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Bluebell Railway 2012 Events

Discussion in 'Galas and Events' started by Dan Hill, Dec 26, 2011.

  1. Dan Hill

    Dan Hill Part of the furniture

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    The Bluebell Railway have announced some of their events for 2012 though not a full programme as the usual War Weekend, Branch Line Weekend, Giants of Steam/Autumn Gala etc events have not been included yet and the website says further events will be announced when dates are available.

    January

    1st, 2nd - Victorian New Year Specials

    February

    4th,5th, 11th and 14th - Full Afternoon Tea on the Lounge Car service
    14th - Valentine Specials on the Golden Arrow Pullman service
    17th - Murder Mystery Evening on the Golden Arrow Pullman service

    March

    17th/18th - Mother's Day Full Afternoon Tea on the Lounge Car service
    23rd - Murder Mystery Evening on Golden Arrow Pullman service
    24th,31st - Full Afternoon Tea on the Lounge Car service

    April

    6th,7th,9th, 14th, 21st,28th - Full Afternoon Tea on the Lounge Car service
    13th - Rail Ale Evening
    16th-20th, 23th-27th - Spring Specials
    20th - Murder Mystery Evening on Golden Arrow Pullman service
    27th Fish and Chip Evening Supper Special
    28th - Toy and Collectors Fair

    May

    1st-4th, 8-11 - Bluebell Specials
    4th,18th,25th - Fish and Chip Evening Supper Specials
    7th, 26th - Full Afternoon Tea on the Lounge Car service
    11th - Murder Mystery Evening on Golden Arrow Pullman service

    June

    1st - Rail Ale Evening
    2nd - Full Afternoon Tea on the Lounge Car service
    4th - Jubilee Special on Golden Arrow Pullman service
    8th - Murder Mystery Evening on Golden Arrow Pullman service
    15th, 22nd, 29th - Fish and Chip Evening Supper Specials
    17th - Father's Day Special on Wealden Rambler service

    July

    13th - Murder Mystery Evening on Golden Arrow Pullman service
    20th, 27th - Fish and Chip Evening Supper Specials
    21st, 22nd - Toy and Collector's Fair

    August

    Children's Fun Day's - Throughout August
    3rd, 24th - Fish and Chip Evening Supper Specials
    10th - Murder Mystery Evening on Golden Arrow Pullman service
    17th - Rail Ale Evening
    25, 27th - Full Afternoon Tea on the Lounge Car service

    September

    7th, 14th, 21st, 28th - Fish and Chip Evening Supper Specials
    8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th - Full Afternoon Tea on Lounge Car service
    14th - Murder Mystery Evening on the Golden Arrow Pullman service

    October

    1st-5th, 8th-12th, 15th-19th, 22nd-26th - Autumn Tints Observation Car Specials
    5th - Murder Mystery Evening on the Golden Arrow Pullman service
    5th, 6th, 12th, 13th, 19th, 26th, 27th - Full Afternoon Tea on the Lounge Car service

    November

    3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th - Full Afternoon Tea on the Lounge Car service
    9th - Murder Mystery Eveing on the Golden Arrow Pullman service

    December

    2nd, 3rd, 9th, 10th, 16th, 17th, 22nd, 23rd - Santa Specials (NB. There may be more or less as these are only guesses based on this year's Santa services and are not listed on the Bluebell website)
     
  2. David-Haggar

    David-Haggar Member

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    Announced in the new Bluebell News that there will be a "Sussex Branch Line Weekend" gala in the 20-21 October, so fingers crossed we might try and get the T9 in for that event. In terms of the February event there was no details so I guess they're just waiting to see if the H class will be ready in time for that gala. But more intriguingly it was announced the railway will hire in a "large" visiting loco to help cover the services from Easter.
     
  3. Dan Hill

    Dan Hill Part of the furniture

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    Oh cool a large visitor I guess to cover the absence of 34059. The T9 would be great as a visitor and even better to actually see her run on the line. I'd like to see 24 Calbourne in exchange for 473's visit to the Isle of Wight this year.

    I haven't got my Bluebell News yet though. I think for the February event they can't do what they did last year and have it in March because of the work at the North end of Kingscote which I'd thought would mean trains between Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes.
     
  4. Funnell

    Funnell New Member

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    News on the Grapevine is that 92212 will be visiting from Easter to cover until 847 is available but could stay throughout the year!!
     
  5. Dan Hill

    Dan Hill Part of the furniture

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    Would certainly be a large engine although dependant on whether the MHR need it but with 925 Cheltenham due back early in the new year they may not.

    I hope that the gala/s next year have some visiting engines as this year was a bit dull on the gala's front although that could just be 92212
     
  6. Matt35027

    Matt35027 Well-Known Member

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    Well, a 9 is certainly bigger than I was expecting! She'll be a great crowd puller in every sense of the word!
     
  7. tom92240

    tom92240 Part of the furniture

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    From the Operations Manager himself, the booked stay is Mid March until July.
     
  8. Dan Hill

    Dan Hill Part of the furniture

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    So is 92212 the confirmed loco and is July when 847 is due back in service. If this is the case and 847 is not completed then will the loan be able to be extended or another loco brought in.
     
  9. Funnell

    Funnell New Member

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    I'm not sure if 92212 is 100% definate confirmed but my source is very reliable. The intended entry to traffic for 847 is July but of course this depends on late running and any other work on the running fleet that might crop up...as to the loan being extended i was under the impression it could be but going on the post from tom92240 this might not be the case. It shall however be great to see and hear a 9f on the Bluebell again!
     
  10. Dan Hill

    Dan Hill Part of the furniture

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    Very true 92240 was a great loco in service and hopefully soon there will be funds and a place in the overhaul queue for her to return. I have heard that David Sheppard wants to bring 92203 down when the line gets to East Grinstead. I think it was in a Bluebell News once.

    847 will look great with 1638 especially if they get to double head at some point.
     
  11. Dan Hamblin

    Dan Hamblin Part of the furniture

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    I'm just musing here, but a 9F would be able to haul a lot of spoil/clay from the south end of the tip down to Horsted Keynes...

    Regards,

    Dan
     
  12. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Not as much as a class 66...

    The bigger problem is that even if we used a 9F, we only have enough engineering wagons able to take a couple of hundred tons at a time. But anyway, that's a discussion for another thread :)

    Tom
     
  13. green five

    green five Resident of Nat Pres

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    Blimey! Looks like the MHR are hiring a few loco's out next year. Black 5 45379 is off to the Churnet Valley in February to work with 44767 and 850 is shortly off to the East Lancs for a short Winter holiday up North. Looks like 34007 will be handling MHR services with 31806 with 925 arriving later in the Spring after first going to the NRM.
     
  14. Dan Hill

    Dan Hill Part of the furniture

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    Some more events have been added to the Bluebell website but for some reason my laptop won't let me edit posts on this forum so I'll post the events here.

    11th-19th February - Kids For A Quid for February Half Term
    Weekends in March - Kids For A Quid
    12th-13th May - Southern at War Weekend
    23rd-24th June - Sussex Food Festival
    30th June-1st July - Victorian Picnic
    15th July - Evening Songs of Praise
    Throughout August -Punch and Judy Shows
    11th-12th August - Vintage Transport Weekend
    20th-21st October - Sussex Branch Line Weekend
    27th October - 4th November - Kids For A Quid for October Half Term
     
  15. John Petley

    John Petley Part of the furniture

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    My copy of Bluebell News arrived yesterday evening. The Sussex Branch Line event sounds a bit different - it will feature (quote) "branch line trains from the 1880s through to dieselisation in the 1950s!" If this means a visiting "thumper" the exclamation mark at the end of the quote is fully justified. Of course, I may be wrong in my guesswork, but that was the first image that sprang to mind on reading Tim Baker's description of the event. It's early days yet, but it will be interesting to see how the event shapes up. Sadly, with 80151 going out of ticket in May, the class that epitomised Sussex branch lines in the 1950s won't be represented - at least not in working order.

    No mention of Giants of Steam or a Branch Line Weekend, but the prospect of a few special workings likely to run north of Kingscote later in the year (prior to full re-opening) is more than an adequate compensation, and then there is 92212's visit. Who needs any more galas with so much to look forward to?
     
  16. David-Haggar

    David-Haggar Member

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    Yes must admit the first thing that crossed my mind when I read the words "through to dieselisation" was a mainline visit from the Hastings DEMU set during the Sussex Branchline Gala. As much as I'd hate to see any diesel unit on the Bluebell I guess this would make commercial sense run the DEMU through to E.G to gain a boost in visitor numbers. Of course if they really wanted to get an appropriate steam loco to go with the theme of the event then the obvious candidate would be 30120!:pray2:
     
  17. Dan Hill

    Dan Hill Part of the furniture

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    Maybe the M7 from Swanage as they were used (including 30053) on lines in Sussex. Or if she's still in service Ivatt Tank 41241 on the KWVR or even another Standard 4 or Fairburn Tank (although maybe 42073 this time) as these would have been common place on Sussex Branches and in the case of the Ivatt's, Fairburns and Standard 4's would be common on the Bluebell itself.

    Although 24 Calbourne, 30587 or 30585, 30120 would be nice as well. As long as its not a Diesel, Diesel Electric or Electric loco I'd be happy
     
  18. Robert Heath No.6

    Robert Heath No.6 Well-Known Member

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    If it is, I might turn up :lol:
     

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