Back to "Diesel Galas"A brief review of the Friday & Saturday of the NYMR diesel gala, by Phil Sherringham.
A gala that promised so much and delivered, well life's what you make it. Lets start at the beginning. A Gothic Weekend is held in Whitby twice a year usually the end of April and the First weekend of November, it used to be Halloween but that's been taken over by vampires now, gothic's and vamps don't mix to well (something in the blood), I digress. So it happens that while my wife, her friend or should the be fiend(?) are walking around with the rest of the living dead myself and Alistair, friend, taxi etc. can visit the Moors for some thrash. OK so most of the locos were there last year but what the hell. Then towards the end of October it began to rain and rain and, you get the picture. As it turned out the East Lanc's convoy never left and the Frangonset 31's were stranded due to the Whitby branch being closed because of flooding. So we rolled in to a sunny Grosmont station car park to find 25278 (no Dxxxx numbers in this report) on the 0950 departure, Excellent bit of thrash up the bank. We did the rat throughout to Pickering then back to Levisham to pick up 50027. So Friday, 2 diesels 1 Kettle lets face it the railway could have caped the whole event and who would blame then considering the circumstances.
Saturday we arrived for the 0950 departure again today hauled by 25191+25278 a few more people travelled today, unlike the 7 people on Friday. Again playing to the audience 278 inside the train let 191 do most of the work. Today was a full diesel hauled service the Fragonset 31's had arrived (31190+31601) and were due to work the 1050 departure from Grosmont so repeated the Fridays move this time it was a pair of Rats for a pair of Goyles. Once back at Grosmont it was in the car and find a good location to do some photing. Yes the sun was still out!
Verdict :
Hats off to NYMR for even running the event for not ripping us off by keeping
the price at £9.50, when other railways would charge for a day rover even when
guest engines have not arrived. To Fragonset for even bothering to get provide
31's. Let's face it boys you could have given up anytime. Good idea giving a
voucher for a free tea or coffee, but surely it would be easier to get that
steam heat van working. I myself enjoyed the event good whether and the locos
gave us a good bit of noise, at the end of the day isn't that what it's all
about?
Locos in action :
25191
25278
31190
31601
50027
75029(kettle)
Phil Sherringham
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