26038 'Tom Clift' to visit Spa Valley Railway

[Dale206]

Will al the visitors be leaving stright after the gala...?

 

[Spa_Jonnie]

The 26 is booked to stay until our October Beer Festival and the 33/2 is due to leave before the end of September. The gala is the last planned runs of 31206 however who knows what the future could hold.

Anyways... Bit of an update: To enable some of the more interesting parts of Sunday to take place, the timetables (which are now with the chap who makes them look pretty) will include Class 10 drags into TWW station, this is purely because the arriving train loco(s) are then taking the train back out again. TWW only having the 4 coach run round makes double headed arrivals fine unless you want either or both of the locos to then take the same train back out! The Class 10 will venture out at other times during the gala but due to its 15mph limit is not planned to go down the line on the Saturday which will be the most intensive day.

Friday will also see a Brake Van train formed up of the our recently returned to traffic L/T Brake Van, last used for the public in 2011, plus the ever popular Queen Mary which due to a busy schedule of coaches and an ED we've been unable to tackle the paint job as hoped.

Friday Real Ale Train is an English Electric Top and Tail formation with the 31 on the TWW end and 37254 on the Eridge end, the Saturday will be a BR Blue Sulzer pairing of 26038 & 33202 (26 leading) we're planning of having them working independently to maximise the work each locomotive does. The 37 will be on the Eridge end.

Finally the Thursday 31st July 'Rare Track Excursion' is filling up quite nicely so to secure your place please visit: http://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/events/A_Rare_Track_Excursion!/ or if you're a member of the BLS please speak with them.

 

[Spa_Jonnie]

Just a minor update, the 'Rare Track Trip' on Thursday 31st July (the night before the gala) now has 40+ people booked to attend.

This is the only chance over the gala to get all track visited in one train movement. The route includes our stub of the former Ashurst Spur, Eridge Bay, Eridge South, Tunbridge Wells West East/West Siding Headshunt & also No.2 & No.4 roads at TWW.

For the full route and to book please visit here: http://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/events/A_Rare_Track_Excursion!/

Timetables for the event will hopefully be completed soon and released towards the middle/end of the month when I've rechecked them. Now just the crews to sort out!

 

[Spa_Jonnie]

I have now launched the Drive a Loco pages for the Friday and Saturday for both Tun Wells & Eridge. 26038, 33202, 31206, 37254 & 73140 all available at Eridge. D3489 also available at Tun Wells along with the 26, 33/2, 31 & 37.

1317 and 33063 likely to be the Sunday if I can fit them in, Sunday is taking a little longer to arrange. The above information is based on the timetables I have written too so it should all make sense once they're published.

Just waiting for them to be sent back to me for a final proof read (I know there's some errors already!)

 

[Shrub Hill]

in the diary! i shall be over on the friday and the sunday all being well

 

[Spa_Jonnie]

Our Cab Rides at the Summer Diesel Gala pages are now live, they filled up quickly last year. Drive a Loco for Sunday is now online too.

Please see the following links for further details and to book cab rides:

http://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/events/Diesel_Gala_Cab_Rides_-_Friday_1st_August/

http://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/events/Diesel_Gala_Cab_Rides_-_Saturday_2nd_August/

http://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/events/Diesel_Gala_Cab_Rides_-_Sunday_3rd_August/

Our Rare Track Brake Van Tour is now nearly sold out too, the lorry moving 26038 should be departing Bo'ness early next week and then 33202 is booked to arrive the following week.

The full working timetable will be available later today and I shall update when it's online.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
The timetables are now uploaded to our website: http://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/events/Summer_Diesel_Gala_-_1st_-_3rd_August_2014/

Scroll to the bottom of page and download in a PDF.

 

[Spa_Jonnie]

I am pleased to announce that visiting Class 26 26038 'Tom Clift' arrived last night and has now been unloaded at Tunbridge Wells West.

Jonnie

 

[Techniquest]

Fantastic news, I'm well looking forward to the gala, although I might only be doing the Sunday. Should be a good time nonetheless!

 

[Spa_Jonnie]

The third visiting locomotive, Class 33/2 33202 'Dennis.G.Robinson' has now also arrived at the Spa Valley!

The locomotives first public train will be the 10:20 from Tunbridge Wells West on Friday 1st August.

 

[Johnny_w]

All tickets booked! See you on Saturday

 

[jnjkerbin]

For those of you unaware, the 31 apparently suffered a failure last night and won't be able to work for the rest of the gala. A revised timetable for Saturday is here: http://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/news/Revised_Saturday_2nd_loco_allocation_timetable/

May I just say also that I was there yesterday and thought it was a great event, and all trains ran more or less to time during the period I was there - congratulations on a great gala so far!

 

[Spa_Jonnie]

Just a note of thanks to everyone that attended this weekend, it means a lot to such a small organisation.

 

[bangor-toad]

Spa_Jonnie,
I managed to come over to the Gala and it was a really great day out. It's been a long time since I was there (1317 was in BR service!) and it was impressive to see what you've done.

I hope to come back for another visit sometime.
Thank you, and all your colleagues, for all the work you've done!

Mr Toad

 

[Techniquest]

Didn't make it over in the end, just couldn't make things work with the limited cash I had left