Bluebell Diesel Gala 15 - 17th April

http://www.bluebell-railway.com/event/diesel-weekend/

 

Wonder if the 66 will be 66739?

Also, if the 4TC is down, could the VEP join it? It is, after all, "the Bluebell's own coaches"...

 

Not what I was expecting and very different from the two Deltics last year. I hope it's a success, even if none of the classes listed have quite the following of the Deltics or the WR hydraulics. As I only live about 20 miles away, I may well be tempted to pop over at some point.

 

A 66 and a 73/9 on The Bluebell is just so wrong!

 

and i was hoping for the hastings unit

 

(Although obviously these are 73/1 and 73/2)

 

I'd love to see a Thumper on the Bluebell. Maybe next year?

 

Happened last summer, though for a private charter, not a public event.

Tom

 

Hasn't the Lavender line got a Thumper. Ashame the BB couldn't hire it. A class 50 gets my vote.

 

I'd love to have been on that. Perhaps the right numbers will come up this evening.

John

 

Apparently HDL are planning on bringing 1001 to the Bluebell in May. The following is nicked from WNXX;

 

Sounds tempting, and advance singles with either Virgin or Chiltern make it not too bad to get there and back without having to spend an arm and a leg.

 

The GBRf theme is due to the various events GBRf are putting on this year for it's fifteenth anniversary - the Bluebell has had a very good relationship with GBRf for a few years now. Always time for 50s and Thumpers and whatever else in the future.

 

That's the reality of life now the Bluebell is linked to Network Rail at East Grinstead. I am pleased that the Bluebell's philosophy is that timetabled trains, except on occasions like this, will be 100% steam, but if you're going to make use of your NR link - as the Bluebell has been doing on and off since the spoil trains started running - you will inevitably find yourself building relationships with companies who operate on the "big railway" and who run modern traction - indeed, shock, horror, who might run their modern traction over your hallowed tracks!

The GBRf connection has continued after the tip was cleared, with that company moving the Mets to and fro for special events on London Transport and working the first through railtour on 28th March 2013. It is therefore no bad thing for a joint event to mark the relationship. I hope it's a success, bearing in mind that there's no class represented in the GBRf fleet that has the charisma of the Deltics which ran last year. After that gala, however, we can assume that the Bleuebell's commerial team have done their homework this time too. The Deltic event proved more successful than some had anticipated and I very much hope that this gala will be a good event too.

 

It sounds like they've realised by bringing in the extra stock this time, with 2 six coach trains things got pretty crowded last year

 

Whilst I understand, and applaud, the emotion behind "a totally steam operation" since conception all railways in preservation have to move with the times (some might only take small steps) and look to grow their income and this includes the Bluebell.
Some will say this is a backward step allowing those horrible oil burners to invade the Bluebell (and I have a certain amount of sympathy) but if it means that the railway is in a financially better position because of it then so be it

 

One weekend a year can't hurt. How many did last year's event with the Deltics bring in?

 

I see a basic timetable has appeared on the website with loco diagrams to come:http://www.bluebell-railway.com/event/diesel-weekend/

 

I popped this up over the road at WNXX a moment ago, but I'll lob it in here too as there's a stronger Bluebell community on NatPres:

Yeah, that is an intriguing timetable - looks odd on paper but assume there's a good reason for it being structured in that way rather than the pass at HK version of a two-set service. Looks like some trains wait as long as 20-30 mins on Horsted Keynes on the way south. Loco swaps there rather than SP?

I hate criticising things when I'm not a gala organiser myself and have no idea of the logistics involved in putting each event (they're all different) together, but I'm interested to hear the thinking behind that. It's actually a little bit less intensive than the toe-in-the-water 2014 event with 33103, the DMU and the shunters, yet this year has a much bigger loco line-up. (Loved that 2014 event by the way, bar the comic limp to Kingscote behind the wilting 09 being overtaken by a pheasant. The 33 was outstanding and the novelty of something like that happening on the Bluebell was just fantastic).

 

Timetable for the diesel gala:

http://rasalmon.co.uk/bluebell/download/events/2016/GBRf_Bluebell_Diesel_Gala_TT_V1.pdf

Tom