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Gala Weekend Our visiting locomotive this year was "Darent" from the Eynsford Light Railway in Kent. "Darent" is a heavily rebuilt Andrew Barclay 0-4-0 which was similar to "Dougal" on the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway, Mid-Wales. Unfortunately Darent suffered injector problems on Saturday morning and despite Ken and his team working their er - socks off (they stripped down the injectors three times to try and get them working) sadly Darent saw no service at Amberley. Anyway, on Sunday the loco was put on display and so at least the photographers could get a few pictures. Our thanks go to Ken Jackson and his team for their sterling efforts. We hope that they will be able to come back to Amberley sometime and have another go. The ELR does not appear to have a website - but there is a good piece of video on YouTube here. Don't get too carried away though - make sure you come back here afterwards please! Gala Weekend also saw the return to service after a long period of inaction of our Fowler Resiliant diesel loco "Peldon". Two of our engineering volunteers went right back to basics with the engine timing and got it all up and running. Dave Bentley, whose father Doug masterminded the original restoration in the late 1980s, was really pleased to see the loco back in service and needless to say that's where he spent most of the weekend. You can also use the links below for photos of our previous Galas - we hope they will make you want to visit in person - if you haven't already done so (why not?), or come back if you have!
If you would like to show off your layout, promote your society or come and sell things (railway and transport related please!) then please get in touch. (Click here to contact us) Each year we welcome several new exhibitors and many of them become regular participants in our show. Dates of future Gala Weekends are given below.
Next year's event is on Sat/Sun 9/10 July 2011 and in 2012 Gala Weekend will take place on 14/15 July 2012.
Gala Weekend and
Well almost. We certainly had 4 for the week and a total of 6 steam locomotives in use for both the Photographers' Special Event on Monday 6 July and for the Gala itself. The star of the show, the newly restored "Peter", looked resplendent in its new coat of Midland Crimson Lake paint. However, the world of railway preservation being what it is, nothing can be guaranteed and in the event the only Bagnall that we were able to import was Armistice from the Bredgar and Wormshill Railway in Kent. But, those who didn't make it this time have all expressed interest in coming to Amberley at a later date. Watch this space. A last minute substitute was found in the shape of P C Allen - an Orenstein & Koppel 0-4-0 well tank usually to be found at work on the Leighton Buzzard Light Railway in Bedfordshire. And, of course, "Cloister" is still with us so the numbers were still impressive - certainly the largest number of steam locos we have had running at Amberley ever. But that's enough of my rambling, you want to see the photos, I'm sure. |
 Special Photographic Charter |
 Railway Gala Weekend |
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--ooOoo-- Pictures from previous Gala Weekends can still be viewed.
- Listermania - 2008 -
Future Gala Weekend Dates
2011 - 9 /10 July
Got a question or a comment? 
to contact us. The Museum's Official Website is here. © Gerry Cork & Amberley Museum - January 2010 - Home - |
