Bluebell Railway | Spring Steam Gala | 20th-22nd March 2026

If all stays to the timetable, and coaching stock allocations remains as they are I have the combination of set D with a mix of 34059, 73082 and 75069 to come across for - either Saturday or Sunday.

So any change in that would be appreciated.

Further more, in addition to the gravel car park at Horsted Keynes, is the big field also available for parking during the event - hopefully not a mud bath?

Thanks in advance,

Bryan - dinosaurs are not keen on wallowing around in mud baths - B

 

Yes, the vents open to the usual width that other quarterlights do, although your fellow diners might not thank you for a showering of coal smuts! Make sure you get there in plenty of time, the breakfast services at Bluebell 65 last year were very popular

 

Set D remains as 6 Green Mk1s and the full car park should be open at Horsted Keynes - fingers crossed the nice weather will have dried the ground out enough for it to be usable!

 

Thank you! What's the point in being in the front coach if you're not getting covered in smuts...? Will be there bright and early tomorrow.

 

I’m due to be on Camelot tomorrow (Saturday) and Fenchurch on Sunday, and I think on both diagrams we have longish layovers at different parts of the day, so if anyone is around, come and say hello.

Tom

 

FYI on the breakfast train, I got to Sheffield Park at 08.40 for the 09.10 departure today and the Pullmans were already either full or about to fill up from what I could gather, so don't turn up last minute!

 

Field Car park wasn't open at Horsted Keynes today, but then it wasn't busy enough to warrant it. I assume It will be a different story tomorrow; ground appeared to be fairly solid. Damp in places but certainly no quagmire.

 

I understand platform 1 at Horsted Keynes was in use today for some northbound departures.

 

Yes - some of the East Grinstead services are terminating in Platform 1. The south end is still unconnected, so another engine couples to the north end to take the service back up to East Grinstead.

 

Speaking of Platform 1...

 

Morning!



Tom

 

The day so far

 

There was only one photo I really wanted today, and that was 75069+73082 on the 14.00 ex S Park. In the end my short visit got me three photos.

It was a close run thing getting there in time and at the right location for the 14.00 SP.

I was waiting for a tracked RM package to arrive at home, and it arrived near the end of its timeslot. So I left home at a marginal time to get to Horsted Keynes, get a ticket and get in position.

Tunbridge Wells was as bad as usual and that meant HK was not on, so I decided on West Hoathley. And had time in the car whilst stopped in traffic at Tun Wells to work out the sun position at 14.25. Made difficult as with weeks of work on South African frame grabs from digitised video, my mind thinks of the sun going East to West in the North, not the South!

But I got to WH in good time and got the shot I wanted. Then to HK for a ticket, and from just after 15.00, first my breakfast, then shortly afterwards my lunch from the station hot food outlet! That included two cups of the best latte I've ever drunk.

Then time to chat to all and sundry, and of course to get in the right location at HK for a chat with Tom aka @Jamessquared of this parish who was on 73082 today as he had told us. Very nice to meet up with you Tom.

I waited for 73082+75069 on the 16.35 SP and then managed to get in position to phot them leaving past 31065.

A great few hours - my first steam trip this year. I'll see how stiff my hips are tomorrow if I go again for 75069+34059.

Very many thanks to all at the Bluebell for staging a really good event.

Very quick edits of my photos below.

Bryan

 

A very enjoyable day today on the railway.Had a cream tea in one of the Pullmans, with the window open so I could hear Lady of Legend, which was well worth the £15.00 supplement.
Thanks to all the staff and volunteers involved .

 

Very enjoyable day today, made a nice change to get to enjoy the gala for a full day and not be volunteering! Many thanks to anyone on here who did help with the running of the railway today.



If anybody has missed out on the gala or wants a second chance to see the two Terriers in action, next weekend has 2999 on Set A, W8/72 on Set B and 65 on the dining services.

 

Very enjoyable day at the bluebell spring steam gala another great line up of steam engines and once again a big thanks to the bluebell volunteers members and engineers crews giving us another fantastic steam gala. The highlight of the gala for me was 75069 and 73082 double headed up from Horstead Keynes on the 16:35pm to East Grinstead besides me going on W8 terrier tanky freshwater with 72 fenchurch up to East Grinstead as well with 80151 banking and then both terriers and the 4mt tank triple headed back to H.K. and also 80151 my 8th 4mt tanky I rode behind the 2 locos I was wanting to ride behind as I missed 80151 in the 2023 giants of steam gala. I hope as well other nat pres members had a good day as well at the bluebell spring steam gala. And a good un for tomorrow as well at the bluebell spring steam gala last day.

 

A few from me from earlier today. Spent most of the day behind 75069 (and 73082) and the Terriers. The 1pm Terrier shuttle to HK was a good run with some nice noise. The crew of 75069 prior to its first run seemed to pay a touching tribute to a SVR volunteer, with a notice attached to the cab and crew taking pictures with it.

 

A few from me too.... Again a very well organised gala from the Bluebell with everything running just about on schedule as we have come to expect! Many thanks to all.
I thought the railway was well patronised but not rammed like the last couple of Giants of Steam events, which was a bit of a relief.

Is this the first time they have run a full blown Spring Steam Gala as opposed to a "Branch Line Weekend" event?