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 Report: 31 December 2001
Finishing the year as it started
We started and finished 2001 with vintage engines hauling vintage
trains. Here are some of Jon Bowers latest photos, taken on Sunday
30th December.
He has more photos here.
New Timetable
The provisional timetable for 2002 is on
the web site.
It is "provisional" for the following reason. Whilst we applied for
an extension to our current temporary planning permission for the use
of Kingscote as a station back in October, discussions with the
council have been time consuming, and a decision is awaited,
hopefully from the January meeting. The timetable leaflets cannot
sensibly go to press until we know for certain that we can run to
Kingscote!
Secondly, you will notice a Table 4 in the timetable, covering the
period from 19th January up to 3rd March, during which time the "fire
slip" just north of Horsted Keynes will be dug out and rebuilt
starting from a firm foundation. Since repairs some years ago this
embankment has continued to move slowly, and this winter's work aims
to rectify the problem once and for all. Our trains will therefore
operate only between Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes during this
period, with our 473 bus from East Grinstead extended to Horsted
Keynes.
Whilst the line is severed, the opportunity may be taken to re-lay a
poor section of track just north of the platforms at Horsted Keynes.
Branch Line Weekend
Preliminary details for the Branch
Line Weekend, 9-10 February, are now available.
Potential for land acquisition at Sheffield Park
As indicated in the Winter Bluebell News and the latest
Heritage Railways magazine, the old timber yard adjacent to
Sheffield Park station is for sale. This represents our only chance
of rail-connected expansion of the Sheffield Park site, and is being
actively pursued, through a professional land agent. It appears we
cannot afford to put in a bid of £1.5 Million for the whole
site, so we are in active discussions concerning the possibility of
obtaining a sufficient part of the site such that we might be able to
construct a carriage running shed of useful size, and a bit of extra
space to expand our museum.
Of course, if we could afford more of the site, it would be wonderful
(providing a ready-built 30-vehicle storage/museum building, further
archive/museum storage and offices, in addition to the space for a
running shed), and anyone able to offer significant financial support
towards that end is asked to contact Barry Coward gensec@bluebell-railway.co.uk
urgently (since negotiations are likely to be concluded within a week
or so).
Negotiations are being coordinated by the team who are putting
together a Heritage Lottery Fund bid for covered accommodation, but
even the HLF's fast-track procedure is no-where near fast enough to
be of assistance in this case!
East Grinstead Extension news
Recent work by the extension team has concentrated on clearance of the recently
acquired section of trackbed on the east side south of the dam (opposite Ash
Lea Farm). Some trees have been felled but a good number which are unlikely
to affect the running of the railway have been left. The trackbed is being
scraped to improve the drainage as this is a particularly wet area. The
drainage ditch which was dug some time ago along our border with Ash Lea
Farm has been extended north across the width of the trackbed to drain the
cleared area.
The majority of fencing has now been renewed. Few posts have required
replacing but new wire has been installed. Additionally the fence that
borders our land along Imberhorne Lane has been replaced. This was in poor
condition having suffered from a constant buffeting from passing traffic.
Finally essential plant maintenance has been carried out. The rebuild of our
3-ton dumper is complete - this has taken a considerable amount of time and
effort, however, it is now firing on all three cylinders - something that it
hasn't managed to do for a long time!
The photograph (courtesy of Jeff Machin) shows recent work on the
trackbed near Ash Lea Farm. I'm grateful to Nigel Longdon for the
above report.
Second Hand Book-sale
The second hand book sale run in the last month on the Internet by
Barry Coward and Neil Glaskin has raised over £500 for the
Carriage Sheds fund, and has now finished, with remaining stock being
passed to Barry Jones, for sale through his "Carriage Shop" at
Horsted Keynes.
Loco Latest
It is hoped that the spare boiler can be swapped into the SECR
C-class in the spring, to get that splendid loco rapidly back into
service. Much will depend on the condition of the spare boiler,
which is believed to need very little work on it.
Lewis Nodes made more photos available just before Christmas on the
Loco
Works Photo News pages.
Carriage update
The pace of work hasn't slackened, with SECR Hundred-seater Third
No.1098 now re-painted, lettered and lined in full 1930s style
following its replacement roof canvas, and Brake Van 404 being
smartened up. Over the New Year the Hastings-line Maunsell Brake has
been in the works for the first time, enabling Roger Williams to weld
up the long steel sheets on the brake-van sides. This completes the
exterior cladding for this vehicle, which David Wigley's team are
restoring. Unfortunately the ex-4LAV corridor partitions are of too
late a design to be correct for this vehicle, so new ones will be
made from scratch.
New on the Web Site:
- New web page for the BRPS London Area
Group, including a list of forthcoming meetings.
- Update to page for the Golden Arrow Pullman Dining
Train, with dates and details for 2002.
- New web page for the 2002 Day out
with Thomas event, including details of Bedtime stories with
Thomas, and Schools days, plus booking details and forms. The first
bookings have already been received, even though they will not be
processed until March!
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 -
Signals - History - Other - Links - Search the site - FAQ
Why not become a BRPS Member?  - Get more involved as a Volunteer
News Report: 17 December 2001
Loco Roundup
The big news is the debut of BR Standard 4 Tank, 80151. A photo
charter prior to its launch into service saw it recreate some classic
poses with Fenchurch, recalling some publicity photos of a bygone
era. The photo above is by Lewis Nodes, and more
in the same vein are here.
The formal return to traffic took place at the October Giants of
Steam event, as seen in Jon Bowers photo, right. Since then the
engine has rapidly become a stalwart performer, confirming again the
feeling amongst the loco crews that the Standard 4 tank engines are
much superior to the 4-6-0 tender engine of the same rating.
Several other locos have been in and out of the works.
Stepney has had attention twice, first to swap its chimney for
a temporary replacement after holes developed in it, and secondly for
attention to a crack in the firebox backplate, just above the
foundation ring between the corner and a mudhole door. This part of
the boiler is immediately in front of the trailing axle, so the
trailing wheelset has had to be removed to gain access to the area.
73082 Camelot sprang a leak from a crack in the firebox outer
wrapper, just beside the driver's knees. An in-situ repair has been
completed, with the aim of enabling it to complete the remaining 18
months of its boiler ticket.
In the last month both of Birch Grove's big-ends have re
re-metalled, and the left small end bearing has been replaced. The
small end pins have worn oval, and removing them actually proved a
much more difficult task than replacing the bearing.
All three of these locos are now back in action. Indeed on Sunday
Birch Grove and Stepney were pressed into service,
double-heading a fully loaded Santa Special train, deputising for the
9F, which had suffered a broken tender spring. The replacement of
the 9F's spring only took two hours though, and it was back in
service having only missed one round trip!
Baxter is now looking very forlorn, stripped of its boiler
cladding, in preparation for its boiler lift. Some limited
mechanical work is required, and the frame will be lifted from the
wheels for attention to the axle-boxes.
Work continues on Duke of Berkeley's boiler and bogie, but
dismantling of the front of the underframe has revealed extensive
corrosion. Recent
photos are here. It currently looks as though a significant
proportion of the loco's frames will have to be replaced.
Significant work is being undertaken at Sheffield Park on the Boiler
for Sir Archibald Sinclair, including replacement of the
firebox tubeplate, and the welding in of some smaller replacement
sections of inner firebox. Full
details and photos of recent work are here.
Santa Specials
These have been booking up solidly, with essentially every single
seat taken except on the first weekend. The on-train takings from
the sale of drinks and mince pies have been reaching new records, and
as usual the profits from this activity will be going to various
volunteer-run projects. With anything up to 12 volunteers working on
each of the two trains (in addition to loco crew, guards, signalmen,
booking office and platform staff), this is a worthy recompense for
all their hard work.
Carriage roofs re-canvassed
Our timber roofed carriages need re-canvassing about every 15 years,
and three of these have been replaced in the last couple of months.
Southern Railway Maunsell open third No.1309 and Bulleid open third
No.1464 were both restored during the mid 1980's and were now due
this work. They have also received major paint-shop attention, the
work being completed just in time for these coaches to take their
places on the Santa Special trains. SECR Hundred-seater No.1098 did
not receive a new roof canvas when it was overhauled in the early
90's and is also receiving a rapid re-paint, which should be complete
by the end of the year. At the same time the SR Brake Van No.404 is
receiving some roof-top attention to make it watertight, to the
undoubted relief of the guards on the vintage branch-line train.
The LSWR team have now completed the replacement of their coach's
bottom side (the main structural timber at the base of the body).
The SECR birdcage brake is coming on well, with floors and partitions
in for about half the passenger area, and the structural body-side
repairs also completed in this area. Much of the interior woodwork
for these compartments is being varnished and some of it test fitted
to provide a morale boost to the team.
The third of the Metropolitan coaches is now lettered and lined, and
much of the interior fit of the first-class compartments is now
finished. The luggage racks are the most significant interior
components still to be tackled, and the parts (and wheels) are now to
hand to re-assemble the final bogie. It is just about possible that
the coach will be completed in time for the February Branch-line
Weekend.
Bluebell on the Box
"Station Jim" is a TV film featuring Queen Victoria and Jim, a
station dog. Much of it was filmed on the Bluebell, is one of the
main features of the BBC's holiday schedule, being shown on BBC1 on
30th Dec at 6:30pm. In addition to the various Bluebell volunteers
appearing as extras, some members of the Bluebell Railway Band also
appear as the Village Band welcoming Queen Victoria to Kingscote
station.
The recent Carlton "Railway Children" is being shown again on ITV on
24th Dec at 4:45pm.
In addition, we are holding another Railway Children weekend on July
13 - 14, with re-enactments of
scenes from the Carlton TV film, and the chance to meet some of the
cast. The weekend is also a fund-raising event for the
Railway Children charity.
Horsted Keynes Platform 1 & 2 Canopy completed
The final zinc sheets are now in place, and the new lighting has been
fitted, completing Phase 2 of the reconstruction of this feature of
the station which had been demolished in 1913. Phase 3 will be the
re-construction of the building which went under the canopy, and the
plans for this are to be discussed at the next meeting of the Society
Trustees, in January. It is possible that the re-instatement of the
building will be divided into two phases.
New bracket signal at Horsted Keynes
The photo (by Richard Salmon) shows the new bracket signal which was
erected last month to the south of Platforms 3 and 4. Once complete
it will replace the two temporary down starter signals.
Gavin Bennett provides some of the background to this signal, which
was recovered many years ago:
As a bit of history, this particular bracket came from Hove and was
recovered by us one night, in association with the Brighton
steelworks gang. It was originally mounted on a lattice post at the
country end of the island platform. The steelworks gang managed to
cut the post below platform level and then craned it onto a wagon,
with the intention of transporting it to Three Bridges yard for
collection. As soon as it was loaded, we realised it was foul to
gauge and wouldn't be going anywhere! A quick site meeting
resulted in the wagon being shunted to the Up Yard and the signal
offloaded in the coal yard so that we could collect it by road.
An early morning phone call to the coal yard manager on Monday
morning to apologise and explain why he was now looking at a signal
in his yard and that it was Bluebell's elicited the response "I
thought it might have something to do with you"!
Yesterday the S&T were working on connecting the temporary
platform 3 up starter which will allow bi-directional working in
platform 3. This will be an operational bonus, simplifying the
station operation at quiet times of the year when only one train is
on the line. As at the other end of the station, this signal (and
that for Platforms 4 & 5) will eventually be replaced by one of
the Alf Brown group's new bracket signals.
Carol Service draws a crowd!
Saturday evening's Carol Service on the platforms at Horsted Keynes
exceeded expectations, with about 180 people attending the candle-lit
service on the station platforms. The music was led by the Bluebell
Railway Band and presided over by the Bluebell Railway's Chaplain,
the Revd Father Timothy Rawdon-Mogg, the Rector of Horsted Keynes.
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 -
Signals - History - Other - Links - Search the site - FAQ
Why not become a BRPS Member? - Get more involved as a Volunteer
News Report: 15 October 2001
Getting 80151 ready for Giants of Steam
Lewis Nodes photo, above, shows that BR Standard 4 tank loco No.80151
is coming on nicely, now fully painted and lined out, and outside the
works yesterday, awaiting a visit from the boiler inspector. More
photos are
here.
At the Giants of Steam event on
27-28 October, 80151 will be joined by Bulleid Pacific 21C123
"Blackmoor Vale" and three further BR Standards, No. 75027, No.73082
"Camelot" and our 9F, No.92240. In addition our two Stroudley
Terriers will be in steam, "Stepney" on the Saturday and "Fenchurch"
on the Sunday.
I will be leading guided tours of the Carriage Works on both days,
and on the Saturday, starting at 4.30pm, in exchange for a £5
donation to the Carriage Works Extension fund, there will be an
extended tour taking in the stock stored on the back sidings at
Horsted Keynes, for which stout footwear is essential.
Brighton Atlantic Promotion Day
This event takes place at Sheffield Park station on this coming Saturday
20th October. There will be displays of photographs, drawings and
'hardware' in the Training Center and the Birch Grove Suite. Roger
Brasier is giving
illustrated talks about the Atlantics in the Birch Grove Suite (the
upstairs of the Bessemer Arms) at 11.30 and 2.30.
Further parts for this locomotive have recently been obtained, and
work on the tender is progressing, as illustrated in the 28 September
Loco
Works Photo News.
Other Loco News
It appears that a Southern Railway Maunsell loco will be the next
into the works after 80151 is outshopped. This will be either
U-class 2-6-0 No.1638 or S15 4-6-0 No.847. However, some of the
current traffic fleet will need attention before major work can start
on a Maunsell. The GWR Dukedog 4-4-0 will be the next outshopped
after 80151, and the boiler of Bulleid Pacific "Sir Archibald
Sinclair" is also in the works at present, being attended to by our
contract welders.
This News Service
You will probably have noticed that over the summer, news reports
were notable by the absence! I hope to improve that situation by
making more shorter reports, as news items present themselves.
2002 Special Events
These are listed on the Special
Events web page.
Extension News
We are now able to announce another land purchase on the extension
from Kingscote to East Grinstead. It had previously been announced
that we had obtained enough of the land in private ownership to reach
East Grinstead. However, this did not include, in all places, both
sides of the former double-track formation. The latest purchase
means that we have more of the full width of the formation, which
will make construction and future maintenance much easier. Clearance
and fencing of this section has commenced.
Back in August (when the sun shone) Alan Summerfield and Nigel
Longdon, who qualified
for use of chainsaws in January this year, undertook further training, this
time working from an elevated platform (known as a cherry picker).
Along the route of
the trackbed there are several trees which did not need to be felled but that
had branches which would have posed a risk to the line and rolling stock. A
cherry picker was hired in and we removed the offending branches - an
interesting experience.
More recently the Saturday team have been carrying out further clearance
work on the east side south of Keepers (the dam).
Signalling progress at Horsted
Chris Majer's photo shows the components for the new down platform
starter bracket signal for Platforms 3 and 4, which will also have an
arm for movements into the carriage works yard. The plan is that the
hole for this signal will be dug today, the main rail-built column
planted tomorrow, and the upper works fixed in place on Wednesday.
This is the culmination of months of preparations by the Alf Brown
Gang, or looked at another way, merely the warm up for the next three
SR bracket signals they are building for Horsted! Further news and
photos have just been posted on Peter Richards' HK Re-Signalling progress web page.
Work on the Track, and Carriage Works
The P-way working week (last week) has concentrated on remedial work
on the Sheffield Park-Horsted Keynes section of the line. In
addition in the last few weeks "A" road within the carriage shed has
been re-laid, and work has started to provide a p-way siding parallel
to the headshunt in the down yard.
During the re-laying of track within the shed, as had been hoped, the
water pipe supplying the shed was discovered. This enabled a branch
pipe to be added to supply the new Carriage Works mess room, plumbing
for which we are now to do ourselves, following a quote of about
£10k from professionals for plumbing in the mess room and
toilets/showers.
Moving on to the carriages, SR Maunsell Open Third No.1309 is now in
the paint shop, and SR Bulleid Open Third No.1464 has replaced it in
the "scaffold" area of the new works for re-canvassing of the roof.
BR Brake No.35448 is having all its trim replaced, and is being
generally smartened up internally, with seating installed for 8 per
compartment, as against the original six.
New Definitive Stamp issue and First Day Cover
Full details of this "Starlight Special" issue featuring SECR P-class
No.323, and other issues, are available on the Bluebell Railway Letter Service 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 -
Signals - History - Other - Links - Search the site - FAQ
Why not become a BRPS Member? - Get more involved as a Volunteer
News Report: 2 October 2001
80151 should return to steam for Giants of Steam:
The Giants of steam event on 27-28 October should be another
unforgettable Bluebell event, featuring our largest engines, and an
intensive 3 train service.
Further details are available here.
Other news from the loco department:
Lewis Nodes has just provided a
mammoth update with loads of photos, showing that they've been
busy on many locos in the last few months. Quite apart from 80151,
there's pioneering work on the Dukedog. We're ready to try the first
cast of new cylinder blocks for the Terriers, following completion of
the patterns, and not a moment too soon as the repairs to a hole in
Stepney's frail cylinders show!
The Maunsell team have moved onto the boiler of the U-class 2-6-0,
and their tender team have as big a task ahead of them with "Stowe's"
tender as they had with 1638's! They've started by demolishing most
of what was already there. Talking of tenders, the Brighton Atlantic
project is making progress on their tender.
Boiler work is under way on the Southern Locomotives "P" class, and
the Villa team have started dismantling "Baxter" for its boiler
overhaul.
1940s Weekend a great success
 
A new special event, held in September, the 1940s weekend went off
splendidly, as can be seen by the photos from Jon Bowers and Ian
Bowskill, with more photos to be found here.
Booking now open for Santa Specials
Our 2001 season of Santa Specials kicks off on 1st December, but
bookings opened yesterday. Last year some trains were fully booked
in the first week, so ring 01825 720806 now, or see the web page for the Santa Specials.
Carriage Works Extension opening
This was the highlight of the second annual National Carriage
Restorers' get-together in September. This year's event was organised
by Peter Milnes, with Keith Edwards and others from the GN Saloon
team providing the catering on the Sunday.
Martin Lock (Left) and Stephen Middleton open our new
restoration facility (photo: Brian Hallett)
On the Saturday, following an introduction from Martin Lock, Stephen
Middleton, who described himself as "green with envy" at the
facilities we had now at our disposal, performed the opening ceremony
on the new carriage works extension. A special train consisting of
Fenchurch and the two Met coaches then took delegates on a round trip
of the line in the early evening. With Fenchurch having to stop for
a brew up in section, the delegates had plenty of opportunity to
examine the interior of the compartments in minute detail!
Most of the real business took place on the Sunday. As last year,
the LMS Carriage Association from Peak Rail brought several
demonstrations and their "Carriage Exchange" for-sale/wants board did
good business. We put on a variety of demonstrations ourselves.
Many useful contacts were made, and techniques discussed, and
friendships made over the internet were deepened. Joint orders of
components will help all of us, and trading in various other bits and
pieces through the weekend must have brought various projects closer
to completion!
At the end of Sunday afternoon everyone was feeling well satisfied,
and started to make their way home. The longest journey was Jon
Tyler from the Royal Deeside Railway Preservation Society near
Aberdeen, who nearly didn't make it since all the flights south were
fully booked.
Fenchurch stars at an Airshow!
Fenchurch called in at Airbourne 2001, at Eastbourne, on its way back
from the Isle of Wight in August, as is seen here in Tim Fellows'
photo. Much good publicity was gained from this unusual addition to
the local tourist board stand!
Carriage restoration
Too little time for me to mention everything that's been going on.
Our new painter, Dave, with help from Graham Ward, has got stuck into
the backlog, having turned out the BR Mk.1 Brake in Green (it was
Maroon) after its bodywork repairs. Mk.1 CK 16210 has received a
much needed re-varnish, and the wheelchair accessible coach is having
a touch-up and repaint at present. Maunsell Open third 1309 has been
re-canvassed, and will be repainted soon. The Maunsell Droplight
Open Third, 1336, is progressing well, with all the external steel
sheeting now in place. The large section of bodyside of the SECR
birdcage 3363 has been repaired and re-installed. The third of the
Met coaches, composite 368, is coming on very nicely, with third and
first class compartments nearly complete.
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
Your ideal Film/TV location?
Compiled by Richard Salmon.
© Copyright BRPS. Privacy Policy
|
