As the winter months approach, the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway rounded off their main operating season in style, hosting their 'Autumn Gala' over the weekend of October 26th-27th. The event would see the RH&DR fronting every available resident steam locomotive, bolstered by a resident diesel, and all operating alongside a trio of visiting locomotives.

The Perrygrove Railway would supply a pair of visitors for the event, with "Anne" and 27 "Soony" both making the trip to the Kent coast. This would mark yhe first time that any Perrygrove locomotive has visited the RH&DR. The final visitor would be "St Egwin" from the Valley Railway Adventure.

The event showcased some of the RH&DR's much adored thetrics. Non-stop runs and double-headed services were frequent across the weekend. The Saturday of the event would see the rare appearance of a freight set as well as some late evening services, while the Sunday would feature a spectacular multi-header to conclude the gala, with every serviceable steam locomotive at the helm.

No3 "Southern Maid" would unfortunately fail on the Saturday of the event, being sidelined for the remainder of the event. No11 "Black Prince" would be unserviceable the whole event.

Locomotives:
RH&DR 'North American' Pacific Class - No9 "Winston Churchill"
RH&DR 'North American' Pacific Class - No10 "Doctor Syn"
RH&DR Mountain Class - No6 "Samson"
RH&DR Pacific Class - No3 "Southern Maid"
R&ER Diesel Class - "Shelagh of Eskdale"
PR Joe Nemeth Engineering - 27 "Soony"
RH&DR Diesel Class - No12 "J.B. Snell"
RH&DR Pacific Class - No2 "Northern Chief"
Ex-Longleat Railway ESR Engineering - "Anne"
VRA ESR Engineering - "St Egwin"
RH&DR Pacific Class - No1 "Green Goddess"

Saturday:
00:00 - No9 & No10 Dymchurch playing fields
01:17 - No6 New Romney
03:00 - No9 & No1 Merritt Road foot crossing
04:24 - No10 & No3 Station Approach
05:44 - No10 & No3 Kerton Road
07:10 - No10 & No3 Dungeness
09:12 - No10 & No3 New Romney
10:31 - 27 New Romney
12:04 - No12 Merritt Road foot crossing
12:55 - No2 & No9 Merritt Road foot crossing
13:52 - "Anne" & "St Egwin" Burmarsh Road
15:06 - "St Egwin" Palmarsh
16:44 - No10 & No1 New Romney

Sunday:
18:47 - No1 On shed at New Romney
20:44 - No1 & No10 Romney Warren
22:13 - "St Egwin" Dungeness
23:56 - No10 Botolph's Bridge
25:02 - No2 & No9 Botolph's Bridge
26:12 - No2 & No9 Jenner's Way
27:49 - No1 & No12 Jenner's Way
29:13 - No2 & No9 Kerton Road
30:20 - No2 & No9 Dungeness
32:24 - "Anne", "St Egwin", & No2 Palmarsh
33:44 - No6 Jenner's Way
35:30 - No10 Jenner's Way
36:36 - No10 & No1 Jenner's Way
38:15 - Multi-header Botolph's Bridge
39:47 - Multi-header Jenner's Way

All footage filmed on Saturday the 26th, and Sunday the 27th, of October 2024.

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