Bluebell Railway General Discussion

And I believe it was a CK. Compartment stock preferred for Santa services?

 

Off topic, but KESR hired Bulleid CK 5761 from Swanage for their December services too.

 

We borrowed two compartment coaches for our Santa season, to cover for two vehicles that were unavailable. That coach was available.

 

As we run up to our 60th anniversary, the Bluebell has been posting a series of “on this day” historical snippets on Facebook. It would be remiss if me not to mark this one at least - https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157862507830967&substory_index=0&id=37982240966

44 years ago today, 29/02/1976, the H class worked it’s first passenger trains at the railway. Still going strong, having run close to 1.9million miles since it was built in 1905.

Tom

 

looking through my old notebooks .... Sunday 5th August 1990 - Bluebell Railway 30th Anniversary
In Steam : 58850, 31618, 30928 'Stowe', 35027, 31323 'Bluebell', 30541, 80064, "Bellophoran", 'Baxter' 30583, 55 'Stepney'
Nearing Completion in works : 92240, 30096
Re-wheeled under restoration : 73082 'Camelot' & 34059 'Sir Archibald Sinclair'
Dismantled : 78059, 33001
Good restoration progress on 30847
Other's not in steam : 75027, 34023 'Blackmore Vale', 72(32636) 'Fenchurch', 3217 'Earl of Berkeley', 31592, 32473 'Birch Grove' , 31263, 31027, 31178, 30830, 80100, 31638
(Brighton Atlantic Boiler + tender from C2X in car-park area)

It's coincidentally my 30th wedding anniversary this year - doesn't time fly!!

 

Did I miss the USA tank in those numbers somewhere?

 

that's a good point Fireline - I can only assume that I omitted from my notes as it would have been there albeit not in steam?

 

A few things from the e-Newsletter:

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Firstly, an infrastructure update on track-relaying in Horsted Keynes down yard, part of the continuing remodelling of that yard in connection with OP4: See here for report and photos: https://files.constantcontact.com/e0ef1eef101/57f9f2c7-f212-444b-980e-41cea380c66c.pdf

There is also the first hint of the timetable for the 60th anniversary weekend, 7 - 9 August:

60th Anniversary Update: Commemorative Headboards & Provisional Timetable Plans Announced

We’re steaming ahead with planning for the “Steaming Through 60” event, and mentioning “ahead” gives me the chance to make an announcement or two about the upcoming Diamond Anniversary.

First, we are ordering special commemorative headboards to go on the front of our trains. The final versions and colours are still to be sorted, but you’ll start to see the headboards on the trains in the next few months.

There will be one headboard on the front of each of the steam locomotives in use over the “Steaming Through 60” weekend of 7-9 August. This will be a chance to take some memorable photos of our services in this special year of operation.

And mentioning the trains for the Diamond Anniversary weekend allows me to make a second announcement: the provisional timetable plan for the weekend offers the most intensive service the Bluebell Railway has ever run.

Specifically, there will be six trains operating on each of the three days so that during the middle of the day, three services will run between Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes, and three services will take passengers between East Grinstead and Horsted Keynes.

There will be a train every 40 minutes from every station on the line. Now that’s something the founders of the Railway could only ever have dreamed about when the first trains ran on the short section from Sheffield Park to Bluebell Halt! It’s certainly far from the “sulky service” of 1958 before the line closed.

We anticipate the first train to leave Sheffield Park will be at 08:10 each day and the first train from East Grinstead will be at 09:10. The timetables will be slightly different on each of the three days, but there will be at least 12 hours of operation on the Friday and Saturday. All trains will stop at Horsted Keynes on Sunday afternoon for the spectacle of the cavalcade as the climax of the weekend of celebrations.

Full details of the timetable are still being worked out, and we will publish the agreed schedule well ahead of the weekend to allow people to plan their day(s) out.

We are also close to finalising the details of the music festival that will take place at Horsted Keynes. Keep an eye out for announcements about the line-up of bands that will be playing and the headline acts. There’ll be something for everyone, no matter what your musical taste.

The “60 Things to See and Do” Passport was a great hit with children and families during the half-term holiday. It was wonderful to see so many young visitors collecting their smiley face stickers for completed activities, from counting the number of wheels on a locomotive to discovering how signallers send messages to other stations. The Passport has certainly brought a smile to the faces of all our visitors, as well as staff and volunteers, at the start of our 60th year—long may that continue.

Don’t forget the Diamond Anniversary will require a lot of volunteer helpers to make it a success and we welcome all offers of assistance. Anyone interested in helping out should contact Don Brewer either at don.brewer@bluebell-railway.co.uk or on 01825 724893. Please give Don details of your availability and what role you would like to carry out. However, if you don’t want to wait to help us out in August, there are plenty of jobs around the Railway now!

Stay tuned for more updates throughout the year about “Steaming Through 60”!

By Robert Hayward, Chairman, Diamond Anniversary Steering Group​

Lastly - we didn't quite get off scot-free in the recent wet weather, as this short report explains:

Landslips Cleared

With the very heavy rains we have had recently, over the Christmas period four separate landslips occurred in the cutting leading up to the tunnel. Fortunately, the slipped soil did not cover the tracks but it blocked the drains forcing all the rainwater over the track bed.

To ensure the soil did not slip further and damage the track, nearly 1,000 tons of slipped earth was removed and redeposited in the triangle at Horsted Keynes by Darren, our L&W contractor.

The slips left some big, very precariously placed trees at the top of the cutting, so these have been removed and the drainage cleared before public trains start running again.

By Brian Kidman

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Tom

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Well that's certainly quite the ambitious plan you got going there for your timetable over the anniversary weekend, and here I was thinking for this milestone year the Bluebell would perhaps be a tad more low key after the big bonanza that was the 50th.
I'll be curious to see what motive power the railway will muster for this weekend, for as far as I can tell you don't seem to have as many locomotive in operation as you did for the 50th, would that be right? Not that it matters much, I'm sure it'll be a great showing nonetheless.

Would it be wishful thinking to think Sir Archibald Sinclair would make the celebrations? I'm guessing so...

 

Your post prompted me to look at video of the 50th anniversary cavalcade.

The line up was:

34059
1638
B473
592
178
672
55

I believe 80151 was also in use that day but not in the cavalcade. 9017 and Baxter was operational that year, though Baxter was not really a loco suitable for regular service trains.

Potentially the same this year could be:

73082
80151
847
541
263
65
178

Essentially 55 (on light duties) is matched by 178; B473 and 592 are matched by 263 and 65; 1638 is matched by 541: 34059 by 73082; 80151 is in both years, but at the beginning of its ticket in 2020 whereas it was near the end in 2010. Basically there is a loss of two small engines (178 and 672) and a medium loco at the end of its time (9017) and a gain of one large one near the end of its time (847) over the decade. Given the significant investment in boiler repairs represented in many of today’s current running fleet, I think it represents at least a breakeven or perhaps a modest strengthening overall over the decade.

2020 will potentially be tight for locos; 2021 looks rather better.

(Edit: see below)

Tom

 

Can I be pedantic?

9017 wasn't in use at the 50th anniversary gala. I believe it coincided in a period where it needed a retube.

 

Yes, you are probably right, was wondering why it wasn’t in any of the videos! I remember the timetable had 80151 providing some form of service while the other locos gathered for the cavalcade.

9017 was in use that year though - I’ll edit above.

Tom

 

9017 was most definitely on display at Horsted Keynes though with what was "dead" at the time. Shame I never went to the 50th gala. But all the more reason to come to the 60th

Already liking the timetable plans for the 60th I must admit

 

Is it just home based locos, as i'm sure a visiting loco, or two might be an added attraction, how about 41312 as it worked on the extension, and 30120 if its still in ticket, and was stored at Sheffield park for several years.

 

41312 is visiting for Branch Line weekend - lets get that over and done with first! I’m sure if there are any visitors planned, announcements will follow in due course.

Tom

 

I think from memory the petrol loco was in use around Horsted Keynes as well and I have just looked at my video notes and had Furness no.20 and Blue Circle down as visiting but don't seem to be in my videos?! 80151 was about but not in the cavalcade.




Booked the weekend off as holiday already looking forward to it!

 

“Blue Circle“ was running brake van rides at HK, but not in the cavalcade. FR 20 was running Obo specials between Kingscote and the tip that year - I cant remember what the operational details were. I don’t remember seeing it in the loco yard, so it may have spent the weekend “outstationed”.

Wasn’t one of the Romney locos there that year as well, running on a length of track in the HK down yard? Or was that another gala? I remember 847 (which was still under overhaul) provided its tender as a source of coal.

Tom

 

Didn't a small handful of locos was stationed at Horsted Keynes?. I seemed to recall one or two images of about three locomotives.

EDIT: One handy search on Facebook later showed that 592, 178 and FR 20 was subshedded some point over the gala.

 

Typhoon

 

I’m sure Blue Circle must have been as well - I can’t think you would have wanted to run the timetable risk of sending it up the line each morning.

Tom