The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for 11 mi (17.7 km) along the border between East and West Sussex, England, run by the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society.[1] It uses steam trains which operate between Sheffield Park and East Grinstead, with intermediate stations at Horsted Keynes & Kingscote.

The first preserved standard gauge steam-operated passenger railway in the world to operate a public service,[1] the society ran its first train on 7 August 1960, less than three years after the line from East Grinstead to Lewes had been closed by British Railways.[1]

On 23 March 2013, the Bluebell Railway commenced running through to its new East Grinstead terminus station.[2] At East Grinstead there is a connection to the national rail network, the first connection of the Bluebell Railway to the national network in 50 years, since the Horsted Keynes – Haywards Heath line closed in 1963.

Today the railway is managed and run largely by volunteers. Having preserved a number of steam locomotives even before the cessation of steam service on British mainline railways in 1968, today it has over 30 steam locomotives - the largest collection in the UK after the National Railway Museum.[1] The Bluebell also has almost 150 carriages and wagons, most of them pre-1939.
History[edit]
In 1877 an Act of Parliament authorised construction of the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway (L&EGR).[3] The line was sponsored by local landowners, including the Earl of Sheffield. A year later an act enabled the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company (LB&SCR) chaired by Samuel Laing to acquire and operate the line.[3][4]

The line had six stations, but only Barcombe was within walking distance of a village. Chailey parish had two stations, one at Sheffield Park and the other at Newick and Chailey. It was customary for a rural line supported by a company or individuals to have stations close to the residences of its sponsors.[4] Thus Sheffield Park station was built for the Earl of Sheffield, and Newick and Chailey for Newick Park and Reedens, the homes of two other sponsors.[4] The other stations were at Kingscote, West Hoathly and Horsted Keynes. A branch ran from a junction at Horsted Keynes to Ardingly and Haywards Heath on the LB&SCR main line.[4]

The 1877 and 1878 Acts included a clause that:[3][4]

“Four passenger trains each way daily to run on this line, with through connections at East Grinstead to London and to stop at Sheffield Bridges, Newick and West Hoathly”
This imposed a legal requirement to provide a service and the only way to remove this obligation was to pass another Act.

Designed under instructions from LB&SCR Chief Engineer Frederick Banister,[5] the line was constructed to take double track. However, only the section between East Grinstead and Horsted Keynes (and thence to Haywards Heath via Ardingly) was laid as such; south of the junction at Horsted Keynes the line was single track with passing loops at stations. The line was opened in 1882.[4]

Goods traffic on the line consisted of local produce; milk, farm products and coal, and timber to and from Albert Turner & Son, a sawmill. The only time Sheffield Park received a substantial number of passengers was when Lord Sheffield entertained the Australian cricket team, with a match between them and Lord Sheffield's own team.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluebell_Railway

© All Rights Reserved

The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for 11 mi (17.7 km) along the border between East and West Sussex, England, run by the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society.[1] It uses steam trains which operate between Sheffield Park and East Grinstead, with intermediate stations at Horsted Keynes & Kingscote.

The first preserved standard gauge steam-operated passenger railway in the world to operate a public service,[1] the society ran its first train on 7 August 1960, less than three years after the line from East Grinstead to Lewes had been closed by British Railways.[1]

On 23 March 2013, the Bluebell Railway commenced running through to its new East Grinstead terminus station.[2] At East Grinstead there is a connection to the national rail network, the first connection of the Bluebell Railway to the national network in 50 years, since the Horsted Keynes – Haywards Heath line closed in 1963.

Today the railway is managed and run largely by volunteers. Having preserved a number of steam locomotives even before the cessation of steam service on British mainline railways in 1968, today it has over 30 steam locomotives - the largest collection in the UK after the National Railway Museum.[1] The Bluebell also has almost 150 carriages and wagons, most of them pre-1939.
History[edit]
In 1877 an Act of Parliament authorised construction of the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway (L&EGR).[3] The line was sponsored by local landowners, including the Earl of Sheffield. A year later an act enabled the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company (LB&SCR) chaired by Samuel Laing to acquire and operate the line.[3][4]

The line had six stations, but only Barcombe was within walking distance of a village. Chailey parish had two stations, one at Sheffield Park and the other at Newick and Chailey. It was customary for a rural line supported by a company or individuals to have stations close to the residences of its sponsors.[4] Thus Sheffield Park station was built for the Earl of Sheffield, and Newick and Chailey for Newick Park and Reedens, the homes of two other sponsors.[4] The other stations were at Kingscote, West Hoathly and Horsted Keynes. A branch ran from a junction at Horsted Keynes to Ardingly and Haywards Heath on the LB&SCR main line.[4]

The 1877 and 1878 Acts included a clause that:[3][4]

“Four passenger trains each way daily to run on this line, with through connections at East Grinstead to London and to stop at Sheffield Bridges, Newick and West Hoathly”
This imposed a legal requirement to provide a service and the only way to remove this obligation was to pass another Act.

Designed under instructions from LB&SCR Chief Engineer Frederick Banister,[5] the line was constructed to take double track. However, only the section between East Grinstead and Horsted Keynes (and thence to Haywards Heath via Ardingly) was laid as such; south of the junction at Horsted Keynes the line was single track with passing loops at stations. The line was opened in 1882.[4]

Goods traffic on the line consisted of local produce; milk, farm products and coal, and timber to and from Albert Turner & Son, a sawmill. The only time Sheffield Park received a substantial number of passengers was when Lord Sheffield entertained the Australian cricket team, with a match between them and Lord Sheffield's own team.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluebell_Railway

© All Rights Reserved

The Bluebell Railway is a 11 mi (17.7 km) heritage line almost entirely in West Sussex in England, except for Sheffield Park which is in East Sussex. It is managed by the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society.[1] It uses steam trains which operate between Sheffield Park and East Grinstead, with intermediate stations at Horsted Keynes and Kingscote.

The first preserved standard gauge steam-operated passenger railway in the world to operate a public service,[1] the society ran its first train on 7 August 1960, less than three years after the line from East Grinstead to Lewes had been closed by British Railways.[1]

On 23 March 2013, the Bluebell Railway started to run through to its new East Grinstead terminus station.[2] At East Grinstead there is a connection to the national rail network, the first connection of the Bluebell Railway to the national network in 50 years, since the Horsted Keynes – Haywards Heath line closed in 1963.

Today the railway is managed and run largely by volunteers. Having preserved a number of steam locomotives even before they stopped running on British mainline railways in 1968, today it has over 30 steam locomotives - the largest collection in the UK after the National Railway Museum.[1] The Bluebell also has almost 150 carriages and wagons, most of them pre-1939.

In 1877 an Act of Parliament authorised construction of the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway (L&EGR).[3] The line was sponsored by local landowners, including the Earl of Sheffield. A year later another Act enabled the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company (LB&SCR), chaired by Samuel Laing, to acquire and operate the line.[3][4]

The line had six stations, but only Barcombe was within walking distance of a village. Chailey parish had two stations, one at Sheffield Park and the other at Newick and Chailey. It was customary for a rural line supported by a company or individuals to have stations close to the residences of its sponsors.[4] Thus Sheffield Park station was built for the Earl of Sheffield, and Newick and Chailey for Newick Park and Reedens, the homes of two other sponsors.[4] The other stations were at Kingscote, West Hoathly and Horsted Keynes. A branch ran from a junction at Horsted Keynes to Ardingly and Haywards Heath on the LB&SCR main line.[4]

The 1877 and 1878 Acts included a clause that:[3][4]

“Four passenger trains each way daily to run on this line, with through connections at East Grinstead to London and to stop at Sheffield Bridges, Newick and West Hoathly”
This imposed a legal requirement to provide a service, and the only way to remove this obligation was to pass another Act.

Designed under instructions from LB&SCR Chief Engineer Frederick Banister,[5] the line was constructed to take double track. However, only the section between East Grinstead and Horsted Keynes (and thence to Haywards Heath via Ardingly) was laid as such; south of the junction at Horsted Keynes the line was single track with passing loops at stations. The line was opened in 1882.[4]

Goods traffic on the line consisted of local produce; milk: farm products and coal, and timber to and from Albert Turner & Son, a sawmill. The only time Sheffield Park received a substantial number of passengers was when Lord Sheffield entertained the Australian cricket team, with a match between them and Lord Sheffield's own team
wikipedia

© All Rights Reserved

The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for 11 mi (17.7 km) along the border between East and West Sussex, England, run by the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society.[1] It uses steam trains which operate between Sheffield Park and East Grinstead, with intermediate stations at Horsted Keynes & Kingscote.

The first preserved standard gauge steam-operated passenger railway in the world to operate a public service,[1] the society ran its first train on 7 August 1960, less than three years after the line from East Grinstead to Lewes had been closed by British Railways.[1]

On 23 March 2013, the Bluebell Railway commenced running through to its new East Grinstead terminus station.[2] At East Grinstead there is a connection to the national rail network, the first connection of the Bluebell Railway to the national network in 50 years, since the Horsted Keynes – Haywards Heath line closed in 1963.

Today the railway is managed and run largely by volunteers. Having preserved a number of steam locomotives even before the cessation of steam service on British mainline railways in 1968, today it has over 30 steam locomotives - the largest collection in the UK after the National Railway Museum.[1] The Bluebell also has almost 150 carriages and wagons, most of them pre-1939.
History[edit]
In 1877 an Act of Parliament authorised construction of the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway (L&EGR).[3] The line was sponsored by local landowners, including the Earl of Sheffield. A year later an act enabled the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company (LB&SCR) chaired by Samuel Laing to acquire and operate the line.[3][4]

The line had six stations, but only Barcombe was within walking distance of a village. Chailey parish had two stations, one at Sheffield Park and the other at Newick and Chailey. It was customary for a rural line supported by a company or individuals to have stations close to the residences of its sponsors.[4] Thus Sheffield Park station was built for the Earl of Sheffield, and Newick and Chailey for Newick Park and Reedens, the homes of two other sponsors.[4] The other stations were at Kingscote, West Hoathly and Horsted Keynes. A branch ran from a junction at Horsted Keynes to Ardingly and Haywards Heath on the LB&SCR main line.[4]

The 1877 and 1878 Acts included a clause that:[3][4]

“Four passenger trains each way daily to run on this line, with through connections at East Grinstead to London and to stop at Sheffield Bridges, Newick and West Hoathly”
This imposed a legal requirement to provide a service and the only way to remove this obligation was to pass another Act.

Designed under instructions from LB&SCR Chief Engineer Frederick Banister,[5] the line was constructed to take double track. However, only the section between East Grinstead and Horsted Keynes (and thence to Haywards Heath via Ardingly) was laid as such; south of the junction at Horsted Keynes the line was single track with passing loops at stations. The line was opened in 1882.[4]

Goods traffic on the line consisted of local produce; milk, farm products and coal, and timber to and from Albert Turner & Son, a sawmill. The only time Sheffield Park received a substantial number of passengers was when Lord Sheffield entertained the Australian cricket team, with a match between them and Lord Sheffield's own team.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluebell_Railway

© All Rights Reserved

The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for 11 mi (17.7 km) along the border between East and West Sussex, England, run by the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society.[1] It uses steam trains which operate between Sheffield Park and East Grinstead, with intermediate stations at Horsted Keynes & Kingscote.

The first preserved standard gauge steam-operated passenger railway in the world to operate a public service,[1] the society ran its first train on 7 August 1960, less than three years after the line from East Grinstead to Lewes had been closed by British Railways.[1]

On 23 March 2013, the Bluebell Railway commenced running through to its new East Grinstead terminus station.[2] At East Grinstead there is a connection to the national rail network, the first connection of the Bluebell Railway to the national network in 50 years, since the Horsted Keynes – Haywards Heath line closed in 1963.

Today the railway is managed and run largely by volunteers. Having preserved a number of steam locomotives even before the cessation of steam service on British mainline railways in 1968, today it has over 30 steam locomotives - the largest collection in the UK after the National Railway Museum.[1] The Bluebell also has almost 150 carriages and wagons, most of them pre-1939.
History[edit]
In 1877 an Act of Parliament authorised construction of the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway (L&EGR).[3] The line was sponsored by local landowners, including the Earl of Sheffield. A year later an act enabled the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company (LB&SCR) chaired by Samuel Laing to acquire and operate the line.[3][4]

The line had six stations, but only Barcombe was within walking distance of a village. Chailey parish had two stations, one at Sheffield Park and the other at Newick and Chailey. It was customary for a rural line supported by a company or individuals to have stations close to the residences of its sponsors.[4] Thus Sheffield Park station was built for the Earl of Sheffield, and Newick and Chailey for Newick Park and Reedens, the homes of two other sponsors.[4] The other stations were at Kingscote, West Hoathly and Horsted Keynes. A branch ran from a junction at Horsted Keynes to Ardingly and Haywards Heath on the LB&SCR main line.[4]

The 1877 and 1878 Acts included a clause that:[3][4]

“Four passenger trains each way daily to run on this line, with through connections at East Grinstead to London and to stop at Sheffield Bridges, Newick and West Hoathly”
This imposed a legal requirement to provide a service and the only way to remove this obligation was to pass another Act.

Designed under instructions from LB&SCR Chief Engineer Frederick Banister,[5] the line was constructed to take double track. However, only the section between East Grinstead and Horsted Keynes (and thence to Haywards Heath via Ardingly) was laid as such; south of the junction at Horsted Keynes the line was single track with passing loops at stations. The line was opened in 1882.[4]

Goods traffic on the line consisted of local produce; milk, farm products and coal, and timber to and from Albert Turner & Son, a sawmill. The only time Sheffield Park received a substantial number of passengers was when Lord Sheffield entertained the Australian cricket team, with a match between them and Lord Sheffield's own team.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluebell_Railway

© All Rights Reserved