For me, this is the first full weekend event of the year. As well as several of the “resident” fleet, two visiting locos were in operation, the LBSCR E4 class 0-6-2T from the Bluebell Railway and GWR (BR) 16XX class 0-6-0PT from the Kent & East Sussex Railway. Saturday was a very mixed day weatherwise, mostly dry, but not a full day of sunlight. Sunday was an extremely dull day, don’t think I saw the sun once.

Normal services on the railway just run the whole length of the line with sets of 8 coaches, but the Branch Line Gala also uses the smaller locos hauling “local” trains of just 2, 3 or 4 coaches over shorter sections of the line. This involves much shunting at intermediate stations in between the passage of the trains running the full length of the line, an enjoyable day to both watch and photograph the trains.

Also included amongst these photos are some of Hampton Loade station, I think it adds interest to show more than just the trains.

Looking back through the photos after having made up this set of pages I am very pleased with the results. As mentioned before, Sunday was dull all day and I was cold (except when eating a breakfast in the station buffet) and thinking I should have stayed at home, but the photos show it is possible to get acceptable results in unfavourable conditions.

94 photos at the Branch Line Gala 12/13th March 2005

(On the thumbnail page “Title +” = in loco number order, “File name +” = in time order)