My first visit to this railway was in 2009 and I remember it fondly. When my wife wanted to visit Sheffield Park in 2011 I couldn't resist revisiting the railway
1 First thing you get to see is this nice access road with old ads. You really get the feel as if you're entering the thirties.
2 I need not add anything to that
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Via Google Maps I can show you around (I can't stop to marvel about the wonders of the internet, who would have thought this possible 20 years ago?).
A. The access road you saw on the first photo
B. Station Building
C. Administration and Book shop
D. Locomotive shed and workshop
E. Locomotives on the workshop spurs
While making this areal I discovered this new building that wasn't there during my visit. I suspect it to be a
F. Carriage shed (?)
5 This building houses a very well stocked book store.
6 Just breathe the atmosphere!! South Eastern & Chatham Railway C-class No.592 (1902) is running a around its train
11 Every time I see this photo I can't help wondering what this man is thinking. "Boy, am I proud of this railway!"
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15 Just an atmoshperic impression
16 I took the ride to Horsted Keynes
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18 Horsted Keynes proved to be bustling with life. There was a book market and all kinds of visitors in a very joyous atmosphere
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23 The basic setting of this station, the timbre and pace of its time are well preserved.
24 The carriage workshop was open to visitors
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26 Railways served every kind of purpose.
27 Class E4 No 473 has a typical UK, and in continental eyes peculiar looking, 0-6-2 arrangement.
It is a so called "radial tank" designed by Stroudley and built in 1912.
28 No 323 is a member of the South Eastern & Chatham Railway P-class and basically a 1910 update of the more known Terrier class.
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32 I am inclined to give all my attention to the locomotives. This does injustice to the many many volunteer hours invested in the rolling stock. Let's be fair, this carriage simply looks stunning!
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37 A British Railways Standard Class 4MT. It was built in 1951 as part of a nationwide effort of standardizing and modernizing the wildly varying fleet of locomotives the newly formed British Railways inherited in 1948. This programme of standard locomotives comprised 12 standard classes and envisioned replacing older types inherited from its four constituent companies, the "Big Four". It was the last major effort on steam traction in the so called "western world". BR built 2537 steam locomotives in the period 1948–1960, 1538 to pre-nationalisation designs and 999 to its own standard designs. These locomotives had short working lives, some as little as five years, because of the decision to end the use of steam traction by 1968, against a design life of over 30 years and a theoretical final withdrawal date of between 1990 and 2000.
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46 Whatever you may think of the belated effort gambling on the survival of steam, this standard class has a sleek and impressive yet typically British appearance.
47 After some enjoyable hours in Horsted Keynes I took the train back to Sheffield Park
48 In Sheffield park the engines of my train had to run round. In order to keep the tiny 0-6-0 in front of the train, the locomotives ran round individually. By the time I got on the footbridge crossing the rails no 178 had already uncoupled and was making its way through over the points.
49 There it is!
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53 Time for 592 to follow.
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62 To conclude the day I spent the little time I had left to pay a flash visit to the workshops
63 Southern Railway rebuilt Bulleid "Battle of Britain" Pacific No.34059 "Sir Archibald Sinclair" - built in 1947, rebuilt 1960.
64 Some work remains... or is it some remains work?
65 SR Bulleid Light Pacific, "Blackmoor Vale" standing in the shed awaiting boiler-work
