Bluebell Railway: ‘Diesel Gala’ | 6/9/24

Across the first weekend of September, the Bluebell would bring back the highly anticipated diesel gala with this being the first instalment since 2018. An intensive service would be utilised across the event with good demonstrations, double header running and evening dinning services with many visiting diesel traction to support such an intense timetable.

Courtesy of the Swanage Railway and The Class 33/1 Preservation Company, the ever popular 33111 would make the venture over from the Isle of Purbeck to Sussex for her last workings before being withdrawn from service for a full cosmetic overhaul. The Class 33 have become a stable on mainline over the last 60 or so years with many still working on the big railway and in preservation. The Class 33/1 Preservation Company brought 33111 in 1992 and in 2008, she was moved to her current home at the Swanage Railway where she can be seen hauling regular passenger services.

Courtesy of The Severn Valley Railway and The SVR Class 14 Company Limited, D9551 would also make the trek down to Sussex for the gala, built in 1964 at Swindon Works she had a key part to play as part of the modernisation plan of the Western Region. She would stay in regular use until being withdrawn from service in 1981 however being purchased in the same year for preservation.

The next guest on the lineup would be a Class 20 No. D8188 courtesy of The Watercress Line and The Somerset & Dorset Locomotive Company. Commencing operation on the BR network in 1967, it had a rather decent tenure on the big railway, only being withdrawn from service as recent as 1990. The locomotive is most known for its cameo in the James Bond film ‘GoldenEye’ where it was fitted with Russian Armour which was filmed in 1995, not half bad going! In 2021 she got relocated to her current home at the Watercress Line in Hampshire following successful spells at other preserved railways.

One could argue this was the star attraction for this gala as Class 37 No.D6851 ‘Flopsie’ would visit the line courtesy of Locomotive services and is currently the only locomotive from this year’s lineup to mainline certified, for now. Named after the nickname of current owners mother, she originally ran without a name only being named in 2021 at Crewe. However, for me personally the main attraction would be the return of VEP ‘Gordon Peckett’.

Although technically owned out right by the Bluebell, is currently based at Strawberry Hill and being worked on by the amazing people at the Southern Electric Traction Group since 2012 with the aim of returning Gordon Pettitt to the mainline while also visiting heritage railways. ‘Gordon Pettitt’ was officially handed over to the Bluebell at East Grinstead in 2009.

Making its first public service run on Bluebell metals was ED040, appropriately named ‘The Bluebell Railway’. She was officially named ‘The Bluebell Railway’ in 1990 during the official ceremony where BR handed ownership of the viaduct over to the Bluebell, the ceremony itself was filmed and features on the Bluebell on Parade DVD which was largely filmed in 1987. The loco was due to be scrapped in 2004 but instead luckily entered preservation and returned to the mainline in 2013. The loco was officially purchased by the Bluebell in 2022 and has had a lot of work done to her to finally get her operational. A welcome addition to the Bluebell’s fleet.

Locomotives featured:

Class 37 No. D6851 ‘Flopsie’
4 vep unit 3417 ‘Gordon Pettitt’.
BR Class 14 No D9551
BR Class 33 No. 33111
English Electric Class 20 No. D8188
BR Class 09 Diesel Shunter D4106 (Not captured)
BR Class 73 Electro-Diesel E6040 'The Bluebell Railway

Timestamps:
0:00 D9551 - Sharpthorne Tunnel
1:49 33111 & 3417 - South Field
3:38 D8188 - Freshfield Bank
5:06 33111 & 3417 - Horsted Keynes Station
6:19 D6851 - Freshfield Bank
7:17 33111 & 3417 - Sharpthorne Tunnel
8:40 E6040 (68188) - West Hoathly
10:14 D6851 - Sharpthorne Tunnel
11:57 3417 & 33111 - West Hoathly
13:10 33111 & 3417 - Horsted Keynes Footpath
14:32 D6851 - Tremains Crossing
15:40 3417 & 33111 - Tremains Crossing