deltic17 Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 Yes - I'm amazed the Bluebell is still open when every other railway seems to be closing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted March 19, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 19, 2020 8 minutes ago, deltic17 said: Yes - I'm amazed the Bluebell is still open when every other railway seems to be closing. It does make the Bluebell a magnet, which is great for their bottom line - but flies in the face of advice about keeping our distance from each other. Train compartments in venerable stock are a bit close! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltic17 Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 5 minutes ago, Oldddudders said: It does make the Bluebell a magnet, which is great for their bottom line - but flies in the face of advice about keeping our distance from each other. Train compartments in venerable stock are a bit close! Yes - I just can't see too many people going in the current circumstances. Lots of people in railway preservation can often be more older as opposed to younger which is the most vulnerable group and it is in all our interests for as many people to stay safe as possible. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Chris116 Posted March 19, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 19, 2020 Only two departures from Sheffield Park with no service to East Grinstead so have to use a car to get there and I think I read somewhere that the idea was that groups who arrived would travel in a compartment with no strangers being allowed to join them. Not sure that I like the reasoning but they do seem to have thought carefully about how to make it possible to run. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Gwiwer Posted March 19, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 19, 2020 Bluebell isn't quite alone. Seaton Tramway and a few others are running this weekend at least and day-by-day beyond that. Each will have considered the advice and how it relates to them. I'm guessing Bluebell will be using the Chesham set as it's all-compartment IIRC which might be an added draw for those who go. There is plenty of open space - we are still encouraged to use open space if we keep a couple of steps away from each other. That isn't too hard most of the time on the Bluebell; within a compartment it would be family or car-groups who have already been in close contact anyway so if there was unknonwn infection it would likely not occur at the railway nor as a result of using it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Chris116 Posted March 20, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 20, 2020 Latest news on the Bluebell website has all trains got 21st & 22nd cancelled. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neal Ball Posted March 20, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 20, 2020 11 minutes ago, Chris116 said: Latest news on the Bluebell website has all trains got 21st & 22nd cancelled. Sensible really 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neal Ball Posted March 20, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 20, 2020 Still no details of the services over the 60th weekend in August: https://www.bluebell-railway.com/steaming-through-60/ I would have thought they would be on line by now... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Chris116 Posted March 20, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 20, 2020 9 minutes ago, Neal Ball said: Still no details of the services over the 60th weekend in August: https://www.bluebell-railway.com/steaming-through-60/ I would have thought they would be on line by now... I would suspect that they are not going to be announced until they can be fairly certain that they will be able to go ahead with the 60th weekend. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold greatcoleswoodhalt Posted March 22, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 22, 2020 News from the Bluebell Railway dated March, 22nd: - https://myemail.constantcontact.com/News-from-the-Bluebell-Railway.html?soid=1108082818574&aid=-HyDGToqjp8 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold greatcoleswoodhalt Posted March 28, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 28, 2020 The Spring '20 edition of BLUEBELL NEWS has been made available online due to the "extenuating financial and logistical circumstances caused by the current Covid-19 crisis": - https://www.bluebell-railway.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Bluebell-News-Spring-2020.pdf Per their post on Instagram, the railway advised that the "standard magazine format will be resumed at the earliest opportunity". The railway lauched an Emergency Appeal last week whilst it has no income. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neal Ball Posted March 28, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 28, 2020 16 minutes ago, jafcreasey said: The Spring '20 edition of BLUEBELL NEWS has been made available online due to the "extenuating financial and logistical circumstances caused by the current Covid-19 crisis": - https://www.bluebell-railway.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Bluebell-News-Spring-2020.pdf Per their post on Instagram, the railway advised that the "standard magazine format will be resumed at the earliest opportunity". The railway lauched an Emergency Appeal last week whilst it has no income. Thanks for posting this. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold greatcoleswoodhalt Posted March 30, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 30, 2020 News from the Bluebell Railway dated March, 29th: - https://myemail.constantcontact.com/News-from-the-Bluebell-Railway.html?soid=1108082818574&aid=AAHwvIiJvBE Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul.Uni Posted March 30, 2020 Share Posted March 30, 2020 The Bluebell News magazine is available to dowload rather than having a physical copies mailed to members due to the current situation https://www.bluebell-railway.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Bluebell-News-Spring-2020.pdf Also the Bluebell have launched the Bluebell Times online magaine https://www.bluebell-railway.com/bluebell-times/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neal Ball Posted March 31, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted March 31, 2020 The railway has just launches a new newsletter for the period when the railway is closed. https://www.bluebell-railway.com/bluebell-times/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neal Ball Posted April 27, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted April 27, 2020 Morning all, There is another issue of the Bluebell Times... https://www.bluebell-railway.com/bluebell-times/ This is issue 3 "A Newsletter for Bluebell Railway Members, Staff and Supporters" I found it from a link on the "what's new" page run by Richard Salmon. I have therefore sent an email to the chairman complaining that if its for members / supporters etc. why didn't I get an email to tell me about it... this is issue 3, issue 2 is available, but who knew! Sadly the Bluebell is falling behind other railways with their emergency fund, giving the impression they dont need the money. So far the Bluebell has raised just over £30k; Talyllyn £65k and the Severn Valley £565,000 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ahbrazier Posted April 27, 2020 Share Posted April 27, 2020 That is indeed very distressing news. I myself live near the Bluebell, and would hate for it to close. However, I must point out that the Bluebell still has more money than some other railways that I know of, such as the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, the Llangollen Railway and the Spa Valley Railway. Also, since I used to be madly in love with Thomas the Tank Engine, I am still relieved that the Talyllyn Railway, where the Reverend Awdry was a member, and where the origins for several of Thomas's friends was born, is doing well - but I'd still hate to lose Stepney! In addition, I am doing a bit of fundraising of my own - I intend to (virtually) row the distance of the English Channel in order to raise money for the railway. The link can be found here if you are interested in supporting this: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-portal/fundraiserPage?pageId=1164230. If anyone wishes to, they are more than welcome to like this post, share it and support me. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neal Ball Posted April 27, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted April 27, 2020 I too would hate to lose the railway and in all honesty, I doubt there is any prospect of that happening. I just think they are a bit slow off the mark. Hopefully their fund raising drive will start shortly. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold greatcoleswoodhalt Posted April 27, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 27, 2020 4 minutes ago, Neal Ball said: I just think they are a bit slow off the mark. I would agree and possibly less innovative - the Swanage Railway held a Virtual Diesel Gala on Facebook over the weekend - the event page reached 32,000 people alone. As of yesterday (26th), they've received £132,362 since the start of the pandemic. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neal Ball Posted April 27, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted April 27, 2020 1 minute ago, jafcreasey said: I would agree and possibly less innovative - the Swanage Railway held a Virtual Diesel Gala on Facebook over the weekend - the event page reached 32,000 people alone. As of yesterday (26th), they've received £132,362 since the start of the pandemic. Great news about the Swanage. There was another post on Twitter from the Talyllyn this morning, which is now up to £68k 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neal Ball Posted May 9, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted May 9, 2020 There is another issue of Bluebell Times out, which makes an interesting read. This is the 4th lockdown issue. I received notification from Twitter, still nothing from the railway! https://www.bluebell-railway.com/bluebell-times/ It is now official that the 60th anniversary weekend is postponed until next year. Instead there will be a virtual gala over the weekend of 7th /8th August. The railway is now kick starting their Covid appeal and asking for donations. https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/displayCharityCampaignPage.action?charityCampaignUrl=support-bluebell This appeal currently stands at £47k It was hoped that the railway could open again in July or August, but I would say this is very unlikely. End of the year, or even early next year could be more realistic for all the steam railways. But it’s anyone’s guess at the moment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold greatcoleswoodhalt Posted May 17, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 17, 2020 News from the Bluebell Railway dated May, 17th: - https://myemail.constantcontact.com/News-from-the-Bluebell-Railway.html?soid=1108082818574&aid=xXP2vuLcfhs 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bomag Posted May 17, 2020 Share Posted May 17, 2020 I'ts sad to see the 60th bash being postponed, even thought they did have another 2 months after the Middleton 60th anniversary to fit it in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neal Ball Posted May 18, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted May 18, 2020 7 hours ago, Bomag said: I'ts sad to see the 60th bash being postponed, even thought they did have another 2 months after the Middleton 60th anniversary to fit it in. To be honest it’s better that it is. With the workshops closed for such an extended period, it will be better to concentrate on day to day running rather than a huge push for a gala and all locos in steam. Of course it remains to be seen when or if the railway could open this year..... Next year will also mean potentially a visiting loco could arrive down the main line, hopefully the line north of East Grinstead will be back in use. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neal Ball Posted May 23, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted May 23, 2020 The next issue of the Bluebell Times is now available: https://www.bluebell-railway.com/bluebell-times/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now