What's New on the
Bluebell Railway web site?
Heritage Lottery Fund announces award of
a grant of £2.875 million towards the Bluebell Railway's
£3.9 million Operation Undercover construction project.
More details.
Why not Bookmark this page (or add to Favourites), and
come back regularly to check the latest changes.
14 May:
- Photo album from the Southern At War Weekend from Dave Clarke (including photos on the right and below), and a video from Jon Bowers.
The Spitfire used on Saturday was P7350, the oldest airworthy Spitfire
in the world and the only Spitfire still flying today to have
actually fought in the Battle of Britain. She is believed to be
the 14th aircraft of 11,989 built at the Castle Bromwich
'shadow' factory. Sunday's (as featured in Dave's photo here) was, as previously notified, one of the last, Griffon-engined Mk19 PS915. The earlier one has the three-bladed prop.
- Please Note: The Fathers' Day Ploughmans' Lunch is now Sold out.
12 May:
- The sun shone for the Southern at War weekend, and the photos of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfires (different ones each day) are from Derek Hayward. The photos below are from Stephen Hunt, with some more from Derek. Click on any photo for an enlargement.
- Albums of photos from the event have so far been notified from:
Earlier updates - Latest news - Latest photo reports
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 News
See also a variety of photographic news reports listed further down this page.
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. 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.
Older photographic updates are in the What's New
Archive
- Sun 15 June: Fathers' Day Ploughman's Lunch - Please Note: Sold out
- Sun 15 June: Songs of Praise -
Special evening train at 5.45pm from Horsted Keynes
for a summer evening Songs of Praise service
- Sat 21 - Sun 22 and Sat 28 - Sun 29 June: Bluebell Family Fun
Weekends - A great family day out with clowns, Magic
and Punch & Judy shows together with a miniature
railway, face painting and much more. Half Price ticket offer
- Full special event list for 2008
Take a tour of this web site 
What's been updated on the Bluebell Web Site?
Older updates are in the What's New
Archive
Most Recent: See top of this page
8 May:
- Details now available as to which Spitfire from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will be taking part in this weekend's fly-pasts as part of our Southern At War Weekend - it is Mk19 PS915 - painted to represent PS888, the very last Spitfire to have flown in RAF service.
- Update to Loco news report on overhaul of Baxter with photos from Trevor West.
- Update to the Weddings page adding new photos of the room at Horsted Keynes which is licenced for civil ceremonies.
- Update to the information given below about Birch Grove - the E4's last passenger working was in fact an additional 5.32pm departure from Horsted Keynes to Sheffield Park. The E4 was used to return the Observation Car to Sheffield Park for the following day's Bluebell Specials, but the train was made available to the public and did convey passengers back to Sheffield Park.
6 May:
2 May:
- Derek Hayward has commenced a new photo gallery featuring the visit of 5199, following its entry into service on the Bluebell yesterday. Derek's photo to the right shows it returning its Pullman charter to Sheffield Park yesterday, and also illustrates the current use of the SR Van 'C' with the Pullman set whilst the LMS BGZ is adapted internally (and temporarily) as a service vehicle for the set.
- Update to the FAQ.
1 May:
- Updated report on progress with the work of the Loco Workshop Working Group on SECR P-class 178's boiler.
- An update on the Work on the Extension - completion of clearing the vegetation on the tip - has now been made available, with apologies for the length of time it takes to get news of the extension onto the web site. For members attending the AGM Nigel Longdon is hoping to have a presentation available showing the extension team's recent work north of Kingscote.
- The photo on the right is one of 5 in a new album from John Sandys, and shows 5199 entering Bluebell service on the Sussex Belle private charter Pullman train today.
- Paul Pettitt has a new picture of the month: E4, No.32473 runs a short goods train to Sheffield Park during the Built at Brighton weekend. Paul also has an album from the Built at Brighton weekend, and Monday's charter with 32473.
- Matt Allen has a very good selection of photos available from Monday's Photo charter with 32473. He also reports that the Bluebell Shop has already sold about 70 copies of his new book on the Bluebell Railway which can be bought on-line through the Bluebell's shop, and which was launched with a signing session at Sheffield Park on Saturday.
- Linda Chen has extensive albums of photos from the Built at Brighton event this weekend, and also from the Stepney Specials, and other trains that were running on April 17th.
- The photos below, from Derek Hayward, show today's Pullman train at Town House Farm Bridge, and Stepney on the Bluebell Special North of Rock Cutting - click on any of the photos for enlargements.
30 April:
- One of Kate James' photos from the "Built at Brighton" event from Saturday is on the right. Several more below - click on any for enlargements.
29 April:
- Photo on the right, and one below (both from David Haggar) from yesterday's photo charter with the E4 - the last for the forseeable future with it in BR black livery.
- Photo album of yesterday's photo charter from Jon Bowers.
- One of Nick Talbot's photos from the "Built at Brighton" event, below, showing Blackmoor Vale at Horsted Keynes on Saturday.
Further photos of the weekend from:
- Update to the web page for the Southern at War event on 10-11 May, adding photos of the Home Guard (23rd Sussex) and a poster for the event.
28 April:
- Details of timings for the Spitfire Flypasts now available on the Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th May Southern at War weekend web page.
- More photos available from the "Built at Brighton" event:
- Ashley Smith: "... a few pictures from around Horsted Keynes on the Sunday of the Gala."
- Ken Upton: "... a few photos of Sheffield Park yard on Saturday morning with the engines coming into steam."
The photo on the right, from Saturday, is from Stephen Hunt, and shows Birch Grove on one of the goods turns. A good display of primroses on the lineside too. Stephen's photo below showing 80151 also on Saturday, shows that the Bluebells are ready for this week's Bluebell Specials.
- 5199 visited Horsted Keynes and Kingscote today for clearance tests. Ray Wills has three photos taken at Horsted Keynes, including the one below. Loco added to the Locomotive stock list and the page for operational locomotives.
- Yesterday's report of the arrival of Diesel Shunter 13236 was a little premature - the source of that report had in fact seen freshly repainted 08016 waiting to depart!
27 April:
- Photo albums available so far from this weekend's "Built at Brighton" event from:
The photo on the right, taken yesterday, is from David Haggar, and shows the terriers paired on the Victorian set.
- New web page for visiting GWR Prairie Tank loco No.5199, including a photo of it at Llangollen earlier this month, and on the low loader on arrival at Sheffield Park - from a gallery of photos from John Sandys. The photos below show it on Bluebell metals, from Andrew Strongitharm and Derek Hayward.
25 April:
- Details of first and last trains each day added to the "Built At Brighton" event details.
- Update to the Loco Roster, covering May and June, and showing that visiting locomotive GWR 2-6-2T No.5199 (which has now arrived at Sheffield Park, on loan from the Llangollen Railway) is due to enter Bluebell service on 1st May, subject to testing and gauging.
23 April:
- Photo of 32473 'Birch Grove' in action today from Andrew Strongitharm - this serves as a reminder that this weekend is the "Built At Brighton" event where we have five Brighton-built locos running, as a farewell to 'Birch Grove' and 'Stepney', both of which will be bowing out of service in the next few weeks at the end of their current boiler certificates.
- Details now available for the SOUTHERN at WAR weekend on Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th May 2008.
This year the event features the superb 23rd Sussex (Hastings and Bexhill) Battalion of the Home Guard, and (weather permitting) a SPITFIRE FLYPAST.
21 April:
18 April:
- Nick Beck has updated the web pages for the two LMS 3-plank drop-side medium open goods wagons: M474558 and M480222. The additional information was provided by Martin Skrzetuszewski.
16 April:
- Bryan Benn supplies today's photo - 21C123 'Blackmoor Vale' on the 11am departure from Sheffield Park yesterday, seen emerging from the tunnel.
- Update to the Lounge Car service details - Afternoon Tea (on the 3pm departures from Sheffield Park) will be available over the bank holiday weekends in May and August.
- Updates to the web pages for BR Mk.I carriages 1818, 1838, 4824, 4957 and 4941, and also the introduction to the carriage fleet and stock list, acknowledging the fact that the designation "TSO" was only used for BR 64-seat open seconds as from 1967, and thus 4941 and its ilk should correctly be designated "SO".
14 April:
13 April:
- Stephen Hunt's photo (right) from yesterday shows the Dukedog ready to leave Sheffield Park.
- Locomotive 21C123 'Blackmoor Vale' returned to service today after its winter break, which was followed by major attention to its regulator, a boiler exam and renewal of its brake-blocks.
- Matt Allen's new book "The Bluebell Railway" (details as pdf)
will be launched with a signing in the shop at Sheffield Park on the Saturday of the
Built at Brighton weekend (26th April) between 1pm and 3pm. A 144 page
photographic journey along the Bluebell Railway, the book is priced at
£14.99, and will be available through the Bluebell's shop.
- Derek Hayward has some photos (including that on the right showing the train emerging from Sharpthorn Tunnel on Thursday) from last week's Stepney Farewell Specials. He also has shots of the service trains on the same days, and some pictures of activity at Sheffield Park Shed in his 2008 Bluebell album. He also has a new gallery of road vehicles in a railway context.
- A reminder that the Stepney Farewell specials continue this coming week.
- Sadly we have to report the death of Derek Winkworth on Friday 4th April. Derek was the well known author of Bulleid's Pacifics, probably the definitive volume of Bulleid pacific performance, as well as the author of Maunsell's Nelsons and The Schools 4-4-0s.
Derek was a quantity surveyor by profession but was also a prolific writer and author, who always credited his correspondents for the assistance received. In addition to his writing skills, his work was enhanced by his own talented photographic skills.
- Recent press coverage has included a photo of Horsted Keynes in the snow in last Monday's Daily Telegraph, a photo of 80151 in the snow on the BBC web site - 4th photo in the sequence, a report of the HLF award, also from the BBC, and a report - also about the HLF award in the Eastbourne Herald.
- Last Sunday's three-inches of snow provided a fine selection of photos:
3 April:
1 April:
- Derek Hayward's photo of 80151 with a down goods train on the double-track section at Leamland bridge amid the primroses from Saturday is seen on the right - Derek has now completed and captioned his gallery of photos from the Goods Train Weekend.
- Update on the Bulleid Society web site from John Fry and Richard Green, with a round-up of the recent boiler work on Sir Archibald Sinclair, and other work on the engine, and an update on Blackmoor Vale detailing, amongst other things, the work carried out to sort out the incomplete closing of the regulator.
Older updates are in the What's New
Archive
or 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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credits.
14 May:
Carriage & Wagon Works
News - Reports on overhaul of the SR Maunsell droplight open third, the SECR Birdcage brake carriage and the Lowmac wagon - updated 31 March 2008
6 May:
2 May:
1 May:
30 April:
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27 April:
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