Bluebell Branch Line Weekend 21-23 April

It mostly seemed to be the 100 seater set with capacity issues. When we were all packed in on the service I mentioned in my previous post, the train brought in by the 01 didn't seem to have any crowding issues.

This is the 2nd Gala I've attended so far (GCR back in January being the first and have the MHR coming up next weekend) and I must say it's good to see both events so well attended, at a time when lines really need those extra visitors and income.

 

Fantastic couple of days, both days saw the weather improves after iffy starts, some photos, more at https://railwaygalleries.smugmug.com/Bluebellphotosets/Branch-Line-Weekend-April-2023/

A video will appear at some point but not now, it's off to Wembley!

 

There are many buses from right outside Crawley or Three Bridges Station to East Grinstead, which don't take too long and remove the chore of getting up to East Croydon and heading back down the East Grinstead line.

Not sure what this is meant to mean. They are both two track railways so have to cater for both local and longer distance travel.

As for the gala event, the switching of trains, short formations and small locomotives was a good mix, and one which seemed fairly well attended.

 

Dare I say a certain little L &Y 0-4-0 looks rather at home in Sussex…?

 

It’s the local traffic and less used stops which have been allowed to dominate service development. Plus the lack of investment in improving the Arun Valley and West Coast lines. The speed limit on both is 75 mph at best and Fareham to Southampton still isn’t MAS limiting capacity.

 

Nice - two days of photos and you managed to capture my disembodied elbow on Fenchurch and the fireman's side of 80151 when about a minute before the driver had asked me to swap sides to his seat ...

Tom

 

The timetable slipped was because the water supply in HK yard failed Friday evening and the Pug had to be watered using a hose. It also delayed the A class and the Pug service to EG in the afternoon ( the service after the one you took behind 65) , which arrived 20 late at EG. There was sufficient contingency in the timetable to allow time to be made up in the morning. A well thought out and robust timetable, which allowed sufficient time for people to change trains, as well as water and coal the locos.

Sent from my XQ-AS52 using Tapatalk

 

I think something had happened to the water in the down yard yesterday, I think the crew tried taking water but ended up taking it on from a hose in Platform 3, which delayed the arrival of Hastings and Fenchurch.

 

On the photo charter on Friday Evening, 52322 went to get water in the down yard but it was not working.

 

With so many liveries on display, I’m getting more than a little waft of Sodor…

Great pics and thank you to all the contributors - and indeed, to all the hard working men and women who make these things possible.

 

Well the weather forecast for the Sunday was light showers in the morning, left Swanage at 06:00 and by the time I was at Haywards Heath the roads were awash, the endless rain alternating between very heavy and moderate until around 14:30. Light of course was awful most of the time. Just for good measure a couple of rumbles of thunder to end off the day, and of course it started raining again.
I now realise the roads in Dorset that I thought were bad are very good, I think the only safe vehicle to drive around the roads in West Sussex would be a tank the size of some of those potholes.
A few images from the final day, trains were not full except in the middle of the day, or at least the ones I was on, but perhaps that was because I tried to guess the ones that would be quieter. There is even one image with some sunshine.

Just a thought on ticket pricing, I went to book a ticket on Saturday on line and noticed it came with a £1.95 booking fee, which I guess does not go to the railway. Purchased on the day and it cost me only 0.05p more overall but I assume the railway made £2 extra from me. I think it only becomes an issue with one day single members tickets, but maybe something to look at for future events where it may be worth getting members not not buy on line if my assumption is correct & the railway does not get the booking fee

 

It was a very enjoyable day. First time I been able go one of these Branchline Galas due to my previous employment made in impossible to arange anything in Spring normally. I thinking of going next year, as hopefully some of the older coaches will be running by then.

 

I think I'd say the same about 52322. She really looked good with the compartment set. What is more, this isn't 52322's first visit to Sussex. Five years ago, she spent a couple of months at the Spa Valley and was well received there too.

 

To be fair, three of the four sets in use were pre-nationalisation, including the birdcage brake in the pre-grouping set, which in my view is the jewel in the crown of our carriage fleet. All of that set were 100 to 120 years old.

Given the major track relay at Vaux End over the winter, I suspect we are lining up to make more use of the four wheelers. 949 (the Stroudley brake 3rd) was on jacks in the carriage maintenance area clearly having work on the underframe, as was 3188 (the LCDR all third). The other three four wheelers were all on their wheels. Given we now have Fenchurch, once 949 enters service those five carriages provide an alternative to the three pre-grouping bogie carriages for use behind Fenchurch - in some ways better since the set would have wheelchair accommodation which isn’t available in 3363 / 1098 / 7598.

The Mets need door lock overhaul which may see them out of action for a while - @RichardSalmon would know better than I. They have had very heavy use in the last three years.

Tom

 

The ride over the relayed Vaux End track was beautifully smooth and quiet. Agreed that the vintage set is superb but for me the Maunsell set was the best with wonderfully comfortable seats in the saloon. Altogether though a great Gala

 

Thanks to everyone for the photos. Despite a couple of operational issues, it was a really enjoyable event. Thanks also to the owners and support crew from the three visiting engines. (Sadly I can’t give a lowdown on any of them, being rostered on 80151, 72 and spare over the three days. My limit on 52322 being limited to minding it for twenty minutes while the crew got changed in the morning!)

Saturday looked the busiest day to me. Budgets are sometimes questioned for galas, but in that light the latest Chairman’s weekly email says:

“Advance sales were way beyond our expectation and meant that the event had already covered the costs of transport and steaming fees for the hired-in engines as well as the estimated cost of the coal we will use.”
​

Tom

 

The Maunsell set and in particular the Drop Light appear to be most peoples favorite due to very comfortable seats and better quality ride than the earlier coaches. The first class compartments in the Bulleid coach 5768 are also very comfortable.



Sent from my XQ-AS52 using Tapatalk

 

I no issue with the carriages that were in use, but over the last decade, when I have been able to visit your railway, I only ever seen those coaches which were in use at the gala, with the Southern Livery 'pre-grouping' set the only pre-grouping coaches I been able to ride on +the LNWR Observation Saloon back in I think in 2000.

The Mets and the 4 wheelers have been a prime target for me. However I not been able to go to your Branch line Galas (where these vehicles always seem to be in use) before now, thanks to my former 'lovely' manager at my previous job always making it impossible for me to book even one day in April. She left in 2019. The year after I planned to go to your 60th Anniversary which I hope they been in use... but Covid knacked that. Then until end of 2021 your railway ran services which you could only get on at Sheffield Park, and I don't drive and normally the best way for Dorchester based me would go is via East Grinstead like I did for this gala. I did go to your Fenchurch 150 event but the Mets got pulled despite them originally been the roster.

You can't blame me for being disappointed when for the first time I was able to make it to one of your famous Branchline Galas and I missed these coaches again. I knew the Mets had been withdrawn, but obviously I miss understood and I had assumed with the repairs at Vaux End now finished I thought the 4-wheelers would be back in traffic.

 

I really enjoyed my visit on Friday and made the most of it - I saw the first train depart at 9:30am and ended up staying to see the Golden Arrow depart behind 80151 at 8pm!

Thanks to all involved in putting on such a great event! I'm really pleased to hear the advance ticket sales were already enough to cover the major costs.

I thought the timetable was well thought out and a fun way to make the event different to others and make the best use of Horsted Keynes. It's one of my favourite preserved stations and was good to see the work for the jewel in the crown project making progress.

This was my first time seeing 'Fenchurch' out in this ticket. It's taking a bit of getting used to it not being in burnt umber, but looked very smart indeed and seemed to be running well!

The visiting engines were fantastic and I was pleased to see a pug running for the first time. I was on the last train of the day up to East Grinstead which the pug and 'Hastings' were double heading when the pug developed the injector issues and needed to stop mid section. Top marks to the on train staff for keeping us informed and for the Kingscote station staff for getting everyone back to where they needed to. It was quite an adventure! The signaller had quite a shunting puzzle to work out to allow the tank engines to head back down the line and get the O1 onto the East Grinstead train! Some rare moves for the crews! The complex shunting manoeuvres feature in my video below:

 

The Pug reminded me of an old college friend's Classic Mini. He took a few of us for a ride in it once and it felt deceptively quick at low speeds and when the Pug was moving around the station prior to returning to Sheffield Park with Fenchurch, it too looked deceptively quick.