Barrow Hill Open Day 2022
Special RCTS Members’ Day – Saturday August 27th 2022
We are excited by the prospects of a stunning Members' Day on the Saturday of the August Bank Holiday weekend this year, organised by Barrow Hill Roundhouse and co-ordinated planning between Barrow Hill, GB Railfreight (GBRf) and ourselves.
The initial details are correct at the time of going to press (late June) and any significant changes will be updated in RCTS News (by e-mail) and on this web page.
The Open Day
Barrow Hill Roundhouse is holding a Gala event to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of their roundhouse over the three days before the August Bank Holiday (Friday 26th - Sun 28th August 2022). Having been delayed for two years by the Covid pandemic, the plan is to celebrate in some style along the lines of a British Rail-era Open Day, mirroring similar events at Barrow Hill in the 1970s and early 1980s.
We are given to understand that a special line-up of both resident and visiting locomotives will be arrayed in the Roundhouse itself and around the depot yard allowing cab visits and photographic opportunities.
Admission prices are set to be pitched at £15 for adults and £8 for children, with the site open from 10:00 to 16:00 on all three days.
Half-price entry for RCTS members
On “our” special Members’ day – Saturday 27th August only – members who produce their RCTS membership card will be able to claim half-price entry at the gate. This will apply to all people in their party. That means £7.50 for adults, £4 for children.
This discount will not be operating on the Friday and Sunday of the Gala.
Special events on that day that the Society has been instrumental in facilitating include:
- Official unveiling of the two RCTS-owned LNER B17/4 “Footballer” nameplates in the cafeteria
- Naming of a new GBRf Class 69 freight locomotive at lunchtime
- RCTS-sponsored competition for “Best Photograph on the Day” – open to members and non-members
- Presence of GBRf 66 726 Sheffield Wednesday
There will also be a major recruitment drive on all three days, with the hope of attracting new Society members from the world of traction. Our recruitment stand will be situated inside the Barrow Hill Museum and staffed by willing volunteers from local Branches. We are also planning to hold a raffle with a prize of a OO gauge model of a B17 as an added attraction for our membership stand.
There are other developments still being discussed at the time of going to press for The RO, such as a “Celebrity” to unveil the B17 nameplates – “Sheffield Wednesday” and “Sheffield United” and through RCTS News in both July and August editions, we will update Members of the latest developments.
See you at Barrow Hill.
Photo competition
A public photographic competition is being organised. Details to follow.
In the meantime, enjoy a gallery of photos from previous events and yesteryear ...
Updates
25th August 2022
The original plan for holding a raffle of OO gauge model of a B17 has been dropped.
19th July 2022
A few up-to-the-minute announcements:
- Saturday 27th August will see the naming of GBRf Class 69 locomotive 69003 as The Railway Observer. It is one of the new rebuilds from ex-Class 56 locomotives
- In addition, GBRf have promised that Class 66 66726 Sheffield Wednesday will be part of the Gala display
- The official unveiling will take place of two RCTS-owned nameplates from Gresley B17/4 class locomotives 61649 Sheffield United and 61661 Sheffield Wednesday, which are now on-loan to Barrow Hill and wall-mounted in their new cafeteria.
12th July 2022
A splendid gallery of 52 images has been posted by Cambridge branch, displaying the work of Alan Jones at Barrow Hill during its operational years. Many images capture the final days as the depot was emptied of locos, and all are captioned in detail.