Bluebell Railway Giants of Steam 31 October 2015 - 1 November 2015

From http://www.bluebell-railway.com/event/giants-of-steam/

Join us on Saturday 31st October and Sunday 1st November for our Giants of Steam event.

• We will be joined by two visiting locomotives, Number 70000 “Britannia” and from the Mid Hants Railway, Schools Class number 925 "Cheltenham".
• Other locomotives in steam will include:
• Southern Railway S15 Class Number 847
• Southern Railway Q Class number 30541
• British Railways Standard Class 5 number 73082 “Camelot”

All locomotives are subject to availability.

There will be an intensive train service throughout the weekend between Sheffield Park, Horsted Keynes, Kingscote & East Grinstead.

Sheffield Park Station:

• Plenty of free car parking
• Bessemer Arms Restaurant
• Souvenir Shop
• Locomotive Shed on Platform One
• Museum on Platform Two

Horsted Keynes Station:

• Good Car Parking
• Station refreshment room
• Carriage & Wagon Workshop
• Carriage Shed Tours
• Cinema Room and Model Railway on Platform Two

East Grinstead Station:

• The Grinsteade Shop and Buffet
• Travel Centre
• Local buses to town centre

- See more at: http://www.bluebell-railway.com/event/giants-of-steam/#sthash.vuovKpJz.dpuf

Tom

 

Hope this means a four train service as per the opening weekend to EG, three is good but there is still a bit of a gap.

 

Have to wait and see. One suggestion I heard was a four train service but with one of them being a goods train. I think coaching stock may be at a premium to run four six-coach sets - two Mark 1 / Bulleid sets; the Maunsells / pre-grouping bogie coaches, and that only really leaves the Mets / 4 wheelers as a fourth set, which isn't exactly ideal with a Britannia or Standard 5 on the front!

Tom

 

Stick a freight behind the Q, job's a good 'un. The Maunsells will work with either 847 or 925.

 

Does anyone know if the GN directors saloon will be out during the weekend?

 

I don't know, though it frequently is out for galas and other special events.

If you are on Facebook, you could ask the question here: https://www.facebook.com/GN.Saloon/

Sounds like a plan ... You never know, if Camelot is ready you might get the Maunsells behind 847 and 925 together, because there will be five engines for four paths!

Tom

 

If that's the case make sure it's advertised so I don't waste a 500 mile trip to ride behind 541 and one two day rover less sold.
Rotating loco on a freight is fine but not sticking one loco all day on a freight turn.

 

I'll update what I know when I know. Right at this moment, Camelot hasn't been released to traffic so I suspect that although the basic timetable is probably fairly well known, loco diagrams will need to wait until there is more certainty about whether there will be four locos covering four paths, or five covering four.

Tom

 

Have to agree I have only a 300 mile round trip and to see it on a freight would be a shame and myself less likely to attend

 

I would surprised if 541 was on goods all day. Some years ago when 30777 was due to visit but didn't, the gala was still well attended because it wad 34059's first gala appearance. Hopefully there will be four passenger sets on the Saturday and they rotate the locos. It would be better to have a goods running a couple of times on Sunday, which is likely to be a quieter day, with the Q on one and the S15 on the other.

 

Is 592 going to be running.

 

It's not rostered as such - the loco roster says five big engines plus 323 as pilot.

Keep an eye on the loco roster for when 592 is rostered on other days - if you want to ride rather than just see, look for "A" or "B" in the duty. Better be quickish though, as next year will be 592's ninth year in traffic I think, so she won't be around for ever.

Tom

 

Any chance of a little spell in BR black then...?

 

Well, you could always ask ...

Though you'd have to cover the issues not only of cost and resource otherwise engaged on other projects, but also the fact that currently we have three medium engines in traffic, and routinely need two of them each weekend. So taking a third out of traffic for several weeks probably isn't prudent.

Tom

 

I wouldn't dare ask! I was once firing Morayshire at Bo'ness when a member of the carriage and wagon department popped up to ask us our opinion of the newly restored Gresley Buffet... When I suggested it would have looked better in blood and custard, I was threatened a smack with my own shovel..!

Back to the gala, great line up and hopefully I will be able to make a visit.

 

That actually sounds quite retrained in the circumstances!

Now, who is a suitable candidate to write out 100 time "Railway History did not start on 1st January 1948"?

Steven

 

How lovely would that be....31592!

Wish the E4 was still in lined BR Black.

Now where is my tin helmet....!

 

Thanks Tom. So 592 only has a 10 year certificate like all of them.

 

I'd quite like to see Birch Grove in improved engine green with name on the tanks -prototypical for "as built" condition, but she has never carried that livery in preservation. Realistically, by time that happens we may also have s held-decent take of Stroudley carriages to go with her. More "Gnats of Steam" than "Giants of Steam", though!

Tom

 

Technically it is possible to run longer than ten years - 80151 did - but it would be dependent on condition of the boiler and the rest of the loco.

Given that we didn't manage to get 1638, 847 and 541 all running simultaneously before 1638 went out of traffic, I'm hoping that we don't miss the opportunity if 592 and 65 overlap - which is a bit touch and go, but could happen. It would be excellent on a normal running day to have 65 and 592 double head the "A" train, 263 on the "B" train and 323 as shed pilot

Tom