Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Um......

We are going to Dungeness for our holidays at the end of August

Hopefully returning via The Bluebell

Looking at Trip Advisor with all the usual caveats the Bessemer Arms gets a rather disappointing review

Have things improved recently?

 

Yes a great read as always Tom, many thanks for your work on it.

I must comment on the opening photo where the photographer has seemingly (to me at least) taken the Beachy Head on the Maunsells photo to partly hide the extra vehicle on the rear!

And then your comment about the Bluebell being able to plausibly recreate certain eras, with for me, that of the post-war coming top (1960s especially). Which you end with mention of the Maunsell set. Is that code for the appearance of 80151 on just the Maunsell set with no extra vehicle on the rear? Very plausible as my photo of 80145 on a Victoria to Tunbridge Wells West train via Oxted and East Grinstead High Level shows.

But I will be patient after your comment on that train formation possibly (usual caveats of course) appearing at a Bluebell Branch line event.

And, along with your very helpful info on the various Bluebell weekend rosters, I will keep alert to any earlier running of that combination.

I'll finish by again thanking you for yet another excellent edition of The Bluebell Times.

Bryan

 

I don’t feel the reviews give the full picture. Railway food in the catering outlets is never going to be five star amazing quality, and I have never had any major problems with the food there. The staff are all friendly and happy to help if you need it. I think one of the main issues is the interior. It just feels so dark and dingy inside, with a weird pub-restaurant vibe and could really do with being fully refurbished. It’s not like it’s somewhere you would make a special stop to visit, but it’s a decent catering outlet that serves standard railway food.

 

I've only used it for my version of breakfast when I am down that end of the Bluebell ; which consists of quite a lot inside a large bap! Plus coffee.

Doing the above I've never experienced anything other than very friendly, helpful staff and freshly cooked food that always tasted great.

Bryan

 

Kind of you to say. It also reminds me that I have been somewhat asleep at the wheel in publishing rosters. (For family reasons, I'm having a couple of months away so haven't been keeping so close an eye on rosters - back late summer).

Anyway, this weekend:

A - 80151 / Mark 1s
B - 65 + 72 (72 leading in both directions) / GN Saloon + Metropolitans (GN Saloon in public service both days)
WR (Both days) - 32424 / WR Rambler set

It looks like there is some adjustment to the timetable of the B services to allow 72 to take water at Kingscote on the up journey - essentially 5 minutes longer stop at Kingscote in the up direction, and five minutes less run round at East Grinstead. On the Saturday there is also a loco swap of 80151 for 65 at Horsted on the last down A service, I think that is to position 80151 for an evening charter while 65 takes its train back. So Saturday in particular looks a bit more unusual than normal.

Tom