Bluebell Railway Giants of Steam Gala 2025 | 18th October 2025

Описание: Given its Rail200 this year and we have had many achievements over the past years in Steam Heritage, the Bluebell Railway took on the challenge of gathering all new build steam locomotives at the railway for their annual Giants of Steam Gala. I was keen to visit to tick off another heritage line (I had visited years ago but wanted to have it as a recording).

The newest addition to the Bluebell Railway's home fleet, LBSCR H2 32424 'Beachy Head' was the starting point for the gala, this locomotive was completed in 2024 at the railway. There are 3 other new builds that were to join Beachy Head, them being 60163, 6880 and 2999.

60163 'Tornado' was the first of the new wave of new steam locomotives as it was completed in 2008, being the first locomotive built since the end of steam in 1968, also the first mainline steam locomotive too.

A more recent locomotive, 2999 'Lady of Legend' was also to join the line-up. This locomotive being completed in 2019 at the Didcot Railway Centre filled in the missing gap of a preserved GWR Saint Class, the number being the next one up if it was built in the steam era.

The final new build and the second most recent one is 6880 'Betton Grange'. This locomotive was completed in the same year as Beachy Head, 2024! This build was finished at Tyseley Loco Works near Birmingham, to which this build started at the Llangollen Railway. I have seen this locomotive many of times since its introduction to service to seeing it again somewhere else was brilliant to see.

The 4 locomotives were all that operated, no other of the Bluebell fleet joined in the action as this was to be focusing on all things New. Though their resident Class 73 was to help out with shunting at Sheffield Park.

At 3:15pm on the Saturday (the day I visited), a line-up of all four locomotives took place at Horsted Keynes station on the East Grinstead bound side of the platforms. A half hour gap in the timetable gave way for the photo opportunity and also all services were to be at the station so almost everyone got a chance to see the line-up in the adjacent meadow, some were unfortunate arriving on later services. This line-up is captured as best as I could in the crowds of 1000 people (well what it felt like 1000).

Visiting Locomotives:
LNER A1 - 60163 'Tornado' (visiting from the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust)
GWR Grange - 6880 'Betton Grange' (visiting from the Betton Grange Society)
GWR Saint - 2999 'Lady of Legend' (visiting from Didcot Railway Centre)

Home Locomotives:
LBSCR H2 - 32424 'Beachy Head'
*Class 73 - E6040 'The Bluebell Railway' (on shunt manoeuvres at Sheffield Park)

(*) Not Featured in this video

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