Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Likewise, I don't get it - feels to me it risks upsetting both sets of passengers. I think the skating is timed for the East and West Sussex half terms, which is fair enough - but in which case, why not change the date of GoS ... Definitely an odd decision in my eyes.

Tom

 

I agree Tom, and I do not know how many you get for the skating but sometimes parking is an issue at galas, especially if there is any significant rain by then and the overflow field is somewhat wet.

 

I know there is a need to maximise cash and understand the case for something to add to the experience of visiting the railway and attract punters , but if you're not careful you will alienate your visitors and regulars. Just wonder whether Bluebell are getting the balance slightly wrong and in danger of spoiling the heritage experience. Certainly as I,ve said earlier on my recent midweek visit wasn't the normal pleasant experience and I wasn't the only one by comments heard around me. How many will be put of visiting again ? And can you keep up the momentum week after week without jading the volunteers ?

 

Is it possible to find Bluebell service timetables for dates after October on their website? I've tried selarching without success.

For example, the ticket booking page suggests they're running on New Years Day but there's no apparent way to find out how many trains are running and when.

Any help appreciated, as we'd like to a take a group there. I've emailed customer services but only got a "we're very busy at the moment" auto-response.

 

After the end of October it's is likely to be only : -
Steam Lights
Santa's
Reindeer Specials
Dining trains

Edit

1st January seems to be a normal running day. Timetable might not have been finalised.

 

I'd also say that Steam Galas are not just about everyone riding there and back behind a steam loco but about enjoying the exhibits and stock that are under overhaul or restoration. If the focus here is about getting extra revenue from turning the sheds into an ice ring then i'd tend to think this isn't a Gala for me. I would have thought there are plenty of other weekends leading up to Christmas where such things could be arranged to please everyone?

 

A while ago someone on this forum said that the Severn Valley had become a glorified theme park and the Bluebell sadly seems to be going the same way. It's commercial reality though - I get that. The railway obviously can't survive on just offering a heritage train ride any more, but needs to offer something else to get the people through the doors. It's a shame though when other activities which frankly have nothing to do with railway preservation impinge on what is the biggest event of the year aimed at the enthusiast market.

 

There is an enhanced commercial focus. There are a lot of family-focused, non-railway events. By and large my sense amongst the volunteers I speak to is that the need for such services is understood and supported, even if there are inevitable mis-steps. (And I think the ice skating on GoS weekend is a mis-step).

The flip side though is that, for what seems like the first time in years, the Company direction is aligning much more closely with the Society member wishes as expressed through the long term plan. Just look at recent loco announcements, or the fact that the C&W policy is shifting in the direction of Maunsells and Bulleids, and away from Mark 1s. The SR Coach Group has been formed, and the wagon group is re-energised. Even small things show more of a heritage focus: for example, the sign writing on Pullman Car No. 54 says - "Car No. 54" (rather than having a non-prototypical name applied to a 3rd class Pullman; something done to "Christine" presumably to help marketing, but not representing the history of the vehicle).

So viewed from 20,000 feet (as much as I can ...) I think it is a very interesting time at the Railway at the moment. A common sentiment you will heard expressed is "we have to get people to come to the railway to pay for the heritage". That inevitably means trying new ideas to attract people. But for the first time in a long time, it feels like that is being followed through in practice, i.e. heritage-focused projects are arising. (No-one would restore the Adams Radial as a pure commercial proposition). That feels markedly different to previous years when, probably since East Grinstead was opened, it has felt that the company has primarily been interested in efficiency, and hasn't focused enough on excitement. The pendulum feels like it is swinging back: instead of "what can we do within current funding constraints?", it feels at the moment more like "what funding do we have to generate to deliver what we want to do?"

Tom

 

It was me who said there was a danger that the SVR could become something like a railway based theme park not that it was. At the time they had the legacy of a CEO who wasn’t the least bit interested in railways and didn’t understand the passion and motivation of the volunteers who gave her the railway that now exists. Thankfully it appears that era is now in the past.
There is nothing wrong with bringing in the fare paying passengers with family orientated events, particularly when faced with financially challenging times. The Bluebell seem to be good at this without compromising the heritage, there are no engines in spurious liveries and all the coaching stock is beautifully restored as it should be.
The former SVR MD correctly identified the day trippers who paid the fare to travel and bought a few souvenirs in the shop provided the bread and butter to keep the railway running. What she failed to appreciate was that a railway that loses sight of its roots and supporters does so at its peril. When things go wrong, or they need to raise capital with a share issue, it’s not the day trippers who put their hand in their pocket.

 

From conversations with various people over the weekend she seems to be upsetting a few folks down in the south west now.
Anyhow back to the Bluebell.

 

In an earlier post someone was raising availability of latest accounts, they now seem to be available on the Companies House website.

 

My experience of a recent trip to the Bluebell suggests that on a good day, the line seems to be be able at the same time to offer a heritage train ride to those who want just that and nothing more while putting on a family- or children-orientated special event. I joined the train at SP and was able to choose a Bulleid rather than a Mark 1 carriage, so I was perfectly happy on that score. When the ticket inspector paid a visit, he asked me "Have you come for Peppa Pig?" and was quite surprised when I said "Actually, I've come for a ride behind 6989 as I want to fit one in while it is still based on the line." The train was fairly well loaded with perhaps more children than usual, but I certainly wasn't in a carriage full of screaming kids so I was able to enjoy the sound of Wightwick Hall noisily tackling the long 1 in 75 from HK up to the tunnel. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit while I'm sure the children enjoyed seeing Peppa Pig. Mind you, like Tom, I'm less than convinced that ice skating and Giants of Steam can co-exist on the same weekend so easily.

 

No, the Bluebell does not have "enough in the bank" to finance the repairs (not improvements) to Horsted Keynes. The money was in a restricted fund in the Bluebell Railway Trust. Those funds were raised via the Jewel in the Crown appeal, match funding from the Bluebell Trust, and Roger Williams' bequest. It's now all but spent.
You can see the Bluebell's financial position explained in the Chairman's update from last week. £1.3m operating loss in 2022, all but £400k of that fortunately covered by income from grants. The family-oriented events (which generally haven't really impacted on the operation of the railway as far as visiting enthusiasts are concerned - ice-skating excepted) leading to 20% increase in passengers, alongside reductions in operating and staff costs, are it appears leading to a projected operating loss of only around £200k this year.

 

Thanks for providing that information Richard, it enables me, and maybe others here, to take a more balanced view about the ice skating running side by side with Giants of Steam.

 

In between photographing 34046 on the Golden Arrow at Bromley South and Paddock Wood, and not photographing it at Bickley Junction this evening (I got in position only to find out it was rather late), I spent a very pleasant few hours at Horsted Keynes. I went to get photos of 73082, but on arrival I found that 34059 was out on test runs today! A wonderful sight to see that loco operational again. Ok, painting to be done, numbers and smoke deflectors to be re-attached, but still a wonderful sight. Got quite a few photos to sort, all take into very bright light, but I don't care, it was just lovely to see all the incredible hard work done by/at the Bluebell has now got a Bulleid pacific running again - albeit on test at present. Photo is 73082 on the 14.15 Sheffield Park exchanging single line tokens with the Horsted Keynes signalman as 34059 waits a token to use the single line to Sheffield Park.

 

Latest blog update shows Car 54 now looking gorgeous in the paintshop:

Paul Churchman's latest chairman's update also offers some encouraging news on the financial position:
https://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/download/updates/weekly_update_230923.pdf

 

From what I understand, all the sign writing (including the decorative scrollwork) is hand painted, not a transfer.

Good to see it correctly numbered as Car No. 54 as well rather than a name. I think I heard a suggestion that for marketing reasons it will have a name, but carried on a carriage roof board, not painted on. I wonder whether “Christine” (Car 64) will be similarly treated when it next gets repainted?

Tom


Tom

 

It would be good to see. I can't actually remember who "Christine" was named after, although I'm sure that everyone remembers who "Lilian" was.

 

Freddie Boswell’s bit on the side?

 

Manston has arrived at the Railway for Giants of Steam.