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Bluebell Railway
Branch-Line Weekend 2005
The annual Branch Line event was
once again blessed with no less than six engines from the Bluebell. The star of
the occasion was the first public viewing of the E4 class locomotive displaying its
newly acquired British Railways black livery. No.32473 will be displaying these
colours for 2005 only and will feature heavily in the celebrations that mark the
50th Anniversary of the lines first closure in 1955.
Terriers Stepney No.55 & Fenchurch
No.672 in their LBSCR livery along with O1 No.65, Normandy No.96 and
Earl of Berkeley No.9017 all hauled passenger services over the weekend. A
special event that attracted a lot of attention was the morning Milk train
consisting of two Southern Railway Maunsell coaches and a Milk tanker built in 1933
at Lancing. The two day event was bridged by a special evening
photographic session at Horsted Keynes station featuring the E4 Milk train and Earl
of Berkley along with a British Railway Road Van built in 1951.
All of this was topped off only as the Bluebell can with an
Evening film show, Tours of the Carriage shed, the
4COR Motor Coach on display at Horsted Keynes and on the first day only, a Brighton
Motor Train of just a Terrier locomotive and Observation car, recalling the
early days of economy drives on the Bluebell line.
Lastly a mention for all the
magnificent coaching stock on display behind the locomotives, again each
representing their place in history of the Branch line.
The next three of pages of
photographs were taken in very changeable weather conditions with overcast
skies and sunshine on the first day, followed by repeated snow blizzards and
brilliant sunshine on the Sunday.
(Click on image to enlarge)
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