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Bluebell Motive Power

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by Orion, Nov 14, 2011.

  1. Funnell

    Funnell New Member

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    80100 is at HK, in the up yard
     
  2. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    For those interested, 73082 is "Camelot" again, having had a renaming ceremony at the Camelot Society members' day on Saturday. I believe it is now due to be withdrawn for boiler washout, it's place taken by 847. Service trains yesterday were hauled by 847 and 541, with Camelot taking the lunchtime GA and 323 on pilot duty; 263 has been washed out and should be boxed up ready for traffic again as required later this week. Also (not sure it has been reported here) the mechanical overhaul of No. 65 has started in earnest; the loco is in the workshop split down into its component parts.

    Tom
     
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  3. John Petley

    John Petley Part of the furniture

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    Thanks as always for the update, Tom. Which loco is likely to be back in traffic next? 80151, 34059 and 65 all seem to be making progress and I read some where that 2017 was the provisional date for all three.
     
  4. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    I don't know for certain (or even for uncertain!), but I'd like to think it may be 65; I think that is also the loco we have the most pressing need for.

    Tom
     
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  5. Grashopper

    Grashopper Member

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    I believe that the boiler for 65 is pretty much ready for test (off site), but work was paused to allow the chassis work to progress. No point in having a ticketed boiler and no chassis to install it into.
     
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  6. Dan Hill

    Dan Hill Part of the furniture

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    I see someone asked on the Bluebell Facebook page about visitors for Giants of Steam and the response was that nothing will be announced until its confirmed but they have a 4-6-0 lined up and options being followed up on a Pacific.
     
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  7. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    From the eNewsletter:

    LOCO UPDATE: TURNING UP THE HEAT

    Summer is nearing an end, but despite the hottest September for more than 100 years, activity in the Loco Works continues apace.

    The first half of the year focused on maintenance of the running fleet, with work carried out on the S15 and Q and H class locos. Jobs included stay replacement, tyre turning, and piston and valve exams, plus routine maintenance items.

    With the S15 having had a rebore, new piston heads, new valve heads, and a complete set of new rings, she's now like a new engine. The H class also had some front end work completed, including new "D" valves. After bedding in, we've adjusted the valve timing again, improving the loco's performance.

    The Loco Works' attention at the moment is focused on the overhaul of O1 class No. 65. This sole surviving member of the class last ran in 2009 and was fully dismantled over the last few months.

    Overall the loco is in very good condition, with work focussed on re-boring and fitting new valve faces to the cylinder block; fitting new piston heads and "D" valves; replacing life-expired pipework; re-bushing the valve gear; placing new springs; and painting everything in ornate SE&CR livery. The boiler is off-site, being tubed and having final work completed before boiler tests.

    BR Standard 4 tank No. 80151 is also in the works for chassis and boiler attention. The chassis is almost ready to re-wheel, once new springs are delivered. Again, a full piston and valve overhaul is taking place, along with replacement of life-expired frame stretchers, platework, and pipework, and re-metalling of the axleboxes and overhaul of fittings.

    Dismantling No. 80151's boiler is almost complete. Door and tube plates have been removed and are ready for specialist welding and insertion of new lap seams. Stay and throat plate removal also is ongoing, and we have ordered a new throat plate section due to internal cracking in the corners, something BR standard boilers are prone to.

    Work on Schools class No. 928 "Stowe" continues in the yard, with the chassis being stripped, cleaned, and painted where required. Also, the boiler has recently been high-pressure cleaned to remove the scale around the crown sheet girders. The boiler is now fully dismantled, and work is progressing on fitting the new items, such as the throat plate and backhead. The new outer firebox sides were recently welded in place as well.

    Off-site, No. 34059's boiler is under repair at the South Devon Railway. The last of her life-expired platework has been removed and boiler platework is being pressed.

    The Q class recently visited the Nene Valley Railway for their "Southern" themed gala, and she will be returning to Sheffield Park as you read this. Our next loco-themed special event is "Giants of Steam" at the end of October. Our special visitor will be the Midland and Great Northern Society LNER B12. This loco, based at the North Norfolk Railway, will be running all three days, alongside our own "giants" and another visiting loco.

    I hope you can attend "Giants of Steam," and I look forward to seeing you at Sheffield Park soon.

    By Chris Hunford, Locomotive Director
     
  8. A1X

    A1X Well-Known Member

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    Interestingly the O1 is perhaps slightly closer to a return than I'd thought it was. Not surprising she's in good condition having seen the state she arrived in back in 1997(?) .
     
  9. MuzTrem

    MuzTrem Member

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    It's great to hear that that O1 is on the way back. She's one of my favourite Bluebell engines - partly because she's just so pretty, but also because she was such a regular sight during the 2000s when I paid quite a number of visits to the railway. It will be like welcoming back an old friend!
     
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  10. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    When I started, it felt like whatever else happened with our locos, 65 and 80151 would always keep going, being the regular two service engines each weekend. And now it looks like they are both coming back - old friends indeed! There are probably new cleaners who in a decade's time will feel the same way about 263 and 73082.

    65 definitely gave you the feeling of being on something properly old (relative to, say, 592). I think in particular it was the design of tender, and how you could watch the springs going up and down as you ran backwards. The tender had a wooden weatherboard on it, which made it a bit nicer in bad weather when going backwards, but meant it was hard to pull coal forward on the move. Instead, there was a kind of box at the front of the tender, about a few feet in each dimension, with the tanks extending forward along both sides. It would hold enough for a trip, but you had to remember to load up that space for the next trip before setting off on your next one, because otherwise you could run out somewhere embarrassing!

    Tom
     
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  11. John Petley

    John Petley Part of the furniture

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    Tom,

    Another one for you: I see from the Bluebell website that "P" Class No. 178 is operational again. I thought that it was going t0 be out of action for some time pending the completion of a new cylinder block. Are all its problems resolved?
     
  12. Funnell

    Funnell New Member

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    178 still has a boiler ticket and a steam test every year but the cylinder issue is still ongoing until it has a replacement set, so it is incredibly rarely used as it has no ooooommmpph
     
  13. John Petley

    John Petley Part of the furniture

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    Thank you.
     
  14. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    From the e-Newsletter:


    Loco Report: A Winter's Tale

    It's been quite a while since my last update, but the Loco Department has been busy and here's an update on all that's been happening ...

    With the Railway closed for engineering, our focus has been on the maintenance of the running fleet. The C class has been prepared for its annual boiler exam, which we've bought forward, with the boiler certificate expiring in May.

    "Camelot's" tender has been prepared for lifting ready for tender wheels to be sent away and for new tyres to be fitted. The Q class reverser has been dismantled so new leather cup seals can be fitted to the hydraulic cylinder. The Q class has been prepared for its visit to the Great Central Railway at the end of January, and the S15 has been winterised and will be out of service till Easter. Other little jobs have been undertaken on the H class, Ps, and "Baxter".

    Within the Works, overhauls of the O1, Schools class, and Standard 4 tank continue. The O1 cylinder block is now in place with the new valves and rings ready to be fitted. The springs and axleboxes are almost complete, and the chassis is very close to re-wheeling. Plus, the ashpan has been made, and the smokebox is in production. Off-site the boiler is complete and will be undergoing its hydraulic and steam tests this month. Once complete the boiler will be returned for final fitting.

    The new throat plate for "Stowe" is fitted, and the new backhead is in the process of being fitted. This job takes quite a long time because you must fit it, measure it, remove it, grind some off, fit it, and so on until the correct alignment between the outer wrapper plates and backhead is achieved. The gusset girders are riveted in place and work continues on the chassis.

    The frames of the Standard 4 tank are ready for re-wheeling once the new springs arrive, so work has concentrated on painting the frames and fitting the new frame stretcher. Next to the frames, boiler work continues apace with the drilling out of the old stays from the life-expired outer wrapper, the platework ready as a template, finishing repairs to the foundation ring, and fitting of the new throat plate section.

    The most significant task completed within the last few weeks is the specialist welding in place of new lap seam sections to the doorplate and tubeplate. This job required a bespoke jig to be made first and a lot of prep to both pressings before specialist welding could take place.

    Off-site the two new Bulleid fireboxes being constructed at South Devon Railway are progressing well, with work focusing on No. 34059's boiler. Pressing the required components is now complete, along with removal of the firebox end tubeplate. Welding into place of the new pressing and platework will begin in the next few weeks; this will be followed by marking out and pilot-drilling of the stay holes. No. 21C123's firebox also will be constructed, but it's last in the queue because there's no pressing need for it.

    2017 will see a significant number of special events: the Diesel Gala, visit of "Flying Scotsman", the visit of "City of Wells", and the 40th anniversary of the Deltic Preservation Society. In May, our Branch Line Gala will showcase smaller locos, and this year we should see five of our six SE&CR locos in steam and a visiting LNWR coal tank from Worth Valley.

    So it will be a very busy and varied year with many exciting things to see. Thank you for reading this report, and I look forward to seeing you at the Railway!

    By Chris Hunford, Locomotive Director
     
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  15. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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  16. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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  17. S.A.C. Martin

    S.A.C. Martin Part of the furniture

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  18. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    S.A.C. Martin likes this.
  19. S.A.C. Martin

    S.A.C. Martin Part of the furniture

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  20. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Just picking up on that one sentence: in this day and age is there really not a more appropriate material than leather?
     

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