Bluebell Northern Extension - so what's occurring then?

Not true at all. Actually if our experience of recent times is anything to go by the Bluebell should be encouraged about the connection with the mainline. It is common now for Alton to take as much in ticket sales as Alresford particularly on weekends. The pattern of travel has shifted very significantly in perhaps the last 3 years. I suspect fuel costs may have something to do with that, but that is speculation on my part.

 

That backs up my own experience when I have visited the MHR. Its such a nice train journey from town now that I leave the car behind. East Grinstead is 20 minutes closer to a London terminus than Alton, so it should also get significant visitors by rail.

 

From what was said at the AGM, it sounded like midweek, the focus will remain on SP, since that is where the major car parks etc are; and there is a large amount of traffic that derives from coach parties / school parties etc. That is also why in the proposed off-peak mid-week timetable, it is more or less the same as now, give or take 30 minutes on the timings of later trains.

At weekends, and midweek peak, it is felt that there will be much more possibility of traffic originating at EG; hence the early start from EG and possible late return meaning that it is viable to join the train at EG and have e.g. a day out at SP Gardens. (If you get the 10:30 from EG, you'd arrive at SP at about 11:15 and wouldn't need to catch a train back until 5pm, leaving plenty of time to visit surrounding attractions). Thus there are plans for marketing effort in London to encourage people to travel via EG; I think there are also plans for joint marketing efforts with SP Gardens and other local attractions.

There will still of course be major traffic originating at SP even at weekends. But with the times proposed, if you wanted a day on the railway, visiting the museum and engine sheds, taking a couple of trips up and down - what you might call the "railway enthusiast" ideal day out, i.e. someone wanting to spend a whole day at the railway - that will now easily be possible starting at EG. On our current timetable, anyone wanting a whole day out at the railway actually had a pretty limited time if they wanted to start at Kingscote - 12pm first down departure (arriving about 12:30 at SP) and needing to return at 4pm. That option is massively improved on the new service.

Tom

 

Has a regular vintage bus link from SP station to the gardens been considered? This could be one opening to develop non-enthusiast traffic starting at EG (or further north). The gardens are really stunning, particularly during the autumn, and it would be great if the Bluebell could tap into this traffic. It could be a win/win situation for both the railway and the gardens. I have walked from the station to the gardens, but I think it's about 3/4 of a mile, and the A275 can be a a rather busy road, so all in all, sufficient to deter the non-energetic.

 

I think it was mentioned at the AGM (it's all getting into the dim and distant past now!) as an option being explored. I think there were also other possibilities for "tours": SP gardens isn't the only local attraction of that kind. For example, on the current list of special events, there is a tour being promoted by the railway (i.e. at the railway's risk) that involves a cream tea train and a vintage coach tour around the Ashdown Forest including a visit to Pooh Bridge. (Pooh Bridge Excursion - Special Events) If that bit of toe dabbling proves popular, I'd expect to see a bigger programme of such events being advertised to the London tourist market.

Tom

 

I'm sure there used to be through tickets to the railway a few years ago, but I can't see any mention on the Bluebell website.

 

Yes - it's worth mentioning that the "RAT" (Real Ale Train") which now runs weekly and is always fully booked - picks up a lot of passengers (perhaps more than a hundred per trip) at Alton who travel from the London direction by rail. The connection is excellent but is no better than what should be possible at East Grinstead. I am told that for those homegoing Londoners using the SouthWest Trains connection the atmosphere on the train remains very pleasantly buoyant all the way! Perhaps SWT should think of a way of continuing the party

 

Yes that was my experience of the trip home

 

Well I am very happy to be proved wrong,my comment was made based on completely random observations at Alton. I am sure a good share of passengers start from Alton,but in the absence of through bookings,how can you know how many actually arrive by SWT(other than counting how many get off & then cross the footbridge)?. As a matter of interest,are you able to say why through bookings were abolished,you would think that SWT could do with a few extra punters on the Alton line particularly at weekends when trains are very lightly loaded beyond Farnham in particular

 

Last time I went to the Mid Hants, the connection from SWT to the MHR was -5 minutes, i.e. 55 minutes on an hourly service for a lot of Sunday.
In contrast, the Spa Valley Railway seem to take a lot of care over their connections with Southern and when I've done that connection, there have always been others doing it as well. I've even seen them wait when Southern were a little delayed.

 

There are quite a few gardens in the area where the Bluebell is for those interested. Sheffield Park itself, Borde Hill just outside Haywards Heath, Wakehurst Place just outside Ardingly, Standen just outside East Grinstead (although the 473 Bus from Kingscote has the option of stopping there heading into East Grinstead) and Nymans in Handcross near Crawley. There are probably others as well.

 

Latest official news update is on the Bluebell website: Bluebell Railway - East Grinstead Extension Progress with photos from the cutting looking south where ground levels are being raised to the new gradient, and others showing the mammoth amount of work that has taken place relaying the north end of Kingscote.

Oh, and not NEP related, but while all that work has been going on, more has taken place with the Kingscote Goods Yard project, where the cattle pens have been reinstated: Bluebell Railway - Kingscote Goods Yard Project

Tom

 

A couple of new videos on YouTube (not mine):

Imberhorne Lane Works - Work on Tip at Imberhorne Lane - YouTube

Kingscote Track Work (including new Y-turnout) - Kingscote track layout - YouTube

 

U-boat 1638 tested the new point work out at 6.30pm last night, and then successfully completed a run round at 10.00pm, It would be safe to say the work went well, a little fettling and it'll be complete soon!

 

SWT taking too large a cut for the booking facility I think.

You are correct that it is difficult to tell what proportion arrive by train, but by inspection I would guess somewhere close to half overall.

 

An updated appeal video has been produced. Track down and crew training by the end of the year, a tantalising prospect! Bluebell Railway Extension Appeal 2012 - Funding for the Finish - YouTube

 

I can't help but being impressed by those professional appeal videos. Is the presenter a Bluebell member as well?

 

Yes, Nicholas Owen is a member, as is captioned on the video. Having met him on a train journey in the Czech Republic 10 years ago (the Majestic Imperator), he's a keen railway enthusiast, so puts his particular skills to the best use possible for the railway, which does mean the videos are indeed very professional.

Meanwhile, I notice Philpot is being very critical of the lack of progress on the ground, but I'm not sure what on earth the railway is supposed to do given the dreadful weather we've had in the last few weeks.

 

Indeed, watching Mr Owen's video and listening to the Bluebell chap in charge it does make sense, and no doubt the wet weather has put them behind schedule. Mr Philpot is getting impatient, but needs to leave it to those in charge to progress matters on-site. (no criticism of Mr P. by the way, he is doing a good job with his website updates).

 

I don't mind you criticising me - I often deserve it - but do feel that progress is dreadfully slow and I don't think that you can only blame the weather. There just seems to me a general lack of "get up and go" in the area as well as an apparent lack of taking an opportunity to work when the weather is fine. There are parts of the site that are reasonably dry and I am sure able to bear the weight of machines (and I write this with some inside knowledge).

I am perhaps even more critical of the area that has been refilled with waste and again turned into a swimming pool. Remember the railway paid for waste to be transported north and have now refilled the same area and because they did not put in a drain pipe (there are already suitable pipes in the immediate area) allowed considerable flooding, can that be good planning?

PLEASE remember that I am not being critical for the sake of it, I am trying to act as the voice of the many people who stop their cars and lorries and take a look at the progress - even on a quiet day that's probably 1 or 2 every hour - at weekends it must be triple that. They talk to me, ask why there is nothing going on, then criticise organisation and progress, and when I hear that several times in a day I tend to write a critical review. There is after all nowhere else that people's voices can be heard is there?

My main complaint though is and has always been the lack of up to date information (in particular pictures of the work when there was work to show, the stated reason being that "nobody was interested") and if the information flow has improved lately think that maybe I can take just a little of the credit.

I would dearly like to be able to report excellent progress (as I have done in the past when there was excellent progress and my site had 4000 visitors and 80,000 hits in a single day) and just hope that I will soon be able to do so again.