Overhead cover for our stock?
Operation Undercover

Phase 1: The carriage works extension
Phase 2: Completion of north end of loco running shed
Phase 3: Operation Undercover and Woodpax land purchase
and longer term plans

Phase 1: The Carriage Works Extension

In 1999 three carriages, whose average age was 100, were outshopped to wide acclaim. These are proving excellent crowd pullers in every sense. These restorations were done in the cramped conditions of the old carriage shed.

One of the first two Metropolitan Railway coaches, fresh from its overhaul in January 1999. This is an example of the many vintage carriages we have which must be kept under cover to ensure their long-term survival.
Photo: Lewis Nodes

Left: The cladding and roof completed September 2000.

The Southern Railway style and colouring of the building, which is designed to match that of the rest of the station, has already received much praise. Since this photo was taken the windows have been glazed, a mammoth task in itself.

The generous assistance of The Bluebell Railway Trust in contributing half the cost of the cladding is acknowledged.

The project involved us in raising a total of £170,000 over a two-year period, which we have achieved, thanks to tremendous support from members.

During 2003-4 the last parts of this project fell into place, with the relocation of the paint shop to the south end of the old building, construction of a fire-break wall between the two halves of the shed, and partial re-cladding of the paint-shop area. Having achieved this, we move on to:

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Phase 2: Completion of north end of loco running shed

With this completed as seen in the photo taken in April 2004, over the winter of 2005/6 the railway decided that the remaining length of shed wall should be completed, and this was funded by the Bluebell Railway Trust, along with the long-standing "shed wall fund".

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Phase 3: Woodpax Site - Carriage Running Shed and display area

As outlined by the Carriage Fleet Overview I wrote for Bluebell News back in 1995 (available on this web site - click here) for the long term preservation of our carriage fleet, we need to get all our coaching stock under cover when not actually in use. In addition, many of our locomotives live outside, a particular problem due to the dangers of frost damage in the winter. We therefore also need to increase the shed space available for locomotives. To achieve these aims, it is proposed to construct two new buildings, one in the down yard at Horsted Keynes and one at Sheffield Park, and to complete the enlargement of the locomotive running shed, as well as finishing the loco shed wall. We are progressing rapidly towards an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund. The opportunity arose to purchase land at Sheffield Park from part of the "Woodpax" site which will be crucial for the success of this project.

The railway itself had no funds available to support the purchase of the land, so the Society undertook to raise the purchase price from the membership. To that end, pledges were initially solicited from working members and those we could contact rapidly over the Internet. This resulted in a massive kick-start to the fund-raising, with £126,000 promised within three days, confirming that the project was viable. The letter posted to the membership at large appealed for pledges for the remaining money for the land purchase, plus the ongoing fund-raising which will be required to achieve the Bluebell's contribution (at least 25%) to a possible HLF grant. The land purchase can be included in this 25%, so, with the project initially expected to cost several million pounds, to start with we set ourselves a target of £400,000. However, most importantly in the short term, we needed to reach £320,000 in just two months for the land purchase! The superb response ensured that we were able to secure the site in March 2003. Fund raising remains active, since interest-free loans from members must be repaid, and we aim to bring the fund-raising total up to roughly the half-million mark over the next couple of years to provide our match funding (together with a contribution in terms of volunteer time and materials) for the HLF bid, since with a larger site than initially intended now purchased, a larger shed can be built. A donation form is here.

Current plans:
We are planning a combined locomotive and carriage storage and display building at Sheffield Park, behind platform 2, able to hold the Pullman set, two other operational carriage sets (maybe one Bulleid set and one Maunsell set) and a Museum display of a few vehicles, mainly locos, plus a large area for displaying smaller artefacts. Rail access would be through the use of the Pump-house siding as a headshunt. The scheme also includes a new loco washout pit, and new lavatories, and an extension to the canopy on platform 2.

Progress towards HLF application: Representatives of the Heritage Lottery Fund visited us early in 2002, both to see for themselves our existing operation, and the scale of the problem we are trying to address. They were apparently favourably impressed by the railway and our proposals. At the same time they were able to give our team some useful advice on the best way to proceed with the application.

The Society AGM in May 2003 passed a resolution instructing the Society Trustees to use their majority shareholding in the Bluebell Railway PLC to change the form of the PLC to a not-for-profit company, which will enable it to comply with the HLF requirements, and these changes subsequently were enacted at the PLC AGM.

We submitted our first-stage application in March 2004, within 12 months of the acquisition of the Woodpax land, which enables the funds raised for this to count as part of the Bluebell's funding contribution. With a pass awarded at stage 1, and development fnding agreed, a subsequent second-stage application is required, and the time-frame for construction of the building could be perhaps 2007.

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Longer term plans

At Horsted Keynes we are considering a 24-vehicle storage shed behind the existing shed/works. The limited length of the down-yard headshunt means that this shed would not be suitable as a running shed for 6-car rakes. It is therefore considered that this shed would be the home of the shorter vintage sets, plus those vehicles stored awaiting overhaul.

In addition there would be up to 6 coaches at any time on the maintenance/pit road, which it is also proposed to cover over, and 10-12 coaches in the main workshops. At the same time, the existing works would also be re-clad and roofed in the same style as the carriage works extension, providing improved insulation and natural lighting, and a much improved visual appearance.

At Sheffield Park there is the possibility of replacing the existing small loco shed (dating from 1960) which has less than 20 years life left in it. Including the relocation of the Loco Dept. volunteer facilities, this scheme might see a 2-road shed on the site, with storage for 6 locomotives, providing much improved frost protection for the locomotives used during the winter. An alternative to this could be a roundhouse for the pre-grouping locomotives, which would take space from the top car-park.

These plans are still evolving, and input from around the railway is being canvassed at present as these plans develop.

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Use this Donation form which you can print out to help us build the shed on the Woodpax land.

Beulah.

Funds are also being raised for this project by the Railway's Football Competitions, and also thanks to Jon Bowers who is selling Railway Drawings in aid of the project.

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