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Bluebell Railway East Grinstead Opening Gala - SPring 2013

Discussion in 'Galas and Events' started by Jamessquared, Nov 18, 2012.

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  1. A1X

    A1X Well-Known Member

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    Photos from yesterday - East Grinstead Opening Weekend - March 2013 - Railway Galleries

    Video from yesterday - 2013 Bluebell Railway East Grinstead reopening weekend - YouTube
     
    A1X, Mar 25, 2013
    #181
  2. alts1985

    alts1985 Well-Known Member

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    alts1985, Mar 25, 2013
    #182
  3. alts1985

    alts1985 Well-Known Member

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    alts1985, Mar 26, 2013
    #183
  4. E-G Media

    E-G Media New Member

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    My video of the first train on Saturday...

    [video=youtube;GD6VxiB1WpU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD6VxiB1WpU[/video]
     
    E-G Media, Mar 26, 2013
    #184
  5. David-Haggar

    David-Haggar Member

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    David-Haggar, Mar 27, 2013
    #185
  6. alts1985

    alts1985 Well-Known Member

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    alts1985, Mar 27, 2013
    #186
  7. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    So now it is official: there is a class 66 roaming free on the national network with "Let Steam Flourish" (Floreat Vapor) inscribed on its side!

    Photos (from John Sandys) of the official naming of 66739 here:

    1st Through Train, Thurs, 28/03/13 - a set on Flickr

    Afterwards, the two class 73s (73207 and 73???) ran an all-line charter with some Bluebell rolling stock, including the GN saloon(!) and Birch Grove on the back providing steam heat (!!) - thus providing the somewhat unlikely trippleheader on the way down of 73 + 73 + E4!

    This was the first through public charter from the national network to the Bluebell since, I believe, 1963, when Caley 123 and T9 120 came in via Ardingly on "The Blue Belle". For today's charter, Birch Grove carried what I believe was the original headboard from that day all but fifty years ago.

    Edit: I think there was one more charter via Ardingly (from Brighton) after that one, with 55 and 473, but still in 1963.

    Tom
     
    Jamessquared, Mar 28, 2013
    #187
  8. tom92240

    tom92240 Part of the furniture

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    73119 is your missing identity, and as for the headboard:

    [​IMG]
     
    tom92240, Mar 28, 2013
    #188
  9. alts1985

    alts1985 Well-Known Member

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    alts1985, Mar 28, 2013
    #189
  10. A1X

    A1X Well-Known Member

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    A1X, Mar 28, 2013
    #190
  11. seawright

    seawright New Member

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    I assume that the generator car behind the class 66 on the rail tour is for train heating but can anyone direct me to the spec. of this vehicle and how common they are? Does anyone know if there are/were similar cars for providing steam heating?
     
    seawright, Mar 29, 2013
    #191
  12. Dan Hill

    Dan Hill Part of the furniture

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    After seeing some of the videos from yesterday I'm really anticipating the first through steam charter whenever that may be. Yesterday must have had one of the most unsual triple headers ever musn't it with the 2 Class 73's on the front of B473.
     
    Dan Hill, Mar 29, 2013
    #192
  13. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    Paul42, Mar 29, 2013
    #193
  14. desperado

    desperado Member

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    Well I had a good day at the gala yesterday. It was cold but not as bad as I'd been expecting - partly due to the lack of wind chill. The 73s did what they were supposed to do - which was what I paid for. Hopefully 33103 will get an opportunity to do a passenger train before it leaves.

    I guess it's because of the angle but the pictures really don't convey how deep the cutting feels when you're going though it on a train. They also don't convey how much rubbish is visible in the cutting walls where they aren't covered up.

    Things were a bit tense at the start due to a bridge strike at Oxted and the train down from London being 15 minutes late leaving a very tight connection.
    Fortunately the connection made (just) although the Bluebell train was the vintage set and was full. The staff were trying to persuade people coming off the national rail train not to get on which didn't go down well with the people I spoke to. I can understand why but East Grinstead doesn't have any facilities to amuse yourself while waiting.

    JP
     
    desperado, Mar 29, 2013
    #194
  15. tom92240

    tom92240 Part of the furniture

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    Yesterday was a day of many firsts for us, and I think the decision earlier in the week to downsize the second set didn't work well on that day, as it was full and standing when I saw it at Horsted, whilst my set (the corridor train) was virtually empty!

    Further to that the GBRf drivers were very cautious heading from EG to SP which caused a delay to train services, followed by some brake issues on the 73's shunting the set out of the Horsted Yard, a signalling issue at HK etc. We had it all!

    All in all, by my last train of the night leaving EG, we were all back on time, but there were some tense moments of passengers stuck at KC wanting to get back to their tour at HK and nothing was moving at all!
     
    tom92240, Mar 29, 2013
    #195
  16. A1X

    A1X Well-Known Member

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    A1X, Mar 29, 2013
    #196
  17. alts1985

    alts1985 Well-Known Member

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    I wondered what was going on as when I was at West Hoathly as the U went up pretty much on time so I thought things were back on schedule then nothing turned up for ages so I assumed the railtour would run ahead but it didn't, gave the two steam services a chance to stretch their legs a touch though. Some photos from Wednesday and Thursday... Bluebell Railway 2013 - a set on Flickr
     
    alts1985, Mar 29, 2013
    #197
  18. A1X

    A1X Well-Known Member

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    True that Ashley, that H class in particular was really shifting, not seen something that small move that quickly for a while!
     
    A1X, Mar 29, 2013
    #198
  19. tom92240

    tom92240 Part of the furniture

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    They had little choice but to run my train (the U) down to Horsted as it was full of railtour passengers! Subsequently had to send the H up to Kingscote and terminate it to allow space for my train and space at Grinstead for the tour. The tour managed to get onto NR metals on time which was a relief!
     
    tom92240, Mar 30, 2013
    #199
  20. desperado

    desperado Member

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    During the big pause at Horsted while nothing moved, there was talk that the H had terminated but nobody could work out where they would put it. And then it left for Kingscote with people on it. If the H terminated at Kingscote, wouldn't that have been a huge gap in services to/from East Grinstead? Wasn't the next one the U on the 1700 from Sheffield Park, 1800-ish from East Grinstead?
     
    desperado, Mar 30, 2013
    #200
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