This is an Archive for the main News from the
Bluebell page. Please note that due to the historical nature of
this page, some links may no longer work correctly.
News Update: 24 April 2002
Visit of Locomotive No.672 "Fenchurch" to Belgium and
Netherlands, May 2002
The Bluebell Railway is sending its oldest locomotive, 1872-built
LBSCR Stroudley Terrier No.672 "Fenchurch" to run on two lines
in Belgium and Holland in the coming weeks. Since Fenchurch is
equipped with air brakes, it will be able to haul trains on its own,
whereas last time a Bluebell engine visited the continent, it had to
run double-headed with a suitably braked locomotive.
The proposed schedule for the trip is as follows:-
Thur 2 May Sheffield Park to Maldegem, Belgium
Fri 3 May Unload and trial run
Sat 4 May Hauling Maldegem line trains
Sun 5 May Hauling Maldegem line trains
Tue 7 May Load and transport to Hoorn, Netherlands
Thur 9 May Steam for special day at Hoorn & trial run to
Medemblik
Fri 10 May Work trains Hoorn to Medemblik
Sat 11 May Work trains Hoorn to Medemblik
Sun 12 May Work trains Hoorn to Medemblik
Sat 18 May Work trains Hoorn to Medemblik
Sun 19 May Work trains Hoorn to Medemblik
Mon 20 May Work train Hoorn to Medemblik & Twinning
Ceremony at Hoorn
Tue 21 May Load and transport back to UK
Upon return, it is hoped that "Fenchurch" will take part in East Grinstead's
Jubilee carnival and procession.
It is anticipated that she will go out via Eurotunnel, being the
first standard gauge steam loco to pass through the tunnel. The
return journey is likely to be by ferry.
Maldegem can be reached fairly easy by road in a day trip from the
UK. By train the best route would be by Eurostar to Brussels then to
Bruges. From here bus No.58 leaves the station forecourt at 7 mins
past each hour direct to Maldegem station in about 25 mins. The
return journey leaves at xx19 and arrives at Bruges station xx44.
You can check the bus times on tel. 003292109491 or 003259565353
It is anticipated the first train with "Fenchurch" on Saturday will
be at 1155 with various combinations with British, Belgian and
Polish engines. Also goods trains over the lifting bridge at
Balgerhoeke.
At Hoorn the service is generally only one or two trains a day to
Medemblik and the schedule is unknown for "Fenchurch" at present.
More details can be obtained nearer the time from Stoomtram Hoorn
Medemblik on 0031229270002 or Email
The railway can be reached by direct train each half hour from
Amsterdam Central to Hoorn at 19 and 49 past the hour and takes 40
minutes.
Operation Undercover appeal and land purchase
Negotiations for the purchase of a small part of the Woodpax site,
sufficient to enable us to construct a rolling-stock storage and
display shed, are being ably led by Nicholas Pryor and Martin Lock.
These negotiations, proving more taxing than we had envisaged, are
still continuing. We will only be in a position to start the project
properly once contracts have been exchanged. However, at present,
with nothing signed, we cannot make firm plans. Be assured that once
contracts are signed, more news will be forthcoming.
The appeal has gone extremely well so far, although more pledges of
money are needed to enable us to achieve all our objectives, in terms
of funding our share of a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for
overhead cover for the majority of our rolling stock, of which the
new building planned for behind Platform 2 at Sheffield Park is only
a part.
Departure southwards from platform 1 at Horsted Keynes
History was made on Monday 15 April when the LSWR brake Third No.1520
became the first vehicle to depart from the south end of this
platform at Horsted Keynes since the old trackwork, used only as a
siding since 1913, was taken up in 1935. The coach, being restored
by a keen team of volunteers, has now had all of its structural
timber repaired or replaced, and the steel brackets were bolted in
place prior to the move. The coach is now installed in the old part
of the carriage shed, where continued restoration will be somewhat
faster, given the improved access to the vehicle. The LSWR Road Van,
which houses the project's fund-raising shop, will continue to be
located in Platform 1.
Loco Works News
Photos and descriptions of recent Loco Works activity is available on the Loco
Works Photo News pages. News and photos (updated at the end of
March) include:
- Frame repairs on 3217 "Earl of Berkeley": The corroded
sections of main frame at both ends of the engine have been replaced
with new platework.
- Frame repairs for "Stowe", No.928's tender: construction
of a new front frame section and dragbox. More details on the Maunsell Society web site.
- "Baxter" has been dismantled and repair work started on
the 10-year overhaul of this remarkable little 1877-built loco.
- Work continues on SECR P-class No.1178 which has been
turned round again for access to the front end.
- Maintenance work on BR 4-6-0 No.75027: pistons and valves
exam, some repair work has been found to be necessary.
- The spare boiler for SECR C-class No.592 has been moved to
a place where it can be inspected with a view to replacing 592's
boiler. The spare boiler has had a fairly recent repair, and appears
to be in better condition than 592's was when bought by its society,
although having been a stationary steam plant it has some parts
missing and holes in the wrong places.
- SECR P-Class No.27 has been placed on the worksite beside
the Villa, and work has commenced on it.
- Work continues on the tender frame for the Brighton
Atlantic. The aim is to complete the tender this year.
Construction of the new locomotive disposal pit is progressing, and
we hope to bring you photos soon.
Easter
Busy as usual! Photos taken by Jon Bowers on Good Friday are
available here.
Improved Bluebell Bus service for the summer
Our No.473 Bus between East Grinstead and Kingscote is being
re-routed so that it can also serve the National
Trust property of Standen, and East Grinstead's historic Jacobean
almshouses, Sackville College,
daily from Monday 29th July until Sunday 1st September 2002. Revised
timings are available on the timetable
page.
The bus fare remains the same (£1.50 return, or £1 single),
but a bus ticket (or through ticket from National Rail) allows you to
break your journey to visit each of the attractions as you wish.
Standen is open Wednesday to Sunday from 11.00am, and Sackville
College: Wednesday to Saturday in July, daily in August, 2.00-5.00pm.
Bluebell Railway Band
Our Band's programme this year comprises four full concerts, which
will take place on Horsted Keynes Station from 2-4 pm. on the last
Sundays in April, May, June & July.
Stepney Club
Our club for children aged up to 8 is holding Stepney's Grand
Balloon Race on the first four Saturdays in August - 3rd, 10th,
17th and 24th -
starting from outside the bookshop on platform one at Sheffield Park
station. There is a prize of ten pounds for the owner of the balloon
which travels furthest. More details of the Stepney Club are on the club's own web page.
Signalling work at Horsted Keynes
As outlined on the Signalling Work web
page, in March the S&T made significant progress towards full
functionality at Horsted Keynes, enabling trains to use the straight,
single sided, Platform 3 in the northbound direction in place of the
curved, double-sided Platforms 4/5. This will greatly ease the
working of the station on off-peak days when only a single train is
timetabled and fewer platform staff are available to assist the guard
in seeing the train away from the platform. It also thus reduces the
workload of the ground-frame at the North end of the station.
Carriage Works progress
Bulleid Brake 2515 has had its roof painted, but not otherwise
needed much work. We have just completed limited repanelling of
SECR hundred seater 971, and a full repaint (SR lined Olive
again) is nearly finished. Bulleid brake 4279 is being
re-canvassed and re-varnished. This means that virtually all of our
pre-Mk.1 coaches are now in tip-tip condition, and the backlog is
diminishing fast. Then the Mk.1s can be dealt with, and a few more
maroon ones will be turning green, which will make them much more
useful.
Whilst the work on 971 has been in progress, the Vintage Branch-line
train has been formed using the two Metropolitan coaches, the LBSCR
Bogie First and our other SECR Hundred Seater.
We are hoping that the third of the Metropolitan coaches,
No.368, will be returning to service on 11th May. This coach,
nearly scrapped by the Bluebell in the late 1960s, having been
riddled from end to end with dry rot, has been restored from a bare
skeleton over the last three years by the volunteer "BASH" team.
The SECR Birdcage Brake is progressing well, with only one
compartment floor and a couple of partitions requiring overhaul
before that phase of the project is completed. More interior
woodwork is being completed all the time.
The LCDR Brake 2nd has started to move onto its completed
underframe. The move is being made in stages, enabling the underside
of the coach body to be painted and galvanised brackets screwed into
place, whilst the body is "between underframes".
The Bulleid coach team are progressing southwards with the
main structural repairs just above the underframe, and in the
northern half, the three surviving ceiling panels have, at the cost
of some effort and ingenuity, been joined by four new ones. Bending
the plywood to the curvature of the ceilings has been quite a
challenge, since the grain goes the wrong way, and we're not yet into
making our own ply to suit!
Return to Bluebell Railway Home Page,
or to Mark Dewell's
UK Heritage Railways or the Heritage Railway Association
See also Lewis Nodes' Loco Works News Photos and News from the Maunsell Locomotive Society.
Visitor Info. - Catering - Contacts - What's
New - Extension - Locos - Carriages & Wagons -
Signals - History - Other - Links - Search the site - FAQ
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News Update: 10 May 2002
First photos of Fenchurch on Stoomtram Hoorn-Medemblik
Thanks to our Dutch friends, the following photos show
Fenchurch in operation on the Dutch line.
Photo: © Marcel Vos.
Marcel reports: Fenchurch is doing well on the Hoorn-Medemblik
line. A photo series is now in the Fotoboek
on our website (http://www.museumstoomtram.nl).
For now I send you a picture of Fenchurch in a "typical Dutch setting" at
the windmill in Medemblik, pulling a train of original Dutch steamtram
stock. In this train are the carriages that visited the Bluebell in 2000.
Photo: © Wil Haarsma.
Martijn Huibers writes: Here is a photo of your engine Fenchurch at
the bridge near Twisk station on the line Hoorn - Medemblik. It was
taken on Wednesday 8th May by Wil Haarsma. She is also a volunteer
at our Museum.
Photo: Fenchurch in Opperdoes, Thursday 9th May. © Dieter de Jong.
Twinning Ceremony with the Stoomtram Hoorn-Medemblik in the
Netherlands, 20th May 2002
An official twinning ceremony between the two railways will take
place at Hoorn station in the Netherlands on the above date.
The ceremony is the culmination of exchange visits of locomotives,
carriages and staff between the two railways over the last five
years. The railway in the Netherlands is longer than Bluebell at 20
kilometres (12.5 miles) but it has fewer items of rolling stock and
normally runs just one or two return trips a day from Hoorn to the
harbour at Medemblik. Here connection is made with a boat on the
Zuidersee which goes to Enkhuizen and a return to Hoorn by electric
(NS) train.
Monday 20th May Timetable
13.00hrs Reception at the SHM station.
13.15 Speeches by both parties
13.30 Signing of Agreement and band playing Bello tune
13.45 Guided tour through locomotive sheds
14.20 Departure of train to Medemblik hauled by Fenchurch
17.25 Return of train at Hoorn
In the morning there will be an 11.05 train Hoorn to Medemblik due
back at 13.45 at Hoorn.
The official representatives of Bluebell Railway will be Roy Watts, B.R.P.S.
Chairman, Tim Baker, Commercial Director Bluebell PLC and Chris
Knibbs, Operations Manager for the railway.
Return to Bluebell Railway Home Page,
or to Mark Dewell's
UK Heritage Railways or the Heritage Railway Association
See also Lewis Nodes' Loco Works News Photos and News from the Maunsell Locomotive Society.
Visitor Info. - Catering - Contacts - What's
New - Extension - Locos - Carriages & Wagons -
Signals - History - Other - Links - Search the site - FAQ
Why not become a BRPS Member? - Get more involved as a Volunteer
Your ideal Film/TV location?
News Update: 13 May 2002
First photos of Return to use of Metropolitan Railway coach 368
The private launch by BASH on 11th May will be followed by the public
launch on 18th May by the publisher, Ian Allan. The following photos
by Martin Lock show the launch.
Return to Bluebell Railway Home Page,
or to Mark Dewell's
UK Heritage Railways or the Heritage Railway Association
See also Lewis Nodes' Loco Works News Photos and News from the Maunsell Locomotive Society.
Visitor Info. - Catering - Contacts - What's
New - Extension - Locos - Carriages & Wagons -
Signals - History - Other - Links - Search the site - FAQ
Why not become a BRPS Member? - Get more involved as a Volunteer
Your ideal Film/TV location?
News Update: 20 May 2002
Visit of Ian and David Allan, 18th May
The publisher Ian Allan with his son David visited us on Saturday to
present us with a plaque recording our position as runner up in the
2001 "Heritage Railway of the Year" awards. His speech echoed what
he has in the past written in Railway World, namely that he feels
that the Bluebell's operation (and the toilets at Kingscote) surpass
all others, but that it would be unfair on the others for us to win
every year!
An example of the Bluebell's leadership in the world of Heritage
Railways was the next item on the day's agenda, as Ian Allan cut a
ribbon and ceremonially unlocked a compartment door on the 1898-built
Metropolitan railway carriage No.368, which was re-entering public
service that day after a gap of some 36 years. The carriage, one of
four acquired by the Bluebell in 1961, was very nearly scrapped in
the 1970s as beyond redemption, but has now been rebuilt back to its
original varnished teak splendour as the third of the four to return
to service. The entire project is being undertaken by volunteers,
with materials paid for by donations and fund-raising. Following a
ride the length of the line and back in the new coach, the Allans
were entertained to lunch in the Bessemer Arms.
Photos of the coach (in the now three-coach close-coupled set) are
available below, taken on the BASH
supporters day, which was arranged
to give the railway's volunteers and those who had assisted in the
funding of the project, a preview ride in the carriage the previous
Saturday, which also acted as the coach's test run. The only
significant problem which had to be attended to in the intervening
week was a fault on the carriage lighting circuit which made it
awkward for the guard to turn the lights off after passing through
the tunnel.
The restoration of the fourth coach is already well under way, with
the roof and much of the interior panelling removed, the running gear
overhauled, and a start already being made on the re-varnishing of
components.
Twinning ceremony today
As the culmination of the visit of our Stroudley Terrier "Fenchurch"
to Belgium and the Netherlands, today, May 20th, sees the Bluebell
formally twinned with the Stoomtram Hoorn-Medemblik in the
Netherlands.
Fenchurch's continental jaunt
Photos here from Roger Price show No.672 Fenchurch in both
Holland and Belgium, whilst some earlier ones below were sent by three Dutch
colleagues.
Fenchurch with a Polish 0-8-0T at Baldehoeke at the Stoomcentrum
Maldegem, in Belgium, 4th May (Roger Price)
It had been hoped that Fenchurch, on the back of its lorry, would be
the first steam engine through the Channel Tunnel, but it was not to
be, and it went out by ferry in the end.
Fenchurch with a goods train on Baldehoeke Bridge, 4th May (Roger Price)
After a weekend at Maldegem, it was off to the Netherlands for two
weeks with the Stoomtram Hoorn-Medemblik, who had sent us a
locomotive and carriages in the Autumn of 2000.
Fenchurch at Wognum on the Stoomtram Hoorn-Medemblik, 9th May
(Roger Price)
Thanks to Fenchurch having air brakes, it was able to operate
passenger trains without the need to double-head, as No.323
Bluebell had had to on its visit to the line in June 1998.
Fenchurch at Operdoes with a mixed vintage train on the Stoomtram
Hoorn-Medemblik, 9th May (Roger Price)
The gentleman leaning out of the cab is readilly identifiable as our
very own Lewis Nodes, who, in the company of other members of the
loco department, has acted as the loco's minder during the tour.
All round view on the web site!
New: 360 degree views of the
interiors of our Pullmans and other coaches on our Golden Arrow Pullman Dining train are now
available.
Extension News
Lack of news does not mean that nothing has been happening during the last
few months. We have been tidying the trackbed and banks that have already
been cleared. We have also installed a drain across the width of the
trackbed south of Mr Steer's land to link with the drainage ditch that flows
along the boundary of Ash Lea Farm. This has enabled the land purchased from
Mr Steer to be scraped down to the original trackbed and the water here now
drains along the east side. On 11th May work finally started on the removal
of the dam across the width of the trackbed at Keepers. This will take some
time but will allow the drainage north of the dam to be improved.
The photo courtesy of Nigel Longdon (as is the above report) shows
the removal of the dam which
formerly retained a large pond on the trackbed at Keepers.
New Loco preparation/disposal pit
The new (very long) pit at Sheffield Park is coming on well, the aim
being to have it operational by the Thomas events. It should greatly
speed the disposal of locomotives at the end of the day, especially
on those (now frequent) occasions when we have four or five locos in
steam.
Further details of Special Events coming up:
Day out with Thomas - June 15-16 and 22-23
Our most popular event is already booking up faster than last year!!!
Full details and an advance booking form are available here.
Victorian Evening - Wednesday 19th June
from Sheffield Park Station - 7 pm for 7.30 pm
Journey back in time to the days of Queen Victoria as you join a
train formed of our famous Ashbury Carriages of 1898 and 1900.
The locomotive on the front will be over 100 years old, and we will
travel to Kingscote and back through the delightful Sussex Weald.
On our return a 3-course dinner will be served in our Birch Grove
Suite, and the Geoff Hales Travelling Theatre will perform a
programme of popular, mostly comic, pieces from the 19th century.
Period attire is optional for this evening, but prizes will be
awarded for the best-dressed lady and gentleman.
Tickets: £25.00 including dinner - drinks extra
Contact: Bluebell Railway Catering
Sheffield Park Station
East Sussex, TN22 3QL
Tel: 01825 720801 10am - 4pm
Railway Children Day
We regret this event has been postponed until next year.
1920's Evening - Wednesday 17th July
from Sheffield Park Station - 7 pm for 7.30 pm
The time between the two world wars was one of great excitement and
hope. The British Empire exhibition opened at Wembley in 1924 with
its palace of art, commerce and engineering.
Gentlemen and 'Flappers' are invited to join our 1920's train in
carriages of the period, hauled by an even older steam locomotive.
Journey through the scenic Sussex Weald to Kingscote, and on your
return enjoy a 3-course dinner, which will be served in the Birch
Grove Suite. The Bluebell Band will perform music of the period.
Period 1920's dress is a must. A prize will be awarded for best costume.
The evening is expected to end at about 11.00p.m.
Tickets: £25.00 including dinner - drinks extra
Contact: Bluebell Railway Catering
Sheffield Park Station
East Sussex, TN22 3QL
Tel: 01825 720801 10am - 4pm
Emergency Services Weekend - August 10th and 11th 2002
Organised by the Bluebell Railway Fire Service
Starts at 10am, Horsted Keynes Station, Station Approach, Horsted Keynes
Come and see
- Live demonstrations from Emergency Services
- New and historic emergency vehicles
- Stands, stalls and exhibits
- Emergency Service memorabilia and souvenirs
- Fire Services
- Sussex Police
- Gatwick Airport Fire Service Major Foam Tender
- Sussex Ambulance Service
- British Transport Police
... and more
Why not also enjoy a day out on the Bluebell Railway itself? The
South's Premier Steam Line offers inclusive rail and Emergency
Weekend admission tickets.
For Emergency Services Weekend information call 07712 648202 or email or see
the web
page for the event.
For train information call 01825 720800
Talking Timetable 01825 720825
Friends of the Bluebell Railway Fire Service
Why not join the newly-launched Friends of the Bluebell Railway Fire Service
which has been set up to help more people support and become involved in our
work?
Joining the Friends of Horsted Keynes Fire Station will help make sure we
have badly-needed equipment to allow us to continue the work we do to
protect the Railway's valuable infrastructure and ensure the visitors and
staff alike are safely looked after.
You'll get a membership card, quarterly newsletter, Friends' badge,
Invitations to special Friends' days, Free entry to our Bluebell Railway
Fire Service Emergency Services Events (excluding any train travel),10%
Discount on our range of Fire Service commercial products and a special
Friends' range of exclusive clothing.
We also offer special Friends' days, which are specific days for our Friends
to come down for activities that are planned especially for them. This may
include: tours, talks, demonstrations, photo/video opportunities (we'll
position appliances for you), try out for themselves basic firefighting
equipment (age restrictions/supervision applies). And specially for junior
members: sit in the appliances, try fire kit on, have photos taken and much
more.
We hope some of our Friends may like to get more involved with us and
perhaps help us in specific areas, (where maybe they have a particular
skill) or generally if they have some spare time. This way they would not be
required to get involved on a regular commitment (unless they wanted to of
course) which full working members are required to do. Our Friends can then
choose when to come down and help us either frequently or infrequently for
specific tasks. We may even apply this to major railway events when we are
always pleased to have extra help!
To find out more, or to join, please email enquiries@brfs.co.uk, or visit
the Friends
Web Page
Return to Bluebell Railway Home Page,
or to Mark Dewell's
UK Heritage Railways or the Heritage Railway Association
See also Lewis Nodes' Loco Works News Photos and News from the Maunsell Locomotive Society.
Visitor Info. - Catering - Contacts - What's
New - Extension - Locos - Carriages & Wagons -
Signals - History - Other - Links - Search the site - FAQ
Why not become a BRPS Member? - Get more involved as a Volunteer
Your ideal Film/TV location?
Brief News Update: 7 June 2002
Following its return last week from Belgium and The Netherlands, our oldest locomotive, Stroudley Terrier Fenchurch is off again. On Monday 3rd June it took part in the East Grinstead Jubilee procession, and is now down at Ardingly showground for the South of England Show over the coming weekend.
Return to BRPS Home Page,
to the Timetable or to Special
Events
News from the Bluebell Archives:
2006: Jan-Dec
2005: Jan-June, July-Dec
2004: Jan-April, May-July, Aug-Dec
2003: Jan-March, April-June, July-Sept, Oct-Dec
2002: Jan-March, April-June, July-Sept, Oct-Dec
2001: Jan-March, April-July, Aug-Dec
2000: Jan-April, May-Aug, Sept-Dec
1999: Jan-April, May-Aug, Sept-Dec
1998: Jan-June, July-Dec
1997: Jan-June, July-Dec
1996: Jan-July, Aug-Dec
1995: June-Dec
Other archives of online news and newsletters:
Bluebell Times (March 2020 - Present) on the Bluebell's main site
Archive of e-Newsletters (November 2011-August 2020) maintained by the Bluebell's Museum and Archive team.
Archive of "What's New/Blog" (1997 - Present) on this server
Visitor Info. -
Museum -
Trust -
Catering -
Contacts -
What's New -
Projects -
Locos -
Carriages & Wagons -
Signals -
History -
Other -
Links -
Search -
FAQ
Why not become a BRPS Member? -
Get more involved as a Volunteer
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Compiled by Richard Salmon.
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