South East
Meeting Reports
Monday 7th November 2011
The Bluebell Railway 1960 to 2010
Gerald Siviour
For our November meeting Gerald Siviour gave a presentation on the preservation of the Bluebell Railway between 1960 and 2010 illustrating 50 years of achievements and traumas. As a former Guard on the Bluebell Gerald was in an ideal position to record significant events and the gradually changing scene along the line and at its stations. Originally opened in 1882 between the junction at Lewes and East Grinstead the line was closed by BR in May 1955. Due to an ASLEF strike no trains were running during its last days and it effectively died in its sleep.However the closure was contested and BR was obliged to re-open it in 1956, running a minimal 'sulky service' until the correct procedures were enacted and it closed finally in 1958. Meanwhile a preservation society had been formed and they successfully re-opened the Sheffield Park to Horsted Keynes section. From the start the society worked towards extending northwards, initially to Kingscote and from next year back into East Grinstead.
Gerald's opening slide was of a run down Kingscote in the mid 1950s before closure followed by a 2009 shot of a magnificently restored O1 0-6-0 hauling the Bluebell's train of Metropolitan Railway carriages. Gerald then explained the geology of the Weald of Kent giving a context to the railway and the location of its stations. Further images of BR's sulky service followed featuring a C2X class loco with a two coach ex-LBSCR pull-push set and a C class with a single ex-LBSCR brake coach. These were followed by an early Bluebell service at Sheffield Park formed of a P class tank engine and the four coach Metropolitan Railway set that used to run between Chalfont & Latimer and Chesham, purchased for œ60 per coach! At this time, although the Bluebell had been closed by BR there was still a service to Horsted Keynes from Haywards Heath. The first loco's owned by the railway were mostly small tanks, P class 0-6-0Ts, Terriers, an E4 purchased straight from shunting duties at Clapham Junction. Then the Dukedog 4-4-0 arrived and in 1968 the Std. 4 No. 75027 came from Carnforth.
In the mid-1970s the railway's Adams 4-4-2 was sent to Swindon Works for an overhaul at a cost of œ18,000, this led to the decision to build a workshop to enable the railway to do its own overhauls. Shots of the C class 0-6-0 and P class 0-6-0T undergoing repairs in this shed illustrated this superb facility. The railway purchased several locomotives from Barry scrapyard, including an S15X 30847 and 9F 92240. The 9F was overhauled in the 1980s and did a lot of work on the railway in the 1990s, it is currently on static display whilst in the queue for another overhaul. In the late 1970s work started in earnest on the extension Northwards, this brought the need to generate revenue so the railway started running special events including Hop-picker and Santa specials and, inevitably, Thomas the Tank Engine days. Noting the success of the Wealden Pullman dining train on the K&ESR the Bluebell resolved to offer its own dining train. A number of Pullman cars were purchased and restored for this purpose. Further income was generated by filming work.
Gerald's slides illustrated the slow progress Northwards, from overgrown lifted trackbed near Horsted Keynes, new track, works trains (including the railway's own tamper) and the initial pull-push trains propelled the half mile to Horsted House Farm by a P class tank. The next barrier was Sharpthorne Tunnel but by May 1992 this had been restored allowing the pull-push service to be extended to West Hoathly. Following installation of a new bridge in 1993 the railway re-opened to Kingscote in 1994. The extended operation required more carriages, recently redundant weed killing trains provided some further SR vehicles but BR Mk1s were also needed to make up the numbers required. The last two major obstacles before East Grinstead were Imberhorne viaduct, purchased for œ1 and now fully refurbished, and Imberhorne cutting which was infilled as a local council rubbish tip following closure. The clay infill and capping has been removed by the Bluebell themselves with spoil trains running to Horsted Keynes and the clay being dumped in the V of the junction with the Haywards Heath line's embankment. To facilitate the running of these spoil trains the first diesel locomotive, a class 08, was brought to the Bluebell. The rubbish from the cutting is being excavated by contractors and removed Northwards via a re-laid line over the viaduct and a restored connection to the national network at East Grinstead. The cutting must be cleared by April 2012 as landfill tax will be applied from then. A new station has been constructed at East Grinstead and once track has been re-laid through the cutting the Bluebell will be able to run the full distance from Sheffield Park.
Monday 3rd October 2011
That was the Year that was 1965
Geoff Plumb
Our well attended October meeting was treated to a selection of images presented by Geoff Plumb. Transporting us back to 1965 we viewed the railway system of that year through his eyes at the age of 15. His father lived in Sheffield and was instrumental in starting an RCTS branch there 15 years earlier. He took Geoff with him on RCTS shed bashes and railtours and encouraged him in his interest in photographing what he saw. We started in January 1965 with Winston Churchill's funeral train hauled by 34051. In February RCTS railtours took us over the Settle and Carlisle line and in March various locations on the Southern Region including Hook and Bournemouth Central were visited, followed by the Chiltern Line with the contrast of an unkempt 9F on a mineral train and the Midland Blue Pullman units in sparkling Nanking Blue. In April we visited Leeds City on another RCTS railtour, then Stockton, the Weardale branch, Newcastle Central and Consett.
More Great Central line images were followed by a visit to Waterloo and Fleet then on to West Ruislip and Reading Southern shed. We then briefly viewed some trolleybusses before returning to railways around Basingstoke including the strange sight of a Standard 5 with a snowplough in May! The last steam train to leave Paddington was seen passing Princes Risborough then we went on a tour of Southall, Feltham and Bletchley sheds. 75003 was recorded on a demolition train on the Evesham branch followed by visits to the Ffestiniog and Welshpool & Llanfair railways. A tour of the Isle of Wight system was next in July before a visit to the Oxenhope branch, now the Keighley and Worth Valley. West Hartlepool, Darlington and Seaham Harbour followed, with some industrial tank locomotives, paddle tugs and shipyard crane tanks. Wearmouth Colliery next, then Sunderland and a variety of North Eastern collieries including a visit to the Bowes Railway.
Then it was back to Aynho water troughs before another visit to the Ffestiniog, then on to the Vale of Rheidol and the Aberystwyth cliff railway. October found us in Burton on Trent and Portmadoc and November in Crewe works. Geoff's father was working on the boiler system in Crewe works and took Geoff with him, being there on a 'semi-official' basis allowed him the run of the place and the opportunity to take many fascinating photos of the works shunters. Duke of Gloucester was dumped there and 70016 and a black 5 were on the steam test roads after overhaul. A quick tour around the North West was followed in December by a visit to York and Huddersfield before heading back South to Bath Green Park for a trip to Templecoombe behind 73001 thence to Evercreech Junction for 76006 back North. We ended on the 29th of December with another trip to Crewe works, including a shot of 46235 in the paint shop. So concluded a fascinating tour of the railway system in England and Wales during 1965 through the camera of one person.
last updated: 26/11/11