Bluebell Railway General Discussion

I'm very lucky to have retired recently with a 1st class all-stations pass (back in the 1980s they gave us computer nerds that sort of thing instead of paying us market salary rates!), so I can go by any route at any time. Interestingly LNER have recently started scanning passes like mine, presumably to weed out fakes; these passes are really like solid gold for rail travel.

 

Well done, you at least use yours.
My two free BA tickets First Class eligible (at least I still assume so) I have never used since I retired in 2012. Yours is probably worth far more.

 

In cold hard cash terms it's probably worth about £5K PA to me, but the flexibility is priceless. However, as I implied, I could have probably got £10K+ PA more when I was working if I'd been paid a private sector salary. I think the fact that I stuck with the less lucrative but more railway-flexible option classes me as a railway nerd.

 

There are three 10mph sections, from SP to the bottom of Freshfield, then one south of the tunnel, and one immediately north of the tunnel. Hopefully they'll be attended to over the winter

 

As of 3 weeks ago Black Hut is now 5.

 

Not being familiar with these things, it occurs to me that 5mph is very slow and if this was on a gradient, in wet or greasy conditions it could be difficult for a locomotive because of a lack of momentum, is that ever the case? I assume these things would be factored in before a TSR is put in place but just curious.

 

Neither slack is very long, though because the restriction lasts until the whole train is clear of the termination (not just the loco) even a short slack gets stretched out.

The one south of the tunnel is the worst as it kills your momentum which then has to be recovered going up a 1:60 gradient. The one at New Combe Bridge is less significant, since it has falling gradients either side.

The one at the foot of Freshfield Bank has been there for a long time, but has been getting incrementally shorter each year as track is relayed working south towards Sheffield Park. In operational terms I don’t think it has much impact. The permanent speed limit is 10mph out to the advance starter anyway, so really all it does is extend that slightly.

If I were setting priorities, the one south of the tunnel would be the one to address first in terms of the impact on operations.

Tom

 

Bluebell has just announced some of it's 2026 Events. Looks like the Branch Line Weekend has been rebranded as Spring Steam Gala.

March 20-22 - Spring Steam Gala
June 27/28 - Model Railway Weekend
September 4-6 - Diesel Gala
October 16-18 - Giants of Steam

 

The one at Black Hut is on a gradient that varies between 1 in 75 and a short length of 1 in 134, but steepens to 1 in 60 immediately after the termination board going north. So as you approach going north you can use the gradient to scrub off speed, but once you are off the restriction and need to recover, you are on a 1 in 60 gradient.

Ultimately, the TSR is where it needs to be according to the assessment of the state of the track - it is up to loco crew to deal with the driving challenges that that presents. You can't exactly ask the infrastructure people if they would be so kind as to move the fault a few miles south where it would be easier for us to deal with!

I was on Beachy Head on Sunday and got to drive (for the first time on that loco - yay!) It wasn't too bad in terms of adhesion, but it was a dry day. But even at 50% cut off, regulator into 2nd valve (but not wide open) and about 125psi steam chest pressure we didn't get back up to line speed by time we were at the tunnel. (Trailing load was 5 coaches, about 170 tons I think). I could probably have given it a bit more regulator than that, but since it was my first time driving the loco, and the first time firing the loco for the third man, I wasn't going to give it the absolute full beans.

Edit to add: The Bluebell gradient diagram is here: https://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/sym/grad.jpg

The three TSRs under discussion are just outside Sheffield Park on the section of 1 in 160 rising gradient; between Horsted Keynes and the tunnel on the section of 1 in 75 / 1 in 134 starting at milepost 12; and at New Combe Bridge which is on the almost-level bit just north of the tunnel.

Tom

 

Whatever the spring event is branded as, I do hope it keeps the spirit of small engines featuring strongly and a timetable that's absolutely mad in its complexity but works beautifully. I love the contrast between Giants (which I'm attending for the first time this year but have enjoyed so much footage of over the years) and its orderly four sets working all line with big locos timetable versus all the unusual formations and Horsted Keynes terminators and loco swaps of the usual Branch Line timetables.

Glad to see the diesel gala's still on the list too. That's a very tricky weekend each year for me to attend and despite really loving the line-ups of the last two I've had to each time cancel plans to attend last minute for work + family reasons. The wonderful racket 33108 made out of Horsted Keynes at the (brilliant) anniversary gala in August was a good taster, hopefully in 2026 I can make it to the gala itself.

The Bluebell's a 200 miles each way trip for me but I've enjoyed each visit so much recently that I've become a member and am determined to do the hat-trick of big events there next year (spring, diesel, Giants).

 

Little bit late to the party on this one but here’s my latest video from four action packed days at the valley.

Focuses largely on Camelot whilst on her holibobs if you’re interested to see what she got up to:

 

Good gracious, I didn't watch every second of the footage, but I did pick up three different steam locos hauling a goods train chimney first at various times! And without multiple people leaning out of the brake van(s).

I wonder if that will catch on down south . . . . . . .

Bryan

 

Not gonna lie was hoping that 73082 would do at least one goods turn but not to be this year, hopefully soon though