Swanage Diesel Gala

[Pen Mill]

Whilst I accept that some do , I won't be attending for a specific loco or specific bashing and I suspect that although some people will probably not go , I think it will still be a successful event , don't forget that a sizeable number of attendees will be interested in the beer festival.
The line itself is good enough reason for me to go.

It is a blow for the organisers but it's a good time for the enthusiast community to show their support !!

 

[Schnellzug]

Oh, people'll just say I'm being cruel and unfair and out of order if I say anything, so i won't. But for £22 for a one day ticket? For half what was promised?

 

[ACE1888]

Best laid plans? Feel rather sorry for BOTH sides (The railway and the passengers) Hope something can be pulled 'out of hat'

 

[Pen Mill]

Oh, people'll just say I'm being cruel and unfair and out of order if I say anything, so i won't. But for £22 for a one day ticket? For half what was promised?

I'd say out of touch .

A standard anytime day ticket on Swanage is £16 so the premium for the gala is not that great . The evening beerex is running additional to normal.As far as I know ,the timetable is still planned to be more intensive than the normal one. Only the locos have been changed to protect the innocent !

If anybody's got such a stitched up pocket to deny empathy with an obviously hard working bunch of volunteers who got 2 kicks in the nuts at the last minute then just don't go but do it with dignity.

It hasn't put me and I hope the majority of visitors off.

 

[gazthomas]

A big shame, but we've booked our hotel for the weekend and taken a day off and given the planned good weather we will make the most of it and show our support!

Despite this it's not that there aren't any other locos to take the convoy or that the track has been lifted overnight so I don't know why they couldn't do Saturday and Sunday.....

 

[Schnellzug]

oh, never mind, i won't say anything

 

[YorkshireBear]

They do always say, cannot accept liability etc for changes, and this is why.

 

[theblackwatch]

Oh, people'll just say I'm being cruel and unfair and out of order if I say anything, so i won't. But for £22 for a one day ticket? For half what was promised?

I don't see there being half. You can probably get just as much mileage during the event as before - or are you only going to travel half the distance?

 

[Schnellzug]

It's quality, not quantity. A Warship would have been something worth turning out for (and a Deltic to some, i expect.) Anyway, the point is, who is being kicked in the teeth here? Surely it's the loco owners and crews who worked hard to get them all ready. Surely they're being kicked in the teeth by just shrugging and giving up. Who decided to just abandon the whole attempt? Were they told by NR that it wasn't possible to arrange to get them there in time for the weekend? People would, i'm sure, have understood if they couldn't be there for Friday, but surely an effort could have been made to get them for Saturday. It just seems really really strange to just abandon no fewer than four locos because the loco bringing them broke down.

 

[Mvann]

It might not be just down to NR. It maybe down to availability of locomotives to move them and cost. Most spare locos are used for engineering trains at the weekend.

 

[Schnellzug]

i wonder if we will actually find out an answer, or will the bland corporate "We apologise for any inconvenience" on the Web site cover it?

 

[YorkshireBear]

i wonder if we will actually find out an answer, or will the bland corporate "We apologise for any inconvenience" on the Web site cover it?

These people are mostly volunteers, they cant just work magic.

 

[Schnellzug]

These people are mostly volunteers, they cant just work magic.

it need not take magic to make sure that you allow a day or two in hand for contingencies, or to have contigency plans in place if something does break down. I'm sorry not to sound understanding, but a lot that was promised - 50% of what was originally promised - was not delivered, and this seems to be pushing expectations of sympathy to me. And what is this if not kicking, as was remarked earlier, hard working volunteers in the nuts? The hard working volunteers who worked hard to get the engines ready, then to find that their efforts were all pointless.
This is all i'm going to say on the matter, but unless it really was out of your hands, you are pushing expectations of sympathy, Swanage railway Company.

 

[Chrisgr31]

As a matter of interest when it all goes wrong who pays the additional costs? Presumably Swanage will have been paying for a loco to go and collect the others, but once it breaks down who pays the costs of the replacement loco and the cost of recovering it? Do Network Rail also charge extra for the line blockage whilst rescue arranged?

Oh and whilst I am on this subject who drives these preserved locos on the Network Rail lines? Is it the volunteer drivers (or those who work for the preservation societies) who are network qualified or do they have to have a network driver?

 

[YorkshireBear]

it need not take magic to make sure that you allow a day or two in hand for contingencies, or to have contigency plans in place if something does break down. I'm sorry not to sound understanding, but a lot that was promised - 50% of what was originally promised - was not delivered, and this seems to be pushing expectations of sympathy to me. And what is this if not kicking, as was remarked earlier, hard working volunteers in the nuts? The hard working volunteers who worked hard to get the engines ready, then to find that their efforts were all pointless.
This is all i'm going to say on the matter, but unless it really was out of your hands, you are pushing expectations of sympathy, Swanage railway Company.

There was a plan B, it broke down, in a spectacular cloud of smoke near kidderminster.

 

[1708]

i wonder if we will actually find out an answer, or will the bland corporate "We apologise for any inconvenience" on the Web site cover it?

You just have no idea at all.

The railways response was swift and to the point, stating what will now be happening.

Oh by the way it was a cracking day, busy trains and superb weather

 

[theblackwatch]

it need not take magic to make sure that you allow a day or two in hand for contingencies, or to have contigency plans in place if something does break down. I'm sorry not to sound understanding, but a lot that was promised - 50% of what was originally promised - was not delivered, and this seems to be pushing expectations of sympathy to me. And what is this if not kicking, as was remarked earlier, hard working volunteers in the nuts? The hard working volunteers who worked hard to get the engines ready, then to find that their efforts were all pointless.
This is all i'm going to say on the matter, but unless it really was out of your hands, you are pushing expectations of sympathy, Swanage railway Company.

So you are expecting these volunteers, who have been to quote you "kicked in the nuts" to now apologise? If this is not who you are referring to, who are these people who you are expecting to apologise to you? Perhaps people could make a donation on top of your £22 to all these groups who have lost out (Swanage Railway, DTG, DPS, etc) which will make their efforts a bit more worthwhile?

 

[Mvann]

Not defending him, but I think he wanted to know if swanage was going to say more than the apologies for inconvenience. We all know about the failures of the locos that were supposed to bring the locos in, But I suspect he wants to know if a third attempt to bring them in was possible. I suspect it was not.

 

[NIMBUS]

There was a plan B, it broke down, in a spectacular cloud of smoke near kidderminster.

That's Sulzer-engined locos for you (both of them).

 

[noddingdonkeys]

To those who are so anally retentive and are banging on about loco's not making it, get over it! If you never had them when in service then tough! These galas are about volunteers committing their own time to entertain us. When it doesn't go right don't be bitter and angry towards them! Support them and help make it better. These people put their heart and soul in to these events! Well done swanage railway, I've not been here for four years but I've rated every minute, your staff are bang on and finishing my night in a field listening to a hell fire band playing foo fighters and prodigy has made it.

If you've nothing good to say don't say it and go back under your bridges, trolls!

 

[12CSVT]

Have to say it was worth the £22 to see 50026 in action.

The locos which did run were 08436, D5401, 33111, 50026, 57312 and kettle 80104.
73136 turned up in time to work the 1645 Norden - Swanage with 33111.

One other change is that the 08 + brakevan is at Norden instead of Harmans Cross.

Almost forgot to mention the kettle was a winner for haulage

 

[455driver]

At least they kept it all diesel with D80104 helping out, although it didnt sound very healthy and was kicking a fair bit of clag out of the exhaust (for a diesel).

 

[noddy1878]

I was there today and enjoyed it despite the dissappointment of the missing locos. I'm also there tomorrow. I'm going because i paid for a two day ticket which is annoying as I have now done everything but I'm gonna make the most of it.

 

[50Fan91]

Despite all the worries that I may have had before attending the gala, I can honestly say that yesterday provided me with some of the best trips that I have ever had at a diesel gala. The lack of certain locos was made up for by the fact that the other locos made numerous extra turns - and supposing I was there specifically for 50026 and 57312 that suited me fine!

 

[matt]

Trains are busy today which is good to see. At Harmans Cross now behind 'Hot Dog'.

 

[ElectronicaL33]

To those who are so anally retentive and are banging on about loco's not making it, get over it! If you never had them when in service then tough! These galas are about volunteers committing their own time to entertain us. When it doesn't go right don't be bitter and angry towards them! Support them and help make it better. These people put their heart and soul in to these events! Well done swanage railway, I've not been here for four years but I've rated every minute, your staff are bang on and finishing my night in a field listening to a hell fire band playing foo fighters and prodigy has made it.

If you've nothing good to say don't say it and go back under your bridges, trolls!

Strongly agree nd, to question the planning & effort of any preserved setup seems bizarre at best. I visited the GCRN's Diesel Gala a fortnight ago. The weather was appalling, 46010 wouldnt start due to her batteries being faulty, i paid £16 & made one trip because of the cold & no ETH & you know what.......i didnt blame anyone connected with their set-up one bit!! primarily because they give their time to try & entertain me!

Circumstances are beyond even the organisers sometimes & im glad that so many posts on here are supporting the guys/gals at Swanage

 

[matt]

Just got back to the hotel after a good run behind the 27 on the beer-ex.

 

[GearJammer]

Just read on WNXX that the Swanage railway have sold 70 LESS tickets than last year, and that was a record breaker, so i think that says it all, yes the visiting locos not making it was a disapointment and yes if it were me id have planned them to get there earlier but so what, it was still a cracking weekend and it deserved to be a success, which in my eyes it was!

I brought a three day ticket despite knowing i would'nt go Sunday just so they could have a few extra quid towards the kitty, the guys that arranged the gala need a dam good pat on the back, they could've thrown in the towl but they did'nt, they've provided us with another 1st class diesel gala!

Roll on next years Gala!

 

[noddy1878]

Apparently they were really close to throwing in the towel. Glad they didn't!

 

[50Fan91]

.. they could've thrown in the towl but they did'nt, they've provided us with another 1st class diesel gala!

Lets face it, there are some railways that host diesel galas with less locos than Swanage had this weekend - five different locos (4 of them visiting) is still an impressive feat by some railway's standards.

Top marks to Swanage - as Mr GJ says "Roll on next year's gala"!