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Swanage Railway Diesel Gala 2025

fgwrich

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The first two visitors have been announced for the annual Diesel Gala, taking place between May 9th to the 11th.

Double Diesel Delight!

We are excited to announce the first two visitor for our 2025 Diesel Gala and Beer Festival!

Joining us courtesy of the Peak Locomotive Company is Class 45 45108.

And thanks to Shaun Wright and his team we are also joined by Class 20 20066.

Watch out for further exciting announcements regarding the Diesel Gala over the next few weeks.

Updated with the lineup so far:
 

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31160

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Hmm I would have thought 45105 would be the one to get for galas this year, as above 108 went not long ago
 

hexagon789

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Am I correct in thinking trains will be Swanage to Norden only due to the damaged bridge?
 

158760

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Am I correct in thinking trains will be Swanage to Norden only due to the damaged bridge?
The current target is for Bridge 9 to be repaired for the Diesel Gala, so hopefully they should run ‘over the road’.
Would it even go to Wareham anyway?
They would run as far as the operational limit allows - Bridge 4, about half a mile from Worgret Junction. This means top and tailing from either Corfe or Norden.
 

43096

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Yeah 69009 in particular would be amazing
Why 69009? It did the Severn Valley, KWVR and Nene Valley last year, so if you haven't had it, you've had your chances. Something different, please!
 

Class15

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Why 69009? It did the Severn Valley, KWVR and Nene Valley last year, so if you haven't had it, you've had your chances. Something different, please!
Not a great diesel gala person. I’m amazed the same people go to all these galas? Surely Swanage is best for people from the south, KWVR for the north, SVR for West Mids and Nene Valley for Anglia?
 

theblackwatch

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Not a great diesel gala person. I’m amazed the same people go to all these galas? Surely Swanage is best for people from the south, KWVR for the north, SVR for West Mids and Nene Valley for Anglia?
If you think that, you clearly don't understand the market!
 

Class15

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If you think that, you clearly don't understand the market!
Maybe I don’t. I live in the south and the only galas that would be considered ‘accessible’ for me are the Nene Valley and Swanage to be honest, of the four mentioned by @43096 . Certainly the KWVR is completely out of range unless I’m on holiday up there and the SVR is a long trek too. The problem is not ticket prices or particularly a lack of time, more just that I wouldn’t bother making such a long journey!

Do some people do every diesel gala in the country? Honestly I don’t know and I would appreciate if anyone could confidently answer that point.

And does 69009 going put people off? I highly doubt it!
 

31160

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Yes absolutely 69009 would put people off going, if it's a pres loco then that's fine we all travel for our favourite class, but if it's a mainline freight loco the the exact one will put people off making the effort to attend, I didn't travel to the KWVR gala last year for exactly that reason and I went to the NVR gala on the Saturday last year for 69003 even though it would have been easier for me to go sunday because I didn't want to have 009 again, there are 69s that haven't worked a passenger train yet one of them attending would make the event more of a success with one can assume is the whole point of organising one
 

43096

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If you think that, you clearly don't understand the market!

Maybe I don’t. I live in the south and the only galas that would be considered ‘accessible’ for me are the Nene Valley and Swanage to be honest, of the four mentioned by @43096 . Certainly the KWVR is completely out of range unless I’m on holiday up there and the SVR is a long trek too. The problem is not ticket prices or particularly a lack of time, more just that I wouldn’t bother making such a long journey!

Do some people do every diesel gala in the country? Honestly I don’t know and I would appreciate if anyone could confidently answer that point.
Maybe not all, but there will many who go to a lot of them.
And does 69009 going put people off? I highly doubt it!
Clearly you don’t understand the market!
 

50002Superb

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Maybe I don’t. I live in the south and the only galas that would be considered ‘accessible’ for me are the Nene Valley and Swanage to be honest, of the four mentioned by @43096 . Certainly the KWVR is completely out of range unless I’m on holiday up there and the SVR is a long trek too. The problem is not ticket prices or particularly a lack of time, more just that I wouldn’t bother making such a long journey!

Do some people do every diesel gala in the country? Honestly I don’t know and I would appreciate if anyone could confidently answer that point.

And does 69009 going put people off? I highly doubt it!
You should try the Epping & Ongar, I had a great day there a few years back

Except for the time when all that was working were a 47, 20 and DMU!
Fair but most pres railways have not quite got it right every time.

I really enjoyed theirs in 2024
 

paul1609

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Not a great diesel gala person. I’m amazed the same people go to all these galas? Surely Swanage is best for people from the south, KWVR for the north, SVR for West Mids and Nene Valley for Anglia?
For most of the Southeast the ease of getting to these galas (as opposed to the locos etc) is:
a) Nene Valley
b) Severn Valley
c) Swanage
d) K & WVR
Its one of the reasons why the Wareham connection fails its too far, slow and expensive from London Terminals for a day trip
 

50002Superb

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London to Kidderminster is generally two changes and north of 2 hours 15 minutes by train, according to a quick search on Trainline, whereas London to Loughborough can be done in 75 minutes
 

Invincible

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Yes absolutely 69009 would put people off going, if it's a pres loco then that's fine we all travel for our favourite class, but if it's a mainline freight loco the the exact one will put people off making the effort to attend, I didn't travel to the KWVR gala last year for exactly that reason and I went to the NVR gala on the Saturday last year for 69003 even though it would have been easier for me to go sunday because I didn't want to have 009 again, there are 69s that haven't worked a passenger train yet one of them attending would make the event more of a success with one can assume is the whole point of organising one
No confirmation 69009 will go to the gala.
But isn't it in the maroon 1960s British Rail Western Region livery, which would be a common sight before the BR blue livery
 
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xotGD

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Not just galas. Some folk will try to make it to every running day for a member of their favourite class, in order to grab a bit more mileage. If that means leaving home at 4am, so be it!

On the subject of 69009, I made a point of avoiding it at the KWVR gala last year, as red-penning 69s doesn't appeal to me, and there was EE traction on the other set. But the trains it hauled were full of cranks for whom that was a priority.
 

MiNi

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Not just galas. Some folk will try to make it to every running day for a member of their favourite class, in order to grab a bit more mileage. If that means leaving home at 4am, so be it!

On the subject of 69009, I made a point of avoiding it at the KWVR gala last year, as red-penning 69s doesn't appeal to me, and there was EE traction on the other set. But the trains it hauled were full of cranks for whom that was a priority.
Some people don't worry about mileage these days. I reckon that is old school (me included) and once they've had it that's it.
 

xotGD

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Some people don't worry about mileage these days. I reckon that is old school (me included) and once they've had it that's it.
It has always been that way. There's a continuum between maximising mileage from a preferred class to red penning as much as possible, and we all sit somewhere along it.

I'd rather have a required 37 for 5 miles than a dud for 100, for example. But I'd take the dud 37 ahead of a required 69.
 

Sun Chariot

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It has always been that way. There's a continuum between maximising mileage from a preferred class to red penning as much as possible, and we all sit somewhere along it.
My "thing" in the 1980s and early 1990s, was of covering new routes. Somewhere I might still have my (black penned) copy of Sectional Map of British Railways.
I was never bothered by what was hauling me - although I did appreciate the bonus of noisy EE / Sulzer traction. :D
 

Falcon1200

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I'd rather have a required 37 for 5 miles than a dud for 100, for example. But I'd take the dud 37 ahead of a required 69.

Very much my view too! I will go out of my way for a new (BR) loco, for example getting up early and walking into town to catch the 0510 Oxford-Worcester last May in order to get 20048 at the SVR Diesel Gala. And I need 20066.....

However I have little (but not no) interest in post-BR machines.
 

TFT YouTube

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Very much my view too! I will go out of my way for a new (BR) loco, for example getting up early and walking into town to catch the 0510 Oxford-Worcester last May in order to get 20048 at the SVR Diesel Gala. And I need 20066.....

However I have little (but not no) interest in post-BR machines.
Same but 69s are still good
 

norbitonflyer

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My "thing" in the 1980s and early 1990s, was of covering new routes. Somewhere I might still have my (black penned) copy of Sectional Map of British Railways.
I was never bothered by what was hauling me - although I did appreciate the bonus of noisy EE / Sulzer traction. :D
My current "things" are track bashing and haulage by different classes. So recent SVR galas gave me a bit of both - I had not been since the Kidderminster extension opened, and in the last four galas I got my first haulage from
classes 17, 88, 56, 20, 60
classes 35, 14, 42
classes 59, 69, 70
class 58

Looking out for a gala with a 93 or 99!
 

Jack2015

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Swanage needs a bit of a freshen up.

45108 again, 50026 no doubt will show its face again. 33111 is at Barrow Hill so maybe might miss out the gala.

Think there has only been 1 Western and 1 Deltic in over a decade operational although a big effort to cover every class.

A few of these could drive more interest this year at Swanage if possible-

40012
50008
50015
40135
Any Deltic apart from 019
58023
45105
69009
Any 56 apart from 006, 098, 101
50017

Fingers crossed
 

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