Bluebell Northern Extension - so what's occurring then?

There is some movement of some clay on the western side in the middle of the cutting, but this looks more to do with the previous activities of the digger parked on it than slippage.

 

Thanks Tom. I am sure the new formation will be subject to regular inspections by P-Way and Civils, so anything untoward will be seen, monitered and if necessary dealt with. There is also further work required to finally finish the project, including presumably hydraseeding the meshed parts of the cutting to encourage grass growth. Indeed the 33 is on the railway to assist with the further work over the coming weeks.

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The fall that RP is going on about isn't new, its been that way for weeks. for proof, look through the pics and video's of the track trek. Its also on the only section of the cutting that is very steep and doesn't have mesh on it, pressumably it's one of the bits to be finished off soon. Unfortunately RP likes to moan about everything, and is definitely a glass half empty person. I doubt he's seen the irony in the fact that he didn't get to photograph the last fishplate going in, while John Sandy's, whos photo reports have been excellent and totally factual, did. In a few weeks time it will all be over, then we can await the Ardingly push in a few years, or will it be a push south too?
Daniel

 

Yes RP does appear to worry alot, but he has in fairness, alongside JS, provided interesting ongoing photgraphic progress reports for those of us too far away to visit the Imberhorne site personally.

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I don't disagree that he has provided interesting photographic reports. I've looked at them too, as I'm thousands of miles from Imberhorne cutting. Unfortunately he never stuck to the facts, and at one point told people to stop donating because the railway was doing it all wrong, and would never finish it the way they were going. JS stuck to the facts, supported the railway, and actively supported its fund raising ventures. The difference in attitudes by the two reporters resulted in one getting access to a lot more behind the scenes action, which the other complained about not being able to access.
Daniel

 

I seldom reply to posts on these forums but would ask that if members are going to criticise me they get their facts right and don't just repeat things that others have written without going back to the original texts to confirm that what they write is true.
Without entering into discussion I will clarify on this one occasion. I wrote that the tip was much larger than then thought and it was impossible for the Railway to remove the entire tip in the time and at the costs at that time specified.
At that time it had been announced that the entire tip waste had to be removed before any trains could run.
MY comment has proved to be 100% correct as much of the rubbish is still in exactly the same place as it was when I wrote the remark.

 

And yet the trains still run. Eppur si muove.

 

I can't help thinking that now is the time to be celebrating the huge achievement of opening to East Grinstead and not picking at old scabs.

 

Well I have followed your blog on a daily basis and can state quite categorically that at a time when the Project desperately needed every penny to beat the tax increase which would have quadrupled the cost per tonne to remove the waste, you said that the project was doomed to failure and that people should save their money. Had people heeded your call the Project would have failed.

Funnily enough when I revisited the archive to retrieve your remarks you had removed them. However people have long memories, and in the case of your blog the abiding one is that you tried to sabotage the project at a critical time.

 

Indeed...

Tom

 

Indeed it is.

Just wondering whether you slipped down to the Blue for a quick ride behind the 73s!!!

Ha, Ha, just read your posts on the other link.

Didn't really think you would miss that trip Jon.

 

Firstly congratulations on the reopening. I will come and visit (by rail) sometime in the next few months, when the weather is warmer. It is a long time since I donated some money to help by the West Hoathly station site.

Secondly, have any of these following first happened yet. I hope that Blebell staff are looking out for them:
- First local resident to travel from Sheffield Park or Horstead Keynes, for purpose of shoping at Sainsbury's at East
Grinstead.
- First person to have a day out in London (or elsewhere) from Sheffield Park or Horstead Keynes.
- First person to set out by rail from Sheffield Park to visit and ride on another heritage line and return the same day.
- As above but vice-versa.

Lastly having been unable to find it any any of my numerous books or magazines, does anyone know the exact date when as a result of the Ardingly - East Grinstead Track Lifting Contract, the Bluebell was disconnected from the rest of British Railways.

 

Ardingly for me...can you imagine the 5-Bel set bringing in the high and mighty to the Ardingly show

 

Don't know.

That has happened.

Don't know, though several volunteers have arrived for shifts by rail from the national network.

The contract ran from Aug 1964 to March 1965 and severance either side of HK took place early, around Sept 1964.

Tom

 

Well, his 'sabotage' resulted in my making a donation so he can't have done badly on that score can he? I wonder how many others like me were motivated by his blog. Credit where it's due.

 

2 volunteers travelled from Sheffield Park to Tunbridge Wells West this weekend.

 

The very much missed 'Mrs B', mother of our vice president Bill Brophy, who lived in one of the cottages at SP, regularly caught the train to Kingscote and then the bus to EG to shop at Sainsbury's, mainly to purchase the ingredients for loco and SP staffs breakfasts which she cooked for many years on 'early turns'.
Whenever the GN saloon was on the train we always sat her down for afternoon tea on her return trip.

 

In June I should be on a daytrip from York to the Bluebell again.
Hope that we will not have the hour delay at EG this time. Due to the bus leaving as the train arrived at EG

 

What is the total length of the BLuebell Railway now?

 

Counting from Culver Junction, Sheffield Park is at 6m25ch and East Grinstead at 17m0ch - so that makes 10m55ch, or about 10 3/4 miles.

See Bluebell Railway - Location Map and Gradient Profile

Tom