HLF Green Light for Bluebell Railway
 
The Bluebell Railway is delighted to announce that its application to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the ASH (Accessible Steam Heritage) Project has been awarded a £1.1 million grant to revitalise the way the Bluebell Railway exhibits its locomotives.

Thanks to National Lottery players, the Project will see substantial repairs to the Running Shed, which will be partly converted and also extended at the side to create a new exhibition hall. This space will feature an exciting new exhibition of how steam engines work, plus footplate access by both pedestrians and wheelchair users to static locos. Visitors will also be able to take part in a footplate driving experience based on a mock-up of No. 55 "Stepney", alongside the original engine that was built in 1875.

These exciting developments also will mean more space in the Running Shed for routine locomotive maintenance, and a new maintenance facility over the wash-out pit, and adjacent siding in the locomotive yard. This will enhance the Railways' ability to maintain its loco fleet and also provide a better working environment for volunteers.

In addition to the HLF award, the Bluebell Railway will contribute £388,000 (including £214,000 raised from the Ash Appeal) in cash, plus a substantial amount of "effort in kind" to be put in by many members of its 700-strong volunteer workforce. The three-year Project will see the exhibition opening in Spring 2018 after which it will run for a further two years with extensive plans to utilise the exhibition to engage the public and support the growth of visitor numbers.

The Project also aims to increase the Railway's capacity to work with schools in developing their science, technology, engineering, and maths curriculum, with a target of increasing school visits by 150% by 2020. An Interpretation and Education Development Manager will be employed for an initial three-year period and applications are already being sought to fill this post.

"This project is key to the sustainability and growth of the Bluebell Railway," said Funding Director Roger Kelly. "Many visitors to Heritage Railways today, particularly younger ones, want more than a ride on a train. They wish to be entertained. This Project will not only do that but we hope ensure they leave better informed about steam power from the 19th to the 21st centuries."

"The Bluebell Railway is fortunate to be custodian of one of Britain's mo st varied and historically important steam locomotive collections outside the National Railway Museum. This award will enable us to display and interpret the collection for the enjoyment of all our visitors and to cherish and maintain it for the benefit of generations to come," said Dick Fearn, Bluebell Railway PLC Chairman ... MORE.

The Railway is hiring for two positions in the Bluebell Railway PLC (Infrastructure Director and Operations Director--both volunteer positions) and two positions associated with the ASH Project (Interpretation and Education Development Manager and Project Manager).

CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT THESE EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES!

New Year's Message from the BRPS Chairman

I hope that you have enjoyed (indeed survived!) the Christmas and New Year's festivities and are now looking forward to an action-packed 2017 at our Railway.

Provisional visitor numbers for both the 2016 Santa season and the year overall are up by just shy of 3% on the previous year. This is an encouraging result, and it is imperative that the Railway focuses on further progress to generate consistent revenue increases.

The Santa numbers do not include the Victorian, Festive Feast, and Reindeer specials, all of which proved very popular and will add another 2,817 to the 2016 figure. So a special thank you to all involved in delivering the Christmas experience to our customers.

Now to 2017 ... during Spring we hold our Diesel Gala (31 March to 2 April), which this year features two class 50s and a still to be confirmed class 37. Our own class 09 also will be in operation.

The biggest event of the year then happens when we host "Flying Scotsman" for seven days during Easter (13-19 April). There's already great excitement, and many volunteers are looking forward to being on duty during its visit. Detailed planning is already underway, and I urge everyone to see this iconic loco on our Railway for yourself. Keep an eye on our website for information about timetables and fares, and hopefully you can take part in what promises to be one of our highest profile events since the re-opening to East Grinstead.

Still in spring, our smaller locos will grab the headlines when we stage our Branch Line Weekend (13-15 May), with the aim of having our five South Eastern & Chatham locos in service, joined by visiting LNWR coal tank No. 1054.

This Summer we'll mark the 50th anniversary of the end of Southern steam (9 July, 1967) with a three-day event to commemorate this significant milestone. In addition to "Blackmoor Vale" and "Camelot", how many of you are aware that we have two other locos that were still operating during summer 1967: USA tank No. 30064 and standard tank No. 80151? Unfortunately, only "Camelot" will be in traffic at the event, joined by visiting un-rebuilt Bulleid Pacific No. 34092 "City of Wells".

It's too early to give definite information of what is being planned for Autumn, but another big event is in prospect, so watch this space!  

I'm confident you will agree that our Railway is looking forward to an exciting year with these major events joining our traditional events, all of which hopefully will contribute to raising funds for our never-ending list of projects.

While all our projects bring improvements to our Railway, one is essential if we are to continue operating as we do today: track replacement between Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes.

On a personal note, I'm looking forward to being on duty either as a Guard or as Station Master at Sheffield Park during these major events, and I will be delighted to see you enjoying these events yourself, either as a volunteer or visitor. Finally, I wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year.

By Graham Aitken, Chairman, BRPS

C&W Update: The Play Carriage (Elephant Van) Nears the Finish

Photo by Paul Cripps.

The Elephant Van has been resident in the paint shop over the Christmas period and attention has focused on finishing the exterior.

The details of the lettering have been kindly provided by Tim Robbins and Martin Skrzetuszewski as we were having difficulty finding photos showing this with any clarity.  The "SCENERY" on the NW and SE corners was signwritten by David Rhydderch, whereas the numbers on the opposite corners were transfers.  

After a final crimson top coat, the west side was treated to two coats of varnish, which is unusual for a van, but this one is special as it is going to perform an important role out in the open, and so hopefully will continue to look good for many years.  

The black ends have been similarly protected, and it is hoped that when the van returns to the paint shop in a few weeks for the flooring to be fitted, a second coat of varnish can be applied to the east side.

To provide cooling in summer and a degree of heating in the winter, air conditioning units are being installed in each end.  These are supported by two units mounted under the floor for which two steelwork cradles have had to be manufactured.

After the inner roof was lined with insulation, the printed "sky" panels designed by Matthew Cousins (with a little help from Roger Dean) were fitted.  These are now awaiting covering strips to give a uniform inner roof feature. 

The north end of the van is being treated as an area representative of the van itself, so the inner roof panels here are plain white, and the sides are lined with boards grooved to look like the van planking.  It is planned to have some educational material on the walls here.

There will be an enclosed circus tent-like area in the south end to provide a safe play area for very young children. The circular seating for this has been constructed and awaits the attention of the departmental trimmers.

Battens have been attached to the walls which have been insulated before the inner lining of ply panelling is fitted.  This will carry vinyl images and various activities.

By Sheina Foulkes, Carriage & Wagon Department Supervisor

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