Bluebell Railway Giants of Steam 11th-13th October

Ooh just seen the phot of 70000 and 61306 in the yard at Sheffield Park, East Anglia comes to Sussex and I for one cannot wait!

 

TBH the S15 is probably due some time off...

 

With regard to the S15, there is a bit on the blog about it being placed on light duties to minimise wear on it's tyres - go to http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/whats_new.html and scroll down to the entry on Sept 13th (the last entry on that day). I suspect, but don't know, that this might explain it's low key role at "Giants".

Steve B

 

Which loco does 'it' refer to?

 

80151

 

847 and 30541 expected to be spare (30541 apparently repaired following its tube failure at the SVR). The latter is due to double head with 73082 on Sunday.

In terms of 847. I believe its due to be withdrawn from service over the coming weeks due to the tyres on scrapping limits. I might be wrong but I been told that's due to happen by several people. Shame it hasn't been given a round trip

 

Last year the spare loco was running a freight set around Horsted Keynes, is that likely to be repeated this year?

 

Not as far as I can see from the operating notices.

Tom

 

On the Sat 70000 running non stop on each of its services puts a spanner in the works when planning moves.

 

Also, I can foresee some confusion over the way the timetable shows these non-stop runs as what I assume are the passing times as Horsted Keynes and Kingscote look like the departure times unless you notice they show "n/s" instead of the arrival time. The usual method for showing passing times is to show them in a lighter type with a "/" instead of the colon to make it clearer.

 

Gala timetables have recieved a further alteration to show that 30541 will also spend two trips on Saturday double heading with Camelot

 

Thanks Tom, that's a shame

 

Camelot running as 73087 Linette

Sent from my SM-J610FN using Tapatalk

 

A few clips from todays outing at the Giants of Steam Gala. Weather was pretty naf but so pleased to see Britannia for the first time.

 

A photo review of day 1 has appeared on the website:

https://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/pic2/wn/2019d/giants_of_steam2019_day1.pdf

(Not my photos, not my work compiling them into a report).

Tom

 

Wet and blustery day yesterday so filming hard work! Enjoyable day though, thanks as always to everyone involved in putting on the show, short video is on YouTube now, photos to follow...

 

I travelled behind Britannia yesterday afternoon and Mayflower this morning, plus the double header. Trains were busy but not rammed, so I don't think the weather is putting people off. Similarly the car park at Sheffield Park was busy but not full.

People seemed to be enjoying themselves and I got a nice video sequence of Britannia coming through Kingscote on the first non-stop today. Works really well having that extra time there while the driver goes to get the token for the Kingscote to Horsted Keynes section.

The two 7 1/4" gauge Britannia's just inside the loco works were also impressive - I understand the one of 70014 will be posed next to 70000 just like it was with the real Iron Duke back in the 1950's during an open day at Eastleigh Works.

Regards,

Dan

 

They were but not very easy to photograph from behind the barriers, could barely see 70000's number due to the amout of steam.

 

Having “miniatures” of the main attraction seems to have been a thing at recent galas - started with Flying Scotsman I think. Helps that the Works Manager and Operations Manager between them have contacts in those worlds (gauge 1 upwards), I suspect!

Tom