As part of this year's series of events, the NSB hosted a fantastic Christmas Gala with over 25 people attending with trains from each company travelling down the single line railway. Attendees were fortunate to watch trains pass by, ride them and even take the narrow gauge train to Winter wonderland! All in all, everyone had a fantastic time and we very much look forward to another event by the NSB.
27th December 2021
After months of being mothballed, the Teal Valley Railway (TVR) was officially opened and was complemented with a timetabled gala. The TVR has some rather steep gradients, if not the steepest on the server and certainly tested the drivers and their locomotives. Halfway through the event, the rails became slippery from the rain and as a result caused severe disruption to the event. Trains therefore required two bankers to help them get over the steep banks.
20th February 2022
The WMR hosted a challenging Gala with 10 trains in action across the line from King Street to Empire working to a timetable. With the server pushed to its limits, many trains experienced realistic delays and added to the fun (chaos!) to the event. The event was concluded by a double-headed coal train that ran from King St to Lenswell, a huge marshalling yard on the WMR.
25th March 2022
The SLJR hosted an opening event for the Peak Way, a new line diverging from Colton Fell up to Chipping Stortford. The Peak Way used to be the old mainline for the SLJR before being diverted down to Queen St, Seahill and Grenworth. With spectacular views across Glennin Viaduct and from Chipping Stortford, it certainly made the line more special. Multiple trains headed up the line with bankers at the ready to help the trains battle with the brutal gradients.
3rd June 2022
As part of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee, the WMR hosted an event in honour of her. With a variety of coronation trains in action followed by a railtour from Empire down to Grenworth, it was certainly a good event for all. An interesting sight included 'Merlin' a Purple A4 which ran up and down line and visited the TVR, a single line branchline from Colton Fell. A Bulleid Merchant Navy has been painted purple and will be seen on the WMR very soon.
4th June 2022
With Nordale being rebranded at the beginning of August, saw the DPHR start a 5-day Gala across the line with a variety of locos from other companies. This proved to be eventful and certainly made it interesting to drive along a narrow gauge line for the first time for many people on the server. We look forward to the DPHR hosting another narrow gauge event, something which is rather unusual on the server.
14th August 2022
The MRN, (at the time) a subsidiary on the WMR, hosted an event celebrating the opening of the branchline which diverges off from the Western Mainline. This started with a train picking up passengers from the WMR and taking them along the new line to Marsham. This was followed by a quick tour round the village of Marsham before heading back up the line to the WMR.
29th August 2022
The CSJR, a subsidiary of the GMR, hosted a Gala event working to a timetable along the newly relayed narrow gauge line from Castlefield to the end point of Porthmines. This gave people an interesting drive since the CSJR used to be the original GMR line. Passengers were able to enjoy the quaint Edwardian style architecture at Castlefield and connect with standard gauge trains that would take them further down the line to Blossom's Peak.
16th October 2022
The WMR hosted a Branchline Rover covering the variety of branchlines the WMR has to offer. The event started at King Street and headed down to Heywyke via Emerald Bay before finally terminating at the LWWR via Greensands, Wyvern and the Aurora City Line. The passengers were then able to experience the importance of a branchline to the bustling network the WMR has and were able to explore the branchlines they may not have otherwise known about.
19th December 2022
To start the Christmas spirit, the Austrian-influenced Filztalbahn, FDE’s narrow gauge line, ran a small gala with a range of locomotives to showcase the new line since its creation in the summer. The passengers were able to experience the niche railway the FDE has to offer and was the first event the FDE has hosted this year. We look forward to more events hosted by the FDE in the future.
23rd December 2022
To end the 2022 year, the SLJR ran a Festive event with trains running up the Peak Way and the Teal Valley Railway keeping the drivers busy with the numerous ruthless gradients. Both of these branchlines have officially opened this year and was good to see many turning up with their locos having a go with the challenging inclines. It was a new environment for many and we hope this event will encourage more to make use of the lines and start or finish their services in a new area.
29th December 2022