SPECIAL EVENTS

50TH ANNIVERSARY CLOSURE OF SOMERSET & DORSET JOINT RAILWAY

The Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway – almost always referred to as "the S&D" closed on Monday 7th March 1966, after falling to the Beeching Act.

It was on March 6th 1966 that the last passenger trains ran over the surviving lines of the one-time Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, between Bath (Green Park) and Bournemouth (West) and the along the branch line between Evercreech Junction and Highbridge. However although most of the old route has returned to nature the memory of the S&D still burns strongly with continuing production of books and films about the line, the trains that ran on it and the staff who worked it.

Our three day event for steam enthusiasts at the start of the season, including visiting locomotives and an intensive service of trains.

ONE OF THE GREAT ENTHUSIASTS' EVENTS OF THE YEAR!

Special timetable. Revised fares apply. Advance booking is strongly advised.

LMS 4F CLASS 0-6-0 No. 44422

From West Somerset Railway

New for 2016!

Join us for this special event where we recreate the bygone days of British Railways. As with any Dee Valley Gala an intense Timetable will be in operation, with the main focus on typical railway operations.

LLANBEDROG - WORKING YARD

Period vehicles will arrive at Llanbedrog station yard to show how the railways moved freight around the country becoming a lifeline to towns and villages ahead of the age of mass road transportation. There will be a steam loco working Llanbedrog sidings alongside the period vehicles proving providing fantastic photo opportunities.

ABERDARE MPD - CRANE DEMONSTRATIONS

Our newly restored 45ton Steam Crane will be in operation at Aberdare MPD giving visitors to ability to get up close to some heavy lifting, showcasing how the railways used to cope with derailments and lifting heavy objects.

MAIL BY RAIL

The Railway will also be showcasing it rake of MK1 Traveling Post Office carriages, and providing demonstrations at various times during the weekend, allowing our visitors the chance to witness this almost forgotten practise of railway operations.

We turn the clocks back to the 1940s with this lighthearted journey back to wartime Britain.

Special timetable with an intense service of evacuation trains. Revised fares apply.

Due to enemy air raids, advance booking is strongly advised.

With a fantastic selection of daytime attractions up and down the line, get dressed up and join in with the celebrations with Costumed re-enactors on our stations and in our trains helping to tell the wartime story!

Attractions include . . .

A Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will take place on Sunday 28th June with 1942-built Dakota ZA947 at 1.35pm along the whole of the Dee Valley Railway (subject to weather conditions).

Lleyn Central:

Bus Rides
Hair Salon - Ladies come along and get your Victory Rolls done
Classic Vehicle and Jeep displays
Replica air-raid shelters
Bombed out building
ARP post
ID card checkpoint
Railway Museum selling 1940s food
Closing Ceremony: Sunday 28th June afternoon
Evacuation of Lleyn Central Station before the evening Big Band Show on Saturday 27th June with a spectacular finale (additional charge applies)
Evening Dining Train on on Saturday 27th June departing from Lleyn Central (additional charge applies)

Garth Y Dwer:

The Battle is back at 1.15pm: a German train is attacked by Allied Paratroopers and members of the French Resistance two days after the Normandy Invasion!
Military Vehicle displays
Allied Encampment
Live entertainment
Wartime Public Information films
Dig for Victory Garden and Privy

Llanbedrog:

Classic Vehicle displays
1940s stalls

Aberdare:

Classic Vehicle displays
British Army Medical Corps Field Hospital
Weddings taking place at 11.30am and 2.30pm
Live entertainment

New for 2015!

Join us for this special event where we recreate the bygone days of heavy freight traffic on our railways. As with any Dee Valley Gala an intense Timetable will be in operation, with the main focus on freight trains.

For the first time ever we will be fielding our biggest ever Windcutter set, which will be fully loaded (A Preservation FIRST!)

A Pick up goods will also be in operation, along with an engineers train which will shuttle between the stations.

Line Up:

WD Austerity 2-8-0 No. 90733
(Keighley & Worth Valley Railway)

LMS 8F 2-8-0 No. 48624 in weathered black as 48739
(Great Central Railway)

GWR 2800 2-8-0 No. 2807
(Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway)

Supported by locomotives from the home fleet.

Working Timetable Now Available.

New for 2015!

Join us for this special event where we recreate the bygone days of heavy freight traffic on our railways. As with any Dee Valley Gala an intense Timetable will be in operation, with the main focus on freight trains.

For the first time ever we will be fielding our biggest ever Windcutter set, which will be fully loaded (A Preservation FIRST!)

A Pick up goods will also be in operation, along with an engineers train which will shuttle between the stations.

Line Up:

WD Austerity 2-8-0 No. 90733
(Keighley & Worth Valley Railway)

LMS 8F 2-8-0 No. 48624 in weathered black as 48739
(Great Central Railway)

GWR 2800 2-8-0 No. 2807
(Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway)

Supported by locomotives from the home fleet.

Working Timetable Now Available.

S&DJR 7F CLASS 2-8-0 No. 53808

From West Somerset Railway

S&DJR 7F CLASS 2-8-0 No. 53809

From North Yorkshire Moors Railway

BR 9F CLASS 2-10-0 No. 92214

From Great Central Railway

GWR 2251 CLASS 0-6-0 No. 3205

From South Devon Railway

LMS JINTY CLASS 0-6-0T

From Midland Railway Centre

REBUILT BOB CLASS 4-6-2 No. 34058

SIR FREDERICK PILE

LMS BLACK FIVE CLASS 4-6-0 No. 5000

ADDITIONAL ATTRACTIONS:

Driver for a Fiver (minimum age 16)
Aberdare Restoration Works Open
Shunting Demonstrations (Llanbedrog)
Trade Stands (Aberdare)
Buffet Car on Most Services
Turntable Demostrations
Double Headed Services
Express Passenger Services
Recreation of "The Pines Express"
Freight Services

DOUBLE CELEBRATION:

In March 1996 the Dee Valley Railway staged its first ever major Spring Steam Gala, so two decades will have elapsed since this important annual event took its place in the DVR calendar although the theme of the DVR Galas has been varied with the passing years.

OTHER LOCOMOTIVES:

GCR D11 4-4-0 No. 506 Butler-Henderson
GWR 57XX 0-6-0PT No. 8700
GWR 72XX 2-8-2T No. 7229
AUSERITY 0-6-0ST No. 16

LOCOMOTIVE LINE UP

175 YEARS OF SWINDON

TRIBUTE TO THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY

2016 marks the 175th anniversary of the directors of the Great Western Railway company chosing Swindon, or in particular, the flat land at the bottom of the hill half a mile from the town, as its location for its steam locomotive works.

The Dee Valley Railway will be paying tribute to the Great Western Railway during this special events by bring the biggest gathering of GWR locomotives in preservation history.

With a great collection of steam locomotives, a very frequent service of trains, and all-night operation. Something for all railway enthusiasts.

Special timetable with four-day format. Revised fares.