Following the success of our inaugural event in 2016, we are pleased to announce the dates for the Spa Valley Railway's 2nd Summer Steam Festival.
Our planning is now starting to head into the latter stages and boy what an event we will be offering you in what is the Spa Valley Railway's 20th anniversary year!!!
We can now bring you the following. More details are to come.
THE STARS OF THE SHOW!
- Hunslet No.2705 'Beatrice' - Visiting for the Summer Steam Festival courtesy of the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway and John Beesley
- Hunslet No.1982 'Ring Haw' - Visiting the Spa Valley for the Summer/Autumn of 2017. The engine appears courtesy of the North Norfolk Railway.
- RSH 0-6-0ST 'Ugly' - Making its first Steam Festival appearance
- Vulcan Austerity No.72 - A regular performer on the railway and now in its third year of operation on the Spa Valley.
Alongside this we will be bringing you at least 10 road steam engines!
Details will be announced over the next 10 weeks in the build up to the event, commencing Friday 31st March!
The final line-up is still to be confirmed but includes:-
*Aveling Barford 14186 Roll on Built 1938
*Aveling Porter Royalty Built 1909
*Ruston Hornsby Veronica Built 1922
*Burrell Buller Built 1903 - NEW FOR 2017
*Aveling and Porter GND Showmans Southern Queen - NEW FOR 2017
*Aveling and Porter Odin Built 1925 - NEW FOR 2017
*Aveling and Porter Ebenezer Built 1923 - NEW FOR 2017
*Wallis Steevens Advance 6 Ton Wallie - NEW FOR 2017
*Ruston and Proctor Warrior Built 2014 - NEW FOR 2017
*Fowler Nighmare Built 1913 - NEW FOR 2017
*Burrell 3728 'Prince' Built 1916 - NEW FOR 2017
Other attractions include
ERIDGE
- Traction Engine and Steam Roller Display
- Traditional saw-bench display
- Vintage organ
- Vintage vehicle display
- BBQ serving local fare
- Mini Real Ale and Cider Festival
- Miniature Railway for our 'miniature' visitors
- 'Saturday Night Steam' - come and see the steam display as dusk sets in. We will be offering entertainment during the evening for you to enjoy whilst sampling a beer from our Bar.
GROOMBRIDGE
- Stationery engine display courtesy of Sussex & Kent Weald Stationery Engine Group
- Witness trains passing at regular intervals
TUNBRIDGE WELLS WEST
- Model Railways at Tunbridge Wells West - a much bigger display with 6 layouts confirmed
- Layout 1 - 'HOPFIELDS' - 16mm - Exhibited by Kent area group of 16mm Narrow Gauge Modellers. We hope most models will be steam operated!
- Layout 2 - NEWBURY ROAD - N Gauge - Exhibited by Philip Clarke, Clive Swift and the Erith Model Railway Society.
- Layout 3 - ARNOLD LAYNE - 0 gauge - Exhibited by Uckfield Model Railway Club.
- Layout 4 - West Sussex N Gauge Model Railway Club.
- Layout 5 - A course Scale 0 gauge scenic tail chasing style layout with 7 span viaduct. The layout has many themes!
- Layout 6 - SLINDON VALE RAILWAY - 7MM layout displayed by members of the South Downs Area Group 7mm Narrow Gauge Association and Bognor Regis Model Railway Club.
REAL ALES & CIDERS
REAL ALE TRAIN AND FISH & CHIP SPECIAL
On the Saturday night of the Summer Steam Festival we will be operating a Fish & Chip special combined with "Ales on Rails" our Real Ale Train.
NOBLE JACKS TO PLAY SUMMER STEAM FESTIVAL
'Noble Jacks' are a rip-roaring Alt-Folk band with roof raising energy. The band encompasses heartfelt, yet uptempo songs showcasing fiddle, blues harmonica and big anthem toplines. The band will perform tracks from their debut album 'What the Hammer'.
The band will be performing two sets starting at around 7PM on the Saturday evening in Eridge car park, rounding off proceedings about 9PM, in time for the final train departure at 21:55.
Regular trains will take you back to Tunbridge Wells West throughout the evening.