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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February 2023

• 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

January 2023

• 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

December 2022

• 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.

November 2022

• 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

October 2022

• 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

September 2022

• 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

August 2022

• 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

July 2022

• 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

June 2022

• 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.

May 2022

• 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

April 2022

• 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

March 2022

• 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

February 2022

• 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.

January 2022

• 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

December 2021

• 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

November 2021

• 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!

October 2021

– 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.

September 2021

• 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

August 2021

• 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

July 2021

• 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!

June 2021

• 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

May 2021

April 2021

• 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’

March 2021

• Updated schedule of events for 2021
• Government promotion of our virtual tours
• Memories of trainspotting in the 1960s

February 2021

• Details of a surprise 100^th 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

January 2021

• 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

December 2020

• 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

November 2020

• 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

October 2020

• 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

September 2020

• 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

Issue 11

• 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.

Issue 10

• 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

Issue 9

• Details of the limited edition 60^th 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

Issue 8

• 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

Issue 7

• 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

Issue 6

• 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

Issue 5

• 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

Issue 4

• 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

Issue 3

• 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

Issue 2

• 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

Issue 1

• 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