The Bluebell Railway has launched its 2008 Share Offer to help raise the funds we need to extend the line through to East Grinstead.
More details of how you might be able to help us are available here.
Why not Bookmark this page (or add to Favourites), and
come back regularly to check the latest changes.
The photo shows two of the six rear frame stretchers which Derek
Barlow has completed machining. These two, seen here trial assembed, are the ones which will go to the rear of the firebox.
3 December:
This photo of the Dukedog, which is now back in action on the Bluebell, was taken by Martin Lawrence on 23rd November.
Details of the increasingly popular Lounge Car services for 2009, including the Wealden Ramber special trains for Valentines Day, are now available and booking is open.
The Bluebell Railway Museum now has its own web site www.bluebell-railway-museum.co.uk - run by Tony Hillman. It currently has details of Museum activities, recent acquisitions and developments, and is going to become a major research resource, with a major project under way to catalogue the photographic archive and then make it available on-line.
The Trains for the coming week
page is updated weekly, with detailed information for visiting enthusiasts - but please note that notification of a train or service on that page does not necessarily imply that it is available to the public - all public services are listed in the Timetable.
Note: Throughout this site many of the photos are presented as small
versions which can be clicked on to access the full-size image.
See also the News Reports listed above.
We are getting so many photo galleries submitted that we have decided that only the best, or most interesting can now be featured here.
Please note that some photos included below are taken by volunteers and staff during the course of their duties, and so may have been taken in areas not open to the general public. These photos are very valuable, since they enable the public to see these otherwise hidden facets of the railway, but visitors to the railway should note that they may be unable to visit these locations themselves.
Please note that the Bluebell Railway is not responsible for the content of external web sites.
Gallery of photos of 9017 on the SVR from Paul Maycock - 1 October 2008
These photos taken over the weekend are from Martin Lawrence.
Videos from David Mylchreest from this spring, showing the visiting GW Auto train, and Stepney with the Observation Car, both at Three Arch Bridge, are now available.
His photo here shows Councilor Virginia Waddingham, the
Mayor of East Grinstead, at the controls of the long-reach digger for the ceremonial start of the digging.
Work was this morning officially inaugurated on the excavation of the tip on our Northern Extension.
Full report and Press Release available here.
Expect to see reports on a variety of media including TV and national press. The diggers and lorries are now active, and the first lorry loads of rubbish have left the site! All that remains in essence to complete the extension is raising the remainder of the money required - the share issue is still open, and closes at 3pm on 31st December. You can request a prospectus here and help us get through to East Grinstead.
The BBC News web site already has a written report, and this piece (YouTube version) appeared on the 1.30pm BBC SouthEast News. Watch out for more, we hope, on the BBC SouthEast (and possibly BBC South) News at 6.30pm, and also on Meridian.
Three photos below from Phil Jemmison, all taken yesterday:
The engineering work at Sheffield Park - the Southern end of the work site;
Towards the end of the day - replacement of trackwork along-side the old loco shed;
The BGZ in its new guise as a Pullman Pup, marshalled within the Golden Arrow formation. In addition to providing guard's accommodation, it also now has washing up facilities, storage and office accommodation. It will thus replace 'Eagle' which is on hire from the NRM, although here it is seen coupled to 'Eagle' for a change-over period. This will take the Arrow back to being an all-pre-war formation.
20 November:
Martin Laurence visited the carriage works yesterday, and this photo shows that the work on Metropolitan composite 368 is nearly complete. The lettering and lining is now finished, and just two more coats of varnish to go on before its revarnishing is complete.
The roof has had four fresh coats of paint. Prior to entering the paint-shop the BASH team had replaced 9 split teak panels (and consequently 39 mouldings). The floor in the third class has been re-sealed, and the dummy blinds in the first class have finally been fitted.
The coach was returned to traffic after overhaul six years ago, but the gold leaf lettering had suffered badly during some filming work three years ago. The repairs to the lettering made at the time have not lasted, so all the gold leaf has now been re-done from scratch.
Martin's other photo, below, shows the ex-SR van underframe which is to be shortenned to carry LBSCR Stroudley third-class carriage No.328.
Photo galleries from Martin Creese, featuring Earl of Berkeley during its recent visits to the Severn Valley Railway, and in a night shoot at Tyseley.
The other photo below from Peter Churchman shows some more of the many vintage buses at Sheffield Park last Sunday for the Bus Running day.
19 November:
Progress report on the East Grinstead Extension with photos from David Chappell, showing the advanced state of preparations for track-laying at our station site at East Grinstead.
Today's update includes these three of Martin Lawrence's photos taken on Sunday 16th, all showing the visiting 7F.
YouTube Video of the open day at Tyseley on October 26th, with our Dukedog as 3200 "Earl of Mount Edgcumbe".
Notes from the September and October BRPS committee meetings now available via the BRPS Members' page.
16 November:
Four photos taken today - the Vintage Bus Running Day (from Nick Talbot) and also two (thanks to Phil Jemmison and Gary Smith) showing the S&D 7F No.53809 at the start and the end of the day.
The P-Way fortnight starts tomorrow at Sheffield Park, with a continuation from January's major work in and around Sheffield Park loco-yard. Volunteer effort from anyone would be appreciated, starting from Wednesday this week, though to Wednesday next week. The team will meet up at the Park each day at 08.45. E-mail Jon Bowers for more information.
News update from Duncan Bourne with photos from Rob Faulkner added to the page for the Loco Works Working Group's activities on P-class No.178. Note that if you are interested in joining the activities of the group, there is a slight change to the usual pattern of dates in December.
Details just available (and bookings open - phone 01825 720800) for some special trains running on February 7 and 8 during the visit of SECR P-class locomotive No.753 early next year. Discount available on tickets purchased before 31st January.
Departures from Horsted Keynes at 10.45, 12.47 and 2.48 for a round trip of the line.
Seats limited to 24 First and 24 Third per trip.
11 November:
East Grinstead Extension:Latest progress reports and photos from Nigel Longdon and David Chappell, and on progress with the share issue and about the planned official start of the dig from Roger Kelly.
Nigel's photo on the right shows one of the newly constructed roads, which provides the exit from the temporary works compound for the tip extraction.
Further details available for the Carol Service on the platforms of Horsted Keynes station from 7.30pm on Sat 6 December.
The Bluebell Railway Band will be in attendance along with our oldest steam locomotive "Fenchurch" who is known for joining in with a carol or two!
This year we are pleased to welcome the Revd Alan Carr, the Vicar of neighbouring All Saints Church at Highbrook, which can be seen from our trains as they depart Horsted Keynes station en route to Kingscote. Alan will lead us in our service of song and prayer, which will last about an hour.
The station refreshment room will be open for the sale of teas, coffees and mulled wine through out the evening from 6.30pm
Details are now available for the July and September 2009 Victorian Picnic evening trains, for which booking is now open.
Further to my note concerning the visiting 7F steaming on Sunday 16th November, agreement has now been reached for the engine to remain on the Bluebell until the end of the year, with several further steamings possible. Anyone wishing to sponsor a steaming for a date of their choice is invited to contact the railway to discuss possibilities further.
The 'Dukedog' is back at Sheffield Park; Edward Hankey took the opportunity of taking this unusual photo of it without its tender on Friday. A second photo from Edward is available here.
A snippet of news on the extension: I understand that temporary roads into and out of the temporary compound are being laid, and portacabins are on site ready for the start of excavation, expected later this month. Details of the official start of the excavation of the tip will be announced once they are known. Any further share purchases in the coming weeks will enable greater progress in the initial phase of extraction - if you would like a prospectus for the share issue, it is available here.
Other loco news:
The S&D 7F No.53809 has been sponsored to steam for an additional day, and will be operating the 11:00, 1:00 and 3:00 services
from Sheffield Park on The Bluebell Railway Vintage Bus Day Sunday 16th
November.
The U-class No.1638 is having some broken and worn stays replaced, which will involve a partial boiler lift. It is expected back in service for the first weekend of the Santa Specials.
A further update from Duncan Bourne with photos from Rob Faulkner added to the page for the Loco Works Working Group's activities on P-class No.178. If you fancy giving them a hand in the loco works on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month, then your assistance would be most welcome.
Due to a problem with the railway's e-mail system, we are not currently receiving e-mails sent to bluebell-railway.co.uk addresses, so if you have sent such an e-mail but not received a reply this may well explain it. Our IT team are working to resolve the problem. We apologise for this inconvenience! [The problem has now been resolved, although the cause is still being investigated]
Photos from last weekend's Wizard Weekend from Derek Hayward, including that on the right.
Updates to wagon pages by Nick Beck with thanks to Martin Skrzetuszewski and Ted Crawforth: LBSCR Box Van No.8196, SECR 7-plank No.5542 and SECR 5-plank Open Wagon No.50899.
23 October:
The photos acompanying today's update are all contributed after the last weekend's Autumn Steam Gala. My thanks to Stephen Hunt, Tim Easter, Brian Easter, David Haggar and John Goss.
Northern Extension News with thanks to Nigel Longdon - a photo of the preparations for the compound adjacent to the tip site, and reports of progress in several other areas as well.
The Northern Extension Team would like to thank all those who supported their book sale at Kingscote over the Gala Weekend. They managed to raise £473.90 towards the Northern Extension. The guided tours of the Carriage Works raised donations of just over £300 towards the fund for the restoration of our SR Maunsell Restaruant Car.
We regret to announce that the visiting 'Jinty' will not be hauling trains over the Gala weekend. Today it is being replaced on the service trains by No.5199.
The Somerset & Dorset 7F and the LMS Jinty were both in steam yesterday. The 7F ran a succesful test run yesterday (seen during gaugeing checks at Horsted Keynes in Brian Kidman's photo), and the Jinty will be tested on the Shunt turn today. Another attraction added for this weekend's Autumn Steam Gala:
On the Saturday and Sunday there is a mini model railway exhibition on the upper floor of the Bessemer Arms at Sheffield Park featuring 009 and N Scale layouts, and also a sales stand by the Railway's resident artist, Matthew Cousins.
Bus Service 246 (Uckfield to Sheffield Park) has been replaced by a new Community Bus Service. Call CTLA on 01273 517332 for more details.
15 October:
The Somerset & Dorset 7F No.53809 arrived at Sheffield Park yesterday. The low loader was then going on to collect the Jinty from Tunbridge Wells. Added to the page for this weekend's Autumn Steam Gala are:
Details of the enhanced 473 Bus service between East Grinstead and Kingscote, using a Routemaster in addition to the usual bus.
Details of the Free vintage bus service (Route 20) from Brington and Lewes to Sheffield Park on the Sunday
Details of the availability of the Event Guide which includes a working timetable for the event
Second-hand book sale at Kingscote Station in aid of the Northern Extension Project.
Also at Kingscote: Exhibition of the progress being made on the extension to East Grinstead.
Quiz Evening - in the Bar at Sheffield Park on the Saturday evening - £7 for Sausage and Mash Supper and Quiz.
LSWR 96 "Normandy" arrived back last week, after its visits to the NRM and Barrow Hill.
10 October:
The photo from John Fry is one of several new ones illustrating the continuing progress on 34059 "Sir Archibald Sinclair", in a news report on the Bulleid Society web site.
Galleries of photos of 9017 on the SVR in a charter with 3440, on 1st October from Paul Maycock, and from Don Bishop.
Further details added for the S&D-themed Autumn Steam Gala on Friday 17th - Sunday 19th October. 7 locos will be working over the event, including two visitors - Somerset and
Dorset Joint Railway class 7F No.53809 and LMS Jinty 0-6-0T No.47493. Further information about these locos has been added to the Operational Locomotives page.
Also a notice from Gavin Bennett, reporting with great sadness the death of long time volunteer Pat Berry - further information and details of funeral arrangements.
Online and telephone booking for the Santa Specials is now open.
Tim Baker tells me that the Victorian Christmas specials are booking up fast, with most of the first class compartments already taken.
Update to details of the Murder Mystery & Mayhem evenings on the Golden Arrow for 2009 - the remaining dates for this year are sold out, barring cancellations.
2 October:
We now have another visitor to join the S&D 2-8-0 for the S&D themed Autumn Steam Gala - the Spa Valley Railway has released the news that they hope that their LMS Jinty will be visiting us, subject to final confirmation. Since 47493 is also now on our Loco Roster, newly updated by Lewis Nodes (covering October, November and December), we can confirm this to be correct!
Great photographic coverage in several monthly railway magainzes in the last week, featuring the goods train with the double-headed SECR locos, and also of the Dukedog on the SVR - coverage of the Dukedog appears to have eclipsed even City of Truro's presence on the line!
4 December:
3 December:
Press Release - The Clearing of Imberhorne Cutting - the start of work is announced - 29 August 2008
2 December:
26 November:
21 November:
20 November:
19 November:
16 November:
11 November:
3 November:
31 October:
17 October:
16 October:
15 October:
10 October:
9 October:
Page maintained by Richard Salmon.
