Well, hasn’t time passed quickly?!  Already our most ambitious event yet is nearly upon us so I thought it timely to update the situation regarding the three weekends of activity and also take a look at some of the activities and displays I hope we will be presenting.  As ever, this is subject to availability (and time – the team involved is very small!) but we shall do our best.  Entry forms for road exhibits are flowing in steadily and haulage arrangements are in hand for the railed items – there are so far 33 moves associated with this event, using three hauliers and obviously squeezed into quite a small window of time.

It was disappointing to report the cancellation of the visit by Yvonne from Belgium, but I hope we might re-arrange for another year in conjunction with other venues in order to share the costs.  We also went a long way to exploring the possibility of borrowing Blackpool 147, Lanarkshire 53 and one other but due to commitments, low bridges and other reasons, these proved not to be possible to borrow (this year anyway!).  I am working on one or two other features for the tramway weekend though, and three visiting trams (and maybe a fourth…), a model tramway exhibition and a tram parade (plus the launch of the new book!) should give plenty to see and enjoy.  There are also a number of other exhibits that were talked about and which are held over for future events for various reasons.  It will be no surprise to hear that the list for Power from the Past in September and even next year’s festival are already well-developed…

Here are some of the things planned for the various events, these notes being aimed at enthusiasts and photographers in particular…

Our Friends Electric

• Four-tram service, working in both directions and with changes of tramcar throughout the day – visiting trams: Stockport 5 (Heaton Park), Lisbon 730 (Birkenhead) and Glasgow 1068 (Crich).  Various unusual combinations possible – noting the first operation of a Scottish tram at Beamish and the first time trams from Lisbon and Oporto have ever run together (on account of their native cities running on different gauges).  We intend to have a few surprises in the mix too…
• Saturday evening tramcar parade and photography session
• Model tramway exhibition on the Sat/Sun
• Enhanced road performance including road steam and vintage & veteran vehicles
• The launch of ‘Forty Years of Service’ – a book by Les Brunton and myself charting the 40 year history of the Beamish Tramway
• Railway operation at Rowley and the Waggonway
• Colliery Steam with No.1 and No.18
• All the usual many and varied attractions (don’t forget the chip shop!) that Beamish can offer as it will be in full operation mode
• Tours of the ‘wreck’ – RHEC – Regional Heritage Engineering Centre (11am, 12pm, 1pm and 2pm – meet at the front of the tram depot – places are limited to 20 – 25 per tour).
• Talk by Les Brunton and Paul Jarman about the Beamish Tramway – Thursday 3:30pm (meet at the Collections Study Room adjacent to the steam navvy at Foulbridge – next door to the public toilets)

Great North Steam Fair

• Planet and train at Rowley Station
• Rocket and our own train at the Waggonway (weekend only – Puffing Billy or Steam Elephant on the weekdays)
• Line up of motive power at the Waggonway – weather permitting – to include the Hetton Engine if we can arrange a shunt
• Four-tram service – running anti-clockwise (including all three visiting trams)
• Extensive variety of traction engines, steam rollers, veteran cars, motorcycles and cycles travelling clockwise around the site
• Display of Forcett coach plus one suprise (I hope!) at Rowley Station
• Saw bench and Robey portable engine at work in Colliery
• Road making display in Colliery using Alan Il’Son collection, supplemented with other items as appropriate
• Jack and Peter Pan (plus Edward Sholto if it is repaired in time) in steam on narrow gauge railway.  Jack to pose with Esme too!
• Saturday evening photo session in Town and Colliery
• Tours of the ‘wreck’ – RHEC – Regional Heritage Engineering Centre (11am, 12pm, 1pm and 2pm – meet at the front of the tram depot – places are limited to 20 – 25 per tour).

Old King Coal

• Numerous community based activities including plays, banner parades and family activities
• Jack in steam on the narrow gauge, No.1 and No.18 on the Colliery Railway and the Y7 at the station (with station displays still available for inspection).
• Rocket on the chaldron waggons at the Colliery (weekend only)
• Operation of Wooden Waggonway
• Line up of motive power outside Waggonway ‘Great Shed’
• Four-tram service (including all three visiting trams)
• Tours of the ‘wreck’ – RHEC – Regional Heritage Engineering Centre (probably at, but still to be confimred, 11am, 12pm, 1pm and 2pm – meet at the front of the tram depot – places are limited to 20 – 25 per tour).

If you click on the toolbar above for ‘transport stocklists’ and then ‘Great North Festival of Transport’ you will find the gallery of images showing just some of the exhibits we can look forward to seeing in April…