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Branchline Weekend 2003 was held over the weekend of 22nd and 23rd February 2003, and saw 7 locomotives, 6 coaching sets and a goods train in operation. The Saturday saw clear blue skies throughout, enabling some superb branchline scenes to be recreated.
O1 No.65 works an early morning goods, the 9.33am from Sheffield Park, up the gradient past Horsted House farm. Upon arrival back at Horsted Keynes, the goods wagons and O1 were posed in the recently completed dock siding.
Visiting Ivatt No.41312 heads the 10.51 ex. Kingscote towards Horsted Keynes at Dean's Crossing.
No.672 and the 3 Mets represented the earliest branchline train on show, the combination seen here shortly after passing over Dean's crossing with the 11.37 from Kingscote.
BR Class 4 No.80151 of 1957 was the youngest locomotive in operation, seen here lifting its 3 coach train from underneath Birchstone bridge.
No.41312 accelerates away from Kingscote with the 1.22pm.
No.672 Fenchurch makes a splendid sight as it climbs over Mill Place bridge with the 1.57 from Kingscote.
No.96 'Normandy' got two rare outings on passenger trains on th
e Saturday, and here has just opened up at Tremains after coasting down from Freshfields with the 3.07 from Sheffield Park.
Ivatt 2MT No.41312 is seen again, this time at Tremains heading for Sheffield Park.
A points problem at Sheffield Park resulted in the 4.55 departure - a recreation of the Brighton 'Balloon'
train using Terrier No.55 'Stepney' and the Observation car - running about half an hour late. By this time, the sun was well below the horizon, but there was still just enough light left to obtain a moody shot at Freshfields. A fitting end to a very memorable day.
The weather on Sunday was predominantly overcast, with the odd sunny spell in the afternoon. Here Nos. 41312 and 80151 double-head a morning tra
in out of Horsted Keynes.
It was Stepney's turn to pose with the goods on Sunday.
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