LOOKING AHEAD TO THE FUTURE - PART ONE - HERITAGE RAILWAY SUMMER EVENTS

While lock down is still in effect and it's unlikely to be completely removed any time soon we will now look ahead to what might be on later this summer? While it is possible that a lock down may begin to ease soon, it's unlikely that we'll have a complete restart in the coming months, so it would seem sensible to look a little further ahead into the summer and see what is planned for some of our wonderful heritage railways. We will start by focus on some of the easier to visit railways around the south east of England as travelling will still be a limiting factor even when we are allowed out.  Two of my nearest and most accessible Heritage Steam Railways are The Bluebell Railway [East Grinstead - Sheffield Park] in Sussex and The Mid-Hants Railway [Alton - Alresford] in Hampshire.

Bluebell Railway
The events scheduled for April, May and June have already been postponed. We've therefore been looking a bit further ahead and it's going to be the Bluebell's 60th anniversary as a heritage railway. Really hope they can get this staged as planned as it would surely have been one of the most popular events in the 2020 calendar. Always enjoyed my trips here since a youngster, and since 2013 their northern extension which reached East Grinstead meant it was easier to make that visit via Southern Railways services from Clapham Junction.

Bluebell Railway's Diamond Anniversary
"Our heritage railway is turning 60 years old in summer 2020 come along (if we can) and help celebrate all our achievements over the past 60 years, with festivities planned across the railway from 7 – 9 August".  There will be events and activities at each of the lines stations, music and entertainment at Sheffield Park, Horsted Keynes, Kingscote and East Grinstead. The railway will also be running their most intensive timetable ever, with six trains operating on every day of the weekend.

The various stations along the preserved line 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 from 1922 to 1948.
Kingscote echoes the British Railways of the 1950s.
East Grinstead is an amalgam of British Railways of the 1950s and 1960s.

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Mid Hants Railway (Watercress Line)

Been planning a visit here for the last year but during 2019 they had major issues with some road works taking place and the replacement of a bridge so this was postponed to 2020. It's accessible by South Western Railway services to Alton (Waterloo service) which means I can get here fairly easily from Feltham via either Clapham Junction or the Ascot service, that's a huge advantage for me as I no longer drive.
Autumn Steam Gala
Friday 16th - Sunday 18th October 2020
The railway look forward to welcoming you to our three day weekend. There will be steam locomotives operating a varied timetable from 9am to 5pm each day.
Stations of the Watercress Line
The Watercress Line has four stations on the site of former British Rail stations. All feature a passing loop, allowing trains to pass one another, with all but Alton station having two platforms connected via a footbridge.
Alton – at the north-east end of the line. Alton has one passenger platform (two are assigned to South Western Railway), with a cross-platform connection to the town and to onwards services to London Waterloo. Alton effectively has two passing loops, one at, and one just outside the station, allowing trains to pass one another outside of the station and thus reducing the impact of the single platform during intensive operations.
Medstead and Four Marks – the highest station in Hampshire and a depiction of a quiet 1940s Southern Railway station building. The line's Signal and Telegraph department is here, Permanent Way group and Building department. This is where trains usually pass on standard running days.
Ropley – the engineering centre of the line and the location of the locomotive maintenance and running sheds. The station has flower beds and topiary, adjoining is the largest signal box, controlling movements through the station, as well as much shunting to and from the locomotive yard. The ongoing re-signalling project in the area will see a significant increase in the possible diversity of operations through the station.
Alresford – at the southern end of the line is the top visitor station and has the most passenger facilities, including a museum, buffet and two shops. Most of the carriage stock is stored at this station, with Alresford Train Care performing day-to-day maintenance and cleaning of the carriages.