Bluebell Railway | Spring Steam Gala | 20th-22nd March 2026

First guest TBA at 4pm today.

 

Do we think that the air brake pump (I'm sure I'll be corrected with the correct term) clip shared on social media is a clue or a Fenchurch/Beachy Head shaped red herring?

 

Standard 4 No. 75069, LBSCR A1X No. W8 "Freshwater" and 2999 "Lady of Legend" taking part along with the O1, Fenchurch, 34059, 80151 and 73082

https://www.bluebell-railway.com/special/spring-steam-gala/

 

Very glad to have this chance to catch 2999 at the Bluebell as I failed to make it in the autumn and the rest of the line-up looks superb too. Hope the timetable is as mad/complex/ingenuous as the Branch Line weekends in this slot have been in recent years!

 

Great to have a 75xxx running again, 75027 has been out of traffic for a long time

 

Lineup looks very good but why have 2999 back again so soon?

W8 is great news - I very much enjoyed its previous visits. Maybe someone could confirm exactly when they were. If my memory serves me well, W8 and W11 both came over for the whole winter early in the 2000s, and W8 returned about 2007 for the Terrier Gala which took place that year.

 

2999 is still at the railway, so makes sense to use it whilst its still there

 

Is BEACHY HEAD not taking part?

 

No, out for winter maintenance according to the Facebook page.

 

W8 and W11 were in 2000 along with 2678. W8 came back over in 2006 (along with 70/3, B662 and 2678) and W11 (and 70/3) came over again in 2022.

 

Thanks for that. I wasn't aware that W11 had been back in 2022. Missed that one for some reason.

 

W11 came for the Terrier weekend that one didn't make (72) and one broke on the first morning (70)

 

31065, 34059, 80151, 73082, 75069 and 2 A1X locos. Fabulous line up!

Bryan

 

Hopefully the rolling stock sets will shown alongside the locos in the timetable, so I can focus my time at the event on the trains I consider authentic, or close to that.

One for @Jamessquared to comment on perhaps, although of course I imagine the full details won't be available for a while.

Plus any info about whether 75o69 is due to stay at the Bluebell for a while this year? A BR Standard class weekend with 73082, 75o69 and 80151 on appropriate rolling stock would attract dinosaur(s) I am sure! Just on normal service trains with an extra one added perhaps to keep costs down?

Bryan - dreaming of those wonderful few years before the asteroid hit on 10 July 1967 - B

 

75069 is only staying for the gala AFAIK

 

Do we know whether the timetable is based off a Branch Line Weekend/65th Anniversary Gala format, with locos swapping sets at Horsted Keynes or a Giants of Steam one? My guess with the number of locos running would be the former?

 

Dan my pictures show W8 and W11 over in February 2001 and W8 returned again in November 2006 with other visiting Terriers 32678 and 662. No sign of 70/3 as you call it in 2006.

Looking through my pictures from back then, here is an unusual view of W11 climbing Freshfield bank, taken from Birch Grove, 17/2/2001



Peter

 

Agreed good lineup, but long way down for us with no Beachy Head, may influence our decision. KWVLR same w/e, bit nearer home.

 

Without 32424 and with engineering works on all my usual rail routes I doubt if I will be going

 

BUT I can get there from Soton Airport Parkway and Clapham Jct. May think about it if 2999 is working and I don’t have to use the subways at HK as not possible for me now

Don