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Blog: What's New
at the Bluebell Railway?
| Steam Trains run:
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Our normal public steam-hauled and steam-heated trains run at
Weekends in January, February and March, plus Half-term week 11-19 Feb.
See the Timetable for full details.
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Why not Bookmark this page (or add to Favourites), and
come back regularly to check the latest changes.
N.B. It may be worth refreshing/reloading this page in your browser to ensure you have the latest version.
Photographic submissions for inclusion on this page are welcome.
Please be aware that submissions may also be used on our Facebook page;
please inform me if you do not wish this to occur.
Please also note that any photos or videos showing civil engineering work taking
place on the extension must be approved by the relevant Bluebell director.
Latest Updates - Earlier updates - Latest Project News
Weekly train running information - Recent photo reports - Archive News
2 February
- Ray Wills' photo illustrates yesterday's completion of the installation of the new stained-glass in the restored porch at Horsted Keynes, which is to act as a lasting memorial to the late Simon Baker. Ian Fribbens two photos below show more detail of the superb craftsmanship, both on the new timberwork and the stained glass.
- This Sunday is the next occasion when you can join a behind-the-scenes tour to find out what's involved in helping in various areas of the Railway's operation: Book up for the Find Out More Day.
- Further to yesterday's update about EasyFundraising, there is now a donation of 3% from national train tickets bought through southernrailway.com, who also have the advantage of having no booking fee.
- More progress today with engineering work in platform 1 at Sheffield Park - ballast and track laying is now well under way. The repairs to the station canopy are also progressing, with the canopy lifted by several inches to correct the subsidence to the foundations under some of the pillars, and excavations made to enable a permanent solution to this long-standing problem.
- Update to the Loco Roster showing expected loco usage to the end of March. No.178 is being used for the Engineering Works tomorrow, and over the weekend Baxter will be acting as pull-off engine at Sheffield Park, awaiting re-connection of the run-round facility.
- Murray Tremellen has re-loaded some photos of the Bluebell's 2010 Branch Line Weekend to Flickr. Murray is in the process of uploading further photos to Flickr which had previously been available via Fotopic, so more of his Bluebell photos, mostly from Branch Line Weekends, will follow in due course.
1 February
- Nathan Gibson's photo taken on Sunday shows No.178 in platform 2 at Sheffield Park with the top-and-tailed service train on Sunday. Because of the engineering work, No.178 was trapped at the north end of the platform. Since it could not run to the loco yard for coaling during the day, Nathan Gibson, Matthew Price and Reuben Smith provided a wheel-barrow coaling service.
- Bus services to the Bluebell:
473 Service between East Grinstead and Kingscote Station:
This service will run on special event and school holidays only during 2012: 31 March - 15 April, 21, 22, 28 April, 12, 13 May, 2 - 10 June, daily 21 July - Sunday 2 September, 20, 21 October, 27 October - 4 November.
East Grinstead Station (10.10) 11.10 12.10 1.10 2.10 3.10 4.10
East Grinstead High St (10.15) 11.15 12.15 1.15 2.15 3.15 4.15
Kingscote Station (10.30) 11.30 12.30 1.30 2.30 3.30 4.30
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Kingscote Station 11.42 12.42 1.42 2.42 3.42 4.41
East Grinstead High St 11.57 12.57 1.57 2.57 3.57 -
East Grinstead Station 12.02 1.02 2.02 3.02 4.02 4.49
Early morning services shown in brackets to run 28 April (Collectors Fair), 21 and 22 July (Collectors Weekend) only.
270 Service East Grinstead - Horsted Keynes - Haywards Heath:
This service currently operates every Saturday and Sunday throughout the year and provides a link to the railway from East Grinstead and Haywards Heath. This service is still subject to review by West Sussex County Council on Sundays, however, we should encourage customers visiting the railway on days the 473 is not operating to travel via this route.
To help promote this service, as from 5th March until further notice, we have agreed with Metrobus to offer discount all-line 3rd-class train tickets for passengers arriving at Horsted Keynes who present a Metrobus 270 ticket (or credit card size passes) at the Bluebell Bonus rate of £11.00 per adult and £6.50 per child.
The most recent edition (22 January) of our e-mail newsletter is available via the eNewsletter archive. Sign up to receive future free e-mail Newsletters directly.
- Over £6,000 raised:
Great news - EasyFundraising are about to send Bluebell Railway a cheque for £770.22, representing the funds raised by our supporters shopping and searching (using EasySearch) between October and December. If you don't use them, please join the effort. All money goes towards completing our extension to East Grinstead.
Two new useful facilities:
- Progress so far this week on the engineering work in platform 1 road at Sheffield Park has included the digging on the new drainage trench, laying geotextiles across the trackbed, installing the new drainage pipe, and a start on re-ballasting. Scaffolding has also been erected to enable work to be done on the platform 1 canopy, as seen in John Sandys' photo below taken yesterday.
As part of the refurbishment at Sheffield Park, we are making a new running-in board for Platform 1, and our suppliers are keen to publicise their link with us!
- During January 2012 there were 88,232 total hits on this page, from 51,329 unique visitors.
Latest updates - Earlier updates - Latest Project News
Weekly train running information - Recent photo reports - Archive News
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.
Latest Project News
See also a variety of photographic news reports listed further down this page.
- Carriage & Wagon Works
News - overhauls of Bulleid composite No.5768, LCDR/SECR No.3188, LBSCR Milk/Fruit Van No.270, completion of SECR Birdcage Brake No.3363, SECR 2-plank Ballast wagon No.567, BR Mk.I wheelchair conversion, SECR Dance-Hall Brake No.11934, updates on the restorations of GWR 5-plank open wagon No.87782, SR 5-plank Open wagon No.12058 and LBSCR Stroudley Brake No.949 - 24 January 2012
- Sign up for our e-mail Newsletter. Last edition 22 January 2012 - available via the eNewsletter archive.
- Operation Undercover - Phase 3: Photo reports from Derek Hayward: "Above Workshop" Loco Dept facilities, Sheffield Park Carriage Shed and Loco Washout Pit - 21 January 2012
Phase 4: Horsted Keynes - Carriage Shed Extension: Planning permission has been granted - December 2011
- Loco Works News: updates on the Brighton Atlantic project, the overhaul of the SR Q-class No.541, on the overhaul of SECR H-class No.263, the Standard Class 2 project, from the Maunsell Locomotive Society on S15 No.847, and work on No.73082 "Camelot" - 17, 16, 13 January 2012, 19 December, 21 August 2011
- The latest news of the Horsted Keynes Re-signalling - 16 January 2012
East Grinstead Extension: Conclusion of "Waste by Rail 5" - 12 December 2011 - Main Extension Project page
- Permanent Way and Lineside News: March Sunday Tracks Newsletter
- Press Release - Pullman swap: Carina for the Bluebell and Doris for the Brighton Belle - 18 February 2011
- The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) - Bluebell Railway honoured with Heritage Award - downloadable as PDF - 20 August 2010
- Archive news from the Bluebell
Take a tour of this web site 
Latest photographic and video reports:
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 (including those with photographers' permits/PTS). 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.
Fotopic Please note that in early March 2011 all Fotopic domain names became inaccessible. It is not known whether they will return, but if people are able to provide links to alternative galleries, then those links will be updated. Regrettably, therefore, many links to useful and informative galleries below are now dead.
Apologies that this list is so out of date; I've just not had time to extract the entries from the regular blog posts...
Older photographic updates are in the What's New
Archive
What's been updated on the Bluebell Web Site?
Older updates are in the What's New
Archive
Most recent updates: See top of this page
26 January
25 January
- Another of Derek Hayward's photos from Saturday, showing No.323 leading No.178, passing the down advance starter at Kingscote, and that below illustrates that the Memorial Garden at Horsted Keynes has been much enhanced, thanks to the efforts of a small team of volunteers. The lawn has recovered from the drought, the soil has been improved, fencing has been provided to keep the rabbits out, and the beds have been planted.
- Derek Hayward has completed his revised and updated Locomotive Photo Galleries, covering virtually every Bluebell loco in some detail.
- Martin Lawrence's photo below shows the digging out of the spent ballast in platform 1 at Sheffield Park yesterday, part of the current track maintenance work there.
- Dave Clarke's photo shows that overhaul of Bulleid Composite coach No.5768 has reached the stage at the First-class end where the corridor partition has been reinstated. This is from Dave's gallery of photos covering the overhaul.
24 January
- Peter Edwards' photo shows the P-class locos Nos.178 and 323 on the service train on Sunday 22 January.
- Martin Lawrence has a new gallery for his photos taken between 12 and 22 January.
- Dave Clarke has an update to his pages of photos covering the overhaul of LCDR carriage No.3188, SR Bulleid Composite No.5768, and a photo in the carriage electrics gallery showing a newly overhauled armature and pulley being aligned on a jig.
- John Sandys' photo below, taken yesterday, shows the start of 2 weeks of engineering work at Sheffield Park, which will see the track through platform 1 lifted, ballast dug out and drainage repaired as necessary. The next photo, from Martin Lawrence, shows progress by the late afternoon when the light was fading, but all the track had been removed through the platform. Trains will still operate next weekend as normal, using platform 2.
- The third photo below shows that a new path has been laid to the signal box at Kingscote, following on from the winter's signalling works. Photos of this are temporarily in Derek Haywards' Kingscote gallery.
23 January
- Derek Hayward's photo from Saturday shows Nos.178 and 323 in charge of the service train at Leamland Bridge.
- More than half the seats have already been sold for "The Broadsman Tour", the BRPS Social Sub-committee's coach trip to the Bure Valley Railway on Saturday 28th April 2012. Book now!.
- Ashley Smith made his first visit of 2012 yesterday, and took a few photos and a video compilation showing the service train hauled by the pair of Ps.
- Derek Hayward provides further photographic updates, with photos taken on Saturday, showing progress on various parts of the HLF-funded 'Operation Undercover' project at Sheffield Park:
- The final element of the project is the construction of the shell for the "Above Workshop Facilities", which as the name suggests are above (but also in front of) the single-storey section of the Loco Workshop. These will provide the Locomotive department with permanent toilet, shower, messing, locker-room and office facilities, and replace the temporary classroom in the car park. The photo below, and this new gallery covers the early stage of the groundworks for the building.
- A photo below, and an updated gallery, for Sheffield Park Carriage Shed, showing that stock is now being stored inside it, although it is not yet in full use as a running shed, with the final work still in the process of being completed, including the buffer stops being painted by the 'Friends of Sheffield Park', and signalling work.
- The third element of the HLF-funded project still being completed is the Locomotive Wash Out Pit, where work to connect up the water supplies continues, as seen in the photo below, and this gallery update.
20 January
- We are running a public Service Two timetable this weekend (as it is on weekends through January), with the pair of SECR P-class locos due to be hauling the train.
- The Locomotive Working Group will be at Sheffield Park this Sunday, working on the overhaul of the SR Q-class - do say "Hi" if you're passing.
- Three days of special events at East Grinstead - probably the last before the full opening of the Northern Extension a year later, due to the work required to complete the extension taking precedence:
- Update to the web page for our unrestored Southern Railway Bulleid Open Third No.1456, which may go on loan to the Mid Hants Railway for 25 years.
17 January
- A slightly "different" photo today - part of Ben Gray's set of photos from 8th January, showing B473 about to enter the tunnel.
- Update on the Brighton Atlantic project based on photos and captions from Fred Bailey. The valve liners are being fitted, the crosshead castings received, and the pattern for the regulator valve is with the foundry.
- Photo below from Dave Bowles, from his set of photos of Saturday's photo charter with 'Stepney' and the birdcage brake.
16 January
- Dave Braley's photo on the right is another from the photo charter at dawn on Saturday. Dave has a complete gallery from the charter, and another following the P-way work, around Sheffield Park Station on the previous Sunday.
- Peter Richards has posted an update, with thanks also due to Chris Majer, to the Horsted Keynes Re-signalling news page; approximately half of the levers are now in use with much of the preparation work track-side ready for the next batch of conversions, including for the Up Second Advance Starter, a distance of about half a mile from the box.
- Update on the overhaul of SR Q-class No.541 from the Loco Works Working Group, who now also have a Twitter feed. The photo below from Rob Faulkner, shows the loco before Christmas, with its cladding stripped in preparation for its forthcoming boiler lift.
- For just £25 per month over 10 months you could become a shareholder in the Bluebell Railway plc, through the BRPS Deferred Payment share scheme. You would be helping us achieve our objective of opening the extension to East Grinstead, and would join the share register in time to recieve the 2013 Shareholder benefits. More details here.
15 January
- Yesterday morning Jon Bowers organised a photo charter using 55 "Stepney" (transformed into its BR guise as No.32655 by Roger Cruse), hauling the recently restored Birdcage Brake coach. It was a crisp cold morning, and the sun shone! David Haggar provides the photo below, and has this photo album from the charter, and a stunning video.
- Tim Gray's photo below, showing the stand-pipe outside the loco running shed, shows just how cold it was on Saturday morning. Remember that 32655's footplate crew had signed on at 5am that morning to light the engine up for the charter! It also explains why we have braziers beneath the water columns.
13 January
- Patrick Plane's photo shows No.323 with a special charter train at Kingscote on Wednesday.
- Martin Lawrence visited Sheffield Park on Wednesday and got these photos and a video of the loco yard shunt involving Bluebell, Baxter and Stepney. Martin's photo of Stepney at Sheffield Park is shown below.
He also caught on video the shunt at Horsted Keynes on Thursday, where 323 was rearranging the order of the Metropolitan set, provided an hour's entertainment. The order of the set was being changed because the new order better suits the arrangement of the brake pipe at the south end of carriage No.412.
- Update to the web page for the overhaul of the SECR H-class loco No.263; due to mechanical maintenance work on the SECR C-class being given priority, the H's return to service is now expected to be during March.
- Reports on the Bulleid Society web site (from 1st January 2012) showing the arrival of the new thermic syphons and foundation ring channels for No.21C123 Blackmoor Vale's new firebox, and a photo of the new corner pillar on their Bulleid Composite coach No.5768.
- Update to the Loco Roster showing expected loco usage to the end of March. When the points at the north end of Kingscote are being renewed, in preparation for the completion of the trackwork for the Northern Extension, a turn-over engine may have to be provided there, and details of some of the extra turns which may be needed then have not yet been included.
- A rather good video compilation from Saturday 7th January from Gary Bull and his father Philip.
- John Sandys dropped in at Sheffield Park yesterday afternoon, and was fortunate enough to get some photos and a video of Bluebell shunting the Birdcage (as seen in the photo below) and various other coaches.
He also took some other photos around Sheffield Park.
- Update to the web page for Birdcage Brake No.3363, covering its return to traffic in October 2011.
- Dave Clarke has some photos, just uploaded, showing recent restoration work in progress on Stroudley brake carriage No.949.
- Update to the C&W News pages with a major news update on LBSCR Milk/Fruit Van No.270, and updated links to Dave Clarke's photos, with a "Carriage maintenance" section added, covering work on Pullman 'Fingall', LBSCR Bogie First No.7598 and on carriage electrical components.
- Last week Pullman Car 'Doris', in the company of LNWR Semi-Royal Saloon No.806, Birdcage Brake No.3363 and our Queen Mary goods brake formed an unlikely train for use behind the U-class loco No.1638, during filming work on the line for a major new BBC Two drama series, "Dancing on the Edge".
- Update to web page for our LSWR Venilated Van No.5498, adding a link to the web page for the identical vehicle at Quainton Road.
- Update to the Football Competition page, with the latest positions in this competition raising funds for the overhaul of our Southern Railway Maunsell Dining Saloon No.7864.
- David Warwick has started to migrate his old Bluebell Galleries from the defunct fotopic onto smugmug.
- Bluebell Railway mentioned in Parliament: The following is an extract from Hansard for yesterday 12 January:
Nicky Morgan (Loughborough) (Con): As chairman of the all-party group on heritage rail, may I say that this matter affects heritage railways up and down the country? They often rely on volunteers and charitable donations and I add my voice to those urging quick action on the problem.
Norman Baker: My hon. Friend is absolutely right to draw attention to the impact on heritage rail. With the Bluebell railway partly in my constituency, I am very well aware of the impact on individual bodies such as that, which are sometimes less able to respond financially than the public sector. I am afraid that all sections of society are being affected by selfish metal theft and it is important that we take action to deal with it.
If you've not yet done so, please help add to the pressure for reform of the scrap metal industry by signing this e-petition.
6 January
- David Chappell's photo shows No.1638 with the first train of the day on Monday 2nd January. Bringing up the rear of the train was No.B473, to ensure its arrival in good time to steam heat the Victorian Special set at Horsted Keynes.
- New web page for Pullman Car "Carina" which arrived for storage on behalf of its owners, the 5BEL Trust, yesterday. Consequent update to the Carriage Stock List.
- Two more of Monday's photos from David Chappell, below. In the first, No.B473 has just crossed Monteswood Lane Bridge with the New Year Victorian Special. David was part of the volunteer track maintenance gang on what was a glorious winter morning for being out in the Sussex countryside. The last photograph shows Phil, Jon, Paul and Mark changing a sleeper in Rock Cutting with the replacement sleeper lying on the edge of the ballast. Jon then took the trolley down to the Sheffield Park to clear the line for the first train of the day. If you would like to join David and the rest of gang out in the countryside on a Sunday or help out in other areas of the Railway's operation then come and join us on our first Find Out More Day of the year, this Sunday.
5 January
- Peter Austin's photo on the right shows the U-class with the 11am service train from Sheffield Park, at West Hoathly on Monday, and those below show the C-class at the same location later that day.
- Robert Else provides this photo gallery from Monday 2nd January.
- Golden Arrow Pullman Car 'Carina' has arrived at Sheffield Park. It continues, for the present, to belong to the 5BEL Trust, but will in the fullness of time be swapped for the Bluebell-owned 5BEL electric Pullman Car 'Doris', once repairs to 'Carina' have been made to bring it up to comparable condition for the "swap". As set out in the February 2011 press release this will enable the 5BEL Trust to achieve its objective of re-creating a complete 5-coach train of Brighton Belle Pullmans, and gives the Bluebell a more appropriate carriage for its own version of the Golden Arrow.
- The Loco Works working group have added some photos to their facebook album showing the removal, in December, of the cladding and cab roof from the SR Q-class. Their next working day is this coming Sunday - see details here.
4 January 2012
- Andrew Strongitharm's photo shows LBSCR E4 No.B473 with the Victorian New Year special train on Monday 2 January.
- The Press Association have an article highlighting some shortly to be released films with English locations, which are set to boost UK tourism, including "The Woman in Black", featuring Harry Potter star, Daniel Radcliffe - the locations used include the Bluebell - and which is due for release on 12th February. The PA report has been picked up by several media outlets already.
- The coming Sunday is the next Find Out More Day, your opportunity to find out what volunteering on the Bluebell actually involves. So why not come and join us - more information here.
- Roger Carpenter has some photos of the trains running on Monday - a busy and interesting day with 3 trains running, with some good sunshine too!
- Dan Green has videos of the trains running on New Year's Eve.
- December photos from Martin Lawrence, and a couple of pics from November showing P-way work, ballast packing at the old washout pit.
- A couple of job vacancies in the catering department are advertised here.
- John Sandys was at the Railway yesterday, a very rough day today with torrential rain and very strong winds, making the day's heavy schedule of shunting even more difficult than usual. Later, when the sun decided to make an appearance, bathing the whole scene at Sheffield Park in a quite magical luminescent light, John was able to take these photos of the 08 shunting the Maunsell stock into the new carriage shed, and also a short video.
- During December 2011 there were 90,454 total hits on this page, from 51,234 unique visitors, giving a total of 961,602 visits to this page during 2011.
- Paul Pettitt's photos from Monday show the U-class with the Bulleid/Mk.1 service set, and the C-class leaving Sheffield Park with the 3-coach Maunsell set.
Older updates are in the What's New
Archive
or the 2010, the 2009, the 2008, the 2007, the 2006, the 2005, the 2004, the 2003, the 2002, the 2001, the 2000, the 1999 and the 1997-8 "What was new" archive pages.
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During January 2012 there were 88,232 total hits on this page, from 51,329 unique visitors.
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