Spa Valley Railway - Latest News

That's a pity, as I and I would suspect a few others on this forum don't subscribe to Facebook you cant see what is written.

 

The main points are in my post.

 

You don't need to subscribe to facebook to see this post. Follow the link and dismiss the signin popup by clicking on the 'not now' link down the bottom.

 

Info now on Spa Valley website https://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/product.php/80/visit-of-secr-p-class-no-323-bluebell

Bluebell will be top and tailed with a 33 or 73. According to the loco roster the Diesel in use will be:

• 33063 - 24 & 25 Feb and 17 & 18 Mar
  
• 33201 - 3 & 4 Mar
• 73140 - 24 & 25 Mar

 

Bluebell is scheduled to arrive tomorrow and will be operating on:
24th & 25th February
3rd, 4th, 17th, 18th, 24th & 25 March

 

Methinks I may dig out my bus pass and jump on a 729.

 

it is a pity as you miss a lot of interesting stuff. I used to belong to dozens of forums, indeed I ran a couple, but now NP and about 2 others are the only survivors. I suppose that says a lot for NP but I see a lot of stuff that never gets a mention on here.

 

Does the departure of 72 to Peak Rail mean Ugly is the only working steam loco post March ?

 

At the moment yes although we may have secured a locomotive to take on hire from May onwards.

 

Yes the forum/messageboard model does seem to represent the internet of the late's 90's to late 2000's period of the internet to a lot of people and as such is seen as outdated by some. I think a lot of forum traffic has moved over to facebook, I still think forums have a much more mature and better informed clientele than facebook, less rude aswell , and facebook is a bit of an echo chamber where it's very hard to find what you're looking for in terms of groups and interests etc.
As for railway forums, I've never joined XNXX as It doesn't have the option of try before you buy or 'lurk before you buy' in this case, so I'm not going to sign up for something which could be rubbish, and RailUK is just for mainline train spotting types, the heritage railway section is mostly misinformed and speculative garbage from what I've seen, this forum has far more of a polite society feel and many interesting folks that you get to learn a lot from.

 

don't google xnxx ;-)

 

You don't need to pay for WNXX forum, only the main website.

www.wnxxforum.co.uk

 

I think it's been numbered 29 for nigh on 14 years now!!

 

Oh yeah.... so it is. You can probably tell I don't get out much these days! Next thing, you'll be telling me I'll have a bl--dy long wait for a 230 or 231 heading out in t'other direction!

 

Just a reminder that Bluebell will see service this weekend, the rostered Crompton is 33063. Bluebell for this weekend will be on the Eridge end of the set with the Crompton the Tunbridge Wells end.

Bluebell is facing chimney first towards Eridge.

 

Thanks for this, somehow I thought that the two locomotives would alternate but I guess the maximum load for 323 won't allow for that. Do I infer from your post that on some of the other weekends Bluebell will be on the TWW end?

 

Bluebell is limited to two coaches on her own. The train will run top and tail throughout the day, it is likely that Bluebell will go on the TWW end of the train at some stage but for anymore than two coaches will still be assisted by the diesel.

 

Wouldn't all trains have to be topped or tailed as so to work down to Eridge, given the lack of passing loop?

 

The standard method (not whilst Bluebell is with us) is that we leave a loco at Eridge and alternate during the day. The first and last trains being top and tailed.

 

Due to circumstances beyond our control, our Spring Diesel Gala will now become a Spring Mixed Traction Gala on 10th & 11th March featuring all our available home fleet diesel locomotives and also SECR P-Class No.323 'Bluebell', courtesy of the Bluebell Railway.

Locomotives that will feature are:

• P-Class 'Bluebell' – courtesy of the Bluebell Railway
• Drewry No.2591 – Driver for a Fiver/Brake Van trips at Tunbridge Wells West
  
• Class 33/0 33063
• Class 33/2 33201
• Class 73/1 73140
• Class 207 DEMU 1317
• Class 421 3CIG 1497

The Saturday daytime of this event is currently the only time during Bluebells visit that the locomotive will operate a two car train (MK1 BCK & TSO) on her own. Also featuring will be the 3CIG with 73140 in Push/Pull and the Queen Mary Brake Van on whole line trips. Bluebell will operate until late on the Saturday night top and tailing a 4 car set with a Class 33.

Bluebell will therefore now operate a total of 10 days at the Spa Valley Railway and it was brilliant to see so many visitors today turn up for a ride behind her!

https://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/product.php/31/spring-mixed-traction-gala