Bluebell Railway Giants of Steam 11th-13th October 2024

60007 "Sir Nigel Gresley" - first guest confirmed
6989 "Wightwick Hall" - long term hire-in

Home fleet
- 73082 "Camelot"
- 34059 "Sir Archibald Sinclair"
- 32424 "Beachy Head"

https://www.bluebell-railway.com/giants-of-steam-gala-2024/

Timetable: https://www.bluebell-railway.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/GOS-GALA-TIMETABLE-2024.pdf

 

That's already a great lineup - one more visitor would be the icing on the cake.

 

Hopefully Beachy Head will be available.

 

60532 'Blue Peter'! Make the perfect East Coast/Scottish theme!
Even better! SNG and BP on 6 P/C's!

Renumber 'Camelot' to one of the Scottish Std 5's maybe?

 

Oh dear, some of the line up is not really my cup of tea. I was rather hoping the event would be based on 35005, 35006, 35018 and 35028.

But I will support the event as normal (three day ticket) and with the foreign locos due I am sure there will be one or two here that will be pleased . And I will probably come on one day at least to see 73082, 34059 and, hopefully 32424: provided there is not a blue sharp pointy thing in shot!

Sadly (yes it makes me a sad old gricer), I am rather focused on steam locos whose numbers are 5 digits long and start with a 3 - plus dispensation for those starting with a 7, 8 or 9. And Jubilees, as one gave me a great run on the 10.17 Leeds - Carlisle a few decades back.

But I do hope the event is a total success for all, and I promise to and not throw a if I I do see these strange locos during my visit(s).

And if any here were to meet up with me during the event I strongly suggested you hold up a sign saying

Bryan B

 

Looking like a good year for Gala events on the Bluebell, with the 3 Western visitors for the Branch Line Weekend and now 60007 for Giants of Steam.

60007 is a special loco for me, as it's the first steam loco I ever travelled behind as a 2/3 year old at the GCR (albeit I don't remember the day myself).

 

Cheer up Bryan - you could be a sad, not so old git like me who prefers 4 digit numbers, brass safety valve covers and copper topped chimneys. All of which explains why I am very excited about the Branch Line Gala at the Bluebell this year!

Of course if Bulleids are your thing there is always the Swanage event in the Summer!

As for blue pointy things - they are best kept to the main line in my view. Lovely locos but do look a bit odd running tender-first.

 

Timetable now available https://www.bluebell-railway.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/GOS-GALA-TIMETABLE-2024.pdf

 

Timetable looks decent, but I’m not a huge fan of the non stop runs.

Looking at the TT on the Saturday, unless you start at SP you only get one chance at 60007 on the up by itself, none of the first trains from HK or EG will get you to SP in time. I love factoring in starting my day at or changing trains at HK, but you can’t join an up SNG train there .

Even taking that into account, I’ll probably start at SP and go for 34059, and cat h SNG on the lunchtime departure - but I guess a large number will do the same!

 

It’s worse than that .. on a Saturday there are no runs by 32424 single headed

 

But you do get an Atlantic + A4 combo........when was the last time that happened?

Peter

 

On the Sunday it you start from East Grinstead, you cannot have a solo run behind nr 7.
Friday has the best timetable.

 

I'm not an especial fan of double-heading large locos when it isn't operationally necessary, but it seems to be one of those things that divides people; some don't like it, some absolutely do. It probably doesn't help that there isn't much of a theme this year to make any pairings have much coherence.

Although it is not advertised on the timetables, the internal loco roster also show Fenchurch is in steam all three days, presumably running brake van rides at Horsted Keynes. Subject to change of course, don't take it as gospel.

Tom

 

Yes not a good timetable if you go by train

 

6989 is out on the Friday... 12pm and 3pm departures from Sp

 

Ah, so it is. I've edited my original post. Oddly, it is not shown on the loco rosters where I was looking, but maybe the timetable and loco requirements has changed subsequently.

Tom

 

I quite agree. I was looking at coming down for the event by train. The number of double headers with locos that 'don't go together' rather put me off.
What is the point of having big engines then double heading, especially when coal is so expensive? The options from East Grinstead are more limited.

 

There is also a bus from Haywards Heath (Perrymount Rd - a 1 minute walk from the station) that drops off directly outside HK station if that makes life easier. Not sure about options to get to SP, unfortunately it has always been somewhat tricky to get to if you rely on public transport.

 

I don't think running trains non-stop really makes any difference to the timetable in normal circumstances. The non-stop trains are allowed 40 minutes SP --> EG; stopping are allowed 42; the difference will be not having a two minute wait at Horsted Keynes; and two minutes extra to run round at East Grinstead. It is really neither here nor there in terms of pathing. Where I suspect there may be a rationale is that by avoiding people trying to board the "up" services, it avoids potential delays of a train being held at HK or Kingscote for far longer than expected due to lots of people trying to board mid-journey: better to deal with all to and fro that just at SP. Not necessarily one I'd agree with, but I'm not the timetable planner.

Token exchanges are limited to 5mph where the exchange is both ways (i.e. dropping one off and picking one up). So you have to slow, but not completely stop. (Station limits would generally be 10mph, unless there is a specific further restriction on a loco due to its width).

Our normal preferred pattern is for "up" trains to run as fast as possible (i.e. minimum stopping times at stations, just sufficient for station work) and "down" trains to stop to allow pathing. So typically that means, on normal timings, that up trains get 2 minutes at Horsted and nothing at Kingscote and do the journey in 40 minutes (or 42 at the moment, with the slack through the tunnel); whereas down trains stop to allow passing (on the "FILO" principle) so typically take 50+ minutes to come back. From a firing point of view, I'd say that mode of working is easier to manage: having a protracted stop of 10 minutes or so at Horsted Keynes to allow a down train to pass is awkward; but is much easier on a down train when the fire is low anyway. Hence timetables that typically have a quick run up and a protracted run back. As an aside, the signal box location at Horsted is right for that mode of working, but it is at the wrong end of the station at Kingscote, so invariably when you pass another train there, the fireman of the down train has to go back for the token after the up train arrives.

I'm surprised at your comment that "Passengers were also allowed to alight at Kingscote on the return during the pathing stop. The guard was not expecting that" since in the timetables, those down trains were always timetabled as stopping at Kingscote, and there was no instruction I'm aware of (either publicly to passengers or to operating staff) to say otherwise.

Branch Line Weekend is always more fun from an operating perspective but Giants tends to be busier in passenger numbers. Go figure ...

Tom