Sefton & West Lancs "The Greatest Gathering" Railway 200 Gala - 16mm Scale SM32 Garden Railway

Sefton & West Lancs Light Railway "The Greatest Gathering" Railway 200 Gala Farewell Anything Goes Gala 16mm Scale SM32 Garden Railway A special Anything Goes event as part of Railway 200 celebrations, which also acted as a farewell event to the Mark I Sefton & West Lancashire Light Railway. All operational locomotives made an appearance (with only Taliesin not operating its own power during the day). The final train was a recreation of the first train with Prince over the completed Mark I layout (Phase 4), this was followed by a grand line up of locomotives, 'The Greatest Gathering' at Sefton Meadows. No. 3 Rufford Hall took the first train of the day hauled by two of the S&WLLR liveried bogie carriages, followed by No. 6 Rosie taking the Penrhyn set, with a Quarryman coach, coal wagon and freshly painted Sanford brake vehicle. Midlander took over this service at Porthmelling (a name which will disappear after today). From Aughtonside Lavender brough a couple of Ffestiniog waggons down to Porthmelling yard. Prince took the first 'Wrong Lines Special' heading round Strawberry corner on its run from Sefton Meadows to Porthmelling. The train passed Talyllyn with a vintage Talyllyn train starting from Porthmelling. The Lister took a short goods up to the quarry from Porthmelling, before the Railbus W23 took the next 'Wrong Lines Special', this special taking in sidings and yard, including a run up to Aughtonside Quarry, Porthmelling yard and down siding, and a run via the run round loop and headshunt at Sefton Meadows. The next 'Wrong Lines Special' saw Rufford Hall taking the Talyllyn set, with a run including a down hill round down Abertree bank, before running round at Porthmelling and returning to Sefton Meadows via Strawberry Corner. The gravity train took a run from Aughtonside Quarry to Sefton Meadows. At Aughtonside Quarry we see some shunting with Midlander, Dandelion and the Lister. Prince took a "Woodland Wanderer" to Porthmelling, before the Greendale Fairlie returned the slate waggons to Aughtonside. Prince hauled the Last Train, which recreated the First Train on the completed Phase 4 of the railway. While the train laid over at Aughtonside, the lines locomotive fleet paraded back to Sefton Meadows, before Prince brought the final train back to Sefton Meadows. "The Greatest Gathering" featuring all operational locomotives took place at Sefton Meadows, with line ups of all locomotives taking place. We close with a look at the start of the Mark II layout, which uses the original Sefton Meadows station, with a new station throat under development and the small Ruston and Lister diesels shunting at Sefton Meadows station.