BLUEBELL DAYS

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: june 2023 :: RMTnews 28 The Bluebell Railway gives you the opportunity to travel through 11 miles of glorious Sussex scenery behind a puffing steam engine, but it has so much more to offer. Following the closure of the London Brighton and South Coast line (LB&SC) in 1956, the Bluebell re-commenced train services in August 1960 and still runs vintage steam and diesel trains between Sheffield Park and East Grinstead, stopping at the former junction at Horsted Keynes and Kingscote. As expected from a premier living museum you can meet railway staff in period clothing, see original working signal boxes and step back in time boarding immaculate historical carriages. The Bluebell’s stunning four stations are also preserved in different periods of history including Victorian, 1930s and 1950s. It runs various familiar heritage events throughout the year including visiting engines, family fun days, Santa Specials, Real Ale evenings and dining trains on selected dates. It also runs steam traction days, murder mysteries and, during the winter months, the popular Steam Lights which involves illuminating the beautiful woodlands along the track. Horsted Keynes is very much the hub of the Bluebell, with its multiple platforms it was once a large junction station in the 1930s, with a line branching off to Haywards Heath via Ardingly. There are even plans to re-open part of this line as well. Today, this station has been restored to the Southern Railway period – mid 1920s. This station is particularly popular with film and television companies and used as a location for many historical blockbusters. Horsted Keynes station is currently undergoing further work as part of the ‘Jewel In The Crown Project’ to fully restore historical buildings on the site, however, full disabled BLUEBELL DAYS The iconic Bluebell Railway was one of the first preserved heritage lines in the country CAMELOT: Driver Ruben Smith in the cab of the Camelot steam engine Driver Bob Pamment on the plate