South East Bluebell Railway, West Sussex

The Bluebell Railway was one of the first preserved heritage lines in the country, resulting in one of the finest collections of vintage steam locomotives and carriages – many of which were preserved straight out of service from British Railways.

The railway runs between Sheffield Park and East Grinstead with stations at Horsted Keynes and Kingscote. The map below is taken from the Bluebell Railway website.

History of the line

An Act of Parliament in 1877 authorised construction of the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway (L&EGR). 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. This map was published in The Railway Magazine, October 1954.

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 usual for a rural line supported by a company or individuals to have stations close to the residences of its sponsors. 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.) 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.

The Acts included a clause that four passenger trains run daily each way with through connections at East Grinstead to London. It was the straightest and quickest route from Lewis to London. Originally intended to be double track, only the section between East Grinstead and Horstead Keynes was double. The rest were single track with passing loops. The line opened in 1882.

Goods traffic on the line consisted of local produce - milk, farm products, coal and timber taken to and from Albert Turner & Son sawmill, as well as newspapers. 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.

The line closed in 1955 despite being challenged by local residents. An acrimonious battle between British Railways and the users of the Bluebell Line ensued, and lasted three years.

Shortly after closure, Margery Bessemer of Chailey discovered in the 1877 and 1878 acts the clause relating to the "Statutory Line", and demanded British Railways reinstate services. British Railways reopened the line on 7th August 1956, with trains stopping at stations mentioned in the acts. They took the case to the House of Commons in 1957, resulting in a public inquiry. British Railways were censured, but later the Transport Commission persuaded Parliament to repeal the special section of the actallowing the line to be closed on 17 March 1958

In March 1959 a group met in Ardingly and formed the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway Preservation Society and £940 was raised in donations to start the society. At a vote at the meeting, the society changed its name to the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society.

The society's initial aim was to reopen the whole line from East Grinstead to Culver Junction as a commercial service, using a two-car DMU. The plans came to nothing as the society failed to buy the whole line, and local residents were not interested. The committee then recommended a stretch of track between Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes could be run as a tourist attraction, with vintage locomotives and stock operated by unpaid volunteer staff.

The line opened, in 1960 running from Sheffield Park to Bluebell Halt, 100 yards south of Horsted Keynes and reached Horsted Keynes in 1962.

The society purchased the freehold of the demolished West Hoathly station in 1975 and Kingscote station the following year. The Secretaries of State for the Environment and Transport gave planning permission and a Light Railway Order for an extension to East Grinstead in 1985.

The extension from Horsted Keynes to Kingscote was completed by 1994, which included relaying track through Sharpthorne Tunnel, which at 731 yards is the longest on a UK heritage railway. The remains of platforms and goods dock are still visible at the site of the demolished West Hoathly station at the north end of the tunnel.

The society had always planned to work northwards towards East Grinstead, where the line would connect with the national network. BR donated Imberhorne Viaduct to the railway in 1992, but the purchase of the final pieces of the then privately owned track bed north to East Grinstead, was only completed in 2003.

Work began in 2008 with site clearance and the construction of a new station at East Grinstead, just south of the National Rail station. Dame Vera Lynn launched a £3.8 million appeal at the Railway’s 50th Anniversary weekend of the opening of the line, towards rebuilding the line to East Grinstead. The last section of track was opened in 2013.

The railway is eleven miles long and runs through the rural West Sussex countryside, although cuttings, hedges and woodland can estrict views.

website

cont...

 

[Eleanor]

Bluebell Railway cont - A trip from Sheffield Park to East Grinstead

Sheffield Park Station is the southern terminus of the Bluebell Railway and stands on the line of the Greenwich Meridian.

It has been restored to what it might have been like when first opened. It is a large and impressive station still retaining the 1882 brick built station buildings with the original booking office.

It still has two platforms connected by a footbridge and signal box on the platform This was a popular feature of small rural stations where the signalman could also double up as a porter. There is a very good small museum, shop, refreshment kiosk and the Bessemer Arms pub in a purpose built building by the booking hall, and named in memory of Margery Bessemer.

The locomotive workshops are here as well as Steam Works! Many of the Railway’s locomotives can be seen here, including Stepney, who featured in the Thomas the Tank Engine books written by Rev W Awdry. There are interactive displays, driving experience simulator as well as being allowed onto the footplate of many of the locos.

Leaving Sheffield Park, the line runs through rolling agricultural countryside with sheep, cows and a lot of deciduous woodland. In late October trees were changing colour.

Horsted Keynes Station is a large and impressive station with five platforms. It was the junction for the line via Ardley which connected with the line to Brighton. It was always busy with services, although being one and a half miles from Horsted Keynes, was less busy with passengers. It is still used for crossing on days when two or more trains are running.

It has been restored to what it might have looked like in the 1930s with the green and cream colours of the Southern Region. It still retains the large brick built station master’s house.

It has a water tower and large signal box on the approach to the station.

The carriage works and wagon department are based here and locos and rolling stock can be seen on the sidings, including derelict locos awaiting restoration. There is also a large railway crane.

The line continues running through attractive countryside with the remains of platelayer’s huts along the side of the track.

Sharpthorne Tunnel, is the longest on a preserved railway.

Little remains of West Hoathly Station at the other end, which was demolished in 1967.

Hops traditionally were grown over large areas of Kent and East Sussex but have now disappeared to be replaced by vineyards.

Kingscote Station is a typical country station miles away from any settlement and was always the least used station along the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. It had litte passenger traffic and most of its revenue came from goods traffic. It still has extensive sidings along with goods shed, cattle pen and wagons including a banana van. Bananas werre transported in refrigerated holds. When unloaded after a long sea journey, they were transferred to insulated and heated wagons to begin the ripening process before being sold.

There is a station heritage trail.

The station has been restored to its 1950s appearance and still feels very much a small rural station with a signal box. The original signal box was demolished and this has been moved here from Brighton.

It has a splendid brick built station master’s house and platform on the ‘down’ side with a simple shelter for the ‘up’ platform

Leaving the station, there are more wagons and locomotive boilers awaiting attention in the sidings.

It is a short pleasant run through the trees to East Grinstead.

East Grinstead Station was always an important junction with both high level and low level platforms serving the London to Lewis line and the cross country Horsham to Tunbridge Wells line. High level station was closed after the line to Lewis and the cross country line were closed. Network rails now uses the low level platforms. Most of the original buildings have been demolished and replaced by a new modern station frontage.

The Bluebell railway had to build a new platform and station building just to the south of the existing platform, with connections to Network Rail.

The Bluebell Railway station is a simple shelter, again painted in the green and cream colours of the Southern Railway.

Locos run round here and there is a water tower.