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Title: Bluebell Railway - first preserved standard gauge line, Sussex - merged posts Post by: Chris from Nailsea on August 30, 2014, 21:03:21 From the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-28988650):
Quote Bluebell Railway extension attracts thousands more visitors (http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77257000/jpg/_77257572_bluebell_train_pa.jpg) The Bluebell Railway is synonymous with the steam train but needs to runs some diesel engines A Sussex heritage railway has seen its annual visitor numbers increase by 60,000 since it was reconnected to the mainline network. The Bluebell Railway carried 250,000 passengers in the year after its extension from Sheffield Park to East Grinstead opened in March last year. The two-mile stretch, which cost ^3.5m, linked East Grinstead mainline station to Kingscote, 11 miles away. Chief clerk Roy Watts said the railway had gone from a ^3m to a ^4m business. "This is not just about amateurs playing trains, we like to think of ourselves as professionals," he said. The Bluebell Society ran the first steam-operated passenger service on 7 August 1960, two years after British Rail closed the line, but until last year it was isolated from the national rail network. Its increasing success means it now needs to run some diesel trains. "The Bluebell is synonymous with the steam train so we try our absolute best to make sure that's what people get," said operations manager Chris Knibbs. "But it's important to run a service and if its either no service or a service with a diesel we'll run a service with a diesel." (http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77257000/jpg/_77257566_bluebell2.jpg) The Bluebell Railway depends on volunteer drivers, engineers and station staff The changes have also put new demands on the volunteers on whom the railway depends. "Now we're reconnected to East Grinstead it's a longer day - we've got more miles to cover and we do 12 hours sometimes," said engine driver Ben Coughlan. Bluebell chairman Dick Fern said the railway had to balance the need for a professional service with keeping the volunteers happy. "I think its possible for people to enjoy their contribution to the Bluebell," he said. "But we also must make it very pleasurable for the people who are spending very good money to come and visit us." Title: Re: Bluebell Railway extension attracts thousands more visitors Post by: grahame on February 21, 2016, 07:27:33 http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/bells.html
Platform Bells We've been talking about signal box to signal box bell codes on other threads ... but reading up I came across platform bells as used on the Bluebell railway. Struck me as a neat, unobtrusive way of letting staff and others in the know be alerted to approaching services and I almost suggested trying it out at some stations tat aren't plastered with screens. Silly idea, of course - a loud speaker's probably as cheap and can inform everyone and not just those 'in the know'. But can anyone suggest how to let people know where their bus is at Bath bus station an nearby? The two screens are up extreme ends so invisible in the centre, buses come in to different Title: Re: Bluebell Railway extension attracts thousands more visitors Post by: trainer on February 21, 2016, 17:44:31 Using Bath bus station yesterday (I'm an only an occasional visitor) it was difficult to get in as people queued for a bus and because of the same crowd I couldn't get near enough to read the departure board. Only then did I realise where the other one was. Much more user friendly/readable information is needed to ensure visitors know where buses are going. Few care who runs them: that was a fallacy of privatisation IMHO.
To bring back the thread to the topic, I was one of the many who visited the Bluebell because it has become so much more easily reached without a car. Taunton next? Title: Re: Bluebell Railway extension attracts thousands more visitors Post by: Oxonhutch on February 22, 2016, 16:21:26 ... I was one of the many who visited the Bluebell because it has become so much more easily reached without a car. Taunton next? Princes Risborough hopefully. I was working on the connection from Chinnor today. Rails, gate, signals and signs now in place. Just waiting for some more paperwork ... Title: Re: Bluebell Railway extension attracts thousands more visitors Post by: Electric train on February 24, 2016, 18:48:33 ... I was one of the many who visited the Bluebell because it has become so much more easily reached without a car. Taunton next? Princes Risborough hopefully. I was working on the connection from Chinnor today. Rails, gate, signals and signs now in place. Just waiting for some more paperwork ... This is excellent news, I do enjoy my visits to my local heritage railway Title: Bluebell Railway - first preserved standard gauge line, Sussex - merged posts Post by: johnneyw on July 07, 2022, 11:53:55 Plans seem to be progressing to extend, or more precisely create a branch line off the Bluebell Line.
The article below goes into more detail but the line would run half along an existing formation where the rails were removed and half along an existing frieght track to link up to the rail network at Haywards Heath. The article gives an impression of a spirit of JFDI from all parties involved, not least because the shared view is that due to the formation still being extant, time consuming and expensive environmental impact surveys are not required. It seems that the current state of play is to submit the TWAO as soon as possible. Here's the article with a basic map of the planned extension/branch. https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/bluebell-heritage-railway-planning-a-western-extension-55674/ Title: Re: Bluebell Line Extension Post by: IndustryInsider on July 07, 2022, 12:10:16 The article gives an impression of a spirit of JFDI from all parties involved, not least because the shared view is that due to the formation still being extant, time consuming and expensive environmental impact surveys are not required. I wish them well, but expect the spirit of optimism will soon be crushed as one (or all) of bats/newts/rare toadstools/objectors/worse-than-expected-ground-conditions/worse-than-expected-structure-conditions mean delays and costs rocket upwards. Title: Re: Bluebell Line Extension Post by: Electric train on July 07, 2022, 12:32:45 The article gives an impression of a spirit of JFDI from all parties involved, not least because the shared view is that due to the formation still being extant, time consuming and expensive environmental impact surveys are not required. I wish them well, but expect the spirit of optimism will soon be crushed as one (or all) of bats/newts/rare toadstools/objectors/worse-than-expected-ground-conditions/worse-than-expected-structure-conditions mean delays and costs rocket upwards. They did dig out a 'landfilled' cutting to reach East Grinstead. The thing about heritage railways they are not in a hurry to get there ;D Title: Bluebell Railway - first preserved standard gauge line, Sussex - merged posts Post by: Red Squirrel on September 04, 2022, 14:45:36 Bluebell Railway is proposing to reinstate and re-open the railway along the former Horsted Keynes to Haywards Heath line, as far as Ardingly. At Ardingly, it is proposed to divert the route to the north around the existing Hanson Aggregates Depot, which is connected to the national rail network via a spur from Haywards Heath. This will enable onward journeys to Haywards Heath.
Full details are here (https://consultations.tetratecheurope.com/consultations/bluebell-railway/?fbclid=IwAR1qbkmfQTNwvsJ431BxX60YDL081lew0XosjFZ-fDmdjmNkCjdwUUmqN8A), along with an opportunity to comment. A public exhibition will be held at Hapstead Hall, High Street, Ardingly, RH17 6TB from: 2pm to 7pm on Friday 9th September 2022 and 2pm to 4pm on Saturday 10th September 2022 Title: Re: Bluebell Railway: Western extension project Post by: Electric train on September 05, 2022, 06:02:20 Truely amazing project, the trustees must be certain of future growth
Title: Re: Bluebell Railway: Western extension project Post by: grahame on September 05, 2022, 10:13:17 Truely amazing project, the trustees must be certain of future growth Horsted Keynes to Haywards Heath was electrified in 1935. The station was closed by British Railways under the Beeching Axe on 28 October 1963 with the cessation of trains from Seaford. Title: Re: Bluebell Railway: Western extension project Post by: CJB666 on May 14, 2023, 17:59:17 I notice that the branch line aka siding from Hayward’s Heath to Ardingly has been newly relaid with rails, sleepers and ballast.
Title: Bluebell Railway - first Standard gauge presered railway. Post by: grahame on August 07, 2023, 11:29:52 From WikiPedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluebell_Railway)
Quote It is the first preserved standard gauge steam-operated passenger railway in the world to operate a public service. The society ran its first train on 7 August 1960, less than three years after the line from East Grinstead to Lewes had been closed by British Railways We have never had a general Bluebell railway thread (why would we - it's a heritage line and not general public transport, and it's out of area) but it has fond childhood memories for me, and has many mentions here on the Coffee Shop http://www.passenger.chat/14477 - Extension attracts visitors http://www.passenger.chat/26529 - Extension plans (a further one) http://www.passenger.chat/26694 - and again ;-) This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. Views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |