Southern at War
Southern at War at the Bluebell Railway has been one of my favourite events for years. It brings together two passions of mine: steam locomotives and WWII history. This year promised to be a little different, as the two engines running weren’t actually WWII-era locos. Still, I can’t help but hope that one day Charlie One will return, with an S100 and 541 for the ultimate Southern at War experience. One can but dream?
My main reason for heading to Southern at War this year was to help a fellow lineside photographer with his camera settings and photography in general. Given how many times he’s been out this year, he’s become a real pro on the lineside, so it was a pleasure to spend the day with @72bphotography.
For me, though, it was also a chance to step back and think about whether I want to carry on line siding next year, or stick to the other side of the fence. So, this blog will cover three things: a look at the event itself, helping 72b get his shots, and a bit of reflection on whether I should keep being a carrot or hang up the hi-vis for good.
A Lance Corporal of the Home Guard volunteering, once again for an assignment chews the ear of a RAF Squadron Leader whilst a British Corporal in the Parachute Regiment shows his Airborne cousin of the 101st Airborne the way to the front. (Agfa 1930s present in a JPEG format)
Camera Settings: Focal length: 70mm, Shutter: 1/50sec, Aperture: f/6.3, ISO:280
For all PTS lineside photographers, the day always starts the same way: a quick stop at the office to sign the waiver, log into HOPS (which, for me, is always a battle — my card never seems to scan properly), and pick up a numbered hi-vis jacket.
I never really make detailed plans for the day — they usually go out the window as soon as I get to the railway. This time, though, we’d agreed to head to Horsted Keynes and one of my favourite spots. That meant a lovely ride behind Standard 4 Tank No. 80151, up at the front window soaking in the brilliant beat of this gorgeous loco.
Once we arrived at Horsted Keynes, it was time to head lineside and set up at our first spot — the buffers at the end of the carriage and wagon yard, with a great view over New Road Bridge and South Field.
Arguably one of the best mark of Spitfire, the Spitfire MkIX is seen at Horsted Keynes complete with invasion strips on the wings to aid identification between Allied nations during Operation Overlord. (Agfa 1930s present in a JPEG format)
Camera Settings: Focal length: 24mm, Shutter: 1/100sec, Aperture: f/10, ISO:100
After a quick chat with the signaller at Horsted Keynes box — just to say where we’d be and check if there were any extra moves not in the timetable — we headed down to the buffers at the end of the C&W yard for our first go at camera settings.
I’m purely a Nikon guy, so Canon is a whole new world for me — I’d never even held one before, let alone poked through the menus. What caught my eye with the Canon 550D was how it jumps from ISO 400 straight to 800. I’m so used to 1/3 step adjustments now, but honestly, I’ve always believed you don’t need the fanciest kit to get a great shot.
Sadly, the weather didn’t help — plenty of cloud, wind, and rain to battle with. This spot is lovely during charters but can be hit and miss on normal running days, as the crews are usually braking for the 10mph limit into Horsted Keynes. But for me I just love the curve of the train that allows you to enjoy every angle.
Named after the Minister for Air during the Battle of Britain, Sir Archibald Sinclair. No34059 pulls into Horsted Keynes with her first up service of the day with an assortment of Maunsell and Bulleid coaches.
Still from 4k30fps video shot on the Nikon Zf
Once Sir Archie had completed her run past and was at Horsted Keynes, we moved on to our next spot — what I like to call the mound, which sits between South Field and Three Arch Bridge (Nobles Bridge). The plan was to catch 80151 working a bit harder here and to keep testing out different camera settings.
Most of the day I was filming video, but I’d flick my camera between photo and video mode so I could set up shots as if I were taking stills — just to help 72b get an idea of how I’d do it.
For me, I always have a set of auto-settings ready to go: as soon as I switch the camera on, it’s at ISO 160, f/8 aperture, and a shutter speed of 1/500. That gives me a good base to tweak from, especially the aperture — although in winter, I’ll drop it lower to cope with the darker light.
Racing south, No80151 powers out of Horsted Keynes with her first down service of the day.
Still from 4k30fps video shot on the Nikon Zf
Once the 4MT had passed us, we trekked back to Horsted Keynes to have a look around the World War II exhibits. It was great to see so many re-enactors in period uniforms and outfits — it really made me think I should join in next year! So if anyone has tips on good places to get kitted out, drop me a message. For me, the standout had to be the German Fallschirmjäger group on platforms 1 & 2 — they looked fantastic and had a great amount of period correct uniform and equipment.
From there, we headed up to the field you can get to from platforms 1 & 2 to grab a nice departure shot of the 12:02 from Horsted Keynes to Kingscote. While we were waiting, I bumped into another friend of the channel, @sam_w_trains, and the three of us made our way up to Leamlands before 72b and I carried on along the footpath to go lineside at Horsted House Farm Bridge and Vaux End too.
Next up was the Standard 4 again, so we walked north to Vaux End Bridge. Just as we reached the P&W hut, the heavens opened — proper cats-and-dogs rain — so we dived in for shelter. It turned out to be a good chance to chat more with 72b about his plans to study photography at college. It was interesting to hear how you need an art GCSE or a portfolio to get on the course — luckily, he’s well covered there and already has a head start compared to most. I’m really looking forward to seeing how he gets on come September — hopefully the start of something special for him.
No80151 comes off the 10mph limit just south of Sharpthorne tunnel as she rolls past the camera
Still from 4k30fps video shot on the Nikon Zf
The shot at Vaux End was more of a filler before I went back to try a shot I’d attempted in April. This time, I decided to embrace my inner mountain goat and climb higher up the bank to line up better with the loco and get above the vegetation that’s sprung up since I was last there. Having Horsted House Farm Bridge in the background is exactly the sort of view that makes having a PTS pass worth it — you get angles and perspectives you just can’t get from the other side of the fence. In that moment, I thought to myself: yep, I’m probably carrying on for another year yet. Then, of course, you run into the linesider’s worst enemy — ferns!
We were treated to an absolutely mega run past by 34059 — one of the best Archie run pasts I’ve had in weeks. It was one of those moments where you look at each other and just go, “Ohhh, nice!”
With that, we packed up and headed south back to Horsted Keynes to check out the displays in the car park.
A very loud three cylinder symphony as No34059 really does power her way up the 1:75 gradient past the camera.
Still from 4k30fps video shot on the Nikon Zf
A wander around the Horsted Keynes car park field turned up plenty of interesting exhibits — from the British Airborne Forces display to the Western Desert showcase, and a stand full of WWII weaponry. That last one was particularly interesting for me, as I’ve done work in the past cataloguing firearms. We even got chatting about a few of the weapons that pop up in the Star Wars franchise, which caught 72b’s interest too.
After that, it was back to Horsted Keynes station to see Sir Archie head back to Sheffield Park and give us another chance for a run past at the bottom of Freshfield Bank. This is where the pain of linesiding comes in. Despite the heroic efforts of the clearance gangs — true unsung heroes of the railway — it was still a bit of a mission thanks to the brambles (there’s always that one rogue bramble that trips you up!).
Unfortunately, for the shot with Archie we couldn’t realistically get to the sunny side of the line — I’m not risking a sprained ankle or worse for a shot. So we settled for the bridge at Palmers, which is a great spot to watch the loco come off the 10mph slack and power back up to line speed.
While we were there — and stuck on the shady side — we ran through some settings for 72b. At first his shots were a bit overexposed, so I did a quick run-through of what I’ve picked up over the years (and from far too many hours on YouTube and steam photography blogs — though there aren’t many of those around!).
I always work to a simple rule of thumb for steam: start at 1/500th shutter speed. If the loco’s crawling at 10mph, I’ll drop it to 1/400th if I’m handholding. If I’ve got a tripod, I might even go down to 1/250th, but most of the time I’m shooting handheld anyway.
Check out 72b’s shot at Palmers below — I reckon it’s a winner!
No34059 “Sir Archibald Sinclair” begins her climb up Freshfield Bank with her last service train of the day.
Camera Settings: Focal length: 32mm, Shutter: 1/400sec, Aperture: f/6.3, ISO:100
After Archie’s last up train of the day, we made our way back towards Sheffield Park but stopped for one final shot of the Standard 4 as she rolled through the 10mph slack and into the station. Sadly, my arch nemesis — ferns and tall grass — got in the way of a sunny side shot, but sometimes you just have to work with what you’ve got. I do think the off-side can give you some lovely results, though I wouldn’t rely on it every time!
With the Standard 4 done and dusted, we found ourselves back at the office handing in our hi-vis jackets. I headed back to Horsted Keynes while 72b made his way to Kingscote to head home.
A big thank you to 72b for coming out lineside and keeping me company — always good to catch up, and I’m already looking forward to a few more trips together soon.
No80151 rolls towards Sheffield Park on a sunny end to the day with Set A on her penultimate run of the day.
Camera Settings: Focal length: 55mm, Shutter: 1/400sec, Aperture: f/8, ISO:400
I rounded the day off with another great run behind 80151, which was in charge of the final service to East Grinstead. I jumped off at Horsted Keynes to soak up the last moments of the Southern at War weekend and managed to grab a few final shots before everything was packed away. It really did have that end-of-war feel, with the white tape strips on the windows to reduce glass shatter — a nice little detail that set the scene perfectly, removed from the station.
One of my favourite shots from the whole day was this one of the Spitfire Mk IX at Horsted Keynes, captured just as they were disassembling the propeller — a brilliant moment to photograph. I also got a chance to snap a few more photos of the Fallschirmjäger group before they finished packing up.
Before long, I heard the Standard 4’s whistle echoing through the station — she pulled into platform 3 and I hopped onboard for the final run back to Sheffield Park.
Having returned from one of the many patrols over Normandy, the Spitfire MkIX is prepared for an engine overhaul before returning to action, she has also had her cannons stripped as well.
Camera Settings: Focal length: 35mm, Shutter: 1/100sec, Aperture: f/8, ISO:100
So, what did I think of the day? Well, I’ve always loved Southern at War — it’s a brilliant event and this year didn’t disappoint. I think next year I really do need to get into the spirit properly and sort myself out with an outfit — it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while, and seeing all the re-enactors this year just confirmed it.
But I know what most of you are probably wondering: is the PTS Lineside Pass worth it? For me, absolutely. There are some fantastic spots along the line — especially between Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes — that you simply can’t get to from public areas. If lineside access is still offered in 2026, you can definitely expect to see more of my shots from those hidden spots. I’ve still got the stretch from Sharpthorne Tunnel to Kingscote on my list too — so there’s plenty more to explore yet!
Thanks so much for reading this blog — I hope you enjoyed this latest instalment! A big thank you as well to @72bphotography for the great company once again and for providing two of the photos featured here too.
Next up, I’m hoping to get to the Rail 200 “Inspiration Train” next week (fingers crossed for Tuesday, as it’s the final day). With a bit of luck, I’ll be able to enjoy it before it heads off on its UK tour — so keep an eye out for that one soon!
