Trains on the Watercress Line decked out with 13,000 Christmas lights

[Adlington]

This is from a BBC news item, with a short video:

A heritage railway unable to run services for four months has had a spectacular Christmas makeover.

The S-15 freight locomotive is one of two steam trains on the Mid Hants Railway's Watercress Line in New Alresford to be fitted with 13,000 lights.

There is a longer video available on YT

Which is fine, but IMHO the most spectacular view is available for the lineside viewers. They enjoy the experience and pay nothing, whereas the paying passengers see primarily darkness. I fail to comprehend the business justification for this operation.

 

[pdeaves]

For a brief moment near the beginning, the train looked like it was in Pilkington K livery (see https://www.flickr.com/photos/semmytrailer/4036998367/in/album-72157623010337237/ if you don't remember it).

 

[Gloster]

It gets them a lot of publicity and lets people know they are open. Whether that justifies the cost remains to be seen.

 

[Adlington]

It gets them a lot of publicity

May be too much... Their web page says now (Sunday evening):

We understand that our Steam Illuminations trains are a wonderful sight to see but we have had complaints from members of the public of drivers pulling cars over in the road, blocking driveways and parking up on kerbs causing problems, so we ask that you are mindful of where you park.

 

[Journeyman]

Loads of railways are doing this, so it's clearly popular and will make them money, but personally I'm not a fan at all.

 

[vlad]

This is from a BBC news item, with a short video:


There is a longer video available on YT

Which is fine, but IMHO the most spectacular view is available for the lineside viewers. They enjoy the experience and pay nothing, whereas the paying passengers see primarily darkness. I fail to comprehend the business justification for this operation.

The Dartmouth Railway put huge mirrors in their cuttings so that people travelling on their decorated trains in December 2018 could see what said trains looked like.

The mirrors were still there in April 2019 - they looked more like fly-tipping than anything else....

 

[Taunton]

That's how it's always been with illuminated vehicles. Has it been a sell-out? Yes. The Blackpool illuminated trams are the same, better viewed from outside, premium fare for those inside - and sold out. Plus, like those, it brings considerable publicity and rubs off on the other service bookings. What a charisma for the children to say in school tomorrow "WE went on the illuminated light train". "Oh wow!". "Gosh!".

Someone will be along soon to complain "Those light bulbs are the wrong voltage for Mk 1 stock ...".

 

[nlogax]

Think it looks great. Like Clark Griswold has been let loose with a train.

 

[Roast Veg]

Relatively inexpensive and gets people in during winter.

 

[Dunfanaghy Rd]

Which is fine, but IMHO the most spectacular view is available for the lineside viewers. They enjoy the experience and pay nothing, whereas the paying passengers see primarily darkness. I fail to comprehend the business justification for this operation.

Not so. The interior is lit and all passengers have LED wristbands, all synched with the exterior.
Pat

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Where does the electricity come from? Dynamos on the carriages plus batteries? Does the lighting use a lot of power?
A bit vulgar IMHO %)

 

[Taunton]

Where does the electricity come from? Dynamos on the carriages plus batteries? Does the lighting use a lot of power?

I see there's a GUV on the back of the passenger stock formation, presumably with a generator.

We did a charity Christmas event quite some years ago with a light display on a flatbed lorry, looked nice, had strongarmed the local plant hirer to letting us have a diesel generator for it. Alas this ran at about 120 decibels, seemed to have no silencer, drowned out the carols playing and made it difficult to even talk to the contributors on the pavement. Didn't do that again. Reminded me of the Class 27/2 in the 1970s on the Edinburgh-Glasgow service with their Deutz auxiliary ETH generator, inside the engine room but whose racket drowned out the Sulzer prime mover.

 

[LucyP]

They are cash rich. They received compensation money because of the bridge renewal which prevented them from running the full route, and when that predictable over-ran it's construction timetable, they received some more compensation money, so they can easily afford a few fairy lights.

 

[Bessie]

Really glad this is successful. This means more money to reinvest in facilities

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I see there's a GUV on the back of the passenger stock formation, presumably with a generator.

I can't be certain about the Watercress Line, but I saw the Paignton & Kingswear's version of it last year, and that was what they did.

 

[MotCO]

I see there's a GUV on the back of the passenger stock formation, presumably with a generator.

I misread that for GUY at the back - I could just imagine him pedalling like mad to generate the electricity

 

[EbbwJunction1]

I misread that for GUY at the back - I could just imagine him pedalling like mad to generate the electricity

 

[seaviewer]

Amazing display, IMH0, full marks for the Watercress Line. After all, we need something to cheer us up on these grim days.

 

[simonw]

They are cash rich. They received compensation money because of the bridge renewal which prevented them from running the full route, and when that predictable over-ran it's construction timetable, they received some more compensation money, so they can easily afford a few fairy lights.

I doubt any preserved railway is 'cash rich' esp after losing the ability to operate due to covid for long parts of the year.

 

[SouthernOne]

Article from the Chichester Observer about how’s all the lights were designed and implemented.

Spectacular illuminated train show designed by Chichester man - 'I can’t fathom just how big this has got'

A concert lighting designer from Chichester was the brains behind the 'world's first' illuminated train show which wowed crowds in Hampshire this month.

www.chichester.co.uk