Increased passenger numbers, a timetable that ran smoothly and a smart solution to what could have been a major hitch have given the Severn Valley Railway the prize of yet another highly successful enthusiast event.
The recent Autumn Steam Gala, which took place between 19 and 22 September, welcomed more than 5,500 passengers, an increase of 6% on the attendance for the same event last year.
‘Once again, this was the SVR at its very best,’ said managing director Jonathan ‘Gus’ Dunster.
The SVR’s home-based locomotives performed magnificently, showing 100% reliability across the four-day event. Organisers drafted in two of them to do additional diagrams to cover for what could have been a crisis, as Gus explained:
‘We had to withdraw our guest saddle tank on the first day. We swiftly mobilised 4930 ‘Hagley Hall’ and 75069 to cover its allocated services. Then, some exemplary work by our own team and staff from the East Lancashire Railway, saw 11456 repaired and back in service later the following day. An unexpected problem, but a some quick thinking and efficient action proved that we know exactly what we’re doing.
‘Because this is the important thing. The SVR has an unrivalled reputation for its enthusiast events, but with that kudos comes a high level of responsibility. You must be able to deal with issues as and when they inevitably arise. Once again, we did that in spades.
‘What’s more, we proved that we’d learnt the lessons from last year’s Autumn Steam Gala, which was, in hindsight, rather over-complicated. This time we aspired to put on an ambitious, exciting and achievable event, and it proved highly successful. My thanks go to everyone involved at all stages of planning and delivering the Autumn Steam Gala. We absolutely got it right!’
The SVR is already preparing for its next full-scale steam enthusiast event, the Spring Steam Gala, with dates confirmed for 18-21 April 2025, and though bosses are understandably keeping tight-lipped, they’ve hinted at ‘some very exciting plans in the pipeline’.
The railway is busy getting ready for a further enthusiast event this season, with the Autumn Diesel Bash taking place between 3 and 6 October.