Bluebell Railway Giants of Steam 11th-13th October

From the "What's new at the Bluebell Railway" page of the website:-

BR Standard class No.70000 "Britannia" and LMS Princess Coronation class 4-6-2 Pacific No.6233 "Duchess of Sutherland" have been named as our visiting guest locomotives. These two "giants" will run alongside our own locomotives at this three-day gala event. Our grateful thanks to the Royal Scot & Locomotive General Trust and the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust for the loan of their locomotives.

The original plan was for the guest locos to be 46100 and another unspecified LMS engine. I don't think the change of plan will result in too many sad faces. While one of Stanier's magnificent Pacifics on an LB&SCR branch line may not be some people's cup of tea and Britannias were not exactly local to Sussex either, nevertheless I would suspect that there will be plenty of people keen to ride behind both these fine engines. One interesting detail is that the Duchess is due arrive at Sheffield Park earlier in the month to work a tour to Bath and back with Steam Dreams the previous Saturday (5th) and could well therefore return facing Sheffield Park. Normally big locos face East Grinstead.

 

No offence to Royal Scot, but that's an upgrade.

Can't wait to find out what happens to Britannia to stop it visiting this time, unless it's third time lucky?

 

Amen to that! I've been hoping it would finally make it after the two previous problems. I wonder if the opportunity will be available to sponsor named trains again for the two visitors?

Regards,

Dan

 

Britannia again, third times the charm i say

 

Timetable (no loco allocations) https://www.bluebell-railway.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/GoS-Public-Timetable.pdf

 

Also one-day tickets are now on sale, adults £23, children and BRPS members half price.

Online tickets via: https://www.bluebell-railway.com/whats_on/giants-of-steam/. Multi-day tickets coming soon apparently.

Worth pointing out incidentally, that adult BRPS membership is £25: you would just about make that back in ticket savings alone just attending this gala and one other event, without considering the other benefits (10% shop discount; four issues of Bluebell News; opportunity to volunteer etc). More info here: https://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/membership.html

Tom

 

Timetables have now been updated with the loco allocations:

https://www.bluebell-railway.com/whats_on/giants-of-steam/

Tom

 

I see 73082 and 80151 are ruling it alongside the Brit and Duchess with the Q-class briefly on the Sunday

 

Oooooo double headers on sunday. Thats the day for me

 

Tom,

I have a query about the Giants weekend which you may be able to answer. The Duchess will be working the Steam Dreams charter to Bath and back on Saturday 5th October. There is no reason for it not being a straight out and back job with steam on the front all the way, in which case the Duchess will face south on its return to the Bluebell late that evening. This is not the norm for tender engines, visiting or otherwise, although I do recall 78019 facing south when it paid a visit a few years back . Is the plan to have it facing south in the gala or will it be sent off somewhere to be turned? (I guess you could run it round the Selhurst/Norwood/East Croydon triangle as long as you did it at about 3.30AM when there isn't much else around!) There is no reason for a diesel to be included in the formation given the power of a Duchess and the relative straightforward nature of turning the train round in the Bristol area, but SD trains often include one regardless and another possibility may be for the train to take a convoluted route through West London involving a reversal so that the diesel is leading on the final stages of the journey back to SP and thus with the Duchess on the back facing East Grinstead. Any light you may be able to shed on this would be most appreciated, as always.

 

The Duchess is on the rear of a train made up of 2 sets on Sunday and that could well be because it is expected to face South.

A diesel has been included on SD trips to Bath and Bristol in the past, where there has been insufficient time to shunt the stock and service the loco. Note it has happened at other destinations as well and would be a West Coast decision.

3205 also faced South when it visited.

 

Thank you, Paul. Good point about the Sunday T&T working. I had forgotten about 3205 as I wasn't able to get over to see it

 

Isn't that because the run round loop at East Grinstead isn't long enough for what will be 12 (?) coaches?

 

From what I have seen, the charter operates in the way that has become customary, i.e. it starts and finishes at Kingscote with a Bluebell feeder train opertaing between Sheffield Park and Kingscote at each end of the day.

From the operating notes I have seen, I conclude (1) the charter is steam hauled only on Network Rail and (2) 6233 will be facing south by Saturday evening before the gala.

Obviously (a) operations might be revised between now and then and (b) conceivably 6233 could still be turned via a circuitous route to and from the Bluebell between the charter and the gala.

Tom

 

From Facebook: Mayflower replaces the Duchess


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Now that is a big disappointment. I was looking forward to seeing the Duchess again and having a ride behind her, last time I saw her was 10 years ago on the main line.
I'll still go to the gala, but I have to say that Mayflower isn't that big a draw having seen her almost every Tuesday for the last few months on the Royal Windsor Steam Express.

 

I have to agree. I was really looking forward to the Duchess visiting for the Gala. Hopefully Britannia will still make it. I wonder why 6233 has been swapped. Gauging issues?

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I don't know the cause. Presumably it will also apply to the Steam Dreams charter on 5 October, though as of just now, they were still advertising (subject to the usual caveats) "Duchess of Sutherland".

I'll be on Camelot on the Saturday, if anyone wants to say hello.

Tom

 

So Mayflower joins Britannia in a gala which probably ought to be renamed as the "But will they turn up this time? weekend".

 

The Duchess failed last weekend at Norwich and was replaced by a diesel on the Cheshireman