The last documented trip I made to the Bluebell Railway was some ten years ago at the very start of this record. This time around I was accompanied by my grandson, Max, who has been with me on some other undocumented outings to railways down the years. I did make a brief visit in 2015 but only travelled over part of the line and for once did not feel welcomed as they were unable to easily sell me the right tickets.
The initial plan was to do the entire trip by rail as I did last time – after all if the line runs to East Grinstead then making use of the National Rail connection means no driving. However someone, somewhere has not realised that to do so a decent service is needed. An unlikely two minute connection at Redhill (given the GWR operation to that point) and a rather stupid hourly only service to East Grinstead off-peak giving a very poor connections at both East Croydon and at East Grinstead mean that driving is vastly more attractive – when are the TOCs going to realise that leisure travel means having proper off peak timetables again – after all it now dominates. So we arrive by car at Sheffield Park – just like the vast majority of my other visits over the years
In steam are Sir Archibald Sinclair and Camelot. The first is hauling our 10:30 departure from Sheffield Park which is the Mark I rake. We travel up to East Grinstead and then return to Horsted Keynes. With Max being older (and costing me full fare!!) I can point out the meaning of the gradient posts and the different styles of the stations from the eras they represent as well as the replacement brickwork on platform 5 at Horsted Keynes and the branch to Haywards Heath.
At Horsted Keynes we cross the platform to where the second rake of much older vehicles is waiting behind Camelot and I choose to travel in LC&DR 114 which is the oldest vehicle running today.
The coach was originally on a six wheel chassis but at present is running on a new four wheel chassis built for its return to operation from a previous life as a cottage in Devon.
Sir Archibald Sinclair has only recently returned to the railway’s available roster and makes light work of the trip. Camelot on the lighter set does sound like it is being worked slightly harder and certainly the ride on four wheels is at points rougher than in a bogie carriage.
Being the school holidays the railway has a decent number of travellers but I would say that it could be busier. Max now travels on an adult ticket whilst at least my fare is a member’s fare and we are on rovers which seems to be the norm these days.
A reminder that the Bluebell is often used for filming – this resides at Horsted Keynes.
After lunch we go into Steam Works and I can introduce Max to Stepney – closing on 150 years old – and amongst others Birch Grove – a loco I would dearly love to see return to service but accept that it is unlikely in my lifetime now. Outside the shed is new build “Beachy Head” – the Atlantic built around an ex-GN boiler which has taken nearly 40 years to go from a bright idea to a locomotive in service. She formally returned to service a few days after we visited the railway – at this time there was the odd wisp of steam so she was being readied for the big day.
