The Bluebell Times
The latest issue of The Bluebell Times is now available to view for March.
In this issue:
- Working in partnership with “The Southern Six”
- What’s it like to work on the Golden Arrow dining service?
- Progress on our multiple units – diesel and electric
- Our Bulleid carriages run on the mainline for the first time in forty years
- A decade of running to East Grinstead
- John Betjeman’s Metro-land – 50 year’s on
- New museum acquisitions – and photos.
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- Don’t get an electric shock – the juice is costing us a fortune
- ‘Fenchurch’ and Bulleid wagon are both in line for top annual awards
- Three visitors announced for Branch Line Gala
- What happens when a train breaks down along the line
- The Bluebell and Southern Railways Archive is soon to open to the public for researchers to visit in person
- Progress on the line’s diesels – and Sir Archie is reunited with its boiler
- Carriage shop donates to the Maunsell Restaurant Car and Horsted Keynes renovation
- Dates confirmed for the volunteer workshops – sign up now!
- Take 5 with the Railway’s safety team
- Time for a Southern Railway Coach Group? Read the proposal from the Rolling Stock Committee and take their survey
- A round-up of the best pictures of the Railway in the snow
- News about our namesake locomotive No. 73133
- Farewell to the museum’s long-standing curator
- A message of Christmas hope from the chaplain – and it is the railway’s annual carol service on publication day
- Could you be a Society Trustee? Details of two vacancies on the society board
- The Railway gives a magical night out at SteamLights for a group of Ukrainian families
- Catching up with one of our young volunteers
- The Night Ferry sleeping car departs for preservation in Belgium
- The Wickham trolley is overhauled from rail to roof
- The “giant” moves to Sheffield Park – and the rate of donations has doubled in a year.
- Board Changes: We Welcome Two New Directors To The Railway
- Jewel In The Crown Report For October
- Goodbye BROOSS- Hello HOPS
- Volunteer Find Out More Days
- New Bluebell Museum Acquisitions
- Advanced details of next year’s BRPS AGM
- Introductions to the new Safety and Assurance Director and Museum Curator
- How No. 65’s trip to the mainline was planned from a beach in Antigua
- Latest work at Horsted Keynes as renovations gather pace
- 5 Minutes with BRPS Trustee Laurie Anderson
- Loco No. 65 goes mainline for the first time in 60 years!
- Beachy Head’ and ‘Fenchurch’ both have their boilers refitted
- The next locomotive overhauls are planned in the workshop and Atlantic House
- The first glimpse of Bulleid wagon 12058
- Solar panels planned for locomotive workshop roof – but we all need to “put that light out” as electricity bills soar
- More work at Horsted Keynes, including a deep clean of the subway – and a new floral arrangement
- A marriage proposal delivered by train
- Looking back at 15 years of development in the museum
- Restoration work continues at Horsted Keynes
- The preservation story of Fenchurch, from hastily removed BR logos to full Stroudley splendour
- ‘Awake the Giant’ group launch a new photo competition
- Preparations are underway for Fenchurch’s Birthday – including a special guest coming by ferry!
- The story of how a locomotive designed to work in the London suburbs in the 1870s was still hard in the southern countryside at work 90 years later
- Updates from Horsted Keynes as renovation work starts – and news of another generous donation to the Jewel in the Crown appeal
- ’Stowe’ departs for overhaul work at Quainton – while ‘Wightwick Hall’ travels the other way to help with our summer services
- The company chairman paints a picture of how the Railway could appear to our visitors of the future
- A round up from the recent BRPS AGM
- Five minutes with new BRPS Vice Chairman Neil Glaskin
- A new home for the Yankee Tank No. 30064
- Work starts on “The Jewel in the Crown”
- A walk along the Forest Row line in 1963
- New museum photos capture Beachy Head at Horsted Keynes in the 1950s, and Fenchurch in the 1960s.
- A reminder of the forthcoming Society AGM – and reciprocal travel arrangements for working volunteers
- From shop floor to board room, opportunities aplenty to help the Railway
- An update on the Western Extension Project
- Fenchurch is back on its wheels – and the boiler is progressing rapidly as well
- Carriage Shop donates £4,000 to two worthy restoration projects
- Bluebell Standards caught in passing at Horsted Keynes
- Some good news on coal supply – but costs have gone up considerably
- Initial feedback from the spring volunteer workshops
- The Awake the Giant team reveal plans for the locomotive to move south – and a range of merchandise
- Update on projects from around the railway
- On this day in 1951 – Fenchurch and a Brighton Atlantic met in Newhaven, a pairing we can soon recreate
- Flying Scotsman to fly south again
- Storm Eunice leaves the railway battered but unbowed
- Plans for the miniature railway gather pace
- The Jewel in the Crown appeal formally closes having raised a tremendous £591,500 – now the work on the ground can begin
- The museum unveils a new trove of historic images
- An update on the first volunteer workshop – with two more opportunities to attend
- How our South Eastern survivor traces its roots back to Glasgow
- The Heritage Skills Centre section of OP4 is open – find out how the project started and raised the all-important funds
- Workshop progress on ‘Fenchurch’ and our historic wagon fleet
- More historic photos added to the museum website – and a promise of another trove to come.
- Unique surviving South Eastern Railway locomotive No. 65 is acquired by the Bluebell Railway Trust
- The Jewel in the Crown appeal hits its initial fundraising target – but more match funds have been released to raise even more
- A packed schedule of special events for 2022 …
- … and a commercial round up from 2021
- The C&W trimming team are the first to move into the new Heritage Skills Centre
- The Bluebell archive moves to a new home at Beare Green
- Workshop progress on ‘Fenchurch’, ’Sir Archibald Sinclair’ and No. 30541
- Updates from the latest board meeting pointing the way to 2022
- Dates for next year’s volunteer workshops confirmed, and details of how to attend
- A last push needed to get the Jewel in the Crown appeal up to its target of £540,000
- ‘Remembrance’ nameplate from the LBSCR memorial locomotive goes on display in the museum
- Five minutes with new Society trustee and filming liaison officer Mike Hopps
- 500 new photos are uploaded to the museum website – including the beginnings of the John Scrace collection
- A new footbridge for East Grinstead mainline station
- The Jewel in the Crown appeal is off to a strong start – but there is still time to see your donation doubled
- A young 9F Club member raises money for the appeal – by selling lemonade
- Bluebell volunteer Chris Cooper is awarded a lifetime achievement award by the National Transport Trust, after more than sixty years dedication to the Railway
- How volunteering in our museum led to a second career as a community rail line officer
- The Heritage Skills Centre is signed off for use — and the carriage trimming team are first to move in
- A photo retrospective from our hugely popular ‘Giants of Steam’ event
- Local signal box name boards on display in the museum
- An alien presence in SteamWorks!
– Paul Churchman is elected to be the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society chairman
– A welcome boost to the Jewel in the Crown appeal from the Horsted Keynes Carriage Shop
– Bestselling author Jacqueline Wilson visits the Railway
– An East Grinstead porter’s second life in print, parliament and far-flung places
– Behind the scenes in the carriage shed as two more vintage carriages approach completion
– Enjoying the tranquillity of our Memorial Garden
– The Awake the Giant group launch a photographic competition
– A walk along the ‘Jungle Line’ in 1959
Special issue – The Jewel in the Crown appeal
- The Grand Plan for Horsted Keynes
- The condition of the station – and how you can help restore it to its former glory
- A history of the station, in words and pictures
- Behind the scenes photos from some of the many films and TV productions shot at the station
- A story of the life – and death – of an Edwardian railway worker at the station.
- A reminder about the upcoming Bluebell Railway Preservation Society AGM, including all the candidates standing for election
- The latest news from the volunteer co-ordinator
- A selection of new dining trains for the autumn
- Uprated power supply installed at Horsted Keynes
- An update from the team raising money for locomotive No. 92240
- A round-up of the 60+1 anniversary weekend in words and photos
- Historic railway scenes from the Bluebell Railway Museum Archive, taken on 10 September past
- Appointments of a new Chairman and Locomotive Engineering Director
- A wartime locomotive icon hired for the summer season
- Two visitors announced for “Giants of Steam”
- An update on progress with the Heritage Skills Centre
- More photos of the line on the eve of preservation in 1959
- Appointment of a volunteer co-ordinator
- Use your skills to help the Bluebell Railway Trust with fundraising and accounting
- The arrival of ‘Crompton’ D6570
- A round up of activity in our carriage and wagon workshop
- A walk along the line in July 1959
- The end of steam on 9 July 1967 – on the Western Region!
- Details about the first events of 2021
- An update on the arrangements for the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society AGM
- The future for our splendid Pullman Train
- Readers’ reaction to the pressures on our carriage fleet
- Pictures from the Sheffield Park gift shop following its refit
- The Bluebell Railway Museum – 10 years on
- Buy a limited edition 60th anniversary cushion – and support the Heritage Skills Centre
- And much, much more
- News of Fenchurch’s overhaul as our oldest locomotive approaches its 150th birthday
- The pressure to maintain our carriage fleet
- Update on plans for our 60+1 anniversary
- The launch of our new Kingscote virtual tour
- Five minutes with a former naval pilot now kept busy at Horsted Keynes
- An original song celebrating the rhythm of our locomotives
- More virtual tours coming soon
- A new addition to SteamWorks!
- A special Easter message from the Railway’s chaplain
- An in-depth look at ‘Camelot’
- Updated schedule of events for 2021
- Government promotion of our virtual tours
- Memories of trainspotting in the 1960s
- Details of a surprise 100th birthday present for a lifetime member
- A closer look at H class locomotive No. 263
- Detailed information on how smoke deflectors work
- Your help needed identifying some old photos
- Puzzles with links to local branch lines
- Wishes from across the Bluebell Railway for 2021
- An honour from the Queen for one volunteer
- The first virtual tour using some of the Government’s grant money
- Three generations of one family who all volunteer at the Railway
- An update on the tender plate from SE&CR Stirling F class No. 31
- Christmas greetings from the Railway’s chaplain
- Reports and photos on the start of SteamLights
- Reasons to feel positive about 2020
- News of sponsorship deals for equipment for the locomotive department
- How the filming generator van was prepared for SteamLights
- An update on the appeal to return the 9F to traffic
- A festive Spot the Difference competition
- A review of the “Off the Rails” event showcasing goods trains and vintage vehicles
- How the locomotive department reached “Peek” performance in its cleaning
- Suggestions for Bluebell-related Christmas presents
- Auction success in obtaining one of the nameplates for ‘Ardingly’ locomotive
- Word Search puzzle about Railway Works
- Down Memory Line and On This Day with tales of yesteryear
- Help support the Railway at no cost to yourself
- Searching railway auction catalogues for items of interest
- A day on the footplate with a visiting charter
- Down Memory Line and On This Day
- Guess the Year and Word Search puzzles
- Details of the Bluebell Railway’s heritage grant from the National Lottery fund
- Reports on the completion of the Accessible Steam Heritage (ASH) project in SteamWorks! with the installation of a ramp for footplate access and new buffer stops.
- The story behind the Elton John album cover photo opportunity
- More tales of working goods trains
- A debate over the colour of The Bluebell Railway nameplate
- Guess the Year and Word Search puzzles
- Reports and photos of the Grand Reopening at Sheffield Park station
- The view from the platforms and from the footplate are covered in depth alongside the Virtual Gala for those who couldn’t be there for the anniversary weekend.
- Find out why there’s more to being a Train Guard than waving green flags and blowing whistles
- A closer look at one of our industrial locomotives which featured in the 50th anniversary celebrations
- An explanation of why train crews regard the line as effectively a staircase
- A themed Word Search puzzle to coincide with the 60th anniversary
- New puzzles as well as the regular favourites
- Details of the limited edition 60th anniversary souvenir Edmondson tickets
- Learn more about the married couple who cover everything from footplate turns to filming liaison
- A closer look at the oldest locomotive at the Bluebell
- Find out how Sheffield Park station got its name
- What goes on inside the museum
- New puzzles as well as the regular favourites
- A report on the reopening after the pandemic of our twin railway in the Netherlands
- TV coverage of one of our locomotives … in a programme about paintings
- What a Running Foreman does at the railway
- The second and final part about living on the site of a former railway station
- A personal rundown of the top 10 railway films
- New puzzles as well as the regular favourites
- Special kids’ section with a new challenge
- Meet the couple who live on the site of a former railway station
- Find out how a loco was rescued from the scrapyard and restored
- Read about ‘A Day in the Life’ of a senior station master
- New puzzles including a Spot the Difference challenge
- Special kids’ section with a carriage shed shunting puzzle
- The initial plans for a phased reopening of the railway
- Closing in on the fundraising target for the Emergency Appeal
- Details of a ‘Virtual Track Trek’ sponsored walk
- The start of the 60-day countdown to the railway’s 60th birthday
- New puzzles as well as the regular favourites
- Special kids’ section with a new puzzle and evacuation story
- A major milestone is reached in the emergency fundraising appeal
- Details of how to nominate the railway for more money
- A family connection to our new-build locomotive
- Photos from the month of May in years gone by
- An in-depth look at a locomotive which some call a “spaceship”
- New puzzles as well as the regular favourites
- Special kids’ section with a signalling challenge
- Raising funds for the railway’s recovery
- An update on plans to celebrate 60 years of heritage running
- How the online shop is bringing a little magic into youngsters’ lives
- Storytime with the Bluebell Railway
- Plans for a virtual gala of Bluebell Railway locomotives
- A profile of a locomotive driver nicknamed ‘Yeti’
- The story of special Bluebell Railway postage stamps
- An in-depth look at one of our operational locomotives
- A new Word Search and the answer to the previous puzzle
- Guess the Year – plus the answers to the competition in the last issue
- Special kids’ section with a World War II-inspired game
- Details of the railway’s fundraising strategy
- An update on the emergency appeal
- Branch Line Weekend as imagined by a train guard
- The story behind the special cardboard Edmondson tickets
- The connection between digital election graphics and directing fundraising
- The next instalment of the memories of a wartime evacuee
- An in-depth look at one of our operational locomotives
- A new Word Search and the answer to the previous puzzle
- Guess the Year – plus the answers to the competition in the last issue
- Special kids’ section with puzzles and a story
- The story of the first member of the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society
- Life as a wartime evacuee by train
- An in-depth look at one of our bigger locomotives
- How “Railway Time” came and went
- A new Word Search and the answer to the previous puzzle
- Guess the Year – plus a bonus question from a reader
- Special kids’ section
- Life as a train driver
- An in-depth look at one of our locomotives
- Update on the emergency appeal
- Word search
- Guess the Year
- Special kids’ section