| Starting early doors i headed to London, bit of number crunching to do before heading to Woking for the slammer. Few photo's were had from Clapham Junction due to the dire weather, but by the time i reached Vauxhall you wouldn't think it was the same day! With the big lightbulb in he sky it was the chance to get some photo's of the SWT units with Westminster as the backdrop. After a short while photting here it was time to head for Woking. When i arrived the private charter was just rolling into platform 1, and this was 73109 hauling 3417 on the 1050 Bluebell special from Woking to East Grinstead. So on for the bash i went!! On arrival at East Grinstead the 73 was to run round and propel the EMU onto the Bluebell railway's 'new' metals. The crowds gathered to witness the first train on this piece of track in over 40 years and the beginning of the new rail link from Network Rail at East Grinstead to the Bluebell line. A presentation was held by founders of the Bluebell railway, SWT management and of course Mr Pettitt himself, in which the transfer of £1 was made to preserve the EMU on the line. A small dedication ceremony was held and a plaque presented to Mr Pettitt for his efforts and proffessionalism towards the railway industry and to the celebration of the preservation of the 4-VEP. There is still a lot to do on the line to get it fully connected and up to its full running length, but with events like today the detrmination shows that anything is possible. I would like to personally thank SWT and Mr Gordon Pettitt for allowing me to travel aboard the special train today, all the best for the future. |
158783 0519 Loughborough - Norwich.jpg |
159003 Waterloo.jpg |
159020 Waterloo.jpg |
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3417 4-VEP 'Gordon Pettitt' rests at its new home in East Grinstead.jpg |
3417 4-VEP 'Gordon Pettitt' rests at its new home in East Grinstead.jpg |
3417 4-VEP 'Gordon Pettitt' rests at its new home in East Grinstead.jpg |
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3417 Cab.jpg |
3417 running onto the newly laid stretch of track of the Bluebell Railway.jpg |
4-VEP 3417 sits at East Grinstead.jpg |
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43048 and 222016 rest at St Pancras.jpg |
444022 tails a 10-DES towards Waterloo away from Vauxhall.jpg |
444023 leads a Weymouth bound 10-DES non-stop through Vauxhall.jpg |
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450018 and 5729 approach Vauxhall.jpg |
450039 tails an 8-DES away from Vauxhall.jpg |
450086 forms an 8-DES empty stock move past Vauxhall.jpg |
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450543 with a Weybridge service at Vauxhall.jpg |
450545 leads a Hounslow service into Vauxhall.jpg |
450545 tails an 8-DES at Vauxhall.jpg |
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5704 leads a Teddington service into Vauxhall.jpg |
5848 leads a Windsor service into Vauxhall.jpg |
5905 Waterloo.jpg |
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66705 Clapham Junction.jpg |
66707 'Sir Sam Fay' sits in platform 19 at London Waterloo after being on engineers duties at Clapham Junction for the majority of the day.jpg |
66707 at Waterloo.jpg |
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73109 3417 377146 East Grinstead.jpg |
73109 and 3417 'Gordon Pettitt' sit in the sun at East Grinstead after the arrival of 1Z66 from Woking.jpg |
73109 and 3417 at East Grinstead.jpg |
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73109 and 4-VEP 3417 at Woking ready to form the 10:50 service to East Grinstead.jpg |
73109 East Grinstead.jpg |
73109 hauls 3417 out of Woking Carriage Siding.jpg |
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73109 is propelling the VEP off Network Rail metals.jpg |
73109 waiting to run around the VEP at East Grinstead.jpg |
8002 leads a Reading service into Vauxhall.jpg |
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8028 and 8008 approach Vauxhall.jpg |
Bluebell Chairman, SWT Management, Gordon Pettitt, Mayor of East Grinstead, Bluebell representitive sharing a photo in front of the unit they saved.jpg |
Bristol VR in Southdown colours 'on hire to B.R'.jpg |
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End of the line??.jpg |
Gordon Pettitt nameplate.jpg |
Gordon Pettitt travelling aboard his named EMU.jpg |
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Gordon shares his thoughts about the life and times and future prospects for the EMU.jpg |
Liveries to be seen at East Grinstead today only!.jpg |
On behalf of the Bluebell line a special commemoritive plate was handed to Mr Pettitt for the hard work he had done to ensure the EMU went to a good home.jpg |
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The ceremony begins.jpg |
The continuation of the line will go over the viaduct behind me, continue another two miles until the main line connection is complete.jpg |
The deal is done! Sold to Mr Pettitt for a quid!.jpg |
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The new and the old era's of southern train design.jpg |
Uncoupling the ED.jpg |
