Bluebell 50

Hi everyone;

There is now a Facebook event up for our 50th Anniversary Celebrations
http://www.facebook.com/bluebellrailway?ref=nf#!/event.php?eid=105047576197956&index=1
More details will be added when known and if you have any questions ask away and the organisers will do their best to answer!


And details of the visit of Tornado and Furness 20 are now online too:
http://www.facebook.com/bluebellrai...ornado-and-furness-railway-20/108821269149259


Plus at the moment there's a competition too!
http://www.facebook.com/bluebellrailway

 

Just received the press release with more information about the 50th Anniversary Gala, 6-8 August 2010:

***
As the Bluebell Railway celebrates 50 years of running the first privately preserved steam passenger railway in England, August the 7th to be exact, there will be a weekend of activities including the visit of guest locomotive "Furness 20" the oldest working standard gauge steam engine in Britain. This engine was built in 1863 in Manchester.

There will be an intensive service all weekend starting on Friday 6th from. approx 10.a.m It will also be possible for a supplement of £5 to travel from Kingscote, in the observation car, behind Furness, to view the most southerly part of the municipal tip blocking the track into East Grinstead.

On Saturday and Sunday, there will be a Special Vintage Bus Tour of the old line from Kingscote to East Grinstead which will include travelling under ten arch Hill Place Viaduct.

At Sheffield Park, there will be model railways to visit, an opportunity to view from the pit in the engine shed, locomotive "Stowe" together with a line up of Maunsell locomotives to view. The Bessemer Arms Restaurant and Bar will be open all weekend.

At Horsted Keynes Station there will be a Railway Bazaar and Real Ale Bar open, in the paddock. The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway locomotive "Typhoon" and coach will be giving rides in the carriage and wagon department. There will also be behind the scenes tours of the carriage shed and many static locomotives to view. Blue Circle, also a visiting locomotive, will be on show.

On Saturday, 7th August there will be a special Pullman breakfast Service leaving at 9.0.a.m. This will be for first class ticket holders plus a £20 supplement. Booking for this is essential and should be done through the Sales and Information Office at Sheffield Park on 01825 720800

The whole weekend will have a grand finale with a cavalcade of steam on Sunday afternoon.

More detailed information may also be available through the web-site www.bluebell-railway.com
***
There's also details of a major display of Loco Nameplates which is being mounted at Horsted Keynes, complete with the chance to bring along your own railwayana for free valuation.
http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/events/2010/nameplates.html

Regards,
Richard

 

Thanks for the info Richard, much appreciated.

 

Looks like everything working loco bar 9017 will be in steam from the pictures of the display preparartion. So thats 1638,672,55,592,FR 20, Blue Circle,B473,34059,Baxter,178,80151 and 957. Hell of a line up even without 323 and Tornado. Looking forward to this very much. Hope to go down more than once over the weekend (and possibly over the 3 days). Hope the weathers good over the weekend and hopefully Sunday for the cavalcade.

 

It's a cracking line-up. I bought tickets for both days.

 

See I might buy a Two Day rover and a single day. Saturday and Sunday are days I want to go because of the actual anniversary day being the Saturday and the Cavelcade on the Sunday but they are going to be packed so I'll try and go on the Friday as well. How much is a 2 Day Rover it was £27 before July 4th but for after there is no price and is there a members price. Thats £12 for one day

 

The ticket price matrix on the web site indicate that the 2-3 day rovers are N/A (i.e. not available) for purchase after 4th July.
http://www.bluebell-railway.com/event/50th-anniversary-celebrations/

There will be other locos in steam in addition to those listed by Dan, there's the 15" gauge Typhoon from the RHDR, which will be giving rides in the down yard at Horsted Keynes, and I think there are two other gauges of miniature railway too.

Regards,
Richard

 

Thanks Richard. So have do I have to pay £12 each day.

 

For the photographers out there, I intend to run a photo-charter with Furness No.20 and the two 4 wheeled carriages before the service trains start on Thursday 12 August. Price will be £30 for over 3 hours photography - please pm me if you're interested in attending.

Cheers,
Jon

 

If you are a BRPS Member then yes, it appears that's the ticket price (day returns act as all-day, unlimited travel tickets), and that works out cheaper than the 2-day advance purchase ticket anyway. May still be worth ringing up and booking the tickets in advance, since the level of demand we're experiencing suggests the queues in the mornings at the ticket offices will be best avoided!

 

im looking forward to it

 

Righto get to booking it then.

 

Good grief, everytime I check the Bluebell News page something has been added for the 50th. Now 80100 will be on display next to 80064! (Is it a bit weird I'm so excited about seeing a Barry engine?)

 

Timetables with loco allocations can be downloaded at the bottom of this page http://www.bluebell-railway.com/event/50th-anniversary-celebrations/

 

And by my calculations 80100 is the only loco on the Bluebell that is yet to steam in preservation. And your everytime you go on the site it has been updated.

 

78059 also hasn't steamed in Preservation

Andrew

 

At the moment there's no indication on the Bluebell's website detailing which direction will each locomotive be facing. Does anyone have that information to hand?

 

80151, Baxter, 672 and 473 face South. All others face North, including Furness no. 20. However I don't know which way Blue Circle faces.

 

Oops but like 80100 it'll be quite a while before we see it in steam.

 

Thanks for that. Looking forward to three days of intensive steam!