the Mid-Hants Railway. “This is really disappointing for all concerned, not least for the owners and all those who worked so hard to restore the loco, and we wish them well on carrying out the necessary repairs”, comments Richard Jones, Chairman of the WSR’s Special Events Planning Team.
Also in action from the resident fleet will be GWR ‘heavy freight’ 2-8-0 No 3850, 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. Another of the smaller locomotives will be similarly employed shunting the small yard at Dunster during both weekends.
A very intensive timetable will be in operation on all six days of the event. On both Saturdays and Sundays, the timetable will see regular 50-minute interval departures from both Minehead and Bishops Lydeard, with passenger services running between 08:30 and around 19:00 (18:15 on Sunday) and every available path being utilised. 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.
On the Thursday and Friday, 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 either No 1450 or No 5542 and again featuring two auto trailers – a typical branch line train working a shuttle service between Minehead and Blue Anchor and the Railway’s demonstration heritage goods train. The auto train will also operate during the weekends.
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 yard and engineering workshops at Williton, where progress can be glimpsed on a pair of Bulleid ‘Pacifics’, Nos 34046 Braunton and 35011 General Steam Navigation, together with GWR 0-6-2T No 6695 and 0-6-0PT No 6412. 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.
Efforts are being made to source a main line train operating company to again run a special connecting shuttle service between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard on the Saturdays and Sundays.
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 Spring 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 – Adult tickets, for example, cost £18, £27 and £54 for one, two and six days respectively. Tickets can be purchased by telephone from Minehead Station and through www.ticketweb.co.uk, using a Credit/Debit Card.
Richard Jones comments: “We again look forward to welcoming everyone to the West Somerset Railway for our Spring Steam Gala, which promises to be another excellent event.”
SEPT
7 January 2008
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This page is not from the official West Somerset Railway website
© Stephen Edge
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