STEAM GALAS on the RUDYARD LAKE STEAM RAILWAY |
The 2008 Steam Gala is planned for September 13 & 14th We expect to have at least one visiting steam engine. All the railways steam engines will be in use with frequent trains on both days. Day Rover tickets will be available. (interail passes are not valid at this event) 2007 STEAM GALA was on September 29 & 30th and featured a visiting engine No.1 E. R. Calthrope the Leek and Manifold engine from the Trago Mills Railway in Devon and another visiting steam engine as well as the railway's 5 steam engines. A scale model Great Northern Atlantic locomotive No.251 visited us for the weekend. A total of 7 steam engines ran on both of the two days. All available steam engines were in use and a frequent service run from 10.30am. Day Rover tickets were available. Most trains changed engines for the return trip to give maximum variety. Refreshments were available at Rudyard Station on Platform 2 2006 STEAM GALA SEPTEMBER 16 & 17th All the available engines based at the railway were in use over both days. Sadly the planned visiting engine which was to be Alice a 2-6-0 tender engine from Devon has had to be postponed until later. However all the 5 steam engines based at the railway were used with a two train service running every 20 minutes. Trains started at 10.30 and continued until 4.30pm on both days. All possible combinations of single & double headed trains were run.
The weather was kind and many photographs taken of the event 'Narrow Gauge Delights' EXMOOR IN THE NORTH 2 September 24th & 25th 2005 The 2005 Gala had a narrow gauge theme with a least two visiting steam locomotives. This marked 20 years of operation of the current railway at Rudyard. There were 6 steam engines in use with a range of goods passenger and mixed trains. the gala featured engines built by the Exmoor Steam Railway in Devon.
The visiting steam engines Bray Valley and Pulborough joined the resident locos Excalibur, Ashorne, Waverley & King Arthur. With 6 steam engines this was the best gala yet. Trains were double headed for most of the day with every possible combination of locomotive.
Bray Valley is seen at Rudyard on a previous visit.
Bray Valley pulls a goods train into Lakeside on 25th September 2005
'LEEK & MANIFOLD CENTENARY GALA' JUNE 26th & 27th 2004 With visiting Leek & Manifold steam engines No.1 E. R. Calthrop & No.2 J. B. Earle The 2004 gala commemorated the centenary of the opening of the Leek & Manifold light railway which opened in June 1904 & closed in 1934. A frequent train service ran on both days. Replica's of both the engines were on display or in use over the weekend.
No.2 J. B. Earle Locomotive No.1 E. R. Calthrop was in use on Saturday and Sunday. A superb model of No. 2 J. B. Earle was on display on the Saturday. It was 7.25 inch gauge and therefore unable to run but was allowed a close up inspection on these superb 2-6-4 tank engines. Frequent trains ran on both days and including goods and mixed trains\. A new tank wagon designed by Alan Boon for weed killing and fishplate oiling arrived and was on display. See the Leek & Manifold page for more details. Click here for the L&M page |
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SEPTEMBER 27th & 28th 2003 The 'Very Old Steam Engines Gala' The 2003 Gala featured two steam engines with a combined age of well over a hundred years. Ivanhoe No. 5013 was built in 1937 by by H.C.S. Bullock from parts of an earlier engine. It has run on various railways including Kerrs Railway at Arbroath in Scotland were it was called Gladstone. Bought by Peter Hanton of Congleton it was the first steam engine to run on the Rudyard Lake Railway. Ivanhoe was on static display during the gala weekend. Waverley was built by David Curwen in 1950 and initially ran at Weymouth. It was then owned by a Mr. Doyle of Manchester who has been to see it again this year during its stay with us. It has been based on the Mull Railway for many years but came to visit us in June 2003. It could be seen pulling trains for the first time at Rudyard over the Gala weekend. The gala saw a programme of unusual trains including double headed trains in various combinations and also goods trains. On Sunday evening Merlin took all the available wagons for a trip along the lake. The video footage should be well worth seeing.
2002 GALA 'EXMOOR IN THE NORTH' The railway was in full swing over this steam gala weekend. The visiting steam engine was a locomotive called Bray Valley which normally operates on a private railway in Worcestershire. It was the first engine built by the Exmoor Steam Railway who also built our steam engines. A video of the Gala weekend is now available please click here for more details Merlin, River Churnet and Bray Valley are lined up at the end of the Gala Weekend in 2002 We had the Stirland family who own and operate the Exmoor Steam Railway as guests over the weekend. Because of these connections the event this year was themed Exmoor in the North.
They are seen here with No.189 Bray Valley the first of many fine engines that they have produced over the 13 years We have some of the original carriages which were built for the Exmoor Steam Railway and along with the first locomotive the opportunity was taken to recreate some of the early trains on this railway. TRAIN SERVICES Trains ran from 10.30 until approx 5.00 pm. Starting with a mixed train the trains ran every 20 minutes for the rest of the day with the 3 steam locomotives taking turns. The last train each day was double headed. River Churnet & Bray Valley on Saturday 28th of September 2002
No. 189 Bray Valley enters Lakeside Loop 28th September 2002 A two train service ran on both days using all the available carriages and wagons. The steamboat The Lady Alice which resumed its operations on the lake on Bank holiday Sunday May 5th was in operation over the Gala weekend. Visitors came from all over the UK as well as from the local counties of Cheshire, Staffordshire and Derbyshire. The Sunday was the busiest day of the 2003 as visitors packed the trains to see the developments on the railway and at the lake. A steam powered goods train ran to add interest. The first of a new rake of wagons contructed by Alan Boon were available and in use.
New signals are now installed at Lakeside passing loop and Rudyard station. They are upper quadrant types electrically powered from their own rechargeable batteries. They look superb and have been much admired by the general public and passengers alike. The frequent trains gave them plenty of use. |
The Rudyard Lake Steam Railway The railway is currently 1.5 miles long and runs Northwards alongside the lake from Rudyard Station with stations at the Dam and Lakeside before arriving at the terminus at Hunthouse Wood. There is a passing loop at the mid point at Lakeside and two train operation is now a regular feature. A round trip takes about 35 minutes and the basic timetable operates to a 40 minute frequency starting at 11.00am . However a special timetable will operates on gala days. Rudyard is in the Churnet Valley just North of Leek in Staffordshire. Its on the western edge of the Staffordshire Peak District between Leek, Stoke, Congleton, Macclesfield and Buxton. Click on this link for more pictures and details of the line
Volunteers The Friends of the Railway are a very friendly and active group who derive a great deal of enjoyment from working on or for the railway. New volunteers are always welcome. If you would like to find out more about getting involved please contact us by phone, email or letter or enquire of the staff when you visit us. The Friends aim is: " To help develop and run a safe and prosperous railway and to have fun doing it" There are opportunities to get involved for both the physically active and those who are less inclined in that direction. Please enquire if this is something that would appeal to you. You can also learn to drive a steam engine on one of our driver experience courses.
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or Contact us by telephone 01538 306704 or fax on 01995 672280 or emaiI info@rlsr.org |
