Bluebell Railway Model Railway Weekend 29/30 June - complete with 1:1 scale Crompton

Model Railway Weekend - Special Events

 

Re: Bluebell Railway Model Railway Weekend 29/30 June - complete with 1:1 scale Cromp

Great compromise and balance, well done to the Bluebell. If there was any chance of me getting that weekend off work, I'd be there.

 

Re: Bluebell Railway Model Railway Weekend 29/30 June - complete with 1:1 scale Cromp

That low level grinding noise you can hear is the gnashing of teeth as the news filters through...

 

Re: Bluebell Railway Model Railway Weekend 29/30 June - complete with 1:1 scale Cromp

That the Class 33 is going to be used on passenger trains :-(

Luckily I'll be playing cricket on the Saturday, as long as the weather has decided to actually be warm by then ray2:, so will miss it. I guess though joking aside it'll be interesting to see how joe public react when they turn up at S.P. expecting a steam hauled ride only to see that thing on the front of the train. I'm sure diesel fans will turn up and ride behind it so it won't be a complete failure but I guess we can all now safely say that the Bluebell's claim of being "100% steam hauled trains" is now well and truly over. I suppose we could change it to 90% steam hauled trains:smile:

 

Re: Bluebell Railway Model Railway Weekend 29/30 June - complete with 1:1 scale Cromp

David - without particularly defending the service, the 33 is effectively an addition to the normal steam service, not in replacement of it. So any member of Joe Public turning up expecting a steam hauled service will have exactly the same choice and service as they would have done had the 33 not been running.

Tom

 

Re: Bluebell Railway Model Railway Weekend 29/30 June - complete with 1:1 scale Cromp

Always find it interesting to see how the derogatory comments are almost de rigueur when it comes to diesels. I wonder, would people make the same comments towards a visiting loco because it was a GWR design, or a standard, or something else that wasn't their area of interest? I'd imagine anybody doing so would get a sharp reminder of how much time and effort has gone into its restoration, and that regardless of personal interests it's a piece of railway history. Just saying!

 

Re: Bluebell Railway Model Railway Weekend 29/30 June - complete with 1:1 scale Cromp

Please don't split hairs Tom, the truth is that the Bluebell Railway has lost its very proud boast that it is Britain's only all steam railway. For me, it has also lost a great deal else too.

Regards

 

Re: Bluebell Railway Model Railway Weekend 29/30 June - complete with 1:1 scale Cromp

Oh no, you mean it's only 99.999% steam hauled? Disgraceful!

Top marks to the railway for this actually, realising that the "steam only" brigade are nothing more than a vocal minority and realising that there is a market for (rare) diesel hauled trains. There's already been a largely positive response from WNXX with people talking about bringing their families. That's more people than would otherwise have gone, while those who want steam only can go on any of the other 51 weekends of the year.

 

Re: Bluebell Railway Model Railway Weekend 29/30 June - complete with 1:1 scale Cromp

Surely it lost that boast when it used one of the 08s a few years ago after the failure of the steam loco (C class IIRC)?

 

Re: Bluebell Railway Model Railway Weekend 29/30 June - complete with 1:1 scale Cromp

If it were the 70s, I'd be minded to agree with the '100% steam' lot - much as I like diesels, it was a good claim, when coal was cheap. It's the 21st century now though, and if a few people can't realise that the extra bums on seats will bring in much needed revenue, then perhaps they'd like to stump up the equivalent cash to have the run cancelled?

 

Re: Bluebell Railway Model Railway Weekend 29/30 June - complete with 1:1 scale Cromp

Now for 09018 on a passenger service....

 

Well I for one shall visit and do 3 trips with 33103.

I would not have considered visiting otherwise.