Bluebell Railway Giants of Steam 17th-19th October 2025

Visiting locos
60163 Tornado
2999 "Lady of Legend'
6880 "Betton Grange"

Home fleet
32424 "Beachy Head"

Webpage: https://www.bluebell-railway.com/sp...qLA47HMHImYFpOGZIw_aem_fk4urtZPV2Uk9r0KCcjHpQ

 

Wowzers

 

Any bets on Tornado being available?

 

I love everything about this, and if my union doesn't go on strike in the next couple of months, I am going to do everything I can to make this year a 2 trip to England one to attend this. Seen Tornado, seeing Lady of Legend, Beachy Head and Betton Grange (who i've been covenanting to for something like 15 years now, every little bit helps) together would be fantastic if my finances allow me to be frivolous!!

Cheers,

Stephen

 

I didn't believe it at first.
Still trying to comprehend it now.
All in all, it truly does look a marvellous event, perhaps they will plan to run another giant just to bulk out the numbers as well.
Five is the perfect amount for this event.

 

If the theme is new builds then the obvious 5th candidate would be 9351 from Minehead. Alternatively (and reasonably in my opinion) they may have judged that 3 high profile visitors to complement their high profile Beachy Head will in and of itself be a satisfactory, unique, attractive enough line up. It's a bit like a few years ago when the Severn Valley brought Tornado and Scotsman together for the first time at their Pacific Power gala - they had fewer other locos in action because the attraction of the guests they had and their relation to each other was enough of a draw that they didn't need to complicate the operation or timetable (or eat into their profit margin) by running more locos and more trains.

 

I have no inside information, but I suspect we'd want five locos to run the service. There are four paths, but a fifth loco enables you to swap things round through the day, and double head from time to time - I'm sure the Saint / Grange double header would be thought of, but that means a fifth loco.

I'd bet on that fifth loco being one of our own - choose from 34059, 73082 or 6989. (And possibly Fenchurch out and about just - well, just because).

Tom

 

Fenchurch is a Giant of Steam...just in character rather than stature

Wouldn't the Q hopefully be back by then as well?

 

34059 would fit in with the theme of new builds/rebuilds, although it was re-built somewhat earlier than the others.

 

Being purely selfish in locomotives is like to see, twist the theme to the newest with one of the oldest to recently return to steam and invite LSWR 563 from Swanage so I can see our ex guest in Toronto in steam too!

Yes, I’m being silly, but that feels good sometimes!

Stephen Gardiner
Toronto, ON, Canada

 

There is a difference of course in that 9351 is of a class that never actually existed (although I believe drawings were done at Swindon). The Saint, Grange and A1 are re-creations of classes that very much did exist.

 

I think having four visiting locos (three of which would require a double lorry move to arrive, and the last a rail move) is probably pushing the budget too far. I'm pretty sure we would have five main locos for the event, but the (so far unannounced) fifth one would be home fleet.

Tom

 

True... then again, Std 5's were seen on SR/GWR/LNER metals, so Camelot would be a good 5th engine.
Perhaps even the engine that binds the 3 guests and Beachy Head together.

 

At the risk of diverging from the newbuild theme, we could have a mini GWR 4-6-0 gala with a modified hall, grange and saint if 6989 is used....

 

Could a Castle, King and Star be found…although that would definitely not be “mini”!

 

Agreed Tom, from what I've picked up about the cost of lorry moves these days care has to be taken with how many are really needed to bring in locos to make an event a total success.

And from the various reactions I've seen online I supect your current line up, with another large loco from the Bluebell, will fill the car parks and trains for the entire event. And hopefully the coffers too, with all those just linesiding also contributing, as I know some already do as a matter of course.

Not a G.O.S. for me this year. And at present I'm still hoping for SR (LM) 41313 on appropriate rolling stock (ie close to 1960s Swanage and Lymington branches) on 14 or 15 March will get me to HK for my only 'event trip' to the Bluebell this year. At present 16 March, the third day of the Branch Line Gala, is already taken in my diary.

Bryan

 

Yes, 34059 would be the best "Home fleet" member to add to the gala line-up. It's obviously not a new build but if the Bluebell gave a sub-title to the gala as "Classes of locos no one expected to see again after 1968", it would fit this theme perfectly as no rebuilt Light Pacific went straight into preservation. 34010/16/27/28/39/46/53/58/59/101 all owe their survival to Dai Woodham. Obviously, for practical reasons, the Bluebell may prefer to use a different home fleet loco, but I think you have made a good point.

 

I see there is a steam hauled Northern Belle that weekend (Tornado now shows in the loco pool on the NB website). Will that now make its visit less sure at the moment?

 

I would imagine that Tornado being booked for the GoS weekend means it has simultaneously been made unavailable for the Northern Belle and the Northern Belle Passengers will be lumped with Scotsman or Tangmere. I would be very surprised if Tornado's GoS booking was cancelled for it to do the Northern Belle. Then again, some people have such a low view of the A1SLT at the moment they might not be surprised!

 

Who would you think are more important a train full of up market diners or a bunch of rail enthusiasts? I would say the former (and I am a Bluebell member).