Thread by @heritage_lizzie

Today in the @Heritage_NGOs #SouthernProgress I visited @bluebellrailway along with @HRA_UK colleagues to talk about all things steam. Such an insight into a fascinating & complex site focused both on visitors and preservation. 2nd largest landowners in Sussex. Come for a look 👇

There are 4 stations each along the stretch of the @bluebellrailway (each set up for a different era) - first station to be preserved is Sheffield Park. This is 1880s & houses some great things to see. This station was also featured in Box of Delights. Still has gas lights!

At Sheffield Park there is Steamworks including some great education resources & hands on exhibits funded by @HeritageFundUK

Here also is Stepney, inspiration for Rev Awdry creator of Thomas the Tank.

On site there is a hugely dedicated volunteer force (the trust & membership organisation are both completely voluntarily run) and the Bluebell plc has a mix of volunteers, apprentices & staff - between them they are passing on skills & constantly repairing & restoring.

Also on site at Sheffield Park is the museum covering the history of the Bluebell & with a rescued & restored signal box.

Our first leg was in a 1950s carriage (various trips over the day show different parts of the collection). The line has only run to East Grinstead since 2013 as a part of the line had to be restored. A cutting had been filled with rubble & lines taken up. This took £5m.

Here’s the project to cut through to East Grinstead. This latest stretch enables people to also reach the end of the @bluebellrailway line by train from London.

Heading back up the line, here’s the beautiful 50s style restoration at Kingscote bluebell-railway.com/the-stations/k… which is the third of the 4 stations between Sheffield Park & East Grinstead.

We stepped off the train at the larger @bluebellrailway Horsted Keynes station to have a look at the restoration works. This station is 1920s/30s and is often used as a film set including for the Woman in Black & Downton Abbey

There’s a miniature railways & some great historical interpretation spaces at the station.

Also at Horsted Keynes is an @ace_national funded play area for small children housed in an old circus van and decorated beautifully along the theme.

The listed arts & crafts station buildings at both Horsted Keynes & Sheffield Park are exquisite and at Horsted it is currently undergoing specialist restoration work.

At Horsted we also had the privilege of seeing restoration work underway. There’s several sheds & conservation areas here. This carriage is being restored after (like many of its type) it was sold for housing. These wonderful photos show how they were transported to a beach.

Restoring and painting these carriages is a particular skill & work at sites like the bluebell ensures it is not lost and is passed down through volunteers and staff. These carriages are currently receiving undercoats. The latter will be restored to distinctive ‘blood & custard’

These metropolitan line carriages are stunners. They were also particularly useful during Covid as they are separate compartments & could be run as distinct spaces for family/household groups while rules were in place.

One of the most exciting areas was the new conservation lab for ‘Trimming’ - a specialist skill for re-upholstery of the carriage seats. Only 2 people had the skill & they passed this on at @bluebellrailway and now there is a volunteer force trimming here for other sites too.

On our return journey this 30s carriage was my favourite. Beautiful spaces, reminiscent of period dramas of my childhood. It’s the Box of Delights, Swallows & Amazons… with big pre-war windows making travel a real viewing experience.

It was such an enlightening experience to get out on the @bluebellrailway & hear about the opportunities & challenges even for a large steam attraction. Cost of living crisis affects visitors & volunteer travel, coal availability is critical with the final Welsh mine at risk.

These sites are putting in climate change adaptations e.g. ground source heat pumps & looking at solar panels. Coal emissions are minimal (cleaner coal has to be used but needs to be sourced). Tourism benefit is huge. These sites are complex heritage landscapes not just engines.

Fiscal interventions such as 0% on VAT for repair & maintenance, support with climate adaptations would help with restoration. The #CultureRecoveryFund was crucial (thank you @DCMS) but emerging from the crisis the landscape is more complex with energy crisis & fuel availability.

Great to hear from @HistPlacesRob 👇