Description
The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, one of the very few complete branch lines in the UK is well renown for holding their annual Spring Steam Gala. The event is an important event on many enthusiasts calendars for holding a varied range of trains running along the picturesque five mile branch line.
The annual 2018 Spring Steam Gala kick started the 50th anniversary celebrations since the railway was preserved and re-opened in June 1968 by a group of volunteers. Running over the cold, damp mornings of March 2018 a collection of engines tackled the steep gradients from Keighley to Oxenhope.
The 2018 Spring Steam Gala lineup included three visiting engines, offering visitors a wide and varied collection of engines to travel behind over the weekend.
Visiting engines include:
BR 7MT No.70013 ‘Oliver Cromwell’
Famous for its role in the final BR steam working in 1968, ‘Oliver Cromwell’ is set to bow out of service after the Spring Steam Gala. Now owned by the National Railway Museum, the engine has hauled many mainline charters and visited several preserved railways over the last 10 years. ‘Oliver Cromwell’ last appeared at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway during the Winter Steam Gala in 2009.
LMS 7F No.53808
Built in 1925 and designed to haul heavy freight services, LMS 7F No.53808 is normally based at the West Somerset Railway. Only eleven of the class were built and just two were preserved, No.53808 recently returned to steam in February 2016.
LMS 5MT No.44871
LMS ‘Black 5’ No.44871 has been visiting the Worth Valley since October 2017 courtesy of Ian Riley Engineering. Built in 1948, No.44871 is one of 842 built by the LMS and of 18 preserved examples.
Footage is included from throughout all three days of the event, with a wide collection of shots at carefully selected locations along the 5 mile branch line. Trackside footage is included throughout the DVD, an aspect not available to the general public. A wide collection of freight, vintage, express and passenger services also feature throughout the DVD.
Bonus Footage:
We have taken the opportunity to include some extra footage on the DVD, including visiting engine BR 7MT No.70013 ‘Oliver Cromwell’ on the mainline, at the Great Central Railway and North Norfolk Railway.
‘Dub-Dee’ 8F No.90733 was planned to feature at the Spring Steam Gala for one final time before bowing out of service in April 2018, unfortunately leaking tubes were found in December 2017 so the engine was taken out of traffic. Having re-entered service in 2007, we take a look back over the past 10 years of the engine at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway.
Some of the steam engines featured on the DVD include:
– LMS 7F No.53808
– BR 7MT No.70013 ‘Oliver Cromwell’
– LMS 5MT No.44871
– BR 4MT No.75078
– LMS 4F No.43924
– USATC S160 No.5820
– Taff Vale O2 No.85
– LNWR ‘Coal Tank’ No.1054
– 0-6-0 Hudswell Clarke No.1704 ‘Nunlow‘
Product Overview:
This product features no commentary, allowing you to fully appreciate the sound of the steam locomotive working hard. Short titles are included throughout informing you of the date, locomotive and location. Copies of this product last approximately 84 minutes and are available in UK 16:9 widescreen format only.
