THE BLUEBELL Railway’s Giants of Steam gala on October 13-15 played heavily with the line’s Southern heritage, with a pair of Bulleid ‘Light Pacifics’ headlining the show.
Making its first visit to the Bluebell in over 20 years was Severn Valley Railway-based rebuilt ‘West Country’ Taw Valley, still carrying its inauthentic Southern wartime black livery and original Bulleid number, No. 21C127. The locomotive last graced Bluebell metals in autumn 2002, when it appeared as scrapped classmate No. 34045 Ottery St Mary.
The second ‘Light Pacific’ at the event was Swanage Railway-based air-smoothed ‘Battle of Britain’ No. 34070 Manston, still sporting the ‘weathered’ paintwork it has carried since returning to steam following its latest overhaul in December 2022. There was a third Bulleid in steam at the event – albeit not hauling revenue-earning trains: resident rebuilt ‘Battle of Britain’ No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair. The 4 ‐ 6‐2 had made its first loaded test run to East Grinstead two days before the gala, its first run over the railway since October 2011, when it was withdrawn just over two years after its restoration from Barry condition following the discovery of cracks in its firebox.
Three other locomotives with Southern heritage were also in action – ex-LBSCR ‘Terrier’ No. 72 Fenchurch (fresh from its visit to the Mid-Hants Railway, see separate story), and ex-Southern Region BR ‘5MT’ No. 73082 Camelot and Brighton-built BR ‘4MT’ 2 ‐ 6‐4T
