It is just over a week since the doors closed on what I am led to believe was the world’s largest ever temporary gathering of railway vehicles from the earliest of modern railway history (1825) to the very latest in futuristic railway technology.   I am told this monumental extravaganza was the brainchild of a 25 year old employee at Alstom, Derby Litchgate Works, disillusioned with the lacklustre sense of occasion portrayed by the fragmented railway industry in general.  He started to garner the interest of close colleagues and suggested to the C.E.O. of Derby works the idea of a massive open day, showcasing Alstom as a train manufacturer as well as staging the greatest railway show ever.  All that was a little over eighteen months ago.  When announced, eventually, my only misgivings were the crowds making photography at this once in a lifetime event difficult.   If I could obtain a ticket, I would enjoy the day as if watching an opera, without the urge to photograph everything.   Over the months, the list of rolling stock exhibits grew, reminding me of the phenomenal and plenteous achievements in the preservation movement.   I retired from the industry just before technical sophistication beyond my imagination would become the norm.  

The Buxton line from Hazel Grove continues to be serviced by late 1980s Class 150 and 156 D.M.Us. (two car diesel trains which can be coupled into four car sets, each car housing its own diesel engine undreneath the carriage). Even they have been retrofitted with digital customer information screens and A.I. station announcements in an unconvincing northern accent!  The signalling remains mechanical semaphore, offering Absolute Block Working, one train in section at a time.  

I missed a trick!   My Greatest Gathering experience spanned three days.  There was the railtour from Crewe on Thursday afternoon, allowing some couple of hours to wander around the not yet fully set up exhibition, though that wasn’t obvious at the time.  Then there was the main day, August 1st, for which I had an ordinary ticket.  Unexpectedly, I had the opportunity to return the following day, which was kind of a business trip, for which Clive very kindly provided transport in both directions.  Because of engineering works, there was no practical public transport alternative, not even by bus.  None that I could ascertain anyway.  What I should have anticipated and made time to witness was the spectacular dispersal of the exhibits over the next few days. Looking at some YouTube videos posted immediately after the event, Derby Station seemed to be the place for witnessing the numerous exhibits as they were dispatched to their next destination.  

I don’t know about anybody else.  The Greatest Gathering was massive, far too big for me to take in, even over the three consecutive days I was there.  Although because I mislaid this device on my third day there, I must have covered around 40,000 steps.  My phone was recovered surprisingly quickly by a very on the ball stewardess, Linda, who managed to recognise me out of c14,000 visitors with scant information of what I was wearing and carrying towards a trade stand. 

I was surprised at the unexpected closing time of 16.00 hrs.  I’m sure it was later the day before.  Being by now exhausted, I wasn’t too sorry to head for where my transport was waiting, a snazzy Mazda CX5 with the roof down. 

My luck at a couple of raffles I patronised didn’t materialise.  My win rate is probably above average. But not this time.  But I did get my phone back!

David Nevell,  16.55 hrs  12/8/25.