Bluebell Railway Giants of Steam 2009

Original thread lost.

Anyway this year 30777 Sir Lamiel is due to visit for this event.

However it was confirmed on the website the other day but seems to have gone. Have talks broken down? Hope not on my first visit to the Bluebell when I was about 5 (I'm 18 in a month) and I've seen pictues my parents took which suggests it was a Thomas event and Sir Lamiel wasn't there on the first visit to the shed but later that day was parked in the shed which means SL must have arrived that day. If SL is there this year I will be able to have a ride.

 

I will be definately be there for that! Might be a chance of some great lineside photos!!! ;-)

 

It wasn't confirmed on the website the other day at all...it merely said that the railway were in talks to get it for the event. Also; it is "confirmed" in the Railway mags but of course on previous occasions they confirmed the 7F before it was even discussed, so best not to believe everything they write in their columns!

 

The photo charters are booked with it, so I I'd say that was a positive indicator!

 

Reading SR mag today it looks like she may also be going to Swanage Railway in Sept?

 

I wouldn't believe everything SR mag says, it said that one of the locos from the NYMR may appear.

 

Am intending to make a pilgrimage from West Wales to do this event on the Saturday (between railtours), so hopefully 30777 will be there. Regardless of this, I haven't seen 34059 since 2003 when it was nothing but a set of frames, and I'd like to have a ride behind the U class. Never seen a complete Maunsell mogul before, so looking forward to it. Despite being a Southern fanatic who saw it in BR black at Llangollen, it will also be good to see 9017 again (is it back in GWR livery yet?).

 

9017 is still black, and hopefully will see out the majority of her ticket like it, don't know if I prefer the livery but the change is nice.

 

Sir Lamiel will not be visiting the Swanage Railway Steam Gala this year.
£££££££!!!!!!

 

That Swanage fee thing is weird it costs that amount (about £200 wasn't it) a day for a member of the 5305 group to be with SL, then where have the Bluebell got money for that at the Giants event when all money needs to being going towards EG. Unless SL was to have arrived at Swanage by mainline and that it would be a different cost altogether. Also at Giants I hope to ride behind 34059 for the first time as I only get down there once a year now for Giants despite being local to it.

 

Re your signature: it's a really good idea to keep your identity a secret from all excepting those you can really trust to keep it confidential. Have you complained to the moderators?

Regards

 

You just can't win here! If you don't display it then people get annoyed that you're hiding, and if you do then people can complain about you. Catch 22

 

The Bluebell's extension is not being funded out of revenue, so we can cope with raising money for the extension and running a gala at the same time. The cost for support crew presence is standard with NRM locos; we've had NRM locos on the Bluebell before, and we budget accordingly - yes it does push the cost up, but I can see it is perfectly reasonable for the railway to have to cover the costs of a minder, and that it is perfectly reasonable for a loco's owners to want to keep a good eye on their loco when visiting another line.

The reason the visit of 30777 disappeared from the web site after a day was that, whilst I had understood it was pretty much all agreed, in fact the paperwork has not yet been signed, so unlike the magazines, we don't want to announce it on the web site until it is firm.

The really interesting thing is the statement in one of the magazines that another visiting loco is planned - I know nothing about that, and suspect it is unlikely.

Quite agree about the Dukedog in black - against all expectation, it really does look very attractive - probably because of the curves, and polished brass and copper - even without the nameplate. In any case the plan had been to retain it in black at least until B473 (LBSCR E4 "Birch Grove") returned to steam. I've some photos from the Loco Works to hand for an update on B473 on the web site - boiler in the frames, cladding on, and looking good (I hope) to join in with the Giants event!

Regards,

Richard

 

Some fantastic shots from Derek Hayward showing the progress on the E4.
I'm sure she will be ready in time and I just can't wait for it.

 

A couple of months of as I understand it??

 

Thanks for clearing that up Richard. The E4 is coming along great. Looking forward to Tornado's visit as well next year. SL will look great with 1638.

 

Thanks for the info. Richard. I was a bit surprised to read in SR mag that another visiting loco was being negotiated, it would be great if we had a second - Nelson or a Black 5 would be a real treat. But the potential line-up for Giants is just about right - 30777, Sir Archie, Black Dukedog, B473, 1638 and 80151. If that line-up can't attract the photters/enthusiasts to the gala I don't know what else would, but let's just hope we don't have anymore "rainbow" carriage sets like we had at last year's Giants.

 

'Ashbury' set

Will the 'Ashbury' set be working at the gala? Haven't seen it for some time.

Regards

 

Line up ought to be:

30777, 34059, B473, 1638, 80151, 9017 & 592.

 

If a second visitor is sought, after all, why not go for 60007 - Three "knights" - Sir Lamiel, Sir Archibald Sinclair and Sir Nigel Gresley. Something a bit different, to say the least!

Seriously, it wil be great to see 30777 down in Sussex again, and I hope that it will be paired up with some pre-Mk1 stock not just on the photo charter.