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BLUEBELL RAILWAY
Branch Line Weekend 2010
The first big event of the 50th Anniversary year was the Branch Line Weekend. The event saw Fairburn Tank 42085 on a rear visit away from the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway, joined by Standard 2mt 78019 from the Great Central Railway. A busy timetable ran through the weekend with an intensive passenger service and brake van rides at Horsted Keynes. P Class 178 "Nettle" was in light steam at Sheffield Park, fresh from overhaul.
1963 Timetable recreation
Featuring footage of SECR P Class 178 during the first few weeks of her new ticket, including top and tailing with Fenchurch during the 1963 Timetable weekend, with lineside footage from "Bluebell Halt" and the Three Arches Bridge. Also featuring C Class 592 on the Wealden Rambler. Plus footage of Fenchurch during the Branch Line Weekend during February 2010.
Spring BANK HOLIDAY 2010
Over the winter of 2010 Stepney had a quick boiler overhaul to enable her to take part in the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of the Bluebell. She arrived on the Bluebell on the 17th May 1960. On Sunday 23rd May 2010 she double headed with E4 Birch Grove, while Fenchurch ran brake van shuttles at Horstead.
Branch Line Weekend 2010
The Bluebell Railway reopened on 7th August 1960, when Terrier 55 Stepney and P Class 323 Bluebell ran from Sheffield Park to Bluebell Halt (just outside of Horsted Keynes). 50 years later a celebration was held on the Bluebell Railway, with Stepney, carrying her 1960 lined black, the star of the show recreating the original passenger trains. 323 was still under overhaul at the time of the gala, leaving Terrier Fenchurch to take her place on re-runs of the original trains. The three day events saw an intensive timetable with attractions up and down the line including Baxter shunting at Horsted Keynes, Blue Circle visiting and operating brake van rides on the Ardingly spur, a 15inch gauge Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway locomotive on a short demonstration line at Horsted Keynes, Furness 20 operating shuttles from Kingscote to Imberhorne cutting and locomotives usually kept undercover at Sheffield Park displayed in the sunshine at Horsted Keynes.
