Saturday 2nd November

Yet another away day for the gang saw 9 members descend upon the Bluebell Railway to visit their Pway counterparts, and to travel on the new extension to East Grinstead (unfortunately the western 'Cole Manor' failed on shed, so was unable to attend). The early arrivals at Horsted Keynes were invited into the Carriage Workshops, and given a guided tour of this most impressive facility and the current restoration projects, before heading over to the Pway department mess for refreshments.

Stanier Black Five 'Sherwood Forester' enters Horsted

Keynes Station hauling the first service train of the day. 

There followed a trip on the first service train of the day through to East Grinstead, where the new facilities were inspected, before departing back to Kingscote on a track walk across the viaduct and through the infamous Imberhorne Cutting.  The scale of the effort and work involved to clear the cutting of waste material was admired by all, and the Railway have to be congratulated on this outstanding achievement.

The gang are given a safety briefing at East Grinstead

before departing on the track walk back to Kingscote.

The impressive Imberhorne Viaduct.

Imberhorne Cutting.

The gang pose for a photograph at the summit of the line
in Imberhorne Cutting.

Boarding the service train again at Kingscote, the gang returned to Horsted Keynes for lunch, before taking a trip down the line to Sheffield Park to view the lottery funded museum and carriage shed. An added bonus was the arrival and subsequent departure of a main line special train hauled by the Britannia Class pacific 'Oliver Cromnwell' (originating from Bridgnorth on the Severn Valley Railway), before they returned to Horsted Keynes on the last service train at the end of a very enjoyable day. Many thanks are extended to their Bluebell Pway friends Jon Bowers and David Chappell for their hospitality, and accommodating the wishes of the gang to see the different parts of the Railway.