Bluebell Railway Blog:
Archive 1999

Please be aware that due to the historical nature of this page, some of the links on it may be out of date.

Archive of the Blog/What's New pages

Most recent updates
Older updates are in the What's New Archive
or the 2023, the 2022, the 2021, the 2020, the 2019, the 2018, the 2017, the 2016, the 2015, the 2014, the 2013, the 2012, the 2011, the 2010, the 2009, the 2008, 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.

• The 2000 Timetable is now on-line.
• Update to the Carriage Technical Pages including some useful addresses of specialist suppliers.

• Updated and confirmed list of Special Events for 2000 is now on-line, adding dates for the Victorian Evenings, a Twenties Evening, and the Military Vehicles day.
• New links to:
  • The Green Man, a splendid pub in Horsted Keynes village, now has its own web site. I can definitely recommend this, having spent my stag night at it last year!
  • Heritage Railway magazine has a fine web site, including late-breaking news which missed the last printed edition.
  • Robin Frankham's page of Bluebell railway photos taken over several years.
• Update to the Local Overnight Accommodation page.

• New web page for the Bluebell Railway Fire Service, with thanks to Julian Best.

• Minor updates to the Contacts page.

• Full details now available for our Golden Arrow Pullman Dining Trains for 2000.
• Updated and expanded details of Conference, Meeting, Dinner-Dance and Wedding Reception facilities in the Birch Grove Suite.

• Update to Carriage Works Extension appeal page.

• Update of current positions in the Carriage Works Extension Fund Football Competition.

• Update to the following Signalling pages from Peter Richards:
  • Electric Train Staff Instruments;
  • Electric Train Key-Token Instruments;

• The Carriage & Wagon pages have joined the Vintage Railway Coach WebRing.
• The Railway Coach E-mail Group added to the Carriage Technical Links page.

• Ordnance Survey map of the area, from their Get-a-map service, included to help with Access to the Railway.

• Update to the Carriage Technical Page on Coach Roofing, with a cautionary paragraph added to the section on synthetic roofing material.

• Tony Hillman's web site has details of our Toy and Rail Collectors' Fair, Sat 22 - Sun 23 July 2000.

• "Stop Press" on the Stepney Club Page
• Update from Peter Richards with the latest news of the Horsted Keynes Re-signalling.
• Page appealing for funds for the overhaul of No.323 removed, pending a decision on the future of the appeal.

• Minor update to Loco Roster; 55 is taking the November Saturday Vintage Goods Trains.
• Swindon Historic Castings Ltd added to the Carriage Restoration Technical pages.

• Gradient Profile to the South of Kingscote modified in accordance with Les Haines' survey, as detailed in the latest Friends of Kingscote Newsletter.

• Dates now available for our Special Events for 2000.
• Update from Peter Richards with the latest news of the Horsted Keynes Re-signalling.

• Jeremy Ovenden has provided further photos of carriages now on the Bluebell:
  • SR Bulleid Brake No.2526 in departmental service;
  • SR Bulleid Brake No.4227 at Bristol Docks;
  • SR Maunsell Buffet Car No.7864 at Horsted Keynes;

• Update of current positions in the Carriage Shed Fund Football Competition.
• New Signalling pages from Peter Richards explaining:
  • Electric Train Staff Instruments;
  • Electric Train Key-Token Instruments;
  • The Walkers Train Describers.
• Take a look at Barry Coward's "Jottings" page, which has some interesting Bluebell bits and pieces.

• Photos from Jon Bowers taken last Sunday added to the report on the Giants of Steam special event.
• Dates for 19-20 February 2000 Special Winter Steam-up Weekend added to the Special Events Listing.

• We now have our own domain name, www.bluebell-railway.co.uk. The site however remains unchanged, so existing links and bookmarks will continue to work. Due to past unreliability, the use of the alias "www.visitweb.com/bluebell" is to be avoided.

• Updated page for SECR Birdcage Brake Carriage No.3363 with additional historical information. Consequent to the arrival of this coach, there are also updates to the Carriage Fleet Overview, and the Pre-grouping article in the Carriage Fleet Review.

• Jeremy Ovenden has provided a photo of the newly arrived SECR Birdcage Brake Carriage No.3363.

• New web page for newly arrived SECR Birdcage Brake Carriage No.3363, which is also added to the Carriage Stock List.

• Audio recordings of the S15, 847, added to Michael Taylor's Audio Page.
• Update from Lewis Nodes to the Loco Roster.
• Updates from Peter Richards to the signalling page explaining Bells and Bell codes and also a few slight changes to the Kingscote Signalling page.

• Full details of next weekend's: Starlight Special and Giants of Steam events, including details of the visiting engine.
• New page with some Audio Recordings of Port Line, thanks to Michael Taylor.
• New photo of the GWR Dukedog, again from Michael Taylor.

• Updates from Peter Richards to the pages describing the Signalling and Signal Box Diagrams for Kingscote and Sheffield Park.

• Update, including menu, for the Christmas 1999 Golden Arrow Pullman Dining Train page. Some dates are already well booked, so don't delay if you'd like to experience the unique atmosphere of a Christmas meal in a steam-hauled 1920's or 30's Pullman.
• The BASH Pages have been completely revised, dividing the original page up into a complete new series of pages:
  • The BASH Home Page;
  • History of the four Metropolitan Railway coaches;
    • Article in the Engineer 9 December 1898.
  • The BASH restoration project
  • The restoration of Full Third 394
  • The restoration of Brake Third 387
  • The test run of the first two carriages, January 1999
  • The restoration of Composite 368
  • The restoration of Composite 412
• Update from John Elliott to the Horsted Keynes Canopy Project Page
• Update to Victorian Coaches section of the Carriage Fleet Review, to include the LBSCR 1856-built second class coach body, and updated details of LCDR coach 106.
  Also an update to the Revised Overview.
• Update (with latest news) to the LSWR Coach Project webpage.
• Updates to Signalboxes, Signalling, and Horsted Keynes Track Layout pages to reflect the new numbering of the platforms at Horsted Keynes.

• Booking is now open for our popular Santa Special trains in December. Since certain trains get fully booked well in advance, you are advised to book early.
• Update to the Horsted Keynes Re-signalling page, including photos of the first trains signalled past the new inner home bracket signal.
• Adam White's Places of interest to visit in West Sussex pages added to the links page.

• The following links have been added:
  • Photos of a visit to the line by Colin Parsons in May 1999 (9F, Q1 and 75027, and a photo of our Society Secretary, who was Guard on the day!)
  • John Russell has a large number of photos of the Bulleid Q1 taken in September 1998.

• Update to the Horsted Keynes Re-signalling page, including a photo of the new bracket signal (inner home) at the South end of the station, which comes into service next week, and advance warning of the re-numbering of Horsted Keynes platforms. That wonderful Bluebell idiosyncrasy, "Platform 0", looses its charm somewhat as it becomes "Platform 1". As a result I guess we will have, in "Platform 5", the highest numbered platform in Preservation.

• More information now available about the Somerset & Dorset Weekend: 25-26 September. Please note that Normal Fares apply.
• Update to the web page for recently arrived Bulleid Brake No. 2526, with details of its history in traffic, internal user and departmental use.

• Brief details added for the Somerset & Dorset Weekend: 25-26 September.

• New page for the Carriage Shed Extension Project and fundraising appeal.
• Update to the Horsted Keynes Track Layout page. New research has produced details of the 1914 track layout alterations, for which there is now a diagram.
• New link to The Standard Steam Locomotive Co. Ltd. who are building two new BR standard locos.

• The Bluebell Railway and our Golden Arrow Pullman Dining Train are both listed on the new Country-Lovers web site, which is added to our links page.
• The Railway, and all our forthcoming special events are listed by w3fasttrack - The Great British Railway Directory, which is also added to the links page.

• Update to the Signalboxes page with newly researched details of the history of Horsted Keynes North 'box.
• Report on the weekend's splendid Summer Steam Gala.

• Update to Loco Roster.
• New photos of SER O1 No.65 from Mike Nichols added to the Loco Photo Pages.
• Updates to Membership page, and the Membership Application Form.

• New page with photos and full coverage of Birch Grove's visit to the Isle of Wight. Thanks to Peter Richards for preparing this page, and also Lewis Nodes for providing some of the photos.

• Update to various loco pages, making use of Jon Horrocks' photo of the SER O1 at the SECR Centenary Gala.
• Update to Signalboxes page.

• First update of current positions in the Carriage Shed Fund Football Competition.
• New link to the website for The Millennium Cavalcade of Steam, which should (completion of overhaul permitting) feature our very own Stroudley Terrier "Fenchurch".

• Minor update to News from the Bluebell page.
• Update to the Introduction to Carriages page, adding brief details of the recently arrived 1856 LBSCR coach body.

• Major revision to Peter Richards' page on Horsted Keynes Resignalling, including a new photo of the Inner Home bracket signal.

• Lewis Nodes has added photos of Birch Grove's visit to the Isle of Wight to the Loco Photo News pages.

• Minor update to Golden Arrow page.

• New Page: An appeal has been launched to raise the funds to overhaul SECR Loco "Bluebell" when its boiler certificate expires.
• Minor update to Extension page, with corrected details of the electric units which operated on the Ardingly branch.

• New photos added of the bodies of the pair of Stroudley Brakes, Nos. 676 and 949, which arrived last year.

• Updates to Contacts and Volunteering as station staff at Horsted Keynes pages, which now have the correct contact phone number (previous number was for the pay phone - sorry!).
• Maps provided by "multimap" now available from the Access to the Railway page.

• The page with information for disabled visitors is "Bobby Approved", which shows that the page itself is accessible.
• Minor update to Extension page.

• Update to page on LCDR Brake Second No.106, now that further details of its history (it was used on hop-pickers specials between 1921 and 1925) have been discovered. Also updated due to progress with its restoration.

• Update to the Wagon Stock List (minor corrections, SECR wagon 5542 enters service).

• Updates to the Loco pages, particularly the Operational Locos and Locos under Overhaul pages, to reflect the return to steam of the SECR O1 No.65 - see News Page.

• It has been noticable that for a few days now the visitweb.com alias to this web site has not been functioning.
• Updates to Carriage Fleet Review; Victorian coaches, Bulleid coaches, and Revised Overview.
• A start has been made on going through the web site defining the text colour as black etc, (since, having defined the background colour one ought to define the other text colours as well).

• The alphabetical index pages, which were proving very time consuming to maintain, have been replaced by a rather good, free, third party Search Engine, which maintains its own index of this web site.

• New page for the Summer Steam Gala, 11-12 September.
• Report on the 1999 Steam Fair & Vintage Vehicle Rally.

• Update to the wagon stock list; things are happening with SECR wagons!
• Update to the SE&CR Centenary page, including full details of the SE&CR Centenary Weekend, 7-8 August and the Kentish Belle Pullman.

• Update to the SE&CR Centenary page, including further details of the SE&CR Centenary Weekend, 7-8 August.

• New page for The Stepney Club (for children between 3 & 8 years old) and also a Stepney Club Application Form.
• Report on last night's Victorian Evening.

• Update to the Sheffield Park Signalling page, including Hiroshi Naito's photo of the interior of the signal box.
• Update to the Horsted Keynes Resignalling Work page.

• Updated all links to the Maunsell Locomotive Society's web site, which has moved.
• Update to Carriage Stock List, also new pages (but no photos yet) for the recently arrived Bulleid Brake No.2526 and LBSCR Craven Second No.35.

• BASH Page updated with latest restoration progress on the Victorian Metropolitan Railway carriages.

• Full details of the 1999 Santa Special Services are now available. Booking opens 1st October.

• Locomotive Roster for the next couple of months, giving details of which locos should be working on what days. Please note that the roster for any particular day may be subject to change at short notice due to operational requirements.

• Updates to Horsted Keynes Resignalling Work page, the Contacts page and the Access to the Railway page.

• Update to Loco Volunteers page.

• Details added to the Access to the Railway pages for Coastlink 1999 and Surrey Hills Leisure bus services, which provide links from South London and Surrey to the railway.

• New reciprocal links to the Eurodestination travel guide and the South African Holiday & Accommodation Bureau who offer train-based holidays.

• Entry details for the 1999/2000 Football Competition are now available. This year's competition is in aid of the Carriage Shed Extension.
• Update to News page with link to details of Birch Grove's visit to the Isle of Wight in August.
• Update to C&W Volunteering page.

• The Index of this web site has been completely revised, and put into alphabetical order. The previous, context-based index is still available, but has moved.
• Full details of 1999 Sponsored Walk are on the LSWR coach project web page.
• Details added for "Into 2000" events, which results in an update to the timetable.
• Details of Blues Concert, 23rd July.
• Details of Summer Open Air Theatre.
• Minor updates to various locomotive pages.

• Minor updates to the Introduction to the Carriage Fleet, the Carriage Stock List and the page for the GNR Directors' Saloon.

• This web site is the Link Rail UK Recommended site of the Month.
• Update to the web page for LBSCR First-class coach No.7598 following its return to passenger service.
• Updates to the Carriage Fleet Review: Pre-grouping coaches and the Revised Overview.

• Final results of The Horsted Keynes Signalling Fund's Football Competition

• New link to photos taken on the Bluebell by John Hurst during the early eighties which are part of his Railway Photograph Catalogue.

• New web page for the Brighton Atlantic Project, a long-term scheme to construct a replica locomotive.

• Following the decision at Saturday's AGM, now is a very good time to join the BRPS, or upgrade to Life Membership, since subscription rates will rise as from September 1st 1999. Full details are on the Membership page and the Membership Application Form has been updated.
• Update to page on the current signalling work at Horsted Keynes.
• Added to the Accommodation page: Bluebell member Mike Mundy has a web page for his English Tourist Board 2 Crown Highly Commended B&B, THE HOMESTEAD, in nearby Burges Hill.

• New page provided by Graham Townsend for the 1999 Steam Fair & Vintage Vehicle Rally, Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 July.
• New link on the Carriage Technical page to John Joyce's article on coach batteries

• Update to Access to the Railway to include details of the new Metrobus Route 40. This provides a Summer leisure service on Sundays & Public Holidays (2nd May - 26th September only). The route links Wakehurst Place, Haywards Heath main-line station, Sheffield Park Station and Danehill. The service runs hourly, and is a very major improvement in public transport to the leisure attractions of the area. Wheelchair accessible buses are normally used.

• Update to web page for LBSCR First-class coach No.7598 as it nears the completion of its overhaul. New photos on this page, and also corresponding updates to Carriage Fleet Review (Pre-grouping coaches) and the Introduction to the Carriage Fleet.

• Photo News reports on progress with the restoration of the SER/SECR 'O1' class locomotive and the arrival of tender components for the Brighton Atlantic Project.
• New link to photo report on a visit to the line by the Maycock family.

• The Horsted Keynes Signalling Fund's Football Competition: the penultimate update of the season.
• Minor update to page on the current signalling work at Horsted Keynes.

• An additional Victorian Evening has been added on Wednesday 14th July in view of the demand experienced for the one on 16th June, which is already fully booked.
• Details added for the Stepney Specials on August Saturdays.
• Details added for the Centenary of the LSWR 'T9' Locomotive on August 11th.
• The following pages have been updated: The Extension, The Friends of Thomas Weekend and the Yetties concert.

• Friends of Thomas Weekend (26-27 June) information updated to include an Advance Booking Form which can be printed out, filled in and sent to us to avoid having to queue at the Booking Office on the day.
• Full update to the Locomotive Roster.
• Minor update to SE&CR 100 Special Events page.
• New links (in the Southern E-mail Group area of the links page) to the British Railway Modellers of Australia (BRMA) web site and Graeme Pettit's Railway Pages, which include Modellers' Resources and photos of SR Coaches, Vans and Wagons.

• New page: Martin J.N. Payne remembers the 1955 closure, and a local Sharpthorne character, added to the Personal Recollections pages of the History section.
  New photo on page about Horsted Keynes re-signalling work.
• Enhancements (yes, already) to SE&CR 100 page.

• New page for SE&CR 100 Special Events.
• Interim update to Locomotive Roster.
• Minor update to Kingscote South Signalbox photo page.

• Web page created for the North London Railway Tank Loco.

• New link from locos page to Martin Nichols' description about how a locomotive injector works.
• Piers Connor's page on Vacuum Brake Systems added to the Carriage Technical page.
• A few corrections and alterations have been made to the locos pages listed below under 5th April.

• Web pages created for LBSCR Stroudley Terrier "Stepney" and BR Standard 4 No.75027.

• A significant extension to the Locomotive Pages: in addition to the page on Operational Locos, which has been enhanced, there are three further pages:
  Locos under overhaul
  Locos on static display
  Bluebell Locos on loan elsewhere
  which means that detailed information about every single one of the locomotives is now available.

• 28 March: The Horsted Keynes Signalling Fund's Football Competition: latest positions updated.
• 26 March: Links added for Local Restaurants.
• 25 March: New page with details of the Vintage Bus Day, Sunday 25 April.
  Update to page on LSWR Carriage Restoration Project, detailing recent progress.
• 23 March: Photo of LNWR observation car in LMS livery added to web page for this coach.
  Bluebell News editorial e-mail address added to Contacts page.
• 12 March: Latest news of Fenchurch and other Loco Department developments on the Loco Photo News pages.
• 14 March: New page added for Information for disabled visitors.
• 12 March: Update to Current Horsted Keynes Track Layout diagram, taking account of trackwork alterations carried out in the last three weeks.
• 10 March: New link added: The Johnston font is available from the LT Museum Shop.
• 9 March: Latest news of the Dukedog and 80151's overhauls on the Loco Photo News pages.
• 8 March: Picture of Metropolitan Coach No.387 taken by Chris Majer in the early 1960s added.
• 7 March: Update to page detailing the current work underway on the Re-signalling of Horsted Keynes.
• 6 March: Latest news of Blackmore Vale's overhaul on Lewis Nodes' Photo News pages, which have been integrated with the rest of the web site.
• 4 March: New page with details of the Children's Fun Weekend, 20-21 March.
  BASH page updated with details of our Transport Trust "Peter Allen" Award for the restoration of 101-year-old Metropolitan Railway Brake coach No.387.
• 1 March: Link added to West Sussex Records Office who have a significant archive of railway material relating to the LBSCR.
  Link added to Christopher and Diana Awdry's page for young volunteers, which features our 9F Club.
  Link added for details of David Woods' Preserved Steam Locomotive Database programme.
• 28 February: The Horsted Keynes Signalling Fund's Football Competition: latest positions updated.
• 26 February: New technical and link pages about carriage restoration.
  Web page with photo of NLR Tank loco expanded.
  New links to Virtual Brighton and Hove and the South East England Tourist Board web sites. Also to Barrow Hill Engine Shed Society to whom our NLR tank locomotive is on loan.
• 24 February: More comprehensive details of our Travel Fares and Station Tickets now available.
• 22 February: The Villa Team's Photo Index Page is the place to find the latest photographs of what's been happening on the Bluebell. New photos section also added to the main index.
• 18 February: Update to the page on operational locomotives, including more information about each loco.
• 17 February: Updates to links on Accommodation in the Area, Nearby Attractions and Local Information.
  New links for overnight accommodation near Horsted Keynes, Smooth Hound and Wealden District Council.
• 16 February: Photos from Lewis Nodes added to the report on the Special Winter Steam-Up Weekend.
• 15 February: Report on the Special Winter Steam-Up Weekend, 13-14 February.
  Update to page with news of the current Horsted Keynes Re-signalling.
• 10 February: New links to East and West Sussex Travel information added to the "How to get to the Railway" page.
  New link to Places of interest in the Mid Sussex area added to the Links page.
• 2 February: Details of Children's Tea Parties added, and Catering page updated.
  New page for the Bluebell's Party Catering Service.
  Updates to Introduction to the Carriage Fleet, Carriage Fleet Review 1 (Victorian Coaches), Carriage Fleet Review 3 (SR Maunsell Coaches) and Updated Carriage Fleet Overview pages.
  Minor updates to Volunteering and Contacts pages.
• 1 February: New pages for the Victorian Evening, Weds 16 June and 'The Yetties' Evening Concert, Sat 19 June.
  New photos of SE&CR P-Class No.323 in SE&CR livery are on the News Page.
  Update to Locomotive Stock List, Carriage Stock List, Carriage & Wagon, and "Operational Locos" pages.
• 31 January: The Horsted Keynes Signalling Fund's Football Competition: latest positions updated.
• 27 January: More extensive update to the BASH Page with full details and more photos of Monday's test run.
• 26 January: Update to the BASH Page about the restoration of the four Victorian Metropolitan Railway coaches, including photos of the test run yesterday.
• 21 January: Updated details of LNER "Blue Spot" Fish Van in the Carriage Stock List.
• 20 January: Update to page for the LSWR Coach Restoration Project.
  New section in the Index for Affiliated Groups and Societies.
• 15 January: New web pages for LSWR Ventilated Luggage Van No.5498, and Southern Railway 'Van C's 404 and 419.
• 11 January: Lewis Nodes has updated the Loco Roster, with details of what locos are planned to be working on what days, up to Easter.
  Tony Hillman has provided details of the Toy and Rail Collectors' Fair, July 17th - 18th 1999.
• 8 January: New pages from Peter Richards with full descriptions of The Bluebell's Signals and the latest news of the Horsted Keynes Re-signalling.
• 6 January: Updates to Operational Locomotives and No.323 pages, to take account of the latter's repaint into SE&CR livery.
  More photos added to enliven the section of the timetable which deals with extra attractions.
  Locos section of the Index now includes references to Lewis Nodes' extensive web pages for 72 "Fenchurch", 473 "Birch Grove", 4 "Sharpthorn" and the 45-ton Steam Crane.
• 5 January: Updates to Locomotives, Loco Stock List, and SECR Van 153 pages. Correction made to the colour-coded timetable graphic (half-term week in February).
• 4 January: New page with details of the Special Winter Steam-Up Weekend, 13-14 February.
  New graphics across the site for 1999 featuring "Birch Grove".
  Update to Carriage Fleet Review article on British Rail Mk.1 stock and the Overview.
  The Horsted Keynes Signalling Fund's Football Competition: latest positions updated.
  New link to The Railway Heritage Register Carriage Survey Project with details of all preserved carriages.

Archive of the Blog/What's New pages

Most recent updates
Older updates are in the What's New Archive
or the 2023, the 2022, the 2021, the 2020, the 2019, the 2018, the 2017, the 2016, the 2015, the 2014, the 2013, the 2012, the 2011, the 2010, the 2009, the 2008, 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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