Bluebell Railway General Discussion

As much as I am glad (I assume) that the owners and maybe the Bluebell got some money out of this, is there not another mainline approved Bulleid that could of ambled down to Southall and just popped up to the event when required?
Asking for a friend

 

The owners of 34059 are the Bluebell!

Tom

 

What was the event?

 

Never knew that, poor as I am a member.

 

It's probably a lot cheaper to haul something from EG to Southall than it is to steam something and run it down from (e.g.) Carnforth (I'm guessing anyway), probably not an operational Bulleid closer to London than 34059 (other than 35028), although it's probably a close run thing with 35005

 

Quick update to this - there's been a bit of a cascade of locos.

A - now 34059
B - now 6989

Daytime dining trains are still 65, with the Saturday evening GA now being 34059; and the evening train in connection with the AGM / Members' Day being 6989.

I'm " A" turn on Sunday. In 30 degree heat. On a Bulleid. My cup runneth over ...

Tom

 

A refresher:

Bluebell Railway Trust
65
263
592

Bluebell Railway plc
3 'Captain Baxter'
4 'Sharpthorn'
27
55 'Stepney'
72 'Fenchurch'
178
323 'Bluebell'
473 'Birch Grove'
488
1638
2650
9017 'Earl of Berkeley'
32424 'Beachy Head'
34059 'Sir Archibald Sinclair'
75027
80100
84030
92240

Howard Petrol Loco
10241 (C&W Sentinel)
4-VEP 3417
Thumper 1305

Bulleid Society
96 'Normandy'
21C123 'Blackmore Vale'

Camelot Locomotive Society
73082

Maunsell Locomotive Society
541,
847
928 'Stowe'
1618

80151 Locomotive Company Limited (Note: the Bluebell Railway Trust owns 40% of the shares in this company).
80151

Quainton Railway Society
6989 'Wightwick Hall'

B350 Ltd
D4106
D6570

Private owner
E6040

Tom

 

You sweat will runneth over...

Any idea what's running next week, model rail weekend?

 

At the moment it's saying 34059 (A) / 6989 (B) / 72 (Obo shuttles).

Tom

 

I assume as the 5:45 is on the public timetable that it'll be available for all and not just those for the AGM

 

Yes, I believe so.

Tom

 

a quick update. This weeks weekly update arrived ok but still nothing on last weeks. Would anyone be prepared to email me over a copy of last weeks? Thanks in advance

 

Listing like that makes impressive reading ! and focuses what a collection there is at Bluebell.


Sent from my SM-A556B using Tapatalk

 

There must have been many MPDs in BR days that had less locos than that. How has the Bluebell found space for them?

 

A combination of:
Steamworks (55, Baxter, 473, 26505, 592, 75027)
The loco running shed at SP (21C123, the cl.33, 323 plus running engines)
The carriage shed at SP (I think 847, 1618, maybe more)
Pumphouse siding at SP
The loco workshop (263, 541 tender and Camelot as of last week)
Atlantic House (96 and 488)
The 'works yard', the space around the workshop (thinking of 27 and 84030 here, but also Stowe frames)
The yard itself (running engines 65, 6989, Archie, Beachy, 80151, 72 maybe more)
The Maintenance Shed (Stowe tender, 9f tender, other locos for washing out as required)
Some open air storage at HK (80100, 1638 perhaps, Sharpthorne, others?)

As can be seen, a fair amount are in the open air or in the shed meant for carriages (which I'm sure is a sore spot for that team) so the picture is not fully resolved. We probably need another loco shed at least the same size. We have also had the 33, ED and three car thumper unit arrive in recent years too.

Edit: off site currently are 541 loco, 21c123 boiler, Dukedog and 1178

 

Updating my own list:

Bluebell Railway Trust
65 - In traffic
263 - Under restoration at SP (main workshop)
592 - On display in Steamworks

Bluebell Railway plc
3 'Captain Baxter' - On display in Steamworks
4 'Sharpthorn' Stored at Horsted Keynes, there is talk of a cosmetic overhaul and move to Steamworks
27 - Under overhaul at SP, volunteer group
55 'Stepney' - On display in Steamworks
72 'Fenchurch' - In traffic
178 Stored (and perhaps eventually on display?) off site at One:One collection, Margate
323 'Bluebell' - Under overhaul (Main workshop and Severn Valley Railway)
473 'Birch Grove' - On display in Steamworks
488 - Pending restoration in Atlantic House, periodically open for viewing.
1638 - Stored
2650 - On display in Steamworks
9017 'Earl of Berkeley' - On display off site at Vale of Rheidol Railway
32424 'Beachy Head' - In traffic
34059 'Sir Archibald Sinclair' - In traffic
75027 - On display in Steamworks
80100 - Stored, HK
84030 - Under overhaul at SP, volunteer group
92240 - Under overhaul at SP, volunteer group

Howard Petrol Loco - Nominally operational, but I've never seen it run. At HK
10241 (C&W Sentinel) - Operational
4-VEP 3417 - Normally stored at Strawberry Hill, but operational for galas
Thumper 1305 - Under restoration at HK, volunteer group

Bulleid Society
96 'Normandy' - Under restoration in Atlantic House
21C123 'Blackmore Vale' - Beginning restoration (boiler at Leaky Finders, loco and tender at SP.

Camelot Locomotive Society
73082 - In traffic

Maunsell Locomotive Society
541 - Under restoration (Boiler and loco at Leaky finders, tender at SP)
847 - Stored, SP
928 'Stowe' - Under restoration, SP and elsewhere
1618 - Stored

80151 Locomotive Company Limited (Note: the Bluebell Railway Trust owns 40% of the shares in this company).
80151 - In traffic

Quainton Railway Society
6989 'Wightwick Hall' - In traffic

B350 Ltd
D4106 - In traffic
D6570 - Under restoration at SP, volunteer group

Private owner
E6040 - In traffic

Tom

 

847, 1618 and 1638 are all stored in the Carriage Shed at the Park (1618 C Road, 847 & 1638 B Road). Stowe’s tender was also stored with 1638 when I last went in there, but I think that’s moved now.

 

To me, the S15 and Us seem like ideal mid-sized engines for the Bluebell. Are any of them in the queue to be restored any time soon?

 

The Maunsell Locomotive Society have consistently said that 1618 will be the next project they tackle after 'Stowe' is finished.

I don't think I'd describe 847 as mid-size, certainly not in terms of throwing out the fire! We normally split locos as small (class 0); medium (class 1 - 3); large (class 4 upwards) and "giant" (pacifics, 9F). There is a dividing line on the railway at the class 3/4 boundary: for a class 3 and smaller, the largest train you can handle is basically limited by the gradients. For a class 4 and upwards, the largest train you can handle is limited by the platforms, you are no longer limited by the power of the loco. So 80151 and 541 will pull six Mark 1s up the line, and that is already slightly longer than the limiting platforms (which are at Sheffield Park, slightly shorter than 6 Mark 1s). Anything bigger than 80151 is no longer in any way limited by its own power on our railway.

Tom

 

I see the railway is advertising the season ticket in the weekly email.
I was a bit confused with the T & C's as how I read it you could turn up and have a ride from say SP to HK, but if you only wanted a look around the shed or a cup of tea it is not valid for station entry.
That lost me totally.