Bluebell Railway
Encyclopedia
The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line
running for nine miles along the border between East
and West Sussex
, England. Steam trains are operated between and , with an intermediate station at .
The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers. It has the largest collection - over 30 - of steam locomotives in the UK
after the National Railway Museum
(NRM) (though the Midland Railway, Butterley, owns more locomotives after the collection overall). The Bluebell also has a collection of almost 150 carriages and wagons, most of them pre-war, unrivalled in the south of England. A project is well under way to recreate a long-lost type of locomotive (a London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
H2 Class
Atlantic
) from a few surviving parts.
The Bluebell Railway was the first preserved standard gauge
steam-operated passenger railway in the world to operate a public service, running 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. The Bluebell Railway also preserved a number of steam locomotives even before the cessation of steam service on British mainline railways in 1968.
2007 marked the railway's 125th anniversary.
2009 marked the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society's 50th anniversary.
2010 marked the Bluebell's 50th anniversary of running services. To mark the event, the railway held a gala over 6–8 August 2010 with all available home engines and two visitor engines.
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 an act enabled the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
Company (LB&SCR) to acquire and operate the line.
The line had six stations, but only Barcombe was within walking distance of a village. Chailey parish had two stations, one at and the other at . It was customary for a rural line supported by a company or individuals to have stations close to the residences of its sponsors. Thus Sheffield Park station was built for the Earl of Sheffield, and Newick and Chailey for Newick Park and Reedens, the residences of two other sponsors. The other stations were at , and . A branch ran from a junction at Horsted Keynes to Ardingly
and Haywards Heath
on the LB&SCR main line.
The 1877 and 1878 Acts included a clause that:
This imposed a legal requirement to provide a service, and the only way to remove this obligation was to pass another Act.
The line was constructed to take double track. However only the section between East Grinstead and Horsted Keynes was laid as such; south of the junction at Horsted Keynes the line was single track with passing loops at stations. The line opened in 1882, with pomp and ceremony.
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.
In 1954, long before the Beeching Axe
, the branchline committee of British Railways proposed closing the line from East Grinstead
to Culver Junction near Lewes
. This was challenged by local residents, but closure was agreed in February 1955 for 15 June 1955, although the line closed on 29 May due to a rail strike. The acrimonious battle between British Railways and the users of the Bluebell Line, as it was known, 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. On 7 August 1956 British Railways re-opened the line, with trains stopping at stations mentioned in the Acts. British Railways took the case to the House of Commons in 1957, resulting in a public inquiry. British Railways were censured, but later the Transport Commission was able to persuade Parliament to repeal the special section of the Act. By this means the line was finally closed on 17 March 1958.
Spring 1959 saw the formation of the Lewes & East Grinstead Railway Preservation Society, forerunner of today's Bluebell Railway Preservation Society. It aimed to re-open the whole line from East Grinstead to Culver Junction as a commercial service, using a diesel railcar, a two-car DMU
. The plans came to nothing: the society failed to buy the whole line; and most local residents were not interested. In the interim the re-opening of the line from Sheffield Park to Bluebell Halt just south of Horsted Keynes
as a steam railway and museum was planned and opened in 1960. This was at first leased, and eventually purchased, from British Railways.
"There was a very heavy squall at the time and the couple would probably have not heard a thing," he said. The coroner said Ronald and Winifred were trespassing and no blame could be attached to any railway worker. Little more than a week after they were married, the couple's funeral was at St Giles church, where they are buried together in a grave marked by a War Graves Commission headstone.
Work has started northwards towards East Grinstead, where the line will connect with the national network. A problem is the former landfill site that fills a 30 feet (9.1 m) deep cutting. Some of the excavated clay has being taken south by rail to fill the site of a removed viaduct and embankment on the old Ardingly
spur. In January 2008 agreement was given to start clearing foliage on the section of the tip between Imberhorne Lane and Hill Place bridges. Work on removing some of the 300000 cubic metres (392,385 cu yd) of rubbish by lorries started on 25 November 2008. In 2009 a trial removal of spoil by rail was carried out and this has continued periodically during 2011 as funds become available; completion is anticipated in 2012. In autumn 2008 work started on site clearance at East Grinstead for construction of the new station about 100 yards (91 m) south of the national rail station. On 4 September 2010, the East Grinstead station opened with trains running over the Imberhorne Viaduct to Imberhorne, north of the cutting, and back until the extension is completed.
The Bluebell Railway has bought the abandoned trackbed between Horsted Keynes and Ardingly. It plans to reconnect it with National Rail and access the London to Brighton line at Copyhold Junction. Ardingly is a rail-freight terminal leased by Hanson Aggregates, with roadstone freight trains operated by DB Schenker (formerly EWS). This makes extension towards the main line unlikely; Hanson has renewed a contract to supply roadstone at the site. The site is also safeguarded by West Sussex County Council for rail freight. Bluebell's priority is to extend towards East Grinstead.
There is speculation about extending south towards Lewes; but the removal of the road bridge just south of Sheffield Park station, the in-filling of the cutting and route under the A272 road, and housing built on the site of Newick and Chailey station makes this unlikely. The remaining undeveloped line from Lewes to Sheffield Park has been safeguarded as a bridleway and footpath.
The stations have been restored to show different periods of the railway's life. Sheffield Park has been restored to a Victorian
ambience, as it would have appeared during the time of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (up to 1922); Horsted Keynes emulates the Southern Railway (1922–1948); and Kingscote echoes the British Railways of the 1950s.
Between Horsted Keynes and Kingscote the line passes through the site of West Hoathly
station, at the north end of Sharpthorne Tunnel. West Hoathly buildings and footbridge were demolished between 1964 and 1967 but remains of the platforms and goods dock are still visible.
The Bluebell Railway featured in The Railway Series
written by the Rev. W. Awdry
. The book was called Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine, with Stepney as the main character, visiting the fictional Island of Sodor.
), with intermediate stations at and . At Culver Junction it joined the 1858 to Uckfield
line (part of which is now restored as the Lavender Line
), thereby gaining access to Lewes. The section from East Grinstead to Culver Junction was closed in 1958, and the Lewes to Uckfield line in 1969.
and Medemblik
, Noord Holland, the Netherlands
.
Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
running for nine miles along the border between East
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
and West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, England. Steam trains are operated between and , with an intermediate station at .
The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers. It has the largest collection - over 30 - of steam locomotives in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
after the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
(NRM) (though the Midland Railway, Butterley, owns more locomotives after the collection overall). The Bluebell also has a collection of almost 150 carriages and wagons, most of them pre-war, unrivalled in the south of England. A project is well under way to recreate a long-lost type of locomotive (a London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
H2 Class
LB&SCR H2 class
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway H2 class was a class of 4-4-2 steam locomotives for express passenger work. They were designed when D. E. Marsh was officially Locomotive Superintendent, and were built at Brighton Works in 1911 and 1912...
Atlantic
4-4-2 (locomotive)
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
) from a few surviving parts.
The Bluebell Railway was the first preserved standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
steam-operated passenger railway in the world to operate a public service, running its first train on 7 August 1960, less than three years after the line from East Grinstead
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is a town and civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex, West Sussex in England near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders. It lies south of London, north northeast of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester...
to Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
had been closed by British Railways. The Bluebell Railway also preserved a number of steam locomotives even before the cessation of steam service on British mainline railways in 1968.
2007 marked the railway's 125th anniversary.
2009 marked the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society's 50th anniversary.
2010 marked the Bluebell's 50th anniversary of running services. To mark the event, the railway held a gala over 6–8 August 2010 with all available home engines and two visitor engines.
History
In 1877 an Act of ParliamentAct of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
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 an act enabled the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
Company (LB&SCR) to acquire and operate the line.
The line had six stations, but only Barcombe was within walking distance of a village. Chailey parish had two stations, one at and the other at . It was customary for a rural line supported by a company or individuals to have stations close to the residences of its sponsors. Thus Sheffield Park station was built for the Earl of Sheffield, and Newick and Chailey for Newick Park and Reedens, the residences of two other sponsors. The other stations were at , and . A branch ran from a junction at Horsted Keynes to Ardingly
Ardingly
Ardingly is a village and civil parish in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty about north of Haywards Heath in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. The village is about south of London, south-south-west of East Grinstead, southeast of Crawley, north of Brighton and ...
and Haywards Heath
Haywards Heath
-Climate:Haywards Heath experiences an oceanic climate similar to almost all of the United Kingdom.-Rail:Haywards Heath railway station is a major station on the Brighton Main Line...
on the LB&SCR main line.
The 1877 and 1878 Acts included a clause that:
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.
The line was constructed to take double track. However only the section between East Grinstead and Horsted Keynes was laid as such; south of the junction at Horsted Keynes the line was single track with passing loops at stations. The line opened in 1882, with pomp and ceremony.
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
Henry Holroyd, 3rd Earl of Sheffield
Henry North Holroyd, 3rd Earl of Sheffield , styled Viscount Pevensey until 1876, was an English Conservative politician and patron of cricket....
entertained the Australian cricket team, with a match between them and Lord Sheffield's own team.
In 1954, long before the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
, the branchline committee of British Railways proposed closing the line from East Grinstead
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is a town and civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex, West Sussex in England near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders. It lies south of London, north northeast of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester...
to Culver Junction near Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
. This was challenged by local residents, but closure was agreed in February 1955 for 15 June 1955, although the line closed on 29 May due to a rail strike. The acrimonious battle between British Railways and the users of the Bluebell Line, as it was known, 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. On 7 August 1956 British Railways re-opened the line, with trains stopping at stations mentioned in the Acts. British Railways took the case to the House of Commons in 1957, resulting in a public inquiry. British Railways were censured, but later the Transport Commission was able to persuade Parliament to repeal the special section of the Act. By this means the line was finally closed on 17 March 1958.
Spring 1959 saw the formation of the Lewes & East Grinstead Railway Preservation Society, forerunner of today's Bluebell Railway Preservation Society. It aimed to re-open the whole line from East Grinstead to Culver Junction as a commercial service, using a diesel railcar, a two-car DMU
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
. The plans came to nothing: the society failed to buy the whole line; and most local residents were not interested. In the interim the re-opening of the line from Sheffield Park to Bluebell Halt just south of Horsted Keynes
Horsted Keynes
Horsted Keynes is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. The village is located about eight kilometres north east of Haywards Heath, in the Weald...
as a steam railway and museum was planned and opened in 1960. This was at first leased, and eventually purchased, from British Railways.
Accidents
On 31 July 1943, newlyweds Ronald Knapp and Winifred Standing were killed when they were pulled under a train from Lewes to East Grinstead. The couple walked along the railway on a dark rainy night. When the train got to Horsted Keynes, the guard found a raincoat covered with blood on the engine. Another coat was found near two bodies in the middle of the tracks. The ganger who found them told the inquest the couple must have been walking with their backs to the train."There was a very heavy squall at the time and the couple would probably have not heard a thing," he said. The coroner said Ronald and Winifred were trespassing and no blame could be attached to any railway worker. Little more than a week after they were married, the couple's funeral was at St Giles church, where they are buried together in a grave marked by a War Graves Commission headstone.
Present and future
The Bluebell Railway Preservation Society completed an extension from Horsted Keynes to Kingscote in 1994, re-laying track through Sharpthorne Tunnel (731 yards (668 m), the longest on a UK heritage railway), and is reinstating the remaining two miles from Kingscote to East Grinstead.Work has started northwards towards East Grinstead, where the line will connect with the national network. A problem is the former landfill site that fills a 30 feet (9.1 m) deep cutting. Some of the excavated clay has being taken south by rail to fill the site of a removed viaduct and embankment on the old Ardingly
Ardingly
Ardingly is a village and civil parish in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty about north of Haywards Heath in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, England. The village is about south of London, south-south-west of East Grinstead, southeast of Crawley, north of Brighton and ...
spur. In January 2008 agreement was given to start clearing foliage on the section of the tip between Imberhorne Lane and Hill Place bridges. Work on removing some of the 300000 cubic metres (392,385 cu yd) of rubbish by lorries started on 25 November 2008. In 2009 a trial removal of spoil by rail was carried out and this has continued periodically during 2011 as funds become available; completion is anticipated in 2012. In autumn 2008 work started on site clearance at East Grinstead for construction of the new station about 100 yards (91 m) south of the national rail station. On 4 September 2010, the East Grinstead station opened with trains running over the Imberhorne Viaduct to Imberhorne, north of the cutting, and back until the extension is completed.
The Bluebell Railway has bought the abandoned trackbed between Horsted Keynes and Ardingly. It plans to reconnect it with National Rail and access the London to Brighton line at Copyhold Junction. Ardingly is a rail-freight terminal leased by Hanson Aggregates, with roadstone freight trains operated by DB Schenker (formerly EWS). This makes extension towards the main line unlikely; Hanson has renewed a contract to supply roadstone at the site. The site is also safeguarded by West Sussex County Council for rail freight. Bluebell's priority is to extend towards East Grinstead.
There is speculation about extending south towards Lewes; but the removal of the road bridge just south of Sheffield Park station, the in-filling of the cutting and route under the A272 road, and housing built on the site of Newick and Chailey station makes this unlikely. The remaining undeveloped line from Lewes to Sheffield Park has been safeguarded as a bridleway and footpath.
The stations have been restored to show different periods of the railway's life. Sheffield Park has been restored to a Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
ambience, as it would have appeared during the time of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (up to 1922); Horsted Keynes emulates the Southern Railway (1922–1948); and Kingscote echoes the British Railways of the 1950s.
Between Horsted Keynes and Kingscote the line passes through the site of West Hoathly
West Hoathly
West Hoathly is a village and civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England, located south west of East Grinstead. In the 2001 census 2,121 people, of whom 1,150 were economically active, lived in 813 households. The parish, which has a land area of , includes the hamlets of...
station, at the north end of Sharpthorne Tunnel. West Hoathly buildings and footbridge were demolished between 1964 and 1967 but remains of the platforms and goods dock are still visible.
Stations
Heritage railway
- Ketches Halt (closed)
- Freshfield Halt (closed)
- Holywell (Waterworks) (closed)
- Bluebell Halt (closed) (closed)
- Imberhorne Lane (halt to be erected in the next few years)
Appearances in films and television
The Bluebell Railway has been used for various films, television and for advertisements.- Sequence in Horsted Keynes Station in North and South (TV serial), 2004, starring Richard ArmitageRichard Armitage (actor)Richard Crispin Armitage is an English actor famous for his roles as John Thornton in North and South, Guy of Gisborne in Robin Hood, and Lucas North in Spooks...
as John Thornton and Daniela Denby-AsheDaniela Denby-AsheDaniela Denby-Ashe is an English actress, best known for playing the character Janey Harper in the sitcom My Family.-Early life:...
as Margaret HaleMargaret HaleMargaret Hale is the heroine of Elizabeth Gaskell's 1855 novel North and South. Indeed, Gaskell wanted the title of North and South to be Margaret Hale.- Descriptions :From Chapter Seven......
: Milton Station. - In 1981, The last and final scenes of the final episode (and finale) of the BBC TV sitcom It Ain't Half Hot MumIt Ain't Half Hot MumIt Ain't Half Hot Mum was a British sitcom about the adventures of a Royal Artillery Concert Party, broadcast on the BBC between 1974 and 1981, and written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of Dad's Army...
(The Last Roll Call) were filmed at Horsted Keynes. - October 1999: the dramatisation The Railway ChildrenThe Railway ChildrenThe Railway Children is a children's book by Edith Nesbit, originally serialised in The London Magazine during 1905 and first published in book form in 1906...
based on the book by E Nesbit. The Railway Children (TV film)The Railway Children (TV film)The Railway Children is a 2000 drama television film based on the novel by E. Nesbit. It was broadcast for the first time in the United Kingdom on 23 April 2000.-Plot:...
was filmed at Horsted Keynes railway stationHorsted Keynes railway stationHorsted Keynes railway station is a railway station in Sussex. It was closed by British Railways Beeching Axe on 28 October 1963 with the cessation of trains from Seaford via Haywards Heath...
using the double-sided Platforms 4 and 5, premiered in 2000. - Sequences for the film Miss Potter starring Ewan McGregorEwan McGregorEwan Gordon McGregor is a Scottish actor. He has had success in mainstream, indie, and art house films. McGregor is perhaps best known for his roles as heroin addict Mark Renton in the drama Trainspotting , young Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy , and poet Christian in the...
and Renée ZellwegerRenée ZellwegerRenée Kathleen Zellweger is an American actress and producer. Zellweger first gained widespread attention for her role in the film Jerry Maguire , and subsequently received two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her roles as Bridget Jones in the comedy Bridget Jones's Diary ...
were filmed at Horsted Keynes. - Sequences for the adaptation of the Philip PullmanPhilip PullmanPhilip Pullman CBE, FRSL is an English writer from Norwich. He is the best-selling author of several books, most notably his trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, and his fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ...
book The Ruby in the SmokeThe Ruby in the SmokeThe Ruby in the Smoke is a novel by the English author Philip Pullman. It was also adapted for television in 2006.-Plot summary:This book takes place in 1872. A sixteen year old girl named Veronica Beatrice “Sally” Lockhart goes to visit where her father used to work, a shipping company named...
starring Billie PiperBillie PiperBillie Paul Piper is an English singer and actress.She began her career in the late 1990s as a pop singer and then switched to acting. She started in acting and dancing and was talent spotted at the Sylvia Young stage school by Smash Hits magazine who wanted a "face" for their magazine...
as Sally Lockhart and Julie WaltersJulie WaltersJulie Walters, CBE is an English actress and novelist. She came to international prominence in 1983 for Educating Rita, performing in the title role opposite Michael Caine. It was a role she had created on the West End stage and it won her BAFTA and Golden Globe awards for Best Actress...
as Mrs Holland were also filmed at Horsted Keynes - The train chase in the 1996 film version of The Wind in the WillowsThe Wind in the Willows (1996 film)The Wind in the Willows, released on video in the U.S. as Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, is a 1996 adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's classic novel The Wind in the Willows , although it differs substantially from the novel...
, starring Terry JonesTerry JonesTerence Graham Parry Jones is a Welsh comedian, screenwriter, actor, film director, children's author, popular historian, political commentator, and TV documentary host. He is best known as a member of the Monty Python comedy team....
and Eric IdleEric IdleEric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....
, was filmed on/along the line. - Scenes for Einstein and EddingtonEinstein and EddingtonEinstein and Eddington is a British single drama produced by Company Pictures and the BBC, in association with HBO. It featured David Tennant as British scientist Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington, and Andy Serkis as Albert Einstein...
were filmed with David TennantDavid TennantDavid Tennant is a Scottish actor. In addition to his work in theatre, including a widely praised Hamlet, Tennant is best known for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, along with the title role in the 2005 TV serial Casanova and as Barty Crouch, Jr...
playing Eddington and Jim BroadbentJim BroadbentJames "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
as a father, with Horsted Keynes disguised as CambridgeCambridgeThe city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. - The 1977 TV miniseries Love for LydiaLove for LydiaLove for Lydia is a semi-autobiographical novel written by British author H. E. Bates, first published in 1952.-Plot:Lydia Aspen, a seemingly shy girl from a wealthy but isolated background, is encouraged by her aunts, her new carers, to discover the delights of growing up...
had brief scenes at Horsted Keynes. It starred Jeremy IronsJeremy IronsJeremy John Irons is an English actor. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969, and has since appeared in many London theatre productions including The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the...
, Peter DavisonPeter DavisonPeter Davison is a British actor, best known for his roles as Tristan Farnon in the television version of James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small and the fifth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, which he played from 1982 to 1984.-Early life:Davison was born Peter Moffett in Streatham,...
, Mel MartinMel MartinMel Martin is an English actor. She has appeared in such British television programmes and films as The Pallisers, Love for Lydia, Bergerac, Cover Her Face, Lovejoy, Inspector Morse, Cadfael, When the Boat Comes In, Midsomer Murders and "A Touch of Frost".She starred as Fiona Samson, the double...
,and Christopher BlakeChristopher BlakeChristopher Blake was an English actor and screenwriter who is best remembered for starring in the British sitcom That's My Boy alongside Mollie Sugden.- Early life:...
. - The 1967 film "I'll Never Forget What's His Name" starring Oliver Reed filmed on the line using the Met' Stock and NLR Tank Loco painted white as well as a "dressed" Freshfield Halt.
- At least two Ken Russell films were made in the early 1970s, notably Lisztomania starring Roger Daltrey. Sequence in that particular film showed loco Fenchurch smashing through a grand piano. Another Russell film, Savage MessiahSavage MessiahSavage Messiah is a 1972 British biographical film of the life of French sculptor Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, made by Russ-Arts and distributed by MGM. It was directed and produced by Ken Russell with Harry Benn as associate producer, from a screenplay by Christopher Logue, based on the book Savage...
was filmed at Horsted Keynes station which was dressed to look like Portland in Dorset. - Dirty Dozen sequel in 1984 used Horsted Keynes for scenes which included Q Class Loco 541 and two of the then full time permanent way gang as French platelayers. Starred Lee MarvinLee MarvinLee Marvin was an American film actor. Known for his gravelly voice, white hair and 6' 2" stature, Marvin at first did supporting roles, mostly villains, soldiers and other hardboiled characters, but after winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Cat Ballou , he landed more...
. - Pop videos include Tracey Ullman, The Pet Shop Boys, Sheena Easton, Runrig, Robson & Jerome. Also Elton John's 'Tumbleweed Connection' album cover picture was shot at Sheffield Park Station.
- Night Train To MurderNight Train To MurderNight Train To Murder is a 1984 British comedy film directed by Joseph McGrath and starring Morecambe and Wise. It was the last work that Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise worked on together before Eric's death in 1984...
(1984), the last TV/feature film Eric MorecambeEric MorecambeJohn Eric Bartholomew OBE , known by his stage name Eric Morecambe, was an English comedian who together with Ernie Wise formed the award-winning double act Morecambe and Wise. The partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death of a heart attack in 1984...
and Ernie WiseErnie WiseErnest Wiseman OBE , known by his stage name Ernie Wise, was an English comedian, best known as one half of the comedy duo Morecambe and Wise, who became an institution on British television, especially for their Christmas specials.-Career:Ernest Wiseman was the eldest of five children, and changed...
made together before Morecambe's death in May 84. Sequences at Sheffield Park were shot at night with Morecambe pushing Wise through the ticket barrier on a porter's trolley and of loco 75027 in steam. Screened on LWT in Christmas 1984, just seven months after Morecambes death. - The 1973 documentary MetrolandMetro-land (TV)Metro-land is a BBC documentary film written and narrated by the then Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman. It was directed by Edward Mirzoeff and first broadcast in colour on February 26, 1973...
by Sir John BetjemanJohn BetjemanSir John Betjeman, CBE was an English poet, writer and broadcaster who described himself in Who's Who as a "poet and hack".He was a founding member of the Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture...
contains an opening scene in Horsted Keynes buffet, and shots in a he Metropolitan carriages. - In 1980 the videoclip of the song "Morning train (9 to 5)" from Sheena Easton was filmed. Bluebell railway and locomotive 488 is seen in the whole clip.
The Bluebell Railway featured in The Railway Series
The Railway Series
The Railway Series is a set of story books about a railway system located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first being published in 1945. Twenty-six were written by the Rev. W. Awdry, up to 1972. A further 16 were written by his son, Christopher Awdry; 14...
written by the Rev. W. Awdry
W.V. Awdry
Wilbert Vere Awdry, OBE , was an English clergyman, railway enthusiast and children's author, better known as the Reverend W. Awdry and creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, who starred in Awdry's acclaimed Railway Series.-Life:Awdry was born at Ampfield vicarage near Romsey, Hampshire in 1911...
. The book was called Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine, with Stepney as the main character, visiting the fictional Island of Sodor.
Line to Lewes
The line originally extended beyond Sheffield Park to Culver Junction (at Culver Farm just south of Barcombe MillsBarcombe Mills
Barcombe Mills is a small settlement and an area of countryside including a local nature reserve near the village of Barcombe Cross in East Sussex, England. It is located in the civil parish of Barcombe in the Lewes District. It is an important area for its wildlife, natural beauty and water storage...
), with intermediate stations at and . At Culver Junction it joined the 1858 to Uckfield
Uckfield
-Development:The local Tesco has proposed the redevelopment of the central town area as has the town council. The Hub has recently been completed, having been acquired for an unknown figure, presumed to be about half a million pounds...
line (part of which is now restored as the Lavender Line
Lavender Line
The Lavender Line is an informal name for a heritage railway based at Isfield Station, near Uckfield in East Sussex.- History :The Lavender Line formed part of the Lewes to Uckfield Railway when it was opened on the 18 October 1858...
), thereby gaining access to Lewes. The section from East Grinstead to Culver Junction was closed in 1958, and the Lewes to Uckfield line in 1969.
Rolling stock
The Bluebell Railway owns a very large collection of heritage rolling stock.Twinning
The Bluebell Railway is twinned with the Museumstoomtram Hoorn - Medemblik, which links HoornHoorn
-Cities :* Purmerend * Enkhuizen * Alkmaar * Amsterdam * Lelystad * Den Helder * Leeuwarden -Towns :* Edam...
and Medemblik
Medemblik
Medemblik is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and the region of West-Frisia.- History :...
, Noord Holland, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.