Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Possibly or possibly not related, but a little ago I was able to log in to my usual server for outgoing emails but not send one. An alternative server worked OK.

 

Some bonus "Beachy Head" action tomorrow - should have been 72 and 65, but looks like 65 has been substituted.



Tom

 

Few hours spent at the railway yesterday, both locos performing well with fairly well loaded trains



All the best
Matt

 

Seeing a photo of 34059 at the head of the Gokden Arrow dining train in the latest Bluebell Railway Weekly New Round-Up alerts me to making sure I come over to the railway next time that is scheduled.

I've already got a photo of 73082 rounding the curve into HK on the Arrow, to go with my BR Standard 5 run on the up Bournemouth Belle. It will be great to get a Bulleid on the train.

I've found this exceptionally helpful link is the best way to keep an eye on what loco/stock is due to work. It's on my bookmarks, and I can't find it now directly from the Bluebell general website.

https://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/pti/index.html

Photo of 73082 on the Arrow below. I think I may have posted it before. But I took it there to help make out it was a full length Pullman train from the wonderful 1960s SR steam days.

Bryan

 

Oh dear it's me again with another photo!

It's my SR Steam loco memoirs book (non-commercial with an expected low print run). I've now reached July 1965 when I set out to, and achieved, 5,000 miles behind SR steam in a week. All on a SR 7-day rover for a £5. I haven't checked yet but I am fairly sure it was 5,000 miles of consecutive SR steam runs.

On the start of day three, after I had got off the Up Mail - my sleeping car train unless there was a fast crew on it - I had consecutive runs behind two locos currently in operation on the Bluebell Railway. 34059 on the 05.30 Waterloo-Basingstoke, returning behind 73082 on the 07.05 Basingstoke -Waterloo.

And on 11 October 2024 the Bluebell doubleheaded those two locos during the G.O.S!

That's worked out well for me as I only had room for a single photo to post on the same page as the two timing logs of those locos I travelled behind over 59 years ago. Photo below.

Bryan

 

Possibly one that @Jamessquared might be kind enough to answer.

I am keeping a watch on various parts of the Bluebell website to see when 34059 will be on the Golden Arrow diner, and can't quite see how that works at present.

Does the Arrow leave at circa 12.30, with loco not yet shown on the roster. Or does it form part of the 13.oo service train at this time of the year, doing a further, but non service train return, after arriving back at Sheffield Park at 14 50? On both of which I would guess will be Beachy Head and not the Terrier this coming weekend?

Many thanks for any help.

Bryan

 

Keep an eye on https://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/pti/index.html

 

Golden Arrow lunchtime trains leave Sheffield Park at 12:30.

At the moment, rostering practice is to prefer 32424 or 65 for lunchtime Arrows / Wealden Ramblers. That’s because these trains involve an additional loco duty that has not been out during the week, so 34059 is expensive to light just for that. The most likely place to see 34059 on an arrow is the evening Arrow (leaves 19:30) since that is normally hauled by the A engine for the day.

Right now, it looks like 34059 is next out on 1 April and falls into that pattern of daytime A service and evening diner on Saturday evenings.

Usual caveats of course.

Tom

 

Thanks both for the replies, yes I do have that very useful Bluebell Info link.

And from what Tom says I shall have to keep a very sharp eye out for any hiccup in operations, or I won't be getting a photo of 34059 on the curve into Horsted Keynes as I have done for 73082 on that train (photo above). Might have to be a mid summer telephoto shot of loco and first 3 and a half Pullmans leaving Sharpthorne Tunnel!

Thanks again guys.

Bryan

 

My phone popped up with a memory earlier from 9 years ago...

Whilst living in north London, having heard comment (probably on here) of something special appearing at Kings X on a Sunday morning I made a trek down there , and was suitably rewarded

 

I saw it at King's Cross one morning, then again in the evening when it went back south over the Harringay flyover. The top and tail 20s that accompanied the move made a lot of chuffing noises climbing the gradient...

 

E6040/73133 replaces 72 "Fenchurch" today.on set B.

This marks the 73s first solo passenger workings since it arrived in 2023 (èxcluding having D8188 on the rear at the Diesel Gala last year)

 

I understand Fenchurch failed on Saturday - anyone know what happened?

 

I don't know the hows/whys, and not speculating, but I understand it ran out of water at West Hoathly and the fire had to be thrown out. Subsequently rescued by the gronk from Horsted Keynes.

The couple of accounts I've seen from passengers that day suggest that the Bluebell handled the situation very well and with great professionalism, with them being well looked after and informed.

 

https://www.networkrailmediacentre....aborative-agreement-with-the-bluebell-railway

Tom

 

I read "....aborative-agreement-with-the-bluebell-railway" as a typo for "....abortive-agreement" ...". It was a relief when I opened the link.

 

Yes

 

Yes I went through exactly the same process rushing to see why the agreement had failed.

 

Meanwhile I thought that it was going to be something about trees....
(Think "arboretum")
Steve B