THE SOCIETY AND ITS AIMS
The Bulleid Society
The Society is the owner of Bulleid West Country class locomotive No. 21C123, Blackmoor Vale, the Adams designed B4 class locomotive No. 96, Normandy and the Bulleid coach, No. 5768.
Since its instigation in 1967 the Bulleid Society has always aimed to maintain its locomotives and coach in an authentic condition as possible. The West Country class locomotive is in Malachite green livery and carries the Southern roundel on the smokebox. The only fundamental difference between its current appearance and that of 1946 being the change in cab to the wedge shaped cab, introduced in 1954. No. 96, has run in a variety of authentic liveries since the locomotive was purchased by the Society in 1972 and after the forthcoming overhaul will run with a full cab and British Railway livery rather than the cut away cab now in place. The Society’s Bulleid coach will continue to display its Bulleid Malachite green livery on completion of the current overhaul.
The overhauls of these items are undertaken by both the Bluebell’s full time engineering staff with active participation of Society members. Finance for any overhaul is from a combination of monies generated by Society funding and from resources of the Bluebell Railway. The Society is grateful for donations from members and with the opening of the Society’s new shop on platform 2 at Sheffield Park station, will again hopefully have a new source of funding towards locomotive and coach overhaul.
We welcome new members with both an interest in the Society’s motive power and rolling stock and also with an interest in other Bulleid designed Southern Railway products.
The Society is fortunate in having descendents of the Bulleid family as its Presidents with communication between the Society and its members maintained by the Society’s web site, www.bulleidsoceity.org and Bulleid Express, the Society’s journal normally published twice a year and sent to members.
Aims
To promote the benefit of the Members of the Society and / or a similar body with which it may be deemed desirable to associate, and to have power to affiliate to other organisations with similar objectives.
To raise money and to obtain the practical assistance of persons who may or may not be members of the Society in order:-
- To maintain former British Railways Steam Locomotive No. 34023, Blackmoor Vale, previously No. 21C123 of the Southern Railway, in a known authentic condition so far as may be economically practicable, the restoration being determined also by what is good locomotive engineering practice.
- To maintain Bulleid Coach CK 5768 in a known authentic condition so far as may be economically practicable, the restoration being determined also by what is good carriage engineering practice.
- To maintain former British Railways Steam Locomotive No. 30096, previously No. 96, Normandy of the London and South Western Railway.
- To purchase and maintain other suitable items of rolling stock and equipment as are necessary or desirable to assist the operation of the Society’s locomotives, coach, or the publicity of its affairs.
- The Society may also act as custodians of other items of rolling stock if it is deemed to be in the interests of the Society.
- To organise public meetings and meetings of Members and to do all such acts as shall further the active corporate life of the Society.