Bluebell Railway | Brighton Works Weekend - Starring 32424 Beachy Head! - 26th & 27th August 2024

[@nickhaigh3734]

Excellent camera work! Thanks for sharing.

[@alts1985]

Thank you!

[@abloogywoogywoo]

Its a beautiful line, no doubt about it. And would only get more stunning when the Ardingly branchline reopens.

[@Sonny_JC]

Is it reopening?😮

[@alts1985]

Certainly is - and wouldn't that be nice one day! Thanks for the comment Ashley

[@alts1985]

Apart from the tunnel which is still owned by BR Bluebell own trackbed to Ardingly I believe.

[@Sonny_JC]

@@alts1985 😮 woah i like to think it be like the KESR where they start a separate railway to bring it together

[@alts1985]

@@Sonny_JC Wouldn’t that be nice! They are certainly doing an amazing job at the RVR/K&ESR at the moment.

[@TheHoveHeretic]

Do I need to say it again? 32424 looks simply sublime. What a credit to the railway and the teams of gifted engineers and dedicated fundraisers who worked so long and hard to bring a Brighton Atlantic back to Sussex metals. When clean, I'm a big fan of BR mixed traffic black. I suppose we should thank the villagers of Sharpthorne for vetoeing the reopening of their station .... though I do understand, as parking is VERY thin on the ground in the village's narrow roads .... Could you imagine being on the second train through the tunnel, trains having just crossed at West Hoathly? Now THAT would have been an authentic steam age experience!! Anyone else remember when the expense of HK looked WAY too large for the Bluebell's needs? The recreated canopies on Plat 1/2 have really returned character to this sometime Clapham Junction of the High Weald!

[@alts1985]

She certainly does, I really like it in BR Black. Maybe one day West Hoathly will be able to be re-built, would certainly add plenty but I guess with Kingscote a few miles up the line its unlikely. Thanks for the comment Ashley

[@DerekWalsh-l4i]

As silly as it may sound, the real 80154 could have been there! As the last steam engine to be built at Brighton, it was withdrawn from service at Guildford shed on 2nd April 1967, and BR, realising the significance of this engine, offered it for free to Brighton Borough Council who refused it; and it went for scrap. But they could simply have accepted it and donated it, or loaned it, to the Bluebell Railway, just up the road. That's councillors for you, no consideration, and no interest in their own town's heritage.

[@TheHoveHeretic]

With other examples secured, not as tragic as the loss of a K Class 'mogul' a few years earlier. One was allegedly on standby for a trip to safety, with a tender full of spares, but the emergency fundraising for the essential puropse of buying the line's freehold or losing the Bluebell completely kyboshed that rescue and now, with no surviving drawings, Lawson Billinton's lost masterpiece looks destined to stay lost. Oh well, can't win 'em all. ☹ IMHO, 80100 could do with a date for it's rebuild. Those Riddles Class 4 tanks are perfect locos for all but the lightest laid heritage lines ... or the IWSR (the only place where an Ivatt 'Mickey Mouse' looks massive!)

[@signalbelle]

From what I understand 80154 was damaged at Surbiton Yard. In those days the Bluebell was unable to do the repairs. The same went with carriages, withdrawn carriages were not selected even with soimething simple as a broken window. They just did not have the skills and more importantly the money as they were concentrating then on the Line purchase scheme.

[@DerekWalsh-l4i]

@@signalbelle That is odd. Firstly 80154 was never offered to the Bluebell Railway, only to Brighton Borough Council, who did not want it. Secondly I photographed this engine on its very last working day, 1st April 1967, at mid-afternoon, taking water at Basingstoke on a down fitted freight train; and it most certainly was not damaged then.

[@alts1985]

Intresting story, had never heard about 80154 being offered to Brighton council before. Agreed a shame about the K class. Thank you all for the comments Ashley