As you may know the railway in Britain is celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2025. There are lots of events planned so if you want to see what is happening, there is a dedicated website for it at:
https://railway200.co.uk/
I hope something here will be of interest to you.
Cheers,
Tim
Back on track.... pardon pun
Alstom in Derby announced 'The Greatest Gathering' in a press release back in September 2024 to mark railway's 200th Aniversary in 2025.
Between the 1st and 3rd of August 2025 there will be at the Litchurch Lane Works in Derby the largest temporary gathering of trains in a generation, including rides along the test track. Steam Locomotives potentially include Flying Scotsman and Sir Nigel Gresley, more to be announced as get closer to the day.....
Could be fun
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/EWe26GYNBVZbg2gE/
https://railway200.co.uk/activity/alstom-presents-the-greatest-gathering/
https://www.alstom.com/press-releases-news/2024/9/alstom-announces-greatest-gathering-mark-railways-200th-anniversary-2025
A. Nicklin
Please keep an eye on this
And who remembers visiting works open days?
46464 has just done the honours for the noon whistle-up on the Strathspey.
(https://i.postimg.cc/SKjSM0V8/PXL-20250101-112806839.jpg)
Shame about the headboard :(
Is it Gaelic language?
Still cool photo of a beautiful loco
46100
Crewe
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/h2C4v6cA2Tdzddaj/
C. Venables
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/148/3894-010125123826.jpeg) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=148146)
Here's our very own Paul 'Piglet' Middleton, sharing some more information about the #WhistleUp200 that's happening tomorrow at 12pm to mark the start of 2025 and the
#Railway200 celebrations
Four of our engines will move down to Grosmont station at 11am, ready for the Whistle Up at 12pm
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/zZRndW3SNwAELA3D/
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/12uwSXcVzCxPiput/
200 years of rail travel 1825-2025. The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway Black 5 45212 chiming at 12 to make the huge occasion
P. Anchor
SVR
Quote from: Newportnobby on January 01, 2025, 12:28:21 PMShame about the headboard :(
What's wrong with the headboard?
How about this ?
NYMR
#Railway200? #WhistleUp200?
2025 marks 200 years since the world's first passenger train, hauled by George Stephenson's Locomotion No.1, carried more than 400 people along the Stockton and Darlington Railway on the 27th September of that year. The landmark event drew crowds of up to 40,000 people and marked the birth of modern passenger train travel.
To start the year of the 'Railway 200' celebrations, heritage railways around the UK - and abroad - are hosting a 'whistle-up' at 12pm on 1st January 2025 whereby locomotives will sound their whistles and horns at 12pm.
The public are also invited to get involved so here is my contribution - a few videos of train whistles I have recorded over the years.
Firstly we have locomotives from the 'big four':
GWR Castle class 4-6-0 number 5043 'Earl of Mount Edgcumbe' passing Wilmcote with the return working of 'The Shakespeare Express. This is one of most regular steam hauled workings on the national rail network so thought this would be a good one to include.
LMS 5MT 4-6-0 number 44932 at Ingrow West on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.
SR Battle of Britain 4-6-2 number 34067 'Tangmere' at Preston.
LNER A1 class 4-6-2 number 60163 'Tornado' at Manchester Piccadilly - a new build locomotive based on original designs. I have included this as this video also features the Class 390 'Pendolino - a tilting train.
BR class 40 locomotive number 40013 'Andania' at Manchester Piccadilly.
LMS 3F Fowler 'Jinty' class 0-6-0T number 47298 at Ramsbottom station on the East Lancashire Railway. I have included this to show how small tank engines were an important part of the rail network and not just large tender engines.
Hunslet 0-4-0ST 779 'Holy War' at the Bala Lake Railway. I have included this for 2 reasons. Firstly, the Bala Lake Railway is one of many narrow gauge railways in the UK and are popular tourist attractions. Secondly, Hunslet were a huge manufacturer of railway engines and built hundreds of both steam and diesel engines for industrial use.
Class 43 HST numbers 43159 and 43089 at Bury Bolton Street on the East Lancashire Railway. The 'class 43' was also known as the 'Intercity 125' and one of most iconic diesel locomotives in the UK since the age of steam.
Finally we end with a whistle-up at the Statfold Barn Railway in Staffordshire featuring all of the locomotives that had taken part in the 'Hunslet 150' gala back in July 2021.
A BIG THANK YOU to everyone in the heritage railway movement for keeping these wonderful steam engines and railways alive. Long may it continue!
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/qxnH9ZEzundroZda/
C. Lawton
Quote from: Newportnobby on January 01, 2025, 02:40:56 PMQuote from: Yet_Another on January 01, 2025, 02:19:22 PMQuote from: Newportnobby on January 01, 2025, 12:28:21 PMShame about the headboard :(
What's wrong with the headboard?
Check the spelling of Strathspey
Srath Spè is Scottish Gaelic. English isn't the only language in this wide World.
Quote from: SD35 on January 01, 2025, 12:04:54 PM(https://i.postimg.cc/SKjSM0V8/PXL-20250101-112806839.jpg)
Quote from: RailGooner on January 01, 2025, 04:22:22 PMSrath Spè is Scottish Gaelic. English isn't the only language in this wide World.
But the headboard isn't saying Srath Spè but S
hrath Spè. So, is it indeed wrong?
And they couldn't even spell DAMN right. :no:
Quote from: Hiawatha on January 01, 2025, 04:30:53 PMQuote from: SD35 on January 01, 2025, 12:04:54 PM(https://i.postimg.cc/SKjSM0V8/PXL-20250101-112806839.jpg)
Quote from: RailGooner on January 01, 2025, 04:22:22 PMSrath Spè is Scottish Gaelic. English isn't the only language in this wide World.
But the headboard isn't saying Srath Spè but Shrath Spè. So, is it indeed wrong?
And they couldn't even spell DAMN right. :no:
Dàmh Shrath Spè is Scottish Gaelic for Strathspey Ox - the spelling changes with context. Four decades have past since I studied/used Gaelic. Language is living history and all history has the potential to change with new information or interpretation.
Quote from: RailGooner on January 01, 2025, 04:55:34 PMQuote from: Hiawatha on January 01, 2025, 04:30:53 PMQuote from: SD35 on January 01, 2025, 12:04:54 PM(https://i.postimg.cc/SKjSM0V8/PXL-20250101-112806839.jpg)
Quote from: RailGooner on January 01, 2025, 04:22:22 PMSrath Spè is Scottish Gaelic. English isn't the only language in this wide World.
But the headboard isn't saying Srath Spè but Shrath Spè. So, is it indeed wrong?
And they couldn't even spell DAMN right. :no:
Dàmh Shrath Spè is Scottish Gaelic for Strathspey Ox - the spelling changes with context. Four decades have past since I studied/used Gaelic. Language is living history and all history has the potential to change with new information or interpretation.
:thumbsup:
Ox or Stag in Gaelic. With the antlers on top of the headboard, I'm going for the latter. :D
Rail 200
Didcot
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/mWAqT3kiSYKVjPky/
Alstom to host Britain's biggest rail celebration as part of Railway 200
Alstom's Litchurch Lane Site in Derby will open to the public on August 1st~3rd.
https://www.alstom.com/press-releases-news/2025/1/alstom-host-britains-biggest-rail-celebration-part-railway-200
Tickets are on sale now!https://tickets.mortonsevents.co.uk/gg25
QuoteWe are experiencing a high volume of traffic and using a virtual queue to limit the amount of users on the website at the same time. This will ensure you have the best possible online experience.
More popular than Taylor Swift?
You are now in line.
Thank you for your patience.
Your estimated wait time is 57 minutes.
One hour later...
We are experiencing high demand for The Greatest Gathering tickets right now!
Due to high demand, our ticketing website is experiencing heavy traffic. If you're having trouble securing your tickets, please be patient and try again later. We can allocate 10,000 visitors per day for the event.
Tickets will be issued early next week but a booking confirmation should reach you soon after you complete the booking process.
Please try again later.
Quote from: Coyote on January 31, 2025, 01:09:37 PMOne hour later...
I was (jokingly) saying to my partner last night that I should've bought my tickets
before posting the link!
Booking opened at 9 this morning and I couldn't even get a number in the queue till gone 11. Hope you're successful in the end.
Well I got Taylor Swift tickets without issue, but no chance on this one! Was in the holding page, which yo-yo'd between 35 minutes and 3 hours. Eventually did count down to 0, and I got the above. Madness. I'm going to assume it's a wildly sub-standard website, rather than genuinely overwhelming traffic!
I note Polmadie is having an open day in September too under the "Rail 200" banner, which says it's just general admission, tempted to mosey along to that (albeit a 1,000 mile 'mosey').
We're pleased to announce that Alstom will host The Greatest Gathering – the UK's largest gathering of historic rail vehicles – to celebrate Railway200!
Join us at our historic Litchurch Lane Works in Derby between 1 and 3 August 2025.
Come see over 50 magnificent trains that have shaped rail history and enjoy family-friendly activities as part of this unique celebration!
Tickets are on sale from 09.00 GMT tomorrow
www.alstom.com/greatest-gathering
https://www.railmagazine.com/news/2025/01/30/the-greatest-gathering-tickets-on-sale-for-alstom-s-railway-200-event-after-launch-event
https://www.facebook.com/share/19rZ1L1ECq/
R. Newman
Totally agree. Hope the ticketing/ organisers will see sense and hold / sell tickets and have enough
Been described with many adjectives including farce but inappropriate to post
Some people are managing to get tickets, so it'll just be a lottery on who gets them. I'm astonished it's proving so popular.
Message now says:
QuoteDue to the high demand, sales of tickets have been temporarily suspended.
For more information about The Greatest Gathering, please see their website: www.thegreatestgathering.co.uk
There are still plenty of tickets remaining for all days, sales will resume early next week.
So just a bit of a poor website!
Latest
https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/e/2PACX-1vRBNRPNcwtJ0JvdRd-adisVUPwQ_tCkZJT3lAGC0JPZp5DVs4pCyR5HYHuiuy2VOvTHKgAy2G07QM2o/pub?pli=1
Sales temporarily suspended
https://www.alstom.com/greatest-gathering
Latest
Must stop posting in invisible ink! :hmmm:
Tickets now available again, using a more robust provider. Went through without issue.
I was a bit worried when the website didn't open at 09:00 exactly as I have other things planned for this morning, but I now have two tickets for Friday.
Dave