| Bluebell Railway - first Standard gauge presered railway. Posted by grahame at 11:29, 7th August 2023 |     |
From WikiPedia
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 ;-)
| Re: Bluebell Railway: Western extension project Posted by CJB666 at 17:59, 14th May 2023 | |
I notice that the branch line aka siding from Hayward’s Heath to Ardingly has been newly relaid with rails, sleepers and ballast.
| Re: Bluebell Railway: Western extension project Posted by grahame at 10:13, 5th September 2022 | |
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.
| Re: Bluebell Railway: Western extension project Posted by Electric train at 06:02, 5th September 2022 | |
Truely amazing project, the trustees must be certain of future growth
| Bluebell Railway - first preserved standard gauge line, Sussex - merged posts Posted by Red Squirrel at 14:45, 4th September 2022 | |
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, 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
| Re: Bluebell Line Extension Posted by Electric train at 12:32, 7th July 2022 | |
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
| Re: Bluebell Line Extension Posted by IndustryInsider at 12:10, 7th July 2022 | |
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.
| Bluebell Railway - first preserved standard gauge line, Sussex - merged posts Posted by johnneyw at 11:53, 7th July 2022 | |
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/
| Re: Bluebell Railway extension attracts thousands more visitors Posted by Electric train at 18:48, 24th February 2016 | |
... 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
| Re: Bluebell Railway extension attracts thousands more visitors Posted by Oxonhutch at 16:21, 22nd February 2016 | |
... 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 ...
| Re: Bluebell Railway extension attracts thousands more visitors Posted by trainer at 17:44, 21st February 2016 | |
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?
| Re: Bluebell Railway extension attracts thousands more visitors Posted by grahame at 07:27, 21st February 2016 | |
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
| Bluebell Railway - first preserved standard gauge line, Sussex - merged posts Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 21:03, 30th August 2014 | |
From the BBC:
Bluebell Railway extension attracts thousands more visitors
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."
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."
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."
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."
