bluebell railway

We spent a Sunday afternoon on board Christine, a wonderfully restored dining carriage. Pulled by the Golden Arrow Steam Engine. Here we were served the best Sunday lunch we have had out ever. The food was excellent and you had a choice of menu. All the food was freshly cooked on board the train. I would like to commend the waiting staff, here was team work at its best. The service was incredible working together in such confined moving space, not a foot wrong and to serve soup from a tureen that is hot too handle and not spill any in the process. Well done and thank you to all the staff on board the Golden Arrow on the 1st March

All four of us went again. Great train rides and so encouraging to visit the new part of the line at East Grinstead. The 'tunnelling through the long cutting of land-fill was a real feat to achieve it. Well done Bluebell Line for making it. Only disappointment is that over the years we can see the 'health and safety' brigade at work as you can no longer walk round the engines outside the shed at Sheffield Park. What a shame as we used to love that part of our visit.Apart from that 10/10 for a terrific day out.

The toy and train fair is a excellent day out. But if you go on a normal weekend you still have a great day out. A great relaxing day out and full of nostalgia to take you back in time.

Such a lovely railway always enjoy visiting. So much to see and there is always the carriage shed to have a look around and see the locomotives.

Four of us (adults) tried this in March 2015. £17.00 per person. So a £68.00 for four this is deffo NOT a cheap afternoon out. Thats the bad side. The plus's are - if going from East Grinstead you can park for 3 hours for nothing in Sainsburys car park. The round trip to Sheffield Park is about 45 mins e/way, so you will struggle to keep under 3 hours if you really want to get your monies worth. The authenticity is fantastic. Attention to detail and some of the renovations superb. The museum at Sheffield Park on the platform is comprehensive and I would say minimum hour to peruse properly. We did not see this due to time restraints. Our tickets were for 3rd Class travel. This was actually fine as the 3rd class carriage means no corridor, therefore you get the compartment to yourself. We weren't offered any options when buying, just thought it was one price. Biggest downside is you cant bottle the smell !!!!!! Brings back fantastic memories. The cafe at Sheffield Park was disappointing. No really olde worlde and resembled a plastic cafeteria internally. The female staff weren't very friendly compared to the splendid platform staff/volunteers who were fabbo.

We went on the Bluebell Line train from Sheffield Park to East Grinstead on a wet February day and it was a lovely day out despite the weather. There is a cafe and very interesting museum as well as the trip on a steam train. We went first class, while expensive, it was very comfortable and for those that can remember a real reminder of commuting in the early 1970 s!

My daughter and her two children and I enjoyed our journey from Sheffield Park and East Grinstead, on these old train, it was a trip down memory lane for me, although some of the trains rather shabby now, everything authentic and a reminder of how train travel was, very civilised. My criticism is it was rather expensive, and sadly as is often the case these days the gift shop was the main way out, and the children could find little they could afford that wasn't plastic rubbish. Shame, because everything else was fun. Didn't try the food.

We love steam trains and we haven't been on this route for many years. Well organised and lots to see. The museum at Sheffield Park, which was our starting point was great. Lots of free parking and a pub on the platform that served all sorts of food and drink.

Our family are big fans of the Bluebell. There's a lot to do there, certainly more than a train ride, although the 22 mile round trip has gorgeous views. Even on a normal weekend, there are often 4 locos in steam so the stations are a hive of activity...The museum at Sheffield Park is well worth 30 mins of your time; there's a small model railway for the kids to enjoy and an old signal box where you can pull the levers! :)It's quite pricey, but it is a full day out, especially if you stop at one of the intermediate stations. Also, in the February and October half terms, kids go for £1. If you are looking to go more than 3 times in one year, get the membership which entitles you to half price travel :)The food from the Bessemer Arms is good value and tasty, the kids lunch packs are full of food and my two ate the lot.

Our second trip in the last year, and we were not disappointed. The service was better than in many restaurants and the food was excellent in both quality, quantity and served on hot plates which in a lot of restaurants is a forgotten art. Our roast sirloin of beef was done to perfection and the service provided by Shirley and her team was faultless. Don't pass up the opportunity to sample this fantastic service on the Bluebell railway in glorious Sussex countryside.

I took my family here today (Feb 18th) as my oldest son LOVES steam trains. It was exceptional. We joined at East Grinstead, which is the only station on the line that is not exclusively Bluebell. They do however have their own platform and cafe in a permanently sited buffet carriage. All the other stations are superbly preserved or re created and really makes you feel like you are travelling in about 1905! The staff are all dressed in classic uniforms and were without exception hugely helpful, friendly and informative. The train itself was outstanding. I particularly liked the smell of our carriage which was old wood panelling and upholstery. It smelled like I was in a period production. We went for a first class carriage and it was very comfortable with all the original details restored. It was child friendly (small children) and my boys were comfortable, safe and massively delighted with the whole thing. We had lunch at the Sheffield Park station's pub The Bessemer Arms. Good, solid stuff which was well made and very nice AND very reasonable.The surrounding countryside is very scenic and it all made for a very nice experience. The absolute delight on my children's faces remained in place from the first to last minute. The trip is pretty expensive for adults, but I think it was well worth it and this week they are doing kids for a quid. Bargain!All in all, brilliant.

A great day out for young and old. I came here when I was a kid and I still come here today with my young kids (3 and 5), and they love it. This is no ordinary steam railway - it was the 1st preserved railway of its type in the world and it shows. It's very professionally run by passionate and friendly people who recreate the past brilliantly. If I lived in London I would make a day of it - catch the train to East Grinstead, change onto the Bluebell Railway and head to Sheffield Park through lovely Sussex countryside. Walk to the National Trust gardens 20 minutes away (not an obvious choice for kids you might think, but as a kind of enchanted garden mine love that too), and then head back after a nice lunch.

The whole experience is fantastic whether having super meal or just riding the train. Both excellent. Great scenery and comfort. Love the Bluebell Line.

Run By volunteers who have spent their time restoring these magnificent steam engines and carriages. have been many times.

On arriving at the station, we were shown to the steam train and onto the beautiful carriage to the table we would have lunch at. The decor took us back to the many Poirot scenes where this was used as a backdrop. The waiters and waitresses were resplendently dressed and the food and wine was marvellous. A great treat for my birthday which I won't forget.