Bluebell Railway General Discussion

I live in Toronto! We’re in the soft end of the country when it comes to snow. Go an hour any direction into a snowbelt and we get some winter fun!

This was a couple of hours east of the city last November when a squall blew in:


I much prefer the sunny morning after a storm (about 40 minutes north of me):


But I’ll stop before I get accused of taking the thread way off topic!

More than snow even just good cold air generating lots of steam and atmospheric conditions. Given any chance to ride in the UK is a treat I’ll always take what I can get!

Stephen

 

Where I work is very close to the Bluebell and so I can regularly locos whistling for the whistle boards at Tremaines, on one of my breaks earlier (around half 12), I heard a couple of blasts of a really deep sounding whistle (almost similar sounding to the South African whistle on 60532 Blue Peter), it certainly wasn't one the chime whistles fitted to 73082 and 71000.

I just wondered what it belonged to, whether it was something in the Bluebell or if it may have been something else

 

There was due to be a photo charter with 41313 today.

 

It wasn't 41313's hooter. If it wasn't Bluebell related, Ican only think it was a traction engine from the house next to the Bluebell with the traction engines or something in our work yard, but in all the years I've worked there I'd not heard anything there like it.

Whatever it was sounded similar to something American or as I say the whistle from 60532.

 

Camelot was due past Tremaines a little before 12:30. I wonder if it has had the whistle changed in connection with the Ghost trains?

Tom

 

It did cross my mind if a loco might have changed whistle's, it was certainly a more haunting sounding whistle that would work for the Ghost Trains.

Edit, a quick look on YouTube brings up a video of the Ghost Train posted a few hours ago and it does appear that I heard Camelot with a changed whistle or tweaked settings perhaps.

 

I saw the train from a distance (black tank with 2 green coaches) almost at the top of Freshfield Bank; I heard it whistle and a few piston turns as I walked up via Town Place to HK on public paths. It wasn't in the station when I went past just after Camelot headed North. I thought it was a practice for the Ghost Train tomorrow. It seemed to spend a lot of time near Freshfield although I never saw it again. Camelot had its normal whistle today.

41313 was in HK sidings on Sunday with a lot of fairy lights attached as I passed on the T/T 71000/ 9F

 

I'm guessing the tank engine you're refering to at Horsted Keynes is the North London Tank (LMS 27505 off the top of my head) - it seems to be coupled to coaches 1838 and 3068, with as you say lots of lights on the side. One can only assume this is for a Steamlights display.

41313 is operational so isn't static at HK by definition as such. Someone told me it has some running dates soon I think.

 

The North London Tank with FO 3068, posed in Horsted Keynes station. This is planned to be part of the SteamLights displays for 2026, and I believe it will be positioned in the Down Yard.

Picture from Bluebell Railway Facebook.

 

Yes sorry it was the NLT I saw; would be good to see 41313 on passenger turns

 

Yes, Camelot has a different whistle fitted for the ghost trains. I believe it’s been borrowed from somebody on staff and it’s from an Australian loco. It sounds quite special!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

A lot later than what i would have liked but suppose better late than never!

My version of accounts from this years Giants of Steam gala, many thanks to all those involved whether staff or crew for another smoothly operated gala addition.

 

Evening

would anyone happen to have the 12.30 fish and chip Pullman timings and also the Ghost train timings please?

 

Friday afternoon services, off the top of my head, usually leave SP at 1300 and then leave EG on the return at 1405 - not certain that's the same times as today, but probably.

From the Bluebell website:

 

For 23 October (Camelot / WR stock)

SP - dep 13.00 non-stop to EG arr 13.40
EG - dep 14.05 Kingscote arr 14.15 dep 14.25 SP arr 14.55

For next week (30 October - Pullmans / 32424)

SP - dep 12:30, non-stop to EG, arr 13.10
EG - dep 13.30, Kingscote arr 13.37 dep 13.46 arr SP 14.20

Ghost train timings seem to be dep SP 18.30 arr HK 18.55; dep HK 20.10 arr SP 20.25

Tom

 

I saw the Ghost train approaching HK, was expecting red lights on the skull facade but they were white, presumably a requirement while driving at night?

 

I'm not too sure how it fully works, but there appear to be two white lights fitted to the front of the loco pointing up either side of the skull face to light it up, but the red eyes (or certainly the sparklers) look like they're linked up to the loco's new Aussie whistle.

Also are the Ghost Trains and Steamlights done with the same people?

 

Yep, the instructions are that the lights have to be something other than red while out on the line


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Thanks! I waited for quite a while at Holywell before driving up to HK as I wasn't sure if it would be running because of the weather. But the signal eventually went up at the former Bluebell Halt and it spookily arrived.

 

just wondering who thought it appropriate to feature a newlywed couple walking down the track; given the tragic Holywell accident....