This website has been archived from TrainWeb.org/pleg to TrainWeb.US/pleg.

Preserved Locomotive Enthusiasts Group

"The East Sussex ED" at the Lavender Line - Sunday 23rd February 2003

Review and photos courtesy of Six Bells Junction.

This event was primarily arranged to provide participants with an opportunity of having 73140 on a booked turn at the Lavender Line. This loco has been working at the railway on an ad hoc basis since last year.  However with people coming from as far a field as Lancashire, Yorkshire and Somerset, something a little more concrete was required to provide the incentive for a long trip.  09004 and 03037 were also requested to add a little spice, and for those that missed them at the Stevenage Locomotive Society (SLS) event that ran almost exactly a year ago.

The mode of operation was as follows (times are approximate!):  The distance between Isfield and Dingley Dell is c.3/4 mile.  Some trips reversed at the engine shed Jcn and returned to Dingley Dell once, before then heading back into the platform at Isfield.

11:00-12:00    73140 on load three, propelling to Dingley Dell and hauling back to Isfield.  This train was in and out of platform 2 at Isfield.  03037 provided cab rides from platform 1 to the engine shed and return.

12:00-12:30    09004 on load one and a brake van, hauling to Dingley Dell and propelling back to Isfield.  This train was in and out of platform 1 at Isfield. 

12:30-12:45    03037+09004 in a pair, both locos were on the Dingley Dell end and thus hauled the train to Dingley Dell and propelled the train back into platform 1 at Isfield.  03037 provided power to Dingley Dell, whilst 09004 propelled the train back to Isfield.

12:45-13:30     03037 on load one and a brake van, hauling to Dingley Dell and propelling back to Isfield.  This train was in and out of platform 1 at Isfield.

13:30-etc    73140 on load three, propelling to Dingley Dell and hauling back to Isfield.  This train was in and out of platform 2 at Isfield.  09004 provided cab rides from platform 1 to the engine shed and return.

...and so on.

(Steve Cassidy adds :)
1345-1410 - Planet Shunter (the yellow loco in the background of the final photo) and 03037 in tandem to Dingley Dell and back. Planet hauled the train to Dingley Dell, and then 03037 propelled back to Platform 1, using DMU and Brakevan as per previous shunter trips.

1410-????  - 73140 on load three, propelling to Dingley Dell and hauling > back to Isfield.  This train was in and out of platform 2 at Isfield.  Planet shunter provided cab rides from platform 1 to the engine shed and return.

As with all our events so far all locos advertised to work produced on the day and we thank the engineering departments and owners at the Lavender Line for providing the locos as booked.  Understanding that most haulage enthusiasts endeavour to have the locos on passenger stock we also thank the Lavender Line for their flexibility in swapping the locos around.  In fact whatever was requested they provided!

Numbers for the event were healthy, Whilst I was there I would estimate that there were c.80 passengers, although it was hard to tell as their excellent buffet was tempting people off the trains and into there for a 'full English' whenever I tried to do a head count on the train!

Finally, we were blessed with excellent weather for the event, it was a lovely sunny day.

Thank you to all at the Lavender line, especially Rod Peters, without Rod the day simply wouldn't have happened.

Ian Loveday

A selection of photos during the day.

03037 is started up at the start of the day, 09004 is behind it.

09004 & DMU car 59511 (used on the day behind the gronks).

73140 ready to start the day.

...attempts to resurrect 73004 for use on the day didn't go too well...

"First coach view" behind 03037 as it left Isfield station.