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[Colin Bishop]

Heresy I know on a model boat website, but as it was a nice day today I decided to revisit the Bluebell Railway in Sussex - about an hour's drive away.

I had a wonderful time! Sheer bliss the way that steam trains just start imperceptibly, no jolts or bangs. Truly, this was the way to travel, just as I remembered it when I was a kid. Same engines I used to see when trainspotting too... Sometimes the good old days actually were the good old days!

[barryfoote]

So true Colin,

I am off to a model railway open day near Estepona next Sunday. My view is that models are models and of interest to most of us...I will report back after.

Barry

[sheerline]

Colin, I intend to visit the Bluebell railway in the near future as I believe they have Schools class 'Stowe' running on that line. Do you know if it is still there?
Chris

[Colin Bishop]

Stowe is in the engine shed and can be viewed but it is not in operating condition at the moment although they hope to get it working in the not too distant future. It's a huge locomotive compared with some of the others - very impressive.

If you visit, it costs £10.50 for unlimited travelling on the day plus visiting the various things to see at Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes. Pretty good value I thought.

[sheerline]

Thanks Colin, it's been donkeys years since I have been there so I'm looking forward to the visit. I wouldn't mind betting there have been a lot of changes over the years, the last time I was there must have been in the very early eighties.
 My interest in Stowe is bourne out of the fact that the whole family have worked for the Southern and it was the demise of steam which caused me to break with the family tradition and go off in a different direction. Schools class locos are pretty embedded in the family as Grandad was a driver and my Dad was a fireman along with uncles and even great Grandfather who himself was a driver way back in the distant past.
I am doing my bit to keep up the tradition however as it is my ambition to get a track layed around the garden and teach my grandson how to drive... as soon as time permits!!
 

[DickyD]

Three of my photos, Isle of Wight steam railway, Swanage steam railway and the Watercress Line. 

[DickyD]

Two more, Lakeside Windermere railway and Kent and East Sussex railway

[RickF]

Chris,

Wasn't Stowe running on the North Norfolk Railway a little while ago? I thought I had some photos, but all I can find are City of Truro in 2005.

Rick

[Colin Bishop]

I think you must have been mistaken Rick. Lots of info on Stowe here: http://www.maunsell.org/virtual%20shed/928/928profile.htm

[dougal99]

Different strokes ....same steam

[sheerline]

Hello Rick, nope, to the best of my knowledge they haven't had a Schools Class on NNR. The only other one I know of is 'Repton' running on the Yorkshire railway and I saw it for the first ime last year. Thats the only time I have actually witnessed this class in steam! I wonder if they have days where you can get on the footplate for an hour or two and do a spot of firing... I got me a big burfday coming up!

[RickF]

Guys, you may be right on Stowe and Repton - I could have seen the later on the North York Moors when the DSM and I went to Whitby some years ago - but I felt sure that a "Schools" had been a visitor at Sheringham.

Rick