More from No. 70000 ‘Britannia’ at the Bluebell Railway – 23-25 May
The photo on the right, from Peter Edwards, shows Britannia and its support coach passing Monteswood Lane bridge around 5.30pm on the Friday, after its arrival on an incoming private charter. Having dropped its guests at Kingscote, and the coaching stock at Horsted Keynes, the locomotive continued to Sheffield Park for servicing.
The process was reversed on Sunday 25 May, when the locomotive and its train departed to pick up passengers at Edenbridge for a main-line tour. James Green’s photos and videos are here in his Flickr Album.
The photos below, from Jack Lamb (who was Bluebell guard for the move to East Grinstead) show the locomotive being prepared at Sheffield Park, and two, with its train, in the platform at the National Rail station at East Grinstead. Click on photos for enlargements.
BRPS AGM and Members’ Day – 21 June
BRPS Members will be receiving details through the post, but for your convenience details of the day’s events, and the AGM, are available on the BRPS Member’s Notices page.
SECR O1-class No. 65 visits the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway over the bank holiday weekend
Nick Gilliam provides the photos of 65 staring at the Cotswold Festival of Steam weekend, on the right, showing 65 approaching Greet tunnel with the 2.35 from Cheltenham Race Course, and below, rounding Chicken Curve having just left Winchcombe with the 9.50 from Cheltenham Race Course, both taken on 25 May 2025.
This was believed to be the very first occasion on which this locomotive had steamed away from Southern metals.
Maunsell carriage 3687 enters service after restoration
On Wednesday 28th the carriage was added to the service set and conveyed the many staff and volunteers who had contributed to its restoration. The locomotive carried a wreath in memory of David Wigley, who was represented by his brother, and who we were very pleased to host during the morning. Richard Salmon’s photo shows the carriage with 34059 ‘Sir Archibald Sinclair’.
In advance of the launch into public service on Saturday 31st, the coach actually sneaked into service on the Friday, since the B-set carriages were swapped over on Thursday afternoon, and Friday’s trains were captured by John Sandys, made available for us in his album here. John also provides the photos below, showing the Atlantic hauling the Maunsell set (3687 is the first coach behind the locomotive) and 80151 on the other service set.
The coach is seen here, behind 32424 ‘Beachy Head’ on Saturday 31 May, in public service, as part of a 4-coach Maunsell Set, the operation of which is a first in the preservation era.
Alex Morley has a Flickr album from the day, with many more photos.
Class 33 No.33108 visiting for the Summer
Visiting us on hire from the Severn Valley Railway is this pull-push fitted Class 33, seen in Julian Clark’s photo taken on Tuesday 3 June, as it approaches Horsted Keynes on a training run for the Railway200 education-phase services it will haul. The locomotive will remain on hire through to our Diesel Gala in early September.
John Sandys was also about on Tuesday, and his album of photos and videos is available here.
The first trains in the Education phase ran today, behind 80151.
