BIRTHDAY BLUEBELL BOUNCES BACK
Wainwright ‘O1’ 0-6-0 No. 65 helped the Bluebell Railway mark its 60th anniversary of reopening on August 7.
The date coincided with its 2020 reopening to passengers after lockdown.
As celebrity enthusiasts Tony Robinson and Nicholas Owen wished the railway ‘happy birthday’ in a series of video greetings on its Facebook page, attention turned to six-year-old supporter Alex Venton who waved the inaugural train away from Platform 2 at Sheffield Park – 21,915 days after ‘Terrier’ Stepney sealed its place in history on the same spot in 1960.
Master Venton was recognised by the world’s first preserved standard gauge steam line after he donated his £6.10 pocket money – which was being saved for a new carriage on his model railway – to the Bluebell’s emergency coronavirus appeal and joined his family as guests of honour for the day.
Events didn’t go entirely to plan however, as the ‘Steaming Through 60’ banner that the SECR 0-6-0 was intended to burst through refused to break; instead becoming wrapped around the smokebox of No. 65, which was paired with the four Metropolitan Railway carriages, plus SECR ‘Birdcage’ brake.
Ticket sales for the railway’s first month were described as being reasonably healthy.
Communication director Paul Bromley added: “We always said it would be a phased reopening and we will now review our operations to see what changes can be made to expand our services.
“We are cautiously optimistic that people will continue to return to days out such as the Bluebell Railway.
“Officially all events from September until December remain under review but we have announced that we will be holding a transport-themed special event at the end of October.”
●● Stepney – like the second engine on the first train in 1960, ‘P’ No. 323 ‘Bluebell – is currently a static exhibit inside the ‘SteamWorks’ display at Sheffield Park.