I am sitting in the SETG office at Strawberry Hill. The date is Wednesday 4th September 2024. It’s a sunny Wednesday morning. 3417 is sitting quietly in the shed. Buckie is sat next to me at his desk, going through timetables and muttering to himself. I say he’s going senile while he maintains that talking to himself is the only way he can be sure of intelligent conversation. He probably has a point. Our friend Nick is on his way in with goodies to deliver a surprise for our transfer move to the Bluebell Railway tomorrow afternoon. Lynn is on her way in to do some work in the Trim Shop and I am writing this.
By the time you read this, 3417 will be standing at Sheffield Park Station on the Bluebell Railway and ready to work it’s first service in more than a decade. Some of the Southern Electric Traction Group – the Minions – will be there to witness it. But thanks to Real Life, not all of us can be there. Some of us have to work, some of us have commitments elsewhere and some… Some of us have moved on. The two names in our minds on that first journey will be Margaret Abrahams and Gwil Jones. We wish that they could have stayed long enough to enjoy the fruits of their labours. They will be with us in spirit.
To Buckie, Lynn, Darren, Richard, JD, Mick-O, Billy, Jeff, Besty, Bob, Coops, Dan, Dawn The Unskilled Labourer, Foreman Francis, Trousers, Liam, Rob, Sam, Kieran, Mark, New Bloke Dave, Kat, Gemma, Nick, Trevor, Ces and anyone else who I’ve forgotten (because it’s inevitable that I have) – here’s to you all. Look at what you’ve done, enjoy it. Be proud of yourselves. You’ve pulled off a trick that most people said was an impossible one, and what’s more you’ve done it in style.
To our friends inside the mainline and heritage railway industries; we would be nowhere without you. To Roy Watts and his team at the Bluebell Railway, Peter Spokes at the East Kent Light Railway, the staff of GBRf, Network Rail, South Western Railway, Locomotive Services Ltd, Armstrong Powerhouse, RealTime Trains, TBM Rail of Crewe, Unipart Rail, Diamond Rail Services, the brilliant railway artist Tom Connell, High Viz Media (Group) Ltd, Siemens MobilityUK, Jon Veitch, Rupert Brennan-Brown, Porterbrook, Paul Bigland, Ben Jones, Heljan Models, Richard Clinnick, Andy Coward, Chris Milner, Roger Ford and (again) everyone I’ve forgotten to mention who gave their time, advice and encouragement with such generosity – thank you.
To Gordon Pettitt – we hope the General Manager is pleased!
To our supporters old and new; thank you for your faith in us. We said we could and would bring 3417 back to life. You believed us, supported us and bought into the dream of bringing our Old Girl back to life. The first part of that dream is about to be realised. You have helped us bring the larger part of that dream closer than it has ever been; a return to the mainline. Your support is still vital.
Our journey with 3417 is just reaching it’s first station: there is a greater journey to come. Welcome aboard. Take your seats, ladies and gentleman….
https://www.gofundme.com/Returning-3417-to-the-Mainline
