Scheduled diesel service due to arrive at Bluebell

FOR the first time in its 62-year history, the Bluebell Railway is set is to introduce a regular diesel-hauled service from July in a bid to encourage more visitors from London to make use of the interchange at East Grinstead.

Class 33 No. D6570 Ashford, bought from the Kent and East Sussex Railway by a consortium of members last year, is scheduled to haul an early-morning southbound train from East Grinstead, departing at 10.15am after the arrival of the 08.50am ex-London Victoria service, and a later afternoon return – arriving at 05.25pm – from July 9 to lure the London market to the Sussex line.

Previously, the earliest departure scheduled from the line’s northern terminus was 11.30am with the latest arrival back at 04.10pm, offering under five hours to spend at the line.

“I want to reassure everybody that we will still remain a predominantly steam railway, with the need for a limited number of diesels to act as thunderbirds, lineside fire-risk backups, and to take the early-morning pressure off our footplate crews as we expand our services,” said Bluebell Railway plc chairman Geoff Mee.

This new earlier and later service train would have resulted in a loco and empty coaching stock departing and finishing at Sheffield park at unreasonable times for steam crews, which would have meant “very, very early sign-on times for train crew to prepare a steam locomotive to match the service,” continued Geoff. “We are looking at a diesel for our first service to reduce this pressure, with steam taking pride of place for the core trains of the day.”

1961-built Ashford has been undergoing repairs since its arrival; the diesel service was originally set to begin in April, but the ongoing work on the Crompton necessitated the change of starting date, although other lines and diesel owners had been tentatively approached for help.

The use of D6570 – as old as the Bluebell Railway itself – in this manner also takes the pressure off the Bluebell’s currently reduced operational steam fleet, which currently stands at just four locomotives – SECR O1 N0. 65, SR Q No. 30451, BR 4MT No. 80151 and BR 5MT No. 73082 Camelot.

LBSCR A1 No. 673 Fenchurch is presently undergoing overhaul in the workshops alongside Bulleid light Pacific No.34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair, both hoped to return during 2022.

Meanwhile, BR 9F No. 92240 has been confirmed as the next large loco to enter the works. Currently stored at Horsted Keynes, it is due to be towed to Sheffield Park in September, after which dismantling work will commence to allow the boiler work to be fully assessed and costed before it enters the workshops in mid-to-late 2023.

➜ The ‘Awake the Giant’ appeal is seeking donations towards the overhaul cost. To find out more about the appeal and how to support it, visit www.bluebell-railway.com/brps/ awake-the-giant