Bluebell Northern Extension - so what's occurring then?

I will not regularly contribute to the forum mostly because whatever I write tends to be exactly what I think and almost always upsets one person or another but I just wanted to thank the many people who have written to me lately about my photos of the extension. Unfortunately whilst I read every personal message I may have inadvertently missed a few replies - for that I hope you will forgive me.

My web site has recently got so busy that I have had to reorganise it putting the newest pictures on a special page before transferring the better ones to the archive pages. This helps my server in that there are smaller pages to download and also helps those who have a limited broadband usage each month as they only need to download the newest pictures.

I now get between 2000 and 3000 individual visitors each 24 hours who look at some 200,000 individual files or "hits". Fortunately my web site has a maximum capacity of 100Gig a month, whilst I have got near I have never yet exceeded this restriction! I set up the site and post my pictures for my own enjoyment and partly because I think the Bluebell have done a dreadful job of keeping their membership - and just as important their neighbours who live near the line - informed. We (I live near the line) have to put up with considerable extra traffic, people ringing our door bell at odd hours when they get lost etc. yet the railway have never sent round a flyer or a free ticket for locals. All we get is a half price ticket if we pay £10! The Bluebell used to give the local school children free rides at the steam fare which was extremely popular with school closing early on the day and went a long way to appease residents. That has all stopped now.

I have never published pictures of the work taken from private land and never will, so what I see anyone else can see if they want to visit - indeed I am disabled so can't climb fences that more able bodied people might! My photos do though help to keep visitor numbers down which given the traffic in the area can be no bad thing.

Anyway, thanks for looking at the pictures and the feedback and if you see anything of interest on my site please take a look.


Robert Philpot

 

May I offer my thanks at least, Robert, for undertaking this excercise.
Without it I for one would not see any of the developments except for the bits offered on the BB site.

 

I have received a direct email suggesting that I am making a lot of money from my web site and suggesting that I donate this "fortune" to the Bluebell - I am not making money and I would hate anyone to think that I was.

I have to pay for annual domain registration, hosting each month, and fuel to go over to the cutting. In return about 2 or 3 people in every thousand (so that's 6 or 7 people each day) click an advert which generates huge sums like 0.9 of a U.S. cent per click. It can be a bit more at weekends or when there is something interesting being advertised.


On a good day that can add up to as much as 5 or even 6 cents/pence a day in income! On top of that I won't actually get paid until I build up $100 U.S.D. in credit when I am told a green Google cheque will arrive (which I will probably have to pay extra to cash as it's in mighty U.S. Dollars)! No doubt if and when I am paid I will give some to the railway.


It's not a licence to print money unfortunately but I still enjoy doing it.

Right, I'll shut up now, but I hope I have made my point.


Robert Philpot :-(

 

Many thanks to Robert Philpot for his fascinating coverage of Imberhorne Cutting .
The Bluebell should be thankful for his website ,it gives us who live miles away a
real insight into the amount of work being done.

Keith

 

It could be Robert that your choice of name "cashpot" is rather unfortunate.

 

Lost on the young!

 

As a very modest donor I would like to add my thanks to Mr Philpot for his excellent work keeping us uptodate with happenings at Imberhorne.

I find his comments about the alleged lack of effort by the Bluebell to cultivate friendship with its immediate neighbours worrying. I am sure other lines take this issue seriously, whether it be simply keeping people informed, for instance flyers with an apology at Gala times, or residents passes for discounted travel and the like.

You have to work at this to keep the local populace on your side, otherwise there is a risk that they start to regard you as a nuisance rather than a tourism benefit to the area.

46118

 

I agree but it's a combination of two words that I won't bother you with, but I have been using it wherever I can since I first connected to the internet in 1995.

Robert Philpot

 

Another update on the Philpot website Imberhorne Cutting Removal - Page 5 Things are starting to move again!

 

Indeed, things are moving at Imberhorne cutting. But don't forget that from now on in, the Northern Extension isn't only about what happens at the cutting: there is extensive work happening to remodel and resignal Kingscote, which has carried on through all the poor weather of the last few weeks. Service trains are currently being top'n'tailed mid week with a turnover engine at weekends. The Bluebell specials have been propelled from SP to KC and hauled back, so no run round is required - this gives passengers on the Obo a unique view of the line in the up direction, akin to being in the driving position of an autocoach.

(See this sequence of photos by John Sandys, starting here: Bluebell Special at H/K | Flickr - Photo Sharing!. It shows the Bluebell special coming in to change tokens at HK. Note the disc on the front of the Obo, not a red tail lamp; and the positions of the signals, showing that the train is coming towards us being propelled, not drawn away from us).

Tom

 

Off topic, but also of interest in these photos is the H Class undergoing it's steam test!

Steve B

 

Slightly off-topic, but I notice ( as of a few seconds ago...) that the "whats new" section of the Bluebell website hasn't been updated since 20th April. Does anyone happen to know if there is a problem?

Maybe of course that the webmaster is away/otherwise engaged, which is quite understandable. We all have busy lives.

 

Webmaster has been away, but I understand that he's back now and a mega-update will be forthcoming soon-ish.

 

Thanks. Thats appreciated.

regards

46118


Edit: Bluebell site "whats new" now updated.

 

Looking on Google maps over the past few days. With regarding finding a place to park my car. The nearest possible area within walking distance to Imberhorne road bridge or the farm bridge would be a small area of land next to the cross roads on B2110 Imbeerhorne Lane/ Saint Hill Road cross roads. Apart from this area does anyone else know of anywhere you can park a car

Thanks

 

How about a Station Carpark and walk?

Even I know that parking is difficult in the area.
The new extension is not that long so should be reasonable for walking distance.

 

Its a long walk from both East Grinstead and Kingscote stations, no parking allowed at Kingscote anyhow, plus the walk would be on a road with no footpaths. That is the place I park at, there are two patches of land that are sort of lay-byes which are Ok. The other option is on the main road next to where the footpath starts by Hill Place a sort of lay bye has been made off the road with so many cars parking there. I don't like to as the road is busy, its only 10 mins walk from the crossroads. Don't park in the lane over Hill Place Bridge as its private.

 

20 minutes walk from East Grinstead Station for Imberhorne lane bridge about 5 less for the other. Another option is to park in Garden Wood Road on the southside (where there are no houses ) near/under the viaduct about 5 minutes less walking.Footpath at the side of the road from the Station to the cross roads.

 

More pictures from today on the Philpot site

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