- Everything is set and ready to go. Tomorrow, ‘Beachy Head’ will haul its first ever public service trains on The Bluebell Railway.
We look forward to welcoming you all to celebrate its entry into service. ‘Beachy Head’ will be hauling trains every day from tomorrow through to Sunday 1 September.
More details can be found here. - Nick Gilliam’s photo above shows 32424 as it climbs Freshfield Bank with the 2.45 Special handover Pullman train from Sheffield Park on 18 August.
- The photos below, taken the same day, show the blessing of the locomotive in front of invited guests by the Bluebell’s Chaplain, The Reverend David Murdoch, and the locomotive ready to leave Sheffield Park at the head of the Pullman train.
- Neil Munro-Thomson also provides this gallery of photos from that day.
- There will be guided Tours of the Carriage & Wagon Works at Horsted Keynes on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, and the Carriage Shop at the South End of Platform 5 is open as follows:
Friday 23 August 10.30am – 4.30pm
Saturday 24 August 10am – 5pm
Sunday 25 August 10am – 4.30pm
Monday 26 August 10am – 4.30pm
The shop has a wide selection of items including Railway Art by Matthew Cousins, Railway and Transport books, Model Railway locos, coaches and wagons, Model buses, Thomas & Friends books and toys, and Horsted Keynes exclusive souvenirs.
- We are pleased to announce that The National Lottery Heritage Fund has made a grant of £250,000 to enable the Bluebell Railway to celebrate 200 years of rail travel in 2025. Read the Press Release here.
- See John Sandys’ album from his visit on Friday 16 August.
- And now a bit of a catch up from recent weeks – here we see Tim Dunn with ‘Sir Archibald Sinclair’ at that locomotive’s launch ceremony on 15 June, in Sam Brown’s photo.
- Sam Brown’s video of the relaunch ceremony for ‘Sir Archibald Sinclair’ on Saturday 15 June, and John Sandys’ photos and videos from the day.
- Video of the trains running on 6 July by Jamie R.
- Keith Duke’s collection of photos from 22 June.
