About the Trust

The Bluebell Railway Trust is a Registered Charity, No. 292497

The Bluebell Railway Trust is a Charitable organisation which supports the conservation of
skills and heritage on The Bluebell Railway in Sussex. 

Who’s Who: Vernon Blackburn (Chairman) – Lance Allen (Secretary) – Trevor Swainson (Funding)
Other Governors: Sam Bee, Paul Churchman (BRPS Chairman), Terry Cole, Richard Salmon, Colin Tyson (BRPS Rep)

Contact: Vernon Blackburn by email, or call the Trust office, on Wednesdays only, on 01825 720818.
Registered Address: Sheffield Park Station, near Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 3QL

 

For details of how the Trust operates, please see the Governance and Management Regulations.

Our current major appeal is the Jewel in the Crown Appeal aims to raise at least £500,000 to help in the restoration of Horsted Keynes station, which has featured in scores of TV programmes and films, to repair leaking roofs and replace rotting beams at the Grade II-listed station. The Railway’s appeal co-ordinator Trevor Swainson said: “The station buildings were built in Victorian times and are now showing signs of wear and tear. We view Horsted Keynes as our ‘jewel in the crown’ and we hope this appeal puts the sparkle back into the station.”

The Bluebell Railway Trust needs your help to conserve, preserve, restore, and maintain in operational condition the Railway’s steam locos, carriages and infrastructure. The volunteer-run Bluebell Railway re-opened a closed branch line in 1960, and recently completed its extension to East Grinstead. The Trust is a Registered Charity, No. 292497.

 

The Trust is the owner of several historic locomotives and carriages:
SECR H-class Locomotive No. 263, seen on the right in Peter Edwards’ photo at Three Arch Bridge on the day of its re-dedication after overhaul, Saturday 28 July 2012, SECR O1-class Locomotive No. 65, SECR C-class Locomotive No. 592, 40.3% of BR 4MT No. 80151, and 45 Ton Steam Crane RS 1083.

LBSCR Stroudley Carriages Nos. 661, 949 and 328 (plus 7 other historic Brighton carriage bodies – 35, 94, 204, 221, 676, 725 and 992), LSWR No. 25, three SER carriage bodies (172, 2159 and a brake third), LCDR Nos. 1 and 3188, and 25% of SR Carriage No. 1464.

Historic wagons: LBSCR 1577, LSWR 91 and 2773, WD/SR M360328, SR/BR S14036, and LMS 474558, plus storage van 86722.

 

 

The Bluebell Railway Trust is also the governing body for the Bluebell Railway Museum and Archive, which is now an Accredited Museum.

 

Last updated by Richard Salmon on 18 February 2023