SPA VALLEY RAILWAY - SPRING DIESEL AND BEER WEEKEND [CANCELLED]

Spring Diesel & Beer Weekend
Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd March 2020
COVID-19 UPDATE

Please note, in line with what many other heritage railways and similar organisations have done, the Spa Valley Railway has suspended all train operations until 25th April at the present time.

We hope to re-open for our Peter Rabbit event on the 25th & 26th April, in the event we have to remain closed this event will be moved to a date later in the year and all customers re-booked automatically and contacted by email. 

Cancelled Events/Running Days:

• Spring Diesel Weekend 21st & 22nd March 2020.
• Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th March, including the High Weald Belle.
• Saturday 4th, Sunday 5th, Wednesday 8th, Thursday 9th April, including all Dining Trains.
• Easter Specials 10th to 13th April. 
• 15th, 16th, 18th (Class 31 Running Day) & 19th April, including all Dining Trains.
• Transport Film Festival 11th & 12th May (due to older volunteers unable to dedicate time to organise due to COVID-19)
• 35th Anniversary of Line Closure Event 11th & 12th July (to allow our volunteers to concentrate on the Summer Diesel Gala). 

This would have been the railways first enthusiast event of the 2020 season where our heritage diesels, including visiting Class 20 D8188, take to the stage for two days of diesel filled action. Our resident fleet will be joined, subject to successful test runs following lengthy maintenance and a period of traffic by Class 20 D8188 courtesy of the Somerset & Dorset Loco Co. Ltd. The 1000Hp BR Green Bo-Bo will arrive by road from the Midlands and will be the 5th member of the class to operate on the Spa Valley Railway, others being 20118, 20110, D8098 and D8059, the latter also owned by the Somerset & Dorset Loco Co. Ltd.

Our popular two train service at 45-minute intervals will be in action, including a brake van ride to Eridge on the Saturday morning, plus a selection of beers and ciders will be available for you to enjoy from our award winning bar car 'Kate' and at Eridge, whilst stocks last! Day Rover tickets are valid ALL day so if you travel on the Saturday you can ride the trains from the start to the end which includes travelling on the evening Fish & Chip/Ales on Rails trains for no extra cost, the only catch is food and drink aren't included!

Locomotives:
Drewry 2591 'Southerham' (Saturday Only)
Class 10 D3489 'Colonel Tomline' (Saturday Only)
Class 20 D8188 – Courtesy of the Somerset & Dorset Loco Co. Ltd.
Class 31/4 31430 'Sister Dora'
Class 33/0 33063 'R.J.Mitchell'
Class 73/1 73140
Class 207 DEMU 1317 (Saturday Only)
BR Standard 4MT No. 80078 (Sunday Only, Mother's Day)
All of the locomotives and units listed above are subject to availability and the Spa Valley Railway reserves the right make changes to the locos/units line up without prior warning however we will always endeavour where possible to communicate in advance any changes.

Coaches:
Rake of 4 MK1s with Bar Car 'Kate'.
CIG: Class 421 3CIG 1497. 
(pictured below just outside Groombridge)

Real Ales and Ciders:
There will be a range of Beers and Ciders available on board the train with 'Kate' shown as Set A in the timetable and in the Waiting Room at Eridge.

Real Ales in Kate:
High Weald Brewery - Chronicle 3.8%
High Weald Brewery - Comet Pale 4.2%
Kent Brewery - Bounty Hunter 5.5%
Kent Brewery - Twelfth Night 7.4%
Mad Cat Brewery - Red Ale 3.9%
Mad Cat Brewery - Ninth Life 5.9%
Old Dairy Brewery - Spring Top 4.0%
Old Dairy Brewery - Mosaic IPA 5.3%

Ciders in Kate:
Dudda's Tun - Cherry 4.0%
Dudda's Tun - Salted Caramel 4.0%
Dudda's Tun - Apricot 4.0%
Dudda's Tun - Sweet Apple 5.3%

Real Ales at Eridge:
Harvey's - 1859 Porter 4.8%
Harvey's - IPA 3.5%
Westerham Brewery - Spirit of Kent 4.0%
Westerham Brewery - Family Stout 4.5%

Ciders at Eridge:
Dudda's Tun - Blackcurrant 4.0%
Dudda's Tun - Spiced 4.0%
Please note, this is not the same scale as the CAMRA Real Ale & Cider Festival in October and there will be no bars at Tunbridge Wells West, Groombridge or on Set CIG.

Fish & Chip Supper
On Saturday 21st March, we're running one of our popular Fish & Chip Supper trains, this is either a separate stand alone ticket, valid from 19:00 on the day or you can buy a combined Day Rover and Fish & Chip Supper ticket. It is just £25 to buy a combined ticket which is all day travel plus an evening meal delivered to you at a selected table! It is otherwise if purchased as a stand alone product £15 so a saving of £5 when combining the two tickets otherwise.

Evening services will be hauled by Class 20 D8188 at the Tunbridge Wells end and Class 31/4 31430 'Sister Dora' at the Eridge end.

Ales on Rails
It wouldn't be a Diesel event without the evening beer trains, the visiting Class 20 and resident Class 31 are the two locos to power the trains into the evening and you can join us on board for just £10 and enjoy the fine selection of real ales (and ciders!) we have on offer and your first pint is free!
Driver for a Tenner
Take a driver for just a Tenner on some of our locomotives at Eridge and Tunbridge Wells West! You can have a go at driving one of these powerful machines a short distance, you never know, it might just be the drive you need to get your volunteering started at the Spa Valley Railway.

Brake Van Rides
You can take a ride behind Drewry 2591 'Southerham', Class 10 D3489 'Colonel Tomline' and Class 20 D8188 at 09:30 from Tunbridge Wells West to Eridge and return, just £3 extra on top of a Rover ticket (so £18 total) with all takings going towards the railways upkeep!

Timetable
Tunbridge Wells West Departures:
Saturday 09:30 (pre-booked Brake Van ride), 10:00 and then every 45 minutes until 21:15. Sunday 10:00 and then every 45 minutes until 16:45.
Eridge Departures:
Saturday 10:00 and then every 45 minutes until 21:15 and then the last departure is 21:50. Sunday 10:45 and then every 45 minutes until 16:45 and then last departure is 17:20.