Operating Department News - June 2011
Our 40th Anniversary Gala was staged over the three days of the Spring Bank Holiday weekend (28th, 29th & 30th May), an event that saw a staggering total of 4,693 passenger journeys recorded in the Guards’ Journals.
The train service comprised two passenger train sets and a goods train. Set ‘A’ was formed with our five serviceable bogie carriages whilst the six Victorian four-wheeled carriages formed Set ‘B’. The locomotive duties varied during the weekend, meaning that on the Saturday Set ‘A’ was hauled by our own W24 whilst on the Sunday and Monday the Bluebell Railway’s E4, No. 473 (alias Birch Grove) was in charge. The 4-wheeler train and the goods service were handled at various times either by No. 473, No 24 or No. 8, with the locomotives changing trains after the lunchtime service break. Throughout the day the visiting LSWR Beattie well tank, No. 30585, remained within station limits, either shunting the goods train or coupled to our own LSWR Road Van, No. 56046.
At the end of each day we operated a doubled headed service along the full length of the line and on the Saturday we ran an evening departure from Haven Street which was a ‘Brighton’ train, comprising No.473 and our three LB&SCR bogie carriages. This train stopped in the Down direction at Ashey where all passengers alighted. The train was then propelled back to the summit before undertaking a ‘run-past’. The process was repeated, giving photographers a second chance to capture that elusive shot. With all the passengers safely back aboard the train continued to Wootton, running non-stop through Haven Street.
The operating schedule for the Gala weekend was, without doubt, the most ambitious timetable that we have ever attempted but it certainly provided plenty of action and interest for both families and enthusiasts. It was, perhaps, inevitable that we would be challenged in maintaining such an intensive schedule, especially on the first day of the event as staff settled into the hectic weekend. Indeed, a delayed start on the Saturday led to the cancellation of two goods services, the 11:03 to Wootton (and the 11:17 return working) and, ultimately, the 16:33 to Smallbrook Junction (and the 16:53 return).
The total number of passenger journeys recorded in the Guard’s Journals for the month of May was 13,734 which compares to 10,042 in May 2010 – an increase of 36.8%. This was a fantastic result and all operating personnel are to be warmly thanked and congratulated for their contribution to what was a very busy month.
Published train services operated on all but two days in June. We have learned from experience that demand over the Isle of Wight Festival period is slack and so trains did not run on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th June. However, from Sunday 12th June we’re operating daily services until Sunday 2nd October – that’s 113 consecutive days!
Once again, we hosted Midsummer Jazz on Saturday 18th June. Although this annual event takes place after published services have finished for the day we operated an enhanced ‘blue’ timetable with a supplementary short working to Smallbrook Junction. However, with the benefit of hindsight, we need not have run the additional service.
Another of our key 40th Anniversary events was staged over the weekend of 25th & 26th June when we operated 40 hours of timetabled services, starting at 06:00 on the Saturday and running through until 22:00 on the Sunday evening. Appropriately, the timetable saw the operation of 40 services.
With public services operating throughout the night, there was a requirement to review and amend as appropriate our Safety Management Systems prior to the event.
Special notices were issued, reminding staff about the need for extra vigilance and covering variations to our normal operating procedures necessitated by night-time running. For example, as the token collecting horn at Smallbrook Junction would not be illuminated, a special instruction required that the single line token was to be surrendered by the Driver to the Guard at the Stop Board before the points would be changed.
Lighting within each compartment was by means of portable LED lamps. Electric lighting at both Smallbrook Junction and Wootton was provided by means of generators. To avoid unnecessary disturbance to our neighbours trains did not call at at Ashey outside our ‘normal’ operating hours.
Inevitably, the event involved a large number of staff and was broadly spread over five 8-hour shifts. Calbourne was rostered as Duty 1 locomotive for the duration of the event, whilst W8 took up Duty 2. W24 hauled a total of 23 rounds trips during the 40 hour period. In addition to heading the four-wheelers in the spare path during the core 10:30 – 16:30 period, Freshwater also hauled the 08:51 morning goods service on both days.
Here are a few statistics about the event: 40 services in 40 hours; 400 miles of steam running; all services completed as per the Working Timetable with the longest delay being only five minutes; 1,484 passengers carried; the first occasion since 1966 that published, steam hauled passenger services have operated during night-time in the Isle of Wight; and finally, in excess 1,000 hours of staff input over the 40 hours.
The event ran extremely well and solicited plenty of favourable comments from both visitors and staff. It also confirmed that we are able to safely operate a fare-paying passenger service during the hours of darkness. Unsurprisingly, passenger numbers were low during the early hours’ departures but it is hoped that elements of this event will be taken forward so that we can, on a more regular basis, share with our passengers the special atmosphere and enjoyment of running the Railway at night.
The total number of passenger journeys recorded in the Guard’s Journals for the month of June was 13,924, a 5.5% increase compared to the figure of 13,201 for June 2010.
It is pleasing to report that Steve Smart has recently passed out as a Steam Driver and also that John Woodhams and Charlie Lemon have passed out at as Firemen.