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Flying Scotsman at the Bluebell Railway: 13 - 19 April 2017

Discussion in 'Galas and Events' started by Jamessquared, Nov 23, 2016.

  1. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    Further to my previous reply, you get a sticker to put on if you are travelling behind Scotsman and advised to travel in the front carriages. currently siting in the Obo behind Camelot.
     
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  2. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    I thoughtI had missed my chance to get a photo of 60103 in the sun The sun was out in some locations for the 10.00am which I was on, it then clouded over, but it came out for the 3.30pm run IMG_0138 edit (1024x709).jpg
     
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2017
  3. gricerdon

    gricerdon Guest

    Coach and seat numbers are on the tickets
     
  4. green five

    green five Resident of Nat Pres

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    Thanks Paul. I would have replied earlier but I seem to lose all mobile signal whilst on the Bluebell. I always have missed calls coming up when I get back to East Grinstead.


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  5. green five

    green five Resident of Nat Pres

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    Apparently there was a big foul up with the ticket / seating plan by the online ticketing company. We were talking to the volunteer who showed us to our seats. While waiting to board the 12.45 departure today with 60103 he told us that there was chaos on the first day of the Gala as none of the tickets matched up with the seating plans. So the Bluebell has had to fix them all.

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  6. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    Mobile signals are poor on the Bluebell apart from East Grinstead, and occasionally at the southern end of Horsted Keynes while on a train, that's why I posted before we departed EG. I found I got a 4G Vodafone signal sitting at a picnic table outside the carriage and wagon works.
     
  7. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    I had a table of 4 to myself, not sure if it was due to ticketing company, or if some people did not turn up.
     
  8. RASDV

    RASDV Member

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    Was great to see 'Flying Scotsman' out in the sun on it's last run up this afternoon. I don't think I'd seen it running before, but it made a lovely sight.
    Photos here - can't get them to embed for some reason - https://goo.gl/photos/f8pp4MHp1hNHga3r5
    Nos.847 and 73082 both put on a good show and the brake van rides were a nice touch. I, like others I think, was put off by the £10 platform ticket charge for Horsted Keynes as there were 3 of us it adds up rather. Not against paying completely, but at £10 it does become quite a lot for a group of people.
    A great show and lovely to see so many people turning out and enjoying seeing this famous loco.
     
  9. green five

    green five Resident of Nat Pres

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    My Dad and I had a brilliant day today on the Bluebell. It was one of those rare occasions when everything went right for us.
    We arrived early at East Grinstead and were quickly scanned through the ticket barrier by the very friendly and helpful staff. Given our special stickers we walked on to the platform where the immaculately turned out 73082 was ready to run round her seven coach train which would then form the 9.00 departure from EG. We were told to head to the front of the train. We were going to board the second coach but a volunteer said we could travel in the observation coach as a party of people booked for the observation coach had not turned up. A bonus for us as we could now watch and hear the Standard Five at work. We left this service at Horsted Keynes to get some shots of 60103 passing through with her first 8 coach run of the day. We also got some nice shots of 847 and 30541. Later we caught the return run of 847 to Sheffield Park ready for the main event, the 12.45 trip behind 60103. However, looking at the stickers that other people were wearing it suddenly dawned on us that the folks at EG had issued us with the wrong sticker. We had been given the 10.00 sticker.
    After a chat with another very helpful volunteer we were issued with the correct stickers.
    The trip with 60103 was very enjoyable and after the restriction outside SP it was also very lively with the A3 making a wonderful noise. She sounds absolutely spot on.
    Back at SP we posed for pictures with Scotsman as did many others in the crowd that gathered around her. I have to say there was a great atmosphere around the railway and it was magic to see the kids faces light up when Scotsman came into view.
    Our day finished with a cracking run behind my favourite class of Loco, the Standard Five, on the 16.00 service back to East Grinstead.
    A big thank you from both us to everyone involved with the Gala at the Bluebell and the NRM. It was the best day I have had at the Bluebell.

    I will hopefully sort through my pictures tomorrow.

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    Last edited: Apr 17, 2017
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  10. Zoomeg

    Zoomeg New Member

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    Hmmm.JPG a pretty rubbish photo but an example of how difficult it is keeping idiots off the lineside on occasions like this, this berk ran down the road as I was waiting at Holywell jumped over the fence by the road bridge and was up there before anyone knew; I did ask his (middle aged) son to keep him under control...

    I suppose if FS is a rock star he must be a groupie
     
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2017
  11. dan.lank

    dan.lank Member

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    My few thoughts...

    Went up to SP on Thursday, and was very impressed with the numbers and excitement going on. A lot of effort has gone in to putting on a real show. Wasn't too sure about the ticket marquee instead of the booking office, but guess that's a one-off necessity! The 3:00 departure was accompanied by drone and two light aircraft circling tight around SP to watch...

    I was a bit disappointed that there was no members discount on offer at all - I'd say that £10 for a platform ticket is slightly steep anyway (although there's more to see than normal at SP), but a shame there was no reduction for members at all.

    I did chat with a friend at church who'd walked away from the booking office in disgust at the £25 non-Scotsman tickets, and was persuaded back (just) by the platform tickets. He said there was at least one family of 6 who'd given up rather than paying £100. It's a real balancing act - understand that we need to make the most of FS while it's here, but it's a shame if the line comes across as moneygrabbing and puts off future visitors...

    My main observation is how much FS seems to have caught the imagination of friends locally. Facebook is littered with photos from non-enthusiast friends who've been to watch, and I've had a lot of people who know I'm an enthusiast asking me questions.

    Father in law who has run a farm bordering the railway for 30 years without so much as looking up from his tractor at passing trains, suddenly knows which loco is which, has a new favourite (Camelot), and has started discussing observation cars and directors' saloons with me! He and mother-in-law hosted a picnic on Saturday on their land for at least 30 friends who all wanted to see FS, all of whom were absolutely enthralled. I can't explain the Scotsman phenomenon, whether it's just good marketing or what, but it's working. Just hope it translates into longer lasting interest in what Bluebell are doing.

    Did pop down today again with another group of friends who've come out of the woodwork. Unlike Saturday, I didn't see any track patrol, and there was a group of 6 or so a little south of us, on the track at Sloop Bridge. Hoping that was an isolated trespass incident, but a bit nervy being too far away to do anything when parents are letting their kids stand in the four foot with a train coming...

    I think this is a once in a generation moment for Bluebell, and I'm glad to see that they've grabbed it with both hands - whatever my gripes about members discounts, the marketing and publicity has worked great. Hopefully the profits match up!


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  12. dan.lank

    dan.lank Member

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    [​IMG]

    Not the best quality picture, but this was about half of the picnic crowd... (First set of photos were discarded due to wifey enthusiastically waving right in front of the camera ;-) )


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  13. Matt37401

    Matt37401 Nat Pres stalwart

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    That is a lovely picture but sort of sums it all up . What was it Sir Peter Parker said about steam warming the market for railways? On the one hand I think it's great that there seems to be much interest in it and people want to see it, but on the other hand I don't like as how @Spamcan81 put it as it seems to marketed as 'the well heeled people's engine' I'm not knocking anyone at the Blubell btw but I do think that maybe 60103 was more of a peoples engine when Bill McAlpine owned it?
     
    Last edited: Apr 18, 2017
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  14. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    I don't think that is really true. OK, the dining services were quite expensive (but still sold out, when all is said and done); however, on the scheduled trains, well over 8,000 people will have had a chance to ride behind FS. If you want to see her and ride the other trains, for £25 you could have a full day at a gala. To put that in perspective, it is the same full price as Branch Line weekend later this year (advance and member tickets are lower); or only £6 more than 3rd class day rover on a normal service day. For the extra £6 you get a full day of trains from early until quite late; 6 engines in steam including FS; free brake van rides at HK; plus a host of attractions at SP and HK in particular. I think that is good value for money. My impression over four days I have been there (three rostered and one as a visitor) it has been a big family event.

    Tom
     
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  15. Harry Stanger

    Harry Stanger New Member

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    My take on this is that the Bluebell didn't communicate with potential customers too well. My observations at Horsted Keynes were that it was very quiet with fewer people than I would have expected to see on a normal Easter , a couple of the traders in the paddock expressed disappointment with their takings bearing in mind the cost of their pitches. If the railway had made more of the brake van rides in return for a small, voluntary donation potential visitors may have perceived the value, whereas at the lineside I heard so many comments about not paying £10 per head just for a platform ticket.

    I hope the railway has done well but I do feel that with better marketing and communications the railway could have done a lot better with better marketing and communication.
     
  16. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Possibly, though SP was pretty packed yesterday. HK is quite big, so absorbs people a bit more.

    With regards brake van rides, I was the fireman on Saturday. We ran I think about 12 trips; a max of fifteen people per trip; and we were full on every trip. So we couldn't physically have carried more people unless we had had a second brake van available.

    Tom
     
  17. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    You could also travel first class on the non Scotsman services with either the Scotsman or non Scotsman ticket. Usually the Railway charges extra. Not stated on the ticket, but advised over the PA system at Sheffield Park, and told at East Grinstead we could go in the Obo without paying a supplement.
     
  18. Harry Stanger

    Harry Stanger New Member

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    There was plenty of space on the Brake Van trips on Sunday and, even taking on board your comments about the size of HK, a distinct lack of people. So much of the publicity was on a negative line, the railway could have promoted the attractions at HK much better and made more money.
     
  19. John Petley

    John Petley Part of the furniture

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    One spin-off which I am sure that many of us appreciate has been that one of the support cast for the FS event, S15 No. 847, has been paired with a superb 6-coach rake of green SR-liveried stock for the duration of the event. This combination is all too rare at the Bluebell, but when it does happen, it really looks good.
     
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  20. Harry Stanger

    Harry Stanger New Member

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    Flying Scotsman @ the Bluebell Railway, Easter Sunday 16 04 17 170.jpg
     
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