Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Good vid.
Pat

 

Some notices for BRPS members on the What’s new page. http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/whats_new.html

One to note is that for reasons explained there, the current issue of “Bluebell News” is being distributed electronically - you can download here: https://www.bluebell-railway.com/bluebell-news/ Download is free and available to all.

Note that much of the issue was written before the full impact of the Coronavirus became known and so some things have changed: in particular, the planned 60th anniversary appeal focused on Horsted Keynes that was due to be launched with the publication of that issue will now be launched in 2021. In the meantime, please support the current Emergency Appeal. https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fund/support-bluebell

Tom

 

Good coverage; thanks for posting that. Interesting footage (at 10:26 or so) of the original fill. I'm sure NR are pulling their hair out at the moment, but it looks like the repaired embankments will now be good for quite some time. What a winter - although in retrospect it has paled before the spring!

Noel

 

From the blog:

The Bluebell Times is designed to fill the gap for anyone missing their steam train rides or visits to the Bluebell Railway:

https://www.bluebell-railway.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/The-Bluebell-Times-Issue-1.pdf

David R

 

Excellent idea. I even found a stray CME in that word search!

 

Look out for issue 2 next weekend.

Tom

 

Issue 2 of The Bluebell Times is available here:

https://www.bluebell-railway.com/bluebell-times/

In issue 2:

• The story of the first member of the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society
• Life as a wartime evacuee by train
• An in-depth look at one of our bigger locomotives
• How “Railway Time” came and went
• A new Word Search and the answer to the previous puzzle
• Guess the Year – plus a bonus question from a reader
• Special kids’ section
• And much, much more.

Tom

 

A photo from the time when the Bluebell used "clean" fuel.

 

Was that one of your photos Gary? Were you spectating, or there with a loco?

There was a photo of Fenchurch at Shildon looking absolutely immaculate in our old lobby. Hopefully she can still be repaired for 2022, but the current situation is a big setback - can we just cancel this version of 2020 and relabel next year as 2020 again?

Tom

 

Yes that’s my own photo, I was up there with the SVR. Such a brilliant time, so many memories from 45 years ago. Having breakfast with David Shepherd on the day of the cavalcade, every engine in the yard at Shildon sounding their whistles before the cavalcade, being in the yard at Darlington (my place of birth) while all of the returning formations were being formed up, watching and listening to the departures in the still night air, being on a double headed train going south on the four track section and over taking another double header, being on the footplate from York to Sheffield. Just a few of many memories.

 

I was a student on summer vacation at the time and only able to go for one day, so I missed the cavalcade, but what a day! I just hope that S&D 200 can be made to happen!

 

In that case, if we're cancelling 2020 can I scrub this years birthday and be 35 for a year longer?!

 

I did think that when we put the clocks forward the other week, we should have put them forward three months to get us over these difficult months, then when it got to October we put them back three months and have an extended summer. SWMBO said it wouldn't work, though, and who am I to disagree with her?

 

OK, but no more cake!
Pat

 

I hit fifty just as the lock down started; quite happy to go back!

More to the point for this thread, it’s the railway’s sixtieth birthday this year: I wonder what sort of birthday we’ll be able to have?

Tom

 

How's about if we can't have a party this year, lets have a bloody big one next year!

 

My partners in the WI, I really don't want any cake! Beer and cheese...

 

They could make cakes for all the locos and burn them in them and any that are in the museum they could burn them in the smoke boxes to make it look like they are all in steam for a photo

 

Burn the cakes!!?? What a terrible waste. No, send them all to me, I'll take care of them.

 

What an awful dentist you would have made!!