At 11:45 am on Sunday 18th August 2024, the completed Earl Marsh H2 Brighton Atlantic No. 32424 ‘Beachy Head’ was handed over to Bluebell Railway plc in preparation for its official public launch this coming Friday 23rd August, ready for the bank holiday weekend.
The Atlantic which has been on a series of test runs in recent weeks has passed its tests and the hand over ceremony enables the Bluebell Railway to run the locomotive on passenger trains.
The ceremony took place at the south end of Platform 1 at Sheffield Park, and was conducted by Brighton Atlantic Project Chairman Terry Cole, who delivered a first-class speech about the project which has taken the best part of 25 years to complete.
Several members of the project who worked on the design and construction of the loco and behind the scenes were thanked for their hard work and dedication to ensure that a Brighton Atlantic is once again running for the first time since April 1958.
Many supporters of the Brighton Atlantic Project were also in attendance to witness the presentation.
This included the locomotive being blessed and consecrated with holy water by the Bluebell Railways Chaplin, Father David Murdoch, a tradition that has happened to every Bluebell based locomotive that has started its first boiler ticket at the railway since the heritage line first opened in August 1960.
After the blessing, David Jones, the Brighton Atlantic Project Treasurer, presented Neil Glaskin, Operations Director of The Bluebell Railway, with an official certificate handing the locomotive over to the Bluebell Railway plc.
Once the ceremony had concluded, the Atlantic took the working members and its supporters on a special luncheon Pullman train which was laid on to celebrate the completion of the project, this also gave them the chance to ride behind the newest locomotive in the country in premier style.
Looking forward, ‘Beachy Head’ makes its public appearance from this Friday 23rd August.
Tickets are still available to ride behind this locomotive on regular service trains and special dining trains over its 10 day launch festival, which is starting with a special Brighton Works Weekend taking place over the bank holiday weekend, Friday 23 – Monday 26 August.
Not only is there a chance to ride behind Britain’s newest steam locomotive, there will also be a family funfair at the railway from August 24th to September 1st.
Responses
The bluebell is a lovely railway that has progressed in leaps and bounds over the years I make a trip between Christmas and the new year every year.
What a wonderful success for the Brighton Atlantic project and its supporters. Congratulations indeed. Following on from the Grange project success it gives great encouragement to those other ‘new build’ groups, an other railway station preservationists, who are a few years behind but determined to also succeed, P2, G5, F5, B17, Hengist, etc, etc.
Britain at its engineering best!
Dream on, it can become reality.
Richard Tremaine, member of the B17s.locotrust
Lovely-Bluebell at its v best- Nice bunch as well.