Our heritage railways have accumulated an enormous wealth of locomotives, items of rolling stock and other paraphernalia – but is this a treasure trove, or an unnecessary burden? One railway has been proactive in grappling with this conundrum: the Bluebell.
“Some people say to me, ‘You just want to burn everything.’ I don’t actually want to burn everything, but what I want to do is get rid of the stuff that makes Horsted Keynes look an eyesore.” So says the Bluebell Railway’s chairman Paul Churchman, one of the driving forces behind the line’s recent review of its extensive collection of locomotives and rolling stock, which has resulted in several vehicles departing for pastures new and – in many cases – scrapping.
But is Paul really the villain some apparently depict him as? Or is the endeavour to make the Bluebell’s motive power and carriage f leet more sustainable and viable in the long term exactly what all heritage railways should be doing?
Too much stuff
As one of Britain’s oldest preserved railways, it isn’t surprising that the Bluebell has amassed an extensive collection of motive power and rolling stock over the last 60-odd years. It has some 37 pre-‘Grouping’ carriages, 19 Southern Railway coaches, and 15 BR Mk 1s, as well as a quartet of Pullman vehicles, plus a large array of goods wagons and vans. It also has 30 steam locomotives on-site in various states of repair, plus diesels and multiple units. In short, a lot of historic vehicles which all need ongoing care and maintenance.
To many enthusiasts, this enormous wealth of heritage vehicles is what preservation is all about – collecting as many relics as possible and saving them from the scrapman. Therefore, there was some consternation when the railway announced in April 2022 that it was conducting a review of its assets with a view to reducing its f leet, and that some vehicles could be scrapped if no new homes were found. Surely even the suggestion of scrapping was anathema to the ideals and ethos of railway preservation?
Paul disagrees: “We’ve got too much stuff, and stuff that will never get restored. As preservationists, is it right that we just keep stuff because it’s ours, and allow it to deteriorate to the point of no return? Or should we let others restore it?”
It’s worth pointing out at this stage that Paul isn’t a dispassionate number-cruncher only interested in balancing the books. He’s been involved with the Bluebell since the late 1980s, when he was a teenager, and is still a volunteer to this day.
Therefore, he understands why some people are con
