Giants of Steam Autumn Steam Gala
GUEST ENGINE ANNOUNCEMENT!
The Bluebell Railway and the Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Trust are pleased to announce that LNER class A4 No. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley will be the star attraction at the 2024 Giants of Steam Gala.
We are also able to announce that alongside the locomotive’s attendance for Giants Of Steam, 60007 will also operate on special Bluebell Railway Golden Arrow pullman dining services the following weekend during its stay at The Bluebell Railway. (19th and 20th October) More details of these will follow in due course.
The Bluebell Railway are pleased to be welcoming this iconic and historic locomotive for the first time to our railway in October and we must thank everyone at the SNGLT for allowing Sir Nigel Gresley to take part in our Autumn Giants Of Steam Gala.
The dates for our three-day steam gala will be taking place between October 11th to 13th 2024.
More details will be provided in due course. Tickets, admission prices, locomotive news and event timetables will be released closer to the event.
For further information and ticket releases, sign up to our Bluebell Railway newsletter to get the latest news regarding this event.
LNER Gresley A4 No. 60007 'Sir Nigel Gresley'
With Thanks From The Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Trust
60007 Sir Nigel Gresley has been a celebrity locomotive since it was named after its designer at London Marylebone in 1937, being the 100th locomotive built by both the Great Northern Railway/London & North Eastern Railway. Its illustrious career saw it at the head of a press train for the re-launch of the ‘Flying Scotsman’ service in 1938, being employed to open the BR Locomotive Testing Station at Rugby in 1948 and hauling the Royal Train in 1956 with Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on board.
The locomotive gained the number 4498 from new in 1937, transferring over to her current number, 60007, when the LNER (London & North Eastern Railway) was brought under nationalisation as British Railways in 1948.
The undoubted climax, however, was when it set the official post-war speed record for steam traction of 112 mph on 23rd May 1959 when working a Stephenson Locomotive Society railtour from London Kings Cross to Doncaster and back, driven by the legendary Top Link driver Bill Hoole. The particular trip is forever captured in audio thanks to the work of Peter Hanford & Argo/Transcord Records- this amazing recording of the return run where the record was set can be found here from the 13:23 mark on the video. Another interesting note is that the tender attached to 60007 on that trip was also used by 60103 ‘Flying Scotsman’ when the A3 officially broke the 100 mph record in 1934! 60007 has also only had a speedometer fitted to the locomotive six days prior to this famous record breaking run!
The working career of Sir Nigel Gresley spanned from Kings Cross ‘Top Shed’ in 1937 (which it again was based between 1950 to 1963) Grantham and New England (Peterborough) sheds before transferring over the border to Scotland- St Margarets and Aberdeen Ferryhill depot where she was withdrawn February 1st 1966, having completed 1,328,734 miles in 29 years active service.
The Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Trust was formed in 1964 and purchased 60007 from British Railways in 1966, returning it to mainline operation after a full overhaul at Crewe in 1967. 60007 also played a key part of returning steam to London in the 1980s, where BR ran special charter trains from London Marylebone through the Chilterns, alongside other mainline locomotives such as 4468 ‘Mallard’ 46229 ‘Duchess Of Hamilton’ 35028 ‘Clan Line’ and others. The locomotive has remained active and immensely popular on the mainline and heritage lines across the UK and has recently returned to working order in 2023.
The locomotive is currently based at Crewe and is operated between the SNGLT and Locomotive Services Ltd. The Bluebell Railway again thanks the SNGLT for allowing this iconic and historic locomotive to visit our railway for the first time ever, and to take a starring role in this year’s Giants Of Steam gala.
CLICK BELOW TO VIEW A VIDEO FROM LAST YEAR’S GIANTS OF STEAM GALA- FEATURING GUEST BULLEID PACIFIC LOCOMOTIVES 34070 ‘MANSTON ‘ (FROM THE SWANAGE RAILWAY) AND 21C127 (34027) ‘TAW VALLEY ‘ (FROM THE SEVERN VALLEY RAILWAY).
CUSTOMER INFORMATION
Discounts:
- Proof of discount eligibility will be required to be shown on the day of travel.
- Heritage Railway reciprocal discounts are available for this event – please select BRPS Member rate tickets
- We regret TOC discounts are not applicable to this event
Tickets:
- Children under 3yrs (and babies) travel for free and don’t need a ticket
- Tickets are valid for the date specified on the ticket only
- Advance tickets are valid for 3rd class travel only – first class upgrades are available on the day from the station booking office (subject to availability)
- For any reasons for changing any Bluebell booking, you will be required to pay a £10.00 surcharge if you wish to change/amend your booking.
Food and drink:
- Bessemer Arms and platform kiosk at Sheffield Park Station
- George V Buffet at Horsted Keynes Station
- Wellhouse at Kinsgcote Station
- Grinsteade Buffet at East Grinstead Station
Facilities:
- There are toilets at each of our stations.
- There are toilets on some of our trains – please ask station staff for advice on which trains these are available.
- Baby changing facilities are available at each of our stations, but not on our trains
Parking:
- Sheffield Park Station – free parking at the station
- Horsted Keynes Station – free parking at the station
- Kingscote – NO parking is available at this station
- East Grinstead – free blue badge parking (5 spaces). Public parking in East Grinstead
Accessibility:
- We are pleased to offer a specially adapted area for wheelchair users on some services during this event. Please call our Customer Service Team on 01825 720800 for further information.
- If you or a member of your party have mobility issues and would like to travel during this event, please call our Customer Service Team on 01825 720800 who will be happy to discuss your requirements with you
- Accessible toilets are available at each station, but we regret we have no “Changing Places” toilets, or accessible toilets on our trains
Dogs:
- We are pleased to welcome dogs to this event (no ticket required) – please keep them on a lead and don’t allow them on the seats
Prams/Pushchairs/Buggies:
- Prams/pushchairs/buggies are welcome during this event.
- Foldable/collapsible prams/pushchairs/buggies can be taken into the carriages and stowed by your seat
- Non folding/collapsible prams/pushchairs/buggies can be left in the care of the station staff at the departure station
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT GIANTS OF STEAM AND OTHER BLUEBELL RAILWAY EVENTS, SIGN UP TO OUR BLUEBELL NEWSLETTER BELOW:
Photos kindly supplied by Trevor Camp/SNGLT and Matthew Toms
