What's New on the
Bluebell Railway web site?
Why not Bookmark this page (or add to Favourites), and
come back regularly to check the latest changes.
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!
- Dave Clarke's photos of the charter with the C and the O1 are now on his fotopic site. Paul Pettitt also has one as the October's Picture of the Month on his site.
26 September:
24 September:
- Update on the Society Members' Information pages with the notes from the July Committee meeting which are now available.
- The photographic charter on 13 September which featured the two SECR 0-6-0s on a goods train has provided the photos (from David Haggar) shown here. Those below include one featuring an Austin 7 car in the Carriage Yard at Horsted Keynes. A video on YouTube is also available from Jon Bowers. Jon says a very big thank-you to everyone involved in the charter. To the train crew and signalmen for
coming in for what was a very early start; to the Ops department and
shunters for assembling a train that really looked "the business"; to George
Jones for providing the vintage car; to everyone who helped out with the
lineside clearance, and to the workshop staff who got 592 running.
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.
- Photographic charter with the two SECR 0-6-0s on a goods train: Video on YouTube from Jon Bowers - 13 September 2008
- Some footage on YouTube from Robert Philpot taken a couple of days after the 1992 re-opening through to West Hoathly.
- Derek Hayward has a new photographic tour, covering the disused line from Culver Junction to Uckfield (Old Station), including the Lavender Line at Isfield. Also more photos added to the Lineside Tour covering Horsted Keynes to Kingscote.
- Vintage Transport Weekend (16-17 August 2008) - photos:
- Photos showing the Dukedog on arrival at the SVR, from P.Sharpe - 30th July 2008 and a new gallery bringing together some of his recent photos of 9017 from Derek Hayward.
Photos from Ashley Smith - 27 July 2008
- Sean Tompsett has some new photos of 5199 - 11 July 2008
- Dave Clarke's photos reporting activities around the Carriage & Wagon, and separately SR Maunsell Restaurant Car No.7864, progress on the SECR Birdcage Brake and with the carriage electrical work - 10 July 2008
- Paul Pettitt's update to his page for the U-class No.1638 - 1 July 2008
- Photos from the English Summer Fair family fun weekend, from Derek Hayward, Stephen Hunt and Robert Philpot - 21-22, 28-29 June 2008
- Photographic retrospective of 21C123 Blackmoor Vale's recent years in service from Derek Hayward - 15 June 2008
- Ken Upton's gallery from the evening run with Stepney - 10 June 2008
- Stepney's bow out public service pending its next overhaul, and a welcome for 592, now back in service - 8 June 2008:
Older photographic updates are in the What's New
Archive
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
22 September:
4 September:
2 September:
28 August:
- The photo on the left shows the Dukedog passing though Bewdley just after its arrival at the Severn Valley Railway on 30th July (with my thanks to P Sharpe for permission to use it. He has a complete gallery of photos from the day here). The loco has since been receiving planned attention to its valves and pistons in the works at Bridgnorth. The valve chests have been rebored and the valves were refitted on Saturday 23rd August.
- Details available of Seniors for a Fiver between Monday 22nd September and Friday 3rd October -
Book in advance for this special offer for the over 60s.
- Our Grandparents Special "Wealden Rambler" train on Sun 21 September is full so we have added Afternoon Tea on Pullman Car Lilian at 2.30pm -
Pullman Train Fare: £20.00 plus Afternoon Tea at £10.00 (total £30.00 per person). Please telephone 01825 720800, or visit the Sales and Information Office above the Shop at Sheffield Park.
- Some tickets are still available for the Victorian Evening on Fri 5 September.
- The What's New entry for 23rd June this year included a report and photographs about the newly installed elevated shunt
signal (SP No 1) for the exit from the Newick siding at Sheffield Park.
On 23rd July 2008, after several weeks of work both on and off site, an S&T team led by Mick Sargeant successfully
commissioned this new signal, and removed the old one.
The photos below taken that day show Mick Sargeant and Dave Devlin with the newly
commissioned signal, and Mick Sargeant carrying out alterations to the electrical wiring for the signal, in
the adjacent equipment location case. My thanks to Alan Grove for this report and photos.
27 August:
- Details now available for The Bluebell Ramble on Sat 6 & Sun 7 September -
Join us for a 5 mile ramble from Horsted Keynes.
21 August:
- Some more of David Chappell's photos from the Saturday of the Vintage Transport Weekend. The first of the photos below shows a pair of railway vehicles, a Scammell mechanical horse and a platform luggage-trolley tug.
- This coming Bank Holiday Weekend there will be Guided tours of the Carriage & Wagon Workshop at Horsted Keynes, at 1.20 and 1.40pm each day (Sat, Sun and Mon), led by Dave Clarke, John Coleman and Richard Salmon.
19 August:
- Brian Easter's photo on the right shows the C-class 592 approaching Three Arch Bridge on Sunday. His other photos of the Vintage Weekend are available.
- The photos below show the gathering of traction engines (Stephen Hunt) and some of the classic cars (Derek Hayward) - see yesterday's entry for links to their collections of photos.
- Derek Hayward has a new photographic tour, this time covering the disused line from Culver Junction to Uckfield (Old Station), including the Lavender Line at Isfield. This tour joins Derek's existing comprehensive tours from Hamsey to Sheffield Park, the Ardingly Branch, and north of Kingscote, plus (of course) the two tours (SP-HK, HK-Kc) covering the operational part of the Bluebell Railway itself.
- News report from the Maunsell Locomotive Society with the latest on the overhaul of S15 No.847, the results of the boiler survey on Stowe, plus the news that the Q-class has moved up the queue for attention in the Works.
18 August:
- David Chappell's photos, right and below, are from Saturday - the first day of what turned out to be a very popular Vintage Transport Weekend.
Further photos to follow here later this week, and the following collections are also now available:
- Stephen Hunt,
- Derek Hayward,
- Kate James: 1, 2, 3 and 4
- Afternoon Tea in the first class Lounge Car is now booking for Saturdays and Sundays in November. The Lounge Car is also running over the forthcoming Bank Holiday weekend (as is the GNR Directors' Saloon)
- Reminder that the next Victorian Picnic evening trains are on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th of September - your party will be provided with a hamper containing a finger buffet, with wine and soft drinks, and there will be a Victorian Music Hall show for your entertainment and delictation. Some tickets remain - particularly for the Friday evening - book now!
11 August:
- The photo on the right shows the Prairie Tank approaching Horsted Keynes with the first train of the day on Saturday (with the GN Directors' Saloon attached - photo below). The other locos running were the O1 on the Chesham set (plus the LNWR Observation Car - photo below) and the U-class with a Golden Arrow Wedding charter.
- Update to the Contacts page, to make it easier to find the information you may be looking for.
- Paul Pettitt has a new picture of the month, featuring Clive Groome at Horsted Keynes in February 2007.
8 August:
- David Chappell's photo, taken yesterday afternoon, shows the last train of the day back from Horsted Keynes, which is sometimes double-headed, although more often the engine from the Horsted-based set travels down separately as a light-engine movement. The first two coaches are the recently re-painted SR 1935-built pair of Maunsells. Click on the photo for an enlargement.
- This is a good image to advertise the busy train service which will form part of our Vintage Transport Weekend (16-17 August), for which further details are now available.
- Details and entry forms now available for the 2008/9 Football Competition - don't delay; the season is about to start, and entries must be postmarked no later than 3pm on 16th August.
- Below is a photo from Tony Sullivan of a gathering at Isfield of Bluebell personalities on Sunday 3rd August. Click on the photo for an enlargement.
5 August:
- Working Timetable for the Vintage weekend (16-17 August) now available for download as a PDF. Also, on Sunday 17 August, Service 20, a Free Vintage Bus Service
will run every half-hour from Brighton Pool Valley to Sheffield Park from 10.30am. The last return will probably be at 5pm from Sheffield Park.
- Update to the Bulleid Society's web page on 'Normandy', with some more of Chris Gardner's photos from Barrow Hill.
- Update to the Loco News pages, with the latest from the Brighton Atlantic Project, with photos showing recent progress from Fred Bailey.
- Photos from Ashley Smith from Sunday 27th July, including that on the right showing the Dukedog at West Hoathley. This loco left the Bluebell two days later for an extended visit to the Severn Valley Railway, which will involve it receiving some attention to valves and pistons in their workshops (which should cure that rather curious groaning noise!), after which it will be in use on their line until October.
- Jon Bowers' next photo charter (why not come along and join it?) is on Saturday 13 September, featuring the two SECR liveried 0-6-0s - O1 Class No.65 and C Class No.592. Details available here. That page also has details of two photo charters which will benefit the Bluebell during the Dukedog's visit to the SVR.
- Statement from Paul Churchman (Operations Director) and Lewis Nodes (Loco & Rolling Stock Director) responding to the article in Bluebell News magazine concerning Footplate Days and Ways, added to the Information for BRPS Members pages.
- Minor update to the Visitor Information page.
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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