A Day With A Hall On Southern Metals Bluebell Railway 09/08/2024

Hello & Welcome to Harnetty Railways
In this video we make our 1st & long awaited visit to The Bluebell Railway in Sussex.
This had been along time in the making as ever since the railway's extension to East Grinstead was opened to passenger traffic in 2013 we have been thinking about a visit to the railway for a long time & now some 11 years later in 2024 we have finally visited the line.
We start this video at East Grinstead were the railway connects onto Network Rail as we see in the platform the working replica of The London Brighton & South Coast Railway's 4-4-2 Atlantic 32424 Beachy based on the original engine that was withdrawn by British Rail back in 1958.
Beachy head during our visit was undergoing the final loaded testing runs prior to his official public launch into service during the August Bank Holiday Weekend.
A Short time later we see the arrival of BR Built modified hall 6989 Wightwick Hall which she was on a long term loan from her home at The Buckinghamshire Railway Centre at Quainton Road.
We have a round trip behind her from East Grinstead to Sheffield Park.
While on route we stop at Horsted Keynes as we see arrive & departing resident STD 4 tank 80151 working the Victorian suburban set.
We arrive at Sheffield Park just enough time to get out & see 32424 Beachy Head depart northwards.
We have sometime at Sheffield Park which gave us the opportunity to have a look at Wightwick in great detail before we see her off with the 13:00pm departure to East Grinstead.
We remain at Sheffield Park as we see arriving back bound for the sheds 32424 Beachy Head which while taking on water gave us he opportunity to have a look at him in great detail.
With Beachy Head now gone to the sheds we see Wightwick arrive back from East Grinstead.
Here we join her train for the run northwards. Despite the hot weather at the time of our visit we weren't expecting up in terms of performance however 6989 Wightwick Hall & her crew had other ideas.
6989 performed magnificently were on 3 occasions tackling the 1 in 75 gradient between Sheffield Park to Kingscote.
During the journey we encounter 80151 again at Hosted Keynes as we pulled into the station.
The highlight of the journey behind the hall was from Kingscote tackling the 1 in 55 gradient up to the summit at the in bahorn cutting were prior to the reopening of the section between Kingscote & East Grinstead was full of public waste & rubbish before finally coasting down hill via the viaduct to East Grinstead.
We end by seeing 6989 run round her train prior to working the last train of the day.
Thanks for reading enjoy the film.
#bluebellrailway #6989wightwickhall #32424beachyhead #brstd480151

[@SimonTog]

Super video :)

[@TransportVloggerIan]

That Hall was something absolutely naughty, there is nothing more naughty I feel than a GWR steam loco

[@kellyashfordtrains2642]

You could have changed trains and mixed it up a bit with a ride behind the Standard 4 tank engine. Yes, God's Wonderful Railway comes out on top for me, but I also love steamies that are different like 80151. It's good to have variety.