Return of the Bluebell Giants
 

The Bluebell Railway is holding it's main steam gala of the year - 'Giants of Steam' - over the weekend of Oct 31st/Nov 1st. This once annual event has been missing from the Bluebell calender for several years - I think the last time the 'Giants' name was used was 2010, mainly due to the lack of large operational locos as well as the railway concentrating on the extension to East Grinstead.

This year, the Giants on show are expected to include two visitors:
BR 7MT class 4-6-2 No.70000 'Britannia'
SR V class 4-4-0 No.925 'Cheltenham'.

Plus locos from the home fleet:
SR S15 4-6-0 class No.847
SR Q class 0-6-0 No.30541
BR 5MT class 4-6-0 No.73082 'Camelot' - returning to traffic for the first time since 2004.
Also, one of the Bluebell's smaller locos should also be in steam as Sheffield Park station pilot, currently rostered to be SECR P class 0-6-0T No.323 'Bluebell'.

'Camelot' moved under it's own steam for the first time last week and has returned to the works for final fettling & painting, giving the loco department about 4 weeks to get the loco ready for the gala. Should 'Camelot' not be ready in time, I imagine that SECR C class 0-6-0 No.592 would take it's place on the roster.

Should be good!

Tony

Thanks for the info Tony, sounds like an interesting event. I miss the days when I lived in Tonbridge and could get there easily.

Now I'm a GN man, it's a bit too far to go in a day. :(

Great news about the return of 'Giants' to the Bluebell calendar, and especially the expectation that Cheltenham will be there. The 'Schools' have always been my favourite loco type, and when I first visited the Bluebell and said I might be interested in volunteering some 30-odd years ago I was given a cab ride up the line on Stowe. I haven't seen a 'Schools' in steam since; so this event will be hugely nostalgic for me.

LNER A4 No.4464 'Bittern' is now visiting for this event in place of 'Britannia', which is now unvailable.
This will be the first LNER A4 to visit the Bluebell & also 'Bittern' will be withdrawn straight after the gala.

Tony

Really cheesed off as I was in Kent for a few days, and not a million miles away. I had to come home to the NW. today, so I have dipped again. Never been to this railway. Maybe one day.

I'm now out of hospital after my triple cardiac bypass op, and slowly getting back on my feet. Totally gutted to know that Cheltenham is performing this weekend at the Bluebell – I've looked forward to experiencing a 'Schools' in steam for so long, and now I'm having to miss this opportunity! The old legs are still too weak to support me for long. Another couple of weeks and I would have made it...