Bluebell Railway into East Grinstead DVD

The volunteer-run Bluebell Railway is UK's first standard gauge passenger line, opened to public service in 1960. The steam trains now run through 11 miles of Sussex Countryside from Sheffield Park, Horstead Keynes, Kingscote to East Grinstead. After many years of sheer determination and hard work backed by serious fund raising, early in 2013 the Bluebell Railway was reconnected to the main line national rail network at East Grinstead.

There is coverage of the clearing of over 90,000 tons of rubbish from the Imberhorne Cutting and the final laying of track into East Grinstead. Seeing the first train on 23rd March 2013 and opening of the railway in a snowstorm! A few days later see the first special excursion mainline train run into the newly connected railway at East Grinstead. Our film includes plenty of steam action and a wide variety of large and small locomotives hard at work. Included is full coverage of the Giants of Steam Weekend in the Autumn of 2015.

Filmed and edited by GWP with the full co-operation of the railway. Also available as a BluRay. Special thanks to Davis Allen who kindly provided us with some vital extra material.

Narrated by BBC's Nicholas Owen.

Running time total - approx 75 minutes.

David Mosley |
17/02/2017

Another quality production from Graham Whistler Productions. It will be two years in March since the railway returned to East Grinstead and this DVD covers the reopening day (in some pretty atrocious weather) as well as the work involved in reconnection with the main line railway. The enormity of the reconnection task is covered in some detail and cannot be overstated – after BR closed the line not only was the track removed with almost indecent haste but one cutting was filled in with household rubbish. In all some 90,000 tons had to be removed and banks stabilised prior to track being replaced. The cost was astronomical and met largely through well orchestrated fund raising. The DVD shows several engines at work on this picturesque railway and several locations are used for different trains. Footage of the October 2015 Gala brings the DVD up to date with shots of Bittern running having used the mainline connection at East Grinstead to access the railway.

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