Well what can I say! A fantastic weekend was enjoyed by everyone who attended this gala. 56040 performed perfectly with no faults reported even though it had two traction motors isolated. The mechanical, electrical and paint team pulled out all the stops to get 56040 fettled for the gala and work continued well into the night in the week leading up to the gala. Congratulations and many, many thanks to them for their sterling efforts and also to anyone who has assisted in any way on the restoration of 56040. The paintwork looked absolutely stunning and I had to take a step back when I first saw it on the Friday morning. I was there for the full three days to enjoy the festivities and must say that it was one of the best diesel galas that I have ever attended and not just because 56040 had a starring role! I spoke to many people over the weekend and the only criticism that I heard was that it was just too packed on the Saturday. Timekeeping was exemplary and credit for this is due to the drivers, yard staff and shunters who coupled, run round and uncoupled locomotives with the minimum of delay. Grateful thanks also to the MNR staff who were as conscientious and professional as ever throughout the gala. All the locomotives performed well with everything working its booked diagram with no failures. The only slight difficulty was that 66144 and 67008 wouldn’t multi but to alleviate this two driving crews drove the engines in tandem.

Friday

I missed the first departure owing to late arrival but when I did arrive it was good to see punters queuing out of the MNR booking office door at Dereham even though it was a Friday. The day rover fare was very reasonable considering what the punters were getting for their money and this probably contributed to their presence en masse. Some preserved railways charge unrealistic day rover fares, especially in the current economic climate, and they then wonder why most of their trains run almost empty! The weather was not too bad considering that it was still March, cloud with the odd burst of sun and a brief shower every now and then. At 10.00 37425 and 73210 arrived back at Dereham with the first train which were then removed. 56040 then burst into life driven by Mickey Doyle with Gareth and Keith in the back cab to diagnose any faults during the runs and the clatter of hundreds of camera shutters could be heard as far away as Norwich. 56040 then backed on and I was told that there were no faults reported after the previous night’s loaded test run, even though two traction motors had been isolated, and that it was all systems go. 56040 then got the whistle and thrashed out of Dereham. 56040 was a scratch for me, and many other people I spoke to, as it had only worked one railtour back in 1995 although it had worked on drags before this. After what seemed like only a few minutes we arrived at Wymondham. The train then continued to the loop for 56040 to run round and most punters stayed on to squeeze in those extra few chains of mileage. I got off for some historic photographs of 56040 on its first public train in preservation. The train returned to the platform having run round and I got back on. It was pleasing to see that nearly every seat was occupied. The stock was air-braked, load six with two first class vehicles in the consist giving a passenger loading of just over two hundred. Some of the gala attendees asked why more coaches couldn’t be added to the consist but the answer is that the MNR only has six air braked coaches and six vacuum braked engines and are obviously not interchangeable. The next train had 60059 drop onto the front with 56040 on the rear. 60059 hauled this train to Wymondham with 56040 dead at the rear. At Wymondham 56040 fired into life again to take us back to Dereham. The Class 56 Group sales stand was in attendance in the brake coach all three days, manned by Paul, Alan, Oily and Mark and business was reported as brisk. The 14.00 departure had 67008 and 66144 on the front with 56040 again dead at the rear to Wymondham. At Wymondham 56040 was then leading for another run back to Dereham. 56040 was then removed from the train and after a game of shunt musical chairs it was attached to the front while 37425 and 73210 were coupled up and attached to the back. The final train of the day, the 16.00, was hauled by 56040 with 37425 and 73210 dead at the rear. The sun had reappeared by this time but it was extremely difficult to get a clear shot of any locomotive due to the amount of people that were on the platform getting in the way. The final run of the day was the 16.45 from Wymondham which had 37425 and 73210 leading with 56040 at the rear. Back at Dereham more shots were taken of 56040 by a very happy gala contingent and 56040 was retired for a well earned rest for the night. The volunteers, after a hose down and degreasing, went into town for a much needed meal and a drink (or two or three!!).

Saturday

I missed the first departure AGAIN, this time due to an extra round of toast placed in front of me at breakfast (well, it wouldn’t have been polite to refuse would it)? I had missed the 8.15 departure which had 37425 leading and 20069 and 73210 at the rear. The punters were queuing out of the door again and the car park was full at 8.30. I took a few photographs and waited patiently for the return of the 8.15. The platform had started to fill up and I knew that the trains were going to be extremely busy. I decided to just photograph that day and help out the Class 56 Group if needed as I hate travelling on crush load condition trains. The weather had deteriorated badly overnight and now was driving rain with a bitter, freezing cold wind blowing. This didn’t deter the crowds however and when the 8.15 returned everyone dived on for a seat. The 9.50 was booked to be hauled by 37425 again with 50019 on the rear. 50019 had just returned to traffic from a long term overhaul and some people wanted a blast behind this. The train duly departed and it was full and standing as predicted. I took some photographs in the rain, went for a cup of tea and waited for the return of the 9.50. This is were the fun started. 60059 buffered up to the front of the train and 56040 was attached to the rear. Most people on the incoming train wisely decided to keep their seats when they saw the crowded platforms. When everyone had boarded the train there wasn’t a space to be had anywhere. The platform staff at Dereham even had to push people into the trains Japanese style it was that bad! At 11.45 the whistle blew and 60059 departed. At Wymondham 56040 was now leading to Dereham. This formed the 12.40 back to Dereham. People were being turned away at Wymondham booking office because they couldn’t physically get them on the train. A passenger count on the 12.40 was heroically conducted by the guard (I don’t know how he managed this!) who reported that there were over 500 people on a 218 capacity train. Back at Dereham legs, arms and heads were carefully untangled and people fell out onto the platform in a steaming heap. The 13.45 departure from Dereham was just as bad loading wise with 56040 and the DBS engines 67008 and 66144 on the rear. I was glad that I had plenty of space on the platform even though it was freezing cold. More photos and another cup of tea passed away the next hour until the 14.40 from Wymondham returned with 67008 and 66144 leading and 56040 dead at the rear. Things quietened down a little after this and 37425 took out the 15.45 from Dereham with 31438 at the rear. When the train left I noticed Jane and Paul had been left behind. They said that they had run out of beer and there was nothing left for the beerex (Hmm, a beerex with no beer – that should please the punters)! A mad dash by car to a local brewery to collect five more polypins and two boxes of bottled beer was thankfully successful and I helped them carry the beer from the car to the platform. 31438 then brought in the 16.30 from Wymondham with 37425 on the back. A big shunt around then ensued with 60059, 67008 and 66144 going on to the front of the train with 56040 at the rear. Many punters had stayed just for the beerex and mega haulage so cries of ‘teas, coffees, light refreshments but no beer’ wouldn’t have gone down very well! Finally 56040 returned from Wymondham at 19.05 hauling six coaches and three dead engines. It handled this task spectacularly and no problems with 56040 were reported. 56040 was put to bed again ready for Sunday’s happenings.

Sunday

What a contrast to Saturday. The day was bright, sunny and quite warm. There weren’t as many people at Dereham as there was on Saturday but it was a good Sunday attendance nevertheless for a diesel gala. I decided to forego the extra round of toast for the benefit of my figure! this time and arrived in time to view the first train which was the 9.00 from Dereham with 50019 in charge and 60059 trailing on the back. I was planning to do another day rover but got talking to some punters on the platform and let the train go instead. When it returned at 10.25 with 60059 leading I took some further photographs and was then asked if I would give a hand with some yard tours along with other volunteers as I held a PTS for the MNR. This was a great idea by Jon Batley and I was happy to help, the yard tour took place after the 10.50 train had departed with 37425 leading and 56040 on the rear and Jon had checked over the radio that there were no shunting movements planned. The visitors were allowed, within reason and at all times under our supervision, to access the top yard for number taking and photographs. This was a huge success and the punters were extremely grateful to be offered the chance to access the yard. Many of them remarked on the way back how different this gala had been from other galas elsewhere with loco sheds and yards totally out of bounds, expensive tickets, crappy coaching stock and miserable staff. We got all the yard visitors back within the boundary and awaited the arrival of the 12.20 hauled by 56040. We heard it long before we saw and it made a fantastic sight coming round the corner in full sunlight with six blue/grey Mark twos behind it. 56040 was then removed for a rest and a drink of water whilst 60059 went on the back and 66144 and 67008 went on the front of the 12.45 departure to Wymondham. Time now for a visit to the buffet for a cup of tea and a gossip. I went back on the platform and awaited the arrival of the 13.40 from Wymondham which was due in Dereham at 14.15 hauled by 60059. When this arrived another big shunt was done to get 60059 round to the front of the train to be joined by 20069 and 37425 to the back of the train. This departed at 14.45 and after this had left Jon called us all together again to steward the final visitor yard tour of the day which again was appreciated by everyone taking part. The final train of the gala was hauled by 37425 according to the timetable with 56040 on the rear. What actually happened was that 37425, 60059, 67008 and 66144 were coupled to the front of the train so that the DBS locos could run directly back onto NR metals when uncoupled at Wymondham. This departed at 16.45 with much tooting of horns and after this I took my final photographs in the yard in the early evening sunshine, said my final goodbyes and then left what had been a most memorable gala and most enjoyable long weekend.

A full photo gallery has been added here, but here’s a taster below;