Bluebell Railway: Great Western Takeover | ‘Branch line Gala Weekend’ 10~12/5/24

It's that time of the year again where we visit the Bluebell for their annual 'Branch Line Gala Weekend' where the railway aims to celebrate the smaller locomotives which used to run along this countries rural branch lines. This year’s instalment provided a very intensive timetable with a very heavy Great Western theme, with four GWR engines visiting for this event including two from the Severn Valley Railway.

The first locomotive from the Severn Valley Railway was a GWR Manor No 7812 ‘Erlestoke Manor’. Erlestoke Manor would enter service in January 1939. Manor’s would be primarily used on a many workings across the Great Western network. However, It was not totally uncommon to see Manors run on the Southern Region giving an excellent excuse for 7812 to visit the Bluebell for this event. Erlestoke Manor would be withdrawn from service on the 6th of November 1965, however this wasn’t the end of her story. She was moved to the infamous Barry scrapyard before the wonderful people at the Erlestoke Manor Fund purchased the locomotive and moved her to her new home at the Severn Valley Railway in 1974. She returned to service in 1979 and has been a crowd favourite.

The second locomotive to visit from the Severn Valley Railway was a GWR Kerr Stuart Pannier No. 7714. 7714 was built in 1930 by Kerr Stuart at Stoke. Being based around the Birkenhead area, it would remain in this part of the western region until December 1958 when the locomotive was transferred to Wrexham where she would remain until being withdrawn from BR service in January 1959. Unlike many other engines, 7714 never made its way over to Barry scrapyard. Instead, she would find her way into the industrial sector where the locomotive was sold to the National Coal Board and used at the Penallta Colliery in South Wales. She was passed into preservation hands in 1973 and was bought by the Severn Valley Railway where she’d undergo an intensive overhaul which would be completed in 1992.

Joining the other two visitors from the The South Devon Railway would be a GWR Collett Pannier No 1369. This unique and quite charming little Tank Engine was built in 1934 and spent its entire working life in the western region , working many a branch line in Cornwall and Devon. In, 1964 1369 would be withdrawn from service. Eventually becoming the sole survivor of the class. The South Devon Railway stepped in and purchased the loco in 1965 however it remained out of the spotlight until she returned to steam finally in 1996.

The fourth and final visitor (dispute being based at the Bluebell since 2021) for this gala would be the much beloved Modified Hall No. 6989 ‘Wightwick Hall'. 6989 was built in March 1948 at Swindon Works. Although a design of the Great Western Railway, 6989 is technically a British Railways engine, leaving Swindon Works three months after Nationalisation. 6989 had a relatively short working life as she was withdrawn from BR service in June 1964 and sold to Woodham Brothers scrapyard on 17 July 1964 where she would remain until 1978 where she was purchased by the Wightwick Hall Restoration Group who returned her back to steam in 2018. Becoming the 150th locomotive from Barry scrapyard to return to steam.

Running shoulders with the visiting fleet would be the bluebells homefleet with the talk of the town being 80100’s return to steam! Not quite as 80151 was cosplaying as 80100 after an April Fools joke was posted making people believe that 80100 was returning to service for this event. The actual 80100 remains a long term restoration project and can be found sitting in siding down at Horsted Keynes station. 72 and 65 would also be utilised across the event with the latter performing brake van rides at Horsted Keynes station.

All footage used was filmed 10~12th of May and is no particular order.


Locomotives Featured:

LBSCR Al No.72 'Fenchurch'
SECR Stirling Ol No 65
BR Standard 4MT No 80100 (80151)
GWR Manor No. 7812 'Erlestoke Manor'
GWR Collett Pannier No 1369
GWR Kerr Stuart Pannier No. 7714
GWR Modified Hall No. 6989 ‘Wightwick Hall'







Timestamps:

0:00 7812 & 6989 - Freshfield Bank
1:35 65 & 80010 - Freshfield Bank
2:58 1369 & 6989 - Freshfield Bank
3:57 7714 - Tremains Foot Crossing
4:46 72 & 65 - Rock Cutting
5:55 1369 (Goods train) - Tremains Foot Crossing
6:50 7812 & 6989 - Sharpthorne Tunnel
8:15 7714 - New Coombe Bridge
9:05 7812 - Horsted Keynes Footpath
10:23 72 - South Field
11:31 7714 - Horsted Keynes Footpath
12:28 7714 - South Portal
13:22 80100 -South Portal
14:03 1369 - Birch Farm Foot Crossing
15:07 6989 - Kingscote
16:42 7714 - Kingscote
18:27 7812 - Imberhorne Lane
19:23 80010 & 72 & 65 - Waterworks
19:57 1369 - Sharpthorne Tunnel
21:11 6869 (Goods Train) Sharpthorne Tunnel
22:13 80100 - Sharpthorne Tunnel