Bluebell Railway East Grinstead Opening Gala - SPring 2013

If true, an interesting choice of engine. I agree with Tom about visiting engines - having followed the extension project since the 1970s, when it was little more than a dream, I just want to see the line open, and would be quite happy if, just like the Kingscote reopening in 1994, the reopening gala was entirely a "home fleet" affair. However, as presumably (if the story in SR is correct) 70000 will arrive by rail over the link with Network Rail, it will be the first steam engine to be seen on the Hurst Green-East Grinstead line since the 1960s, and its arrival could be used to generate some helpful publicity along the route from East Croydon southwards that the Bluebell has finally reopened. Of course, there is always the possiblility that it might arrive (or depart) at the head of a railtour, although this is purely wishful thinking on my part!

 

Excellent if true. Haven't seen 70000 in Green yet. Great loco having ridden behind her on the MHR.

 

I see that UK Railtours is running a rail tour from Victoria to Sheffield Park and return behind a GBRf Class 66 diesel on Thursday 28 March. In the light of this is there any further indication yet of the opening date of the extension and when the gala is likely to be ?

 

Officially there is no date. Because of the work still required (lay the track, commission the signalling, train the crews, obtain whatever regulatory approval is needed etc), the railway is being naturally cautious in confirming an opening date. When the rail tour you refer to was announced, UK Railtours was quite careful to advertise it with the caveat that it was subject to the line being open etc.

Unofficially, if you want to attend the gala, make sure you are free on the weekend of March 23/24, the following week and the next weekend (which I think is the Easter weekend), and if you want to be present on the opening day, definitely don't be washing your hair on March 23rd.

This information is fully-formed speculation, comes with no warranty real or implied, is worth what you paid for it and Jamessquared Enterprises accepts no liability whatsoever for any expense you may incur in making travel arrangements etc

Tom

 

35028 would have made a great visitor too, it's been a while since a Merchant has been on the line!

 

Reported in today's Heritage Rly magazine that the second visiting loco is hoped to be Tornado.

 

As if the gala wasn't going to be busy enough!

 

60163 is due to work a railtour to Kingswear and back for Steam Dreams on March 23rd. That weekend also sees galas at the SVR and WSR, so that might thin things out a bit (assuming the opening date in March 23rd as Jamessquared suggests).

 

Tornado is not currently available on the 23rd March - Cathedrals Express to Kingswear, but after this trip the next one listed is 13th April.

 

Remember, you read it here first But now the BBC are saying the same - BBC News - Bluebell Railway memorial for founder Bernard Holden (bottom of the story) - so it must be true...

My understanding is still that the final "go / no go" decision for that date is yet to be taken, since there are remaining works on the extension to finish that are weather dependent. Current weather is wet.

Tom

 

There's a bit of an update in the latest Bluebell News, highlights as follows:

(*) Opening weekend 23/24 March (but remember, that is still to be finally confirmed)
(*) 4 train intensive timetable, departures every 45 minutes from 9.30am each day
(*) On the Saturday, there will be two "first" trains that will be pre-booked. First arrival at EG will be the 9.30am departure from SP and will run as a Champagne Breakfast train, hopefully hauled by "Britannia". First departure from EG will be the 9.45am service hauled by B473 and consisting of the Maunsell set and pre-group non corridors. (Presumably this will have had to work ECS from SP departing sometime around 8.45am).
(*) Thereafter, there will be four 6 coach sets in service (I assume they actually mean "six coach equivalents", since pre grouping coaches are shorter, but you want to maximise capacity).
(*) The last train of the day will be five course gala pullman making two round trips; again pre-booked. I assume this will be late in the evening.

Sunday will be the same, but without the Pullmans.

The Maundy Thursday diesel charter will consist of 12 coaches, a GBRf class 66 and a class 73. This will run through to SP where it will reverse and run back to HK. The class 66 will be named "The Bluebell Railway". Apparently, the class 73 will then "haul a 4-car train from HK", presumably to EG and back, before the special reforms for departure back to London.

No news on what, if anything, the second visiting engine will be, except that "the easter Saturday Golden Arrow will be hauled by a visiting locomotive" and since they don't specifically say Britannia, I assume another engine, but one large enough to haul the GA - which doesn't have to be that big, but I assume it won't be something like "Blue Circle" or FR20!

Tom

 

Any chance that a Golden Arrow headboard (maybe the arrows if its possible) could be fitted to 70000 at some stage in honour of 70004 and 70014 when they were based at Stewarts Lane for the Golden Arrow's which I think was a plan when 70013 was due to run at Giants of Steam in 2010. I don't think a Brit has appeared on Pullmans with a GA headboard before although 70000 has hauled the VSOE though and run as both 73A Brits in preservation but without Pullmans.

Could the second visitor be Met 1 if its big enough to handle the GA and is meant to be visiting this year along with Met 353 (I will look to see Met 1 as I missed her first visit in 2007) although HR did report that it could be 60163 which assuming the Gala does happen on the last weekend of March would be available as 60163 has a gap between March 23rd and April 13th although Britannia would have to do a LE movement as its down on March 26th as being on a Cathedrals from Newbury to Canterbury. Thats assuming the Extension is completed which I hope is the case but a little longer won't hurt but just build up more anticipation for me.

Are the visitors that are booked also booked should the date change or will a new visitor/s have to be found?

 

My guess (FWIW...) would be not Met 1 - I think that will be a big draw on its own (especially as it didn't exactly behave itself in 2007 so very few people go to ride behind her) so my guess would be we'd want that later in the year.

As for headboards: I don't see why not, but probably worth dropping a word to Tim Baker or Neil Glaskin. The whole gala is supposedly having a "Festival of Britain" theme, which I guess explains Britannia. I'd take a bet that some train will run with a "Blue Belle" headboard, replicating the famous railtour of the early 1960s, but that might more likely be the first departure from EG.

With regards are the visitors booked even if the date changes: not sure but I'd suspect it would depend on what other committments the loco has: ultimately we can't ask the loco owners to keep their loco available for an unspecified time in the future "just in case". I suspect there is probably a booking for the opening period with an option on one other "contingency" period a few weeks later.

Tom

 

Many thanks once again Tom. The Festival of Britain theme sounds interesting. It'll be good to see Blue Belle headboard at some stage.

 

Someone stated on the Bluebell yahoo group that 60163 was not one of the potential visitors.

 

Many thanks for the update Tom, didn't receive our Bluebell News today so guess it'll arrive in the post on Monday. The gala sounds very tasty and was thinking along the same lines as Dan that would it be possible to rename/number Britannia as either Iron Duke or William Shakespeare and paired with a mixture of Pullmans and Bulleids to recreate the time when those two Brit's hauled the boat trains? I guess Jon Bowers is hopefully working on getting a photo charter or two with that combination so if he's reads this please please Jon can it happen?

With regard to the first train to E.G I'm a little surprised it's not going to be hauled by one of the home based locos. I thought ideally it should have been 55 double-heading with 323, as Steppers is basically knackered, and perhaps even the E4 banking at the rear to assist the two locos up the gradient. But still, Britannia is a very fine loco to have the privilege of hauling this train and certainly looking forward to hearing the Brit climb up Imberhorne gradient. I remember having a ride on the SSE behind Oliver Cromwell a few years ago and the sound that made climbing out of Leeds Station was something to behold!

 

This is speculation on my part, but I wouldn't be surprised if the first train from EG (supposedly hauled by B473) doesn't also have 323 (for power) and 55 (for show) attached, since otherwise I can't see how B473 on its own is going to get up to EG with the three Maunsells and the 4 pre-grouping non corridors, at least not while also staying within the published load limits. So I'd bet on that train being "top & tailed" with 55 at the north end and B473 and 323 on the south end.

Pure speculation on my part...

Tom

 

Given it's somewhat...erm..."temperamental" axle boxes at the time pretty much everyone missed Met 1 unless you were on the only charter it managed.

Personally I hope the other visitor is something properly authentically Southern, we've actually not had many "Southern" visitors in recent years (since all those Bulleids turned up in '07 anyway). Seems churlish to think that given the plethora of varieties at our disposal. Personally it's long been an ambition of mine to see Lord Nelson running on the line. Arguably one of the most aesthetically pleasing express passenger types on the Southern IMHO and would look superb with the Maunsell stock.

As for the "Blue Belle" headboard mentioned above by Tom, if that isn't adorning the front of a certain A1X come the time of the gala then I for one will be somewhat surprised.

 

A thought occurs about 70000. Would it arrive LE because that would probably mean that 70000 would be facing tender first on the first train from SP to EG unless she arrives with her support coach tender first but that would mean having to run at a slower speed which I'm not how would fit in with the services from EG to London.

 

Yeah I as thinking that, if Britannia arrrives LE I guess it means she would be facing south towards S.P. unless the loco and support coach comes down towed by a diesel so it can face north. I guess this sort of scenerio gives even more impetus for a turntable to be constructed for other mainline loco visits via the mainline so it doesn't matter so much as to which way the locos will come down.