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NEWS FROM THE BLUEBELL RAILWAY | 10 FEB., 2019
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Provisional Numbers Show Healthy Visitor Increase in 2018
The provisional visitor numbers indicate a very strong performance in 2018, with total visitors (travel plus admissions) at 159,095, compared with 145,788 in 2017 (a year that included the “Flying Scotsman” event).
The Railway saw 145,989 customers travelling in 2018, up 12%. Although the Railway did not benefit from the visit of “Tornado”, strong showings at events such as Branch Line Weekend and the Autumn Gala (with the visit of “Union of South Africa”) all helped growth. Travel numbers showed growth across all months from May to October. For instance, August showed total visitors (travel plus admissions) at 25,398, compared with 19,205 the previous year.
There can be no doubt that the introduction of Third Party Travel Vouchers was a key contributor to the increase in visitor numbers, and the use of these in a more targeted and selective manner is under consideration for 2019.
Station admissions—at 13,106—were down on the 2017 number of 15,651. The 2017 number, however, benefited from the impact of “Flying Scotsman”. This year, it will be interesting to see if the ASH/SteamWorks! project will positively impact non-travelling visitors at Sheffield Park, which represented 75% of total admissions sold in 2018.
The highly successful 2018 Santa Season also helped with the boost in visitor numbers, and first class remains a feature, accounting for 8% of Santa bookings and 24% of the 612 booking the Festive Feast.
The boost in numbers is both welcome and reassuring, but there is plenty to be done not only to build the numbers still further but also to ensure efficient and economic delivery of our products. Santa Season 2018 is a good example of efficiency in action: we carried nearly 1,000 more passengers this year but on the same number of trains (53) as we ran in 2017.
By Roger Garman, Communications Director
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And on the Subject of Boosting Visitor Numbers ...
Greetings! My name is Billie-Jo Maynard, and I recently joined the Bluebell Railway as the Marketing and Business Development Manager.
I live locally with my husband in Plumpton Green. My two big passions are history and events. I have worked in PR, communications, marketing, and events for many years in both the not-for-profit and private sectors, as well as successfully running two businesses of my own.
My role at the Railway is to increase our visitor numbers by looking at how we can attract and keep new audiences, to better manage our spending on some events, to refocus our marketing priorities, to consolidate and improve our publicity materials and online presence, and to focus on better publicising who we are and what we do.
I am looking forward to working with other members of the Marketing and Customer Services teams to help preserve the character, heritage, and uniqueness of the Railway for future generations.
I am based at Sheffield Park, but I aim to regularly get out and about to all our sites. In the meantime, if you have any questions or suggestions for me, please feel free to drop me an email at
billie-jo.maynard@bluebell-railway.co.uk.
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Dates Announced for 2019 Events
2019 brings some familiar and favourite Bluebell Railway events, as well as some new ones, including Road Meets Rail (traction engines!) in June. To view all event dates,
click here
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- 15-17 March Branch Line Weekend
- 18-22 April Easter Weekend/Easter Egg Hunt!
- 11 May Toy & Rail Collectors Fair I—NEW DATE!!
- 15-16 June Road Meets Rail
- 29-30 June Model Railway Weekend
- 27 July Toy & Rail Collectors Fair II
- 10-11 August Steam Through the Ages
- 24-26 August Teddy Bears’ Picnic
- 11-13 October Giants of Steam
- 26 Oct. - 3 November Witches & Wizards
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Track Replacement Update: Tamping Time
Following the completion of the track replacement between Sloop Bridge and Monteswood Lane Bridge, we were fortunate to have the use of a
big main line tamper (below left) while the tamper we normally use was undergoing maintenance.
"Balfour Beatty" occasionally carries out operator training at the Railway, and in return we get some tamping done for free, a good arrangement for both parties. The tamper has onboard computers that calculate the best position for the rails after measuring their existing positions and then lifts, pushes sideways, cants and tamps them accordingly. There is a tiny bit left to finish on the south side of Sloop Bridge, but all the rest of the half-mile stretch relayed over the last month is completely finished.
The next job, starting immediately, is 13 panels north of Caseford Bridge, which almost gets us on to the straight up to Three Arch Bridge. It is pegged and has
materials positioned ready and waiting, as seen in the right-hand photo below.
By John Goff
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Addendum: Track Relaying North of Caseford Bridge
Bruce Healey's photos show an additional section of re-laying that has been added in, thanks to the main winter re-laying project finishing in good time and under budget, which has allowed funding from The Bluebell Railway Trust to stretch further.
The
left-hand photo shows progress on 6 Feb., 2019, in morning gloom at 9 a.m.; the
right-hand photo was taken at about 4:30 p.m., in failing light. It shows the line nearly joined up. After that photo was taken, and in near darkness, the track was joined. There is still some clipping up to do, but ballasting will start on 7 February.
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Nick Dearden's "Bluebell Railway Steam 2018"
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The Railway on 26 Jan., 2019, by John Sandys.
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No. 12058: Revitalised Wagon Group Gets to Work
A small group of volunteers, led by Laurie Anderson (who took the accompanying photo), have restarted work on the 1946 built Bullied open wagon No. 12058.
The wagon was acquired by the Railway in 2005 from Eastleigh Works, where it had been in use as an adapter wagon for moving electric multiple units around the works. The body work had been removed and redundant wagon wheels welded to the frame to act as ballast, but the underframe remained in good condition.
In view of this situation, it was decided to remake and fit the bodywork, restoring the wagon to its original Bulleid-era condition. Work got underway with the Eastleigh Works modifications being removed and a start made on assembling/fabricating some of the metalwork for the body. Unfortunately, for various reasons, no further work had been undertaken since 2013 until January this year.
The Bulleid Society has kindly agreed to sponsor the cost of materials for the project. Various fittings including the buffers, brake gear, and other components have been removed for cleaning up with a view to grit blasting the underframe, hopefully in March.
There is also some work to be done to maintain our running fleet, and it is hoped that once the relaying in the down yard is complete, it will be possible to bring over some of the running fleet for some TLC.
Due to work commitments of the group, work days are irregular at present. However, as the wagon group gets re-established, it is hoped to organise a regular working day at least once a month as we are hoping to expand the group of volunteers interested in working on our wagon fleet.
By David Rhydderch
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Atlantic Project Update: Tender Loving Care
With the boiler outside the front of Atlantic House, and the attachment of the main crinolines almost complete, work carries on inside the building on the tender chassis and the ashpan.
This latter item is made up of various water-jet cut and bent steel parts bolted together to form the substantial ashpan, ready to be fitted under the firebox at the appropriate time.
Most of the pipework within the tender chassis is now assembled, and sections of hardwood have been screwed into place on the top surface to provide a cushion between it and the tender tank when delivered.
Three fabrication companies have been asked to quote for the tender tank, but no costings have yet been received, although one has sent representatives to assess the task. A fourth company in Derbyshire also has been identified as a possibility, having already supplied tender tanks for two locomotives on the Great Central Railway and one on the Mid-Hants.
The smokebox is almost ready to be bolted onto the front of the boiler, having had the chimney temporarily fitted, and the bronze casting for the vacuum feed attached to the side.
The photo shows the boiler with the crinolines fitted.
by David Jones, Bluebell Atlantic Group
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Catering outlet opening hours through to November 2019 are
listed here
.
These opening hours cover the Bessemer Arms (Sheffield Park), King George V Buffet (Horsted Keynes), The Well House (Kingscote), and the Grinsteade Buffet (East Grinstead).
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[From Jim Dorward, who is currently writing a book on Circus Trains]:
"Billy Smart's and Chipperfield's both had 12 elephants thereby needing three elephant wagons each, along with several horse boxes and passenger coaches. No. 4601 is recorded as being used by Billy Smart's Circus in 1971 along with two other wagons for elephants."
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Can't Beat the Beattie
London & South Western Railway 1874 Beattie Well Tank No. 30587 will be visiting the Railway for Branch Line Weekend from 15-17 March, 2019, courtesy of the National Railway Museum. It is seen here on a photo charter back in 2006.
She will be joined by another visitor—02 class W24 "Calbourne"—and, of course, the Bluebell Railway's own small locos.
The timetable for Branch Line Weekend will be different each day. On the Friday, the Railway will operate an increased frequency timetable between East Grinstead and Sheffield Park, featuring shorter trains hauled by a selection of locomotives.
On both the Saturday and Sunday, it will be a case of "All Change at Horsted Keynes" with an intensive timetable of trains between there and both Sheffield Park and East Grinstead and with frequent changes of locomotives. There also will be brake van rides available at Horsted Keynes.
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So, You Want to Be a Driver?
Driver Russell Pearce returns with a fascinating—and sometimes hair-raising—account of what it takes to take the helm of one of the Railway's locos. Click on the "More" hyperlink the read the full story:
In my last few contributions to the eNewsletter, I have looked at the work entailed in preparing an engine for the road and putting it away again afterwards, and I have cracked open the door to give the reader a peek at the work that goes on behind the scenes to keep engines in fettle and placed to provide the service that makes the Railway its money.
This time I want to talk a bit about what it takes to work through the line of promotion and to give an insight or two about the quirks and foibles that the aspirant must get to grips with.
The folk revivalists Charles Parker and Ewan MacColl, in the
1958 BBC Radio Ballad “The Ballad of John of Axon”, capture an old driver saying that “…railways run through the spine like Blackpool runs through rock!” and another saying, “ it doesn’t matter where you come from … you must have to have a leaning for that job …”.
These are sentiments as true now as they were then. This is not to make special pleading for one department of the Railway. The sentiment is probably true for all the parts of the Railway: to be successful at the chosen path, the intending staff member needs to harbour something of a passion for the job. Only then will the inconveniences and unpleasantnesses be endurable ...
MORE.
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FROM THE MOVIETONE ARCHIVE: PADDINGTON, 1950S
Trains in the 1950s (colour; no sound): Paddington, passenger trains, tank engines, goods trains and goods yards, and more.
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FROM THE STEPHENSON LOCOMOTIVE SOCIETY ARCHIVE: NO. 45407
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Warm the Pot
Martin Lawrence's 3 Feb., 2019,
photo shows progress on the overhaul of Standard 4 tank No. 80151. The boiler is being warmed through in preparation for an out-of-frames steam test.
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SETG Update: Energising the Unit
The Southern Electric Traction Group has a new blog update ...
Minions Darren, Trousers, Potter, Lynn and Maggie were in attendance at Strawberry Hill on Saturday for the first work day of 2019, where they made significant progress towards completing the interior restoration of Driving Trailer No. 76262.
After the first order of the day was completed (tea and biscuits, folks – very important) Darren, Trousers and Potter set to the work. The first task of the day was energising the unit; making working conditions for several Minions much more acceptable.
It’s always a special thing to have the lights on, MG running and to hear the shed periodically filled with the distractive sound of the compressor thumping away to itself. As Darren puts it, “it reminds us of what we’re working towards" ....
MORE
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From
The Guardian
: In
a new travelling exhibition
, the significance of the transcontinental railroad, finished in 1869, will be celebrated in a series of images capturing its arduous construction through to its triumphant completion.
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From
Popular Mechanics
: It was so cold in Chicago recently, Metra Rail
lit its tracks on fire
to clear snow and ice from the switches (points). The flames come from special gas pipes buried near the rails.
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Tony Hillman has chosen six John J. Smith images of black Adams tanks in anticipation of Branch Line Weekend.
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Steve Lee's
photo from New Year's Day shows the O1 at West Hoathly station site, the last day of services until Half Term, when we have trains running every day from 16 to 24 Feb., 2019.
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John Sandys' 7 Feb., 2019, set includes progress on the new running shed.
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FOLLOW THE RAILWAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA: FACEBOOK, TWITTER, OR YOUTUBE
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Thank you for reading our eNewsletter. It's because of you--our members, volunteers, visitors, and supporters--that the Railway continues its success.
Please continue to support us by passing this issue onto your friends, family, and/or colleagues by forwarding using the social media links above, or encourage others to sign up for the twice-monthly eNewsletter
at this link
.
If you ever have a question, comment, or contribution, don't hesitate to get in touch with me at
Sincerely,
John Walls
Editor-in-Chief, eNewsletter
Bluebell Railway
© Bluebell Railway Preservation Society 2019
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