Bluebell Railway Giants of Steam, 28th-30th October 2016.

In the latest issue of The Railway Magazine (out today) there is an advert for the Bluebell Steam Gala (GoS) in October.

- B12 8572 is listed as a visiting loco.
- 70000 Britannia is also listed but for some reason she is grouped with the home fleet rather than being shown
as a visiting loco. Is 70000 moving to the Bluebell to work out the rest of her boiler ticket I wonder?
Can't find anything confirmed about the loco's for the event on the Bluebell website yet.
I really enjoyed last years event and I am intending to visit this year so can anyone from the Bluebell confirm
or deny the info in the advert?

The line-up as shown in the advert is as follows:
Visiting Loco:
8572

Home Fleet:
847
30541
73082
70000

 

The Bluebell do not usually announce locos until contracts signed.

I have read a 4-6-0 had been booked, but contract not signed on the Bluebell yahoo group, and a Pacific coming by rail was dependant on gauging.

 

One of the Brits was booked to appear last year but was withdrawn at the last minute, I would imagine that was 70000 given the replacement was another Hosking locomotive (4464).

 

It might be 3rd time lucky with 70000 which was also booked for the opening of the extension to East Grinstead.

 

Excellent - my favourite engine at my favourite line (fingers crossed!). Hopefully this means the wheelset repairs are well advanced at Crewe.

Regards,

Dan

 

Nothing on the Bluebell website as at 8.40PM this evening. The B12 and Britannia would, I am sure, both be very popular visitors. Pity the quad-arts can't come along with the former!

Given that we haven't done too well for main line steam in the south of England this year (60163 and the BP excepted), the three big ex-SR lines are all offering some very tempting galas this autumn.

 

The official Bluebell Facebook page replied to someone on Monday asking about visitors for Giants and said that one loco is pretty much certain and they were negotiating for a second. They also said a week or two ago that one visitor lined up was a very fine 4-6-0 and options were being followed up on a Pacific. I guess 8572 and 70000 fit the bill and if it is an official advert in The Railway Magazine I guess it probably will be both these locos.

8572 would be a great guest loco and would look good with the GNR Saloon behind it. And if the other is 70000 then fingers crossed all goes well this time, as the Bluebell seem to have difficulty in getting Brits to the line as 70013 was supposedly booked for Giants in 2010 but sadly something prevented it coming (I forget what it was though and did eventually arrive at the head of a railtour in 2013) and 70000 was booked for both the East Grinstead opening Gala in 2013 and Giants last year.

It could be a mistake that 70000 is listed as a resident loco but I guess its possible it could do a Bittern and see out its ticket on a preserved line but suspect that LSL might use the Bluebell to bed the loco back in again before sending it back to Southall to resume mainline running once again.

 

Thinking about it if the Pacific is 70000 would she need to be gauged as 70013 has been down before and I think 70000 was already gauged when she was due to visit in 2013? Or is it a case of the loco needing to be re-gauged as a precaution to any engineering work that might have taken place on the route since?

 

Yes since once gauged it is only for one year. The track or structures could have moved, not just engineering works.

 

Thanks Paul when I said engineering works I meant stuff like track possibly being moved.

I see the Bluebell Facebook page has created a Giants of Steam Facebook Event which mentions 8572 visiting but 70000 isn't listed but 30541, 847 and 73082 are. However that's the only confirmation on the Facebook page and still nothing on the Bluebell news page or event page on the website, but at least it looks like 8572 is coming which is great news as its a loco I've never had the chance of seeing before.

 

From the Bluebell email news letter received this evening

" Our next loco-themed special event is "Giants of Steam" at the end of October. Our special visitor will be the Midland and Great Northern Society LNER B12. This loco, based at the North Norfolk Railway, will be running all three days, alongside our own "giants" and another visiting loco. "

 

The Bluebell Facebook say that it's hoped 70013 Oliver Cromwell will be the second visitor but is awaiting final confirmation.

 

This month's Heritage Railway issue 220, has an ad' for the Giants of Steam on page 99, which clearly lists

"British Railways Standard Class 7 number 70000 Britannia" as one of the Locomotives in steam.......... ?

 

This is obviously an error, my best guess is that the person tasked with compiling the advert for publication did a "cut and paste" of last years advert as a template for this years version (when until one week prior to the gala Britannia was expected to be there) and failed to delete the reference to Britannia!

 

I've probably asked this in previous years, but does the Bluebell not do multi-day tickets for Gala weekends?

 

The website page has been updated to include a downloadable "catering arrangements" document, outlining that the Pullmans will once again be on set A, with "At the sign of the White Horse" on set D. Hopefully this year the latter will be formed of 6 coaches, rather than the 4 coach Wealden Rambler set that was used last year - it got very overcrowded, particularly on the Saturday.

 

Could easily have stuck the LSWR brake on the back too for a 5 coacher, might not have been the best looking thing but would have helped.

 

Not by much. While a fine looking coach, at least half of it is taken up by non passenger areas leaving just 4 compartments (two of which seat less than the other two due to the door to the Lavatory compartment taking up seats)

 

True, but better than nothing

 

70013 confirmed in email news letter.