Bluebell Railway | 32424 Beachy Head Steams - 23rd August-1st September 2024

Just seen the Bluebell post on Facebook that, following on from running as fellow Bluebell classmate 80100 at the Branch Line Weekend, 80151 will be adopting the identity of Brighton Works final locomotive, 80154, during the Brighton Works Weekend.

 

I was going to give this whole 32424 event, including the Brighton Works weekend a miss, as these days I much prefer to visit the Bluebell on the quieter days - it's just the way I am, nothing against a heritage line I've been visiting and very much enjoying for over 59 years. Spending most of my time these days at the usual tranquillity of Horsted Keynes.

But I will make exceptions for locos that I really would like to photograph and travel behind - and 80151 working as 80154 has just grabbed my attention. In December 1966 I was waiting on the platform at Waterloo for the stock of the 15.30 to Bournemouth to arrive, and in it came hauled by 80154 - but it stopped a bit short in the platform so I jumped into the nearest coach and got the restart and then the final stop in the platform. And yes, I did time the resulting creep up the platform to the final stop!

So, to help me choose the day I come to the Bluebell for the three days 80154 will be in service, it would help a great deal if anyone can please let me know what the rolling stock will be for trains A, B, C and D, if that has yet been decided of course. I'd like to see/travel behind it in appropriate rolling stock if at all possible - and I promise to wait until it has fully come to stand in the platform before I attempt to board the train! Many thanks in advance.

Maybe @Jamessquared might know?

Bryan B

 

For @The Gricing Owl and others, I have https://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/pti/index.html bookmarked to provide precisely this.

 

That is a very helpful link, that I have just booked marked too!

Many thanks for posting it here.

Bryan B

 

ok but thus doesn’t show the sets for the Built at Brighton event

 

It's updated normally every Thursday/Friday for the weekend and the following week

 

The weekly traffic notice always includes the carriages which is normally published on Thursday for the following Saturday onwards. I assume the person doing the PTI page uses that source.

Often carriage sets are published on gala timetables in advance, so not sure why not here. But at a guess my hunch would be:

• 34059 - six coach Mark 1 set
• 32424 - five coach set with one of the wheelchair-accessible Mark 1s, and probably the remainder Mark 1s or Bulleids
• 80151 - six coach mixed Maunsells and the SR pre-group carriages
• 72 - two metropolitans plus either the four wheelers or the LNWR Obo.

But that’s a complete guess at this point! We seem to like carriage shunting, so there isn’t much of a concept of fixed carriage formations chez nous.

Tom

 

Thanks but trains hauled by the Atlantic are advertised to have a RMB and surely are more likely to be 6 as they will be the most popular?

 

6 is above the load limit.

Tom

 

Ok. Are the carriage sets available yet? Thanks

 

@The Gricing Owl

(All sets listed South --> North)

Note that Sets GA (Golden Arrow) and WR (Wealden Rambler) are for pre-booked dining services.

Wheelchair access is available on Set A (4941); Set C (3360) and Set GA (54).

Friday 23 August:

Set A (32424): 1503-21246-4941-1818-25728 (LNWR Obo + green Mark 1s)
Set B (34059): 2526-5768-6686-1336-1309 (green Bulleids + SR Maunsells)
Set C: (72) 114-3360-3188-1098 (LCDR 4 wheelers + SE&CR 100 seater)
Set GA (32424 - evening): 54-32975-175-64 (Pullmans)

Saturday 24 August (Brighton Works Weekend):

Set A (32424): 1503-21246-4941-1818-25728 (LNWR Obo + Mark 1s)
Set B (34059): 2526-5768-6686-1336-1309 (Bulleids + SR Maunsells)
Set C (72): 114-3360-3188-1098 (LCDR 4 wheelers + SE&CR 100 seater)
Set D (80151): 3064-35207-34556-3069-16012-4957 (Mark 1s - Crimson and Cream)

Sunday 25 August (Brighton Works Weekend):

Set A (32424): 1503-21246-4941-1818-25728 (LNWR Obo + Mark 1s)
Set B (80151+72): 2526-5768-6686-1336-1309 (Bulleids + SR Maunsells)
Set GA (34059): 54-32975-175-64 (Pullmans)

Monday 26 August (Brighton Works Weekend):

Set A (32424): 1503-21246-4941-1818-25728 (LNWR Obo + Mark 1s)
Set B (34059): 2526-5768-6686-1336-1309 (Bulleids + SR Maunsells)
Set C (72): 114-3360-3188-1098 (LCDR 4 wheelers + SE&CR 100 seater)
Set D (80151): 3064-35207-34556-3069-16012-4957 (Mark 1s - Crimson and Cream)

Tuesday 27 August and Wednesday 28 August:

Set A (32424): 1503-21246-4941-1818-25728 (LNWR Obo + Mark 1s)
Set B (34059): 2526-5768-6686-1336-1309 (Bulleids + SR Maunsells)
Set C (72): 114-3360-3188-1098 (LCDR 4 wheelers + SE&CR 100 seater)

Thursday 29 August:

Set A (32424): 1503-21246-4941-1818-25728 (LNWR Obo + Mark 1s)
Set B (34059): 2526-5768-6686-1336-1309 (Bulleids + SR Maunsells)
Set C (72): 114-3360-3188-1098 (LCDR 4 wheelers + SE&CR 100 seater)
Set WR (32424 - lunchtime): 3064-35207-34556-3069 (Mark 1s - Crimson and Cream)

Friday 30 August:

Set A (32424): 1503-21246-4941-1818-25728 (LNWR Obo + Mark 1s)
Set B (34059): 2526-5768-6686-1336-1309 (Bulleids + SR Maunsells)
Set C (72): 114-3360-3188-1098 (LCDR 4 wheelers + SE&CR 100 seater)
Set GA (34059 - evening): 54-32975-175-64 (Pullmans)

Tom

 

Edit to add: I made a mistake above (now corrected) - Set B is Bulleids and Maunsells.

Tom

 

Many thanks Tom. 80154 is my 'target' loco and with a train of MK1s will do fine for me Saturday and /or Monday. Other locos will be available - I am led to believe!

Bryan

 

@Jamessquared re a possible re-numbering of the one loco scheduled for the Brighton Works weekend currently not with a BR SR number.

Tom, hopefully 80151 will still be renumbered 80154 for the three days of that part of the event.

Which leaves 32636 (aka 72) as the loco you mentioned as possibly renumbered?

Bryan B

 

Yes, so think a bit laterally of how it could fit the event theme and also meet your BR numbering criterion …

(It may not happen, but the crew rosters had it renumbered. But unlike 80151(4), there hasn’t been any social media to confirm, so it may just have been an early idea).

Tom

 

Thanks Tom, all will bcome clear on the day(s)!

Bryan

 

I had an enjoyable Friday at this. It surprised me how quiet it was both on the trains and around the stations given the importance of the event.

Hopefully the weekends trains will be a little bit busier.

32424 is certainly a lovely sounding bit of kit!

Andrew

 

I think that the miserable weather may affect the attendance figures today. Really heavy rain falls forecast for the Bluebell area today. We were going to visit today but will now be coming tomorrow.
Also, I think a lot of families have gone away for the school holidays as I have noticed it has been really quiet in several places I have visited during August.

Sent from my XQ-BT52 using Tapatalk

 

Arrived at EG a few minutes late which was good considering the weather.

 

Quiet at first mainly enthusiasts, but has got busier with families looking for something to do on a wet day.