Old Warden Steam Rally (12th - 14th September, 2014)
This is one of a series of pages I have uploaded to illustrate facets of the steam rallies we have attended in the UK. Click here for the 2014 introduction and overall index.
Old Warden 2013 had been less than wonderful for us, masses of engines no doubt, but with a wet showground with no possible movement and totally overcast during our one day visit. Simply we had to go back! Old Warden 2014 was dry throughout with sunny spells, long enough certainly for excellent still photography but not long enough for me to be tempted to get the video camera out of the car. One of the things I liked most - and it was a great show - was the way that the engines were allowed to wander gently through the site, often between their pitches and one of the bar tents. A goodly proportion (nearly 25%) of the engines were new to me, although no doubt not to the long term rally bashers, probably because this is a part of the country we rarely get across to.
As, what has been for us, a very successful season draws to a close, I would like to list just a few niggles which apply not just to Old Warden but to most of the rallies we have been to in both 2013 and 2014, so is probably true elsewhere too. 'Praising with faint damn' in other words.
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It would seem that many of the engines were positioned in the same areas, even places, as in 2013, which means that the static pictures tend to look the same as before and worse, certain engines were never well illuminated (except when occasionally on the move).
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The working displays were (almost?) identical to those in 2013.
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The programme lists those steam engines intending to be present. Inevitably some don't make it and others are late additions. I know the general public aren't too bothered about this but for the enthusiasts (and there were many here), it would not be too difficult to put up a board by the rally organisers' tent with updated information. It wouldn't take very long to produce and maintain. Or at least put a list on the website afterwards when the dust settles. (I know this could be said of all the sections, but the steam engines are the reason 99% of visitors are present.)
To my mind, successful rallies do need to evolve, alas a lot are re-inventing themselves as 'Steam and Country Fairs', very sadly some seem to be just 'Country Fairs'. Obviously as a steam enthusiast I want the maximum steam content but organisers need to go beyond a tried and trusted steam formula which ultimately becomes stale. We'll most likely be at rather fewer rallies in 2015.
Choose the page you are interested in and within that, click on a thumbnail for a larger image. Then click again to return to the page. Inevitably for a show of this size there will be omissions - the programme listed nine engines which are not represented here, if anyone can supply pictures of those which were actually present, please get in touch with me via the address at the bottom of the page.
