Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Funny, I spotted it was gone when we had our first trip for years a few weeks ago. I can remember when it was Bluebell Halt and one could walk through to what I believe was called Bluebell Farm...we did it as kids once. Any idea when that would have been?

 

Mid 80s maybe? I don't remember it; as I understand it may only have been in use for a year or two, presumably the farmers venture didn't take off as hoped.

Removing it has a couple of funny impacts. One is that we used to use it as a stopping point on footplate experience courses to get people to come to a nice controlled stop; we'll have to find a new marker! It had the advantage of being easy to point out from a distance away: 'see that platform in the distance? I want you to come to a stop adjacent to it'. The other more immediate point is that for a down train, you approach the down outer home on a curve, and subconsciously I think you caught sight of Ketches first, and the signal would then come into view a couple of seconds later. Now your visual marker has gone!

Tom

 

Yes, mid to late 80s I think...I remember Mum being rather put off by the lack of hand-washing facilities around the farm. No animal to human disease transfer in those days tho...

 

It has been some time since I posted on here, and if these things have already been covered in this thread then my apologies.

Regarding West Hoathly, I have been thinking about a single-platform replacement station (without a loop), and there are 2 good options I think:

1) Recreate one of the South Coast line LBSCR Motor Train halts, which were pretty basic stations with wooden platforms and wood or corrugated iron platform shelters.

2) Build a replica single-platform LBSCR Myers-style station, based on a mirror image of Barcombe station - which is of this type - or build a reasonable copy of Hellingly station on the Cuckoo Line. Both ideas assume that a replica station would be built on the Up side of the line, where the original station's main buildings were.

Both options would be LBSCR in style, and would allow for no loop but some PW sidings controlled from Kingscote.

Regarding Ardingly, with the original station site belonging to Hansons, the replacement station would have to be built in the cutting immediately east of the old platforms, between the 2 overbridges. This would most likely result in a single platform on one side with a run-around loop. This might be a tight fit in that cutting unless it was widened on at least one side, which may involve buying a strip of land right next to the cutting. If Ardingly is a terminus then an end-on connection (as at East Grinstead) with the end of the Network Rail freight line, protected by catch-points, a gate and signalling control, would be required. If through-running to Haywards Heath is pursued, then Bluebell trains would have to run through the Hanson's site, along the freight spur to Copyhold Junction, and then down a separate track beside the Brighton main line into Haywards Heath. That will be tricky because of the existing track layout, which would have to altered to allow the Bluebell to have a Spa Valley Railway arrangement to reach Haywards Heath.

This cab ride video from 2016, between 45.00 and 46.00, shows the section of the Brighton Main Line between Copyhold Junction and Haywards Heath, and the track layout issues can be clearly seen:

 

The Bluebell has been awarded £727,200 from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage.

More info here:

https://www.bluebell-railway.com/bluebell-railway-awarded-700000-in-government-grant/

Congratulations to those behind the scenes responsible for working hard on the application!

Tom

 

I thought it was a condition of the planning permission for the re-opening of the line, at the insistence of the local residents (traffic concerns), that there not be a station at West Hoathly? Have local attitudes now changed, so that they feel it would be a positive to have a Bluebell station?

Noel

 

It was a piece of Bluebell history, but not SR history - it only dated from the preservation era. (Trivia fact: the Bluebell has I think closed more stations between SP and EG than BR ever did!)

The concrete supports still exist (or did a couple of weeks ago, in any case), stacked neatly by the line side. No idea what will become of them, though bear in mind they only make a platform about one carriage in length.

Tom

 

The October issue of The Bluebell Times (issue 13) is now available for downloading from https://www.bluebell-railway.com/bluebell-times/
October’s edition of The Bluebell Times contains more details of the exciting new SteamLights illuminated train service which will run from mid-November until early January – and how you can help to light up the experience for our customers.
Issue 13 also has information about our first post-lockdown event with a transport-themed gala ‘Off the Rails’ and an update on the plans to celebrate ‘60+1’ years of operating as a heritage line.

In Issue 13:

• Help support the Railway at no cost to yourself
• Searching railway auction catalogues for items of interest
• A day on the footplate with a visiting charter
• Down Memory Line and On This Day
• Guess the Year and Word Search puzzles
• And much, much more.

The Bluebell Times is published monthly on the second Friday of each month. The November issue is due out on Friday 13 November.

Tom

 

Would I be right in thinking, that Milepost 10, is just the Horsted Keynes side of Caseford Bridge?

 

Yes see https://www.bluebell-railway.com/bluebell-railway-map/ and scroll down.

 

Thank you very much.

 

If extra SR-type rail-built signal posts are needed, there are 2 still standing just west of the Ardingly station site. I saw them over 10 years ago, and have seen them appear in Youtube videos shot from the preserved Hastings diesel unit during its visit to Ardingly in 2016. As, to either Network Rail or Hansons, they would be little more than scrap metal, but to the Bluebell, they could be re-used on the line, maybe a deal for their recovery could be struck? Both are single arm signal posts, one of which is pretty tall and may have been the Down Advanced Starter, and the other the Up Outer Home, and the posts still look pretty sound.

I attach 2 photos of them from over 10 years ago:

 

Originally yes, but I definitely saw an article in Heritage Railway several years ago reporting that a group of Sharpthorne/West Hoathly residents had approached the Bluebell asking them to consider re-opening a station there. The possibility of using the train to go shopping in East Grinstead, particularly as the station there is right beside Sainsbury's, had occurred to them after the line was re-opened (I think!).

 

The Railway was advised to apply for planning permission with only a station stop at East Grinstead, due to the oppostion. Kingscote only had temporary permission, until permanent permission was granted some months after East Grinstead was opened.

 

Camelot and 263 at work yesterday, for a change the headboards that have been in use recently were not in evidence!

1100 Pioneer at Sharpthorne


1250 Dining Train on Freshfield Bank.


1400 Pioneer at Tremains Crossing


The dining train makes its second run to Kingscote, accelerating out of HK.

 

Would anybody be able to put a name to this location, photo taken in October 2002.

 

Just south of Monteswood lane bridge where Freshfield Halt was located.

 

Thank you very much.

 

One beef, no picture from 9th October 1962, my birthday