Vintage Transport Weekend, Bluebell Railway

Sunday 17th August 2008

Another visit to the Railway four weeks after the previous visit, with GWR 2-6-2T No. 5199, SECR Class C 0-6-0 No. 592
and Class U 2-6-0 No. 1638 on service trains, plus B.R. Standard Class 4 2-6-4T No. 80151 on the Golden Arrow Limited.
Just like the last visit, the day started sunny but it clouded over after 1 pm.

Click on a picture to enlarge it

The first train was the 10.25 am from
Horsted Keynes to Kingscote, which
I just managed to photograph departing
before going to see the traction engines
and vintage cars outside.
  

The intention had been to go to Three Arch Bridge
for the morning trains, but viewing the vintage
transport in the car park took longer than expected,
so the field south of Horsted Keynes was easier
to get to for seeing No. 5199 arrive with the
11.00 am train from Sheffield Park.

Class U No. 1638 departing from
Horsted Keynes for Sheffield Park
in perfect lighting conditions
with the 10.55 am from Kingscote.

 

The sight of No. 592 climbing the gradient
to Three Arch Bridge with the 11.32 train
justified the effort of picking a way through
mud along part of the footpath to the bridge
where cattle churn up the surface.

Half an hour later, the 12.02 from
Sheffield Park hauled by No. 1638, seen
steadily climbing to Three Arch Bridge
with steam to spare.
 

No. 5199 at Three Arch Bridge descending from
Horsted Keynes with the 12.02 from Kingscote.
As the next northbound train was the
Golden Arrow Limited with 80151 running
bunker first, this was the time to move on.

The Golden Arrow Limited, 12.35 from
Sheffield Park, with Standard Class 4 2-6-4T
No. 80151 emerging from Sharpthorne Tunnel.
 

No.1638 returning to Horsted Keynes and
Sheffield Park with the 1.07 pm from Kingscote,
passing the remains of the platforms at West Hoathly,
taken so that the stacks of sleepers weren't visible.

The sun should have been lighting the trains
from this side of the track in the afternoon,
but not this time.  No.5199 on the
1.10 pm from Sheffield Park.

No. 80151 with the Golden Arrow Limited
just about to enter Sharpthorne Tunnel.
I had been intending to take this shot
from above but with no sun nor steam,
it wasn't the picture I had hoped for.

The other two locos were photographed at
this location at this time of day, when
normally I would have been at Freshfield bank.
No. 592 on the 1.45 pm from Sheffield Park.
 

The third of the locos on the service trains,
No. 1638 on the 2.20pm from Sheffield Park,
emerging from Sharpthorne Tunnel.

 

A change of location to Freshfield Bank to see
No. 5199 climbing the bank for the last time
this day with the 3.30 pm from Sheffield Park.
No improvement on my previous pictures here.

It remained dull, so I decided to move to
Tremains Foot Crossing where a public footpath
crosses the line.  No. 592 passes with
the 4.05 pm from Sheffield Park.

The second Golden Arrow Limited returning
to Sheffield Park seen passing Tremains.
No. 80151 has the headboard on this time.
This was the reason for going to Tremains.

The last train of the day from Sheffield Park,
the 4.47pm to Horsted Keynes seen arriving
there behind No. 1638.

The last train for Sheffield Park, the 5.19
departing from Horsted Keynes behind No. 592.
 

Photographs © 2008, Brian Easter