Sheffield Park to Horsted Keynes

An opportunity to take a photographic tour along the Bluebell Railway, featuring the stations, signals, signal boxes, and lineside views along the line. The photos in this collection date from the period 1998 to 2018.

There are five collections covering the operational part of the line: (a) Sheffield Park Station; (b) the line from Sheffield Park to Horsted Keynes; (c) Horsted Keynes Station; (d) the line from Horsted Keynes to Kingscote and (e) Kingscote Station.

Signal boxes have separate collections: (a) Sheffield Park Signal Box; (b) Horsted Keynes Signal Box; and (c) Kingscote Signal Box (including the old southern box).

Photos relating to the Bluebell Railway's Northern Extension to East Grinstead are in several separate collections within the Photographic Tours index.

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Further north, standing beyond the gradient post in the previous picture, and looking back south. A drainage ditch is on the left. 09.03.2011 6187
Further north, and looking back south towards the same gradient post from relatively close to Waterworks Bridge. 09.03.2011 6186
Looking south from Waterworks Bridge, with newly laid track in view. 20.05.2018 18361
Looking south over Waterworks Bridge after new track was laid. 20.05.2018 18358
The top of Waterworks Bridge, looking north, after new track was laid. In 1882 many bridges on the line were built to cater for double track, although a single line was only ever provided. 20.05.2018 18360
A closer look at the substantial construction of Waterworks Bridge, with the girders that would have carried a southbound track, although one was never provided. 20.05.2018 18359
Waterworks Bridge looking west. 20.05.2018 18365
Waterworks Bridge looking west. 20.05.2018 18363
This view of Waterworks Bridge, taken from Keysford Lane, looks east. 27.08.2007
This view of Waterworks Bridge is taken from outside the waterworks from which the bridge gets it's name. 34028 Eddystone hauls a service train south over the bridge. 27.08.2007
A dull wet day in March is probably appropriate to picture the water works from which the nearby bridge gets it's name. 14.03.2015 10467
Photographed many years earlier in 2007, this is a closer view of the water works from which the bridge gets it's name. Vegetation often prevents a good view from the train. 27.08.2007
Waterworks Bridge, which carries the railway over Keysford Lane, is also known as Holywell Bridge. 21C123 steams north over the bridge with a lunchtime Pullman. 11.03.2007
Looking south towards Waterworks Bridge on 03.06.2007
Standing at track level just north of Waterworks Bridge this view looks north towards Caseford Bridge. On the right flags mark the site of the former Holywell Halt, which only existed from 1962 to 1964. 27.02.2010 0873
The reverse of the previous view, looking south towards Waterworks Bridge. 17.11.2005
The railway subsequently erected a sign marking the site of Holywell Halt. Unfortunately parking in the adjacent road caused problems and the halt was soon removed. 01.06.2011 1786
Medhurst Farm stands on the eastern side of the track north of Waterworks Bridge, here illuminated by the low November sun. Some of my ancestors lived at the farm. 17.11.2005
Having left the control of the Sheffield Park signalman trains next encounter a signal at Caseford Bridge, where a Distant signal gives early warning of the position of the Outer Home signal at Three Arch Bridge. 03.06.2007
A closer view of the Distant signal at Caseford Bridge. 03.06.2007
A closer view of the Distant signal at Caseford Bridge. 03.06.2007
Looking south towards Holywell from Caseford Bridge. 03.06.2007
The same view at track level, looking south towards Holywell from Caseford Bridge. 03.06.2007
Four years later, in 2011, looking south from Caseford Bridge the daises are in bloom. 01.06.2011 7380
Looking south from Caseford Bridge just after new track had been laid. 20.05.2018 18357
One tends to expect that all bridges carry a nice tarmac road. Unfortunately they don't! This bridge is regularly used to allow cattle to cross the track. Photographers often spend their time wading through mud and other strange smelling material. It's a hard life..... Caseford Bridge 29.05.2006 (This bridge is private property and the image was taken from railway land).
It can be boring waiting for the train to come along, but my pals from Nobles Farm often stroll over for a chat. They normally enquire if the six-wheel milk tanker will be running. 29.05.2006
Looking north from Caseford Bridge. Around the bend trains climb towards Three Arch Bridge. 03.06.2007
Looking north from under Caseford Bridge after new track had been laid. The colour change that marks the northern extent of the new track is obvious. 20.05.2018 18356
The reverse of the previous view looking south toward Caseford Bridge (Medhurst Farm Accommodation Bridge) on a rather dull November day in 2005. 17.11.2005
Two years later they had trimmed the lineside growth. Looking south back towards Caseford Bridge, from the northern end of the cutting. 03.06.2007
Looking south towards Caseford Bridge after the very efficient lineside clearance team had been through. 24.02.2011 6061
By 2011 the improvement in the quality of the lineside clearance is very obvious. Looking south towards Caseford Bridge. 24.02.2011 0182
Looking south towards Caseford Bridge after lineside clearance 24.02.2011 0181
Slightly further around the curve, but still looking south towards Caseford Bridge after lineside clearance 24.02.2011 0180
Beyond Caseford Bridge the line curves towards Three Arch Bridge on a steep gradient. This picture shows the scene before the lineside clearance team went to work. 29.05.2006
A second shot from the same point after the lineside clearance team did a huge amount of work opening up the view. You can certainly see the difference. 03.06.2007
A further view with a longer lens looking north towards Three Arch Bridge. 03.06.2007
Trains run on an embankment as they climb towards Three Arch Bridge, and a large culvert takes water under the railway here. The eastern side of the embankment is seen after lineside clearance. 24.02.2011 6044
Another view of the eastern side of the embankment, with the top of the culvert arch in the bottom right of the picture. 24.02.2011 6046
The eastern entrance to the culvert that takes water under the railway south of Three Arch Bridge. One of the railway's drainage ditches can be seen running south and discharging into the water. 24.02.2011 6050
The eastern entrance to the culvert viewed from the north bank, looking south. 24.02.2011 6055
Taken from the eastern embankment this is the stream that approaches the culvert on the eastern side. 24.02.2011 6049
The same stream, on the eastern side of the embankment, but this time pictured from above the culvert arch. 24.02.2011 6045
This is the western mouth of the culvert, looking north. The lineside clearance team apparently overlooked the ivy. 24.02.2011 6057
This is the western mouth of the culvert, looking south. The lineside clearance team apparently overlooked the ivy. 24.02.2011 6059
The stream on the western side of the culvert. 24.02.2011 6058
Just north of the culvert, this view looks north towards Three Arch Bridge following lineside clearance on the western embankment. 24.02.2011 0186