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Bluebell Motive Power

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

  1. D1039

    D1039 Guest

    @Jamessquared do you do requests?

    It's seemingly all gone quiet on 84030, is there any new news please?

    Thanks

    Patrick
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 9, 2020
  2. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Not a project I am very close to, but I’ll look up the notes I’ve put in the last few editions of Bluebell News and put something up tonight - from memory seems to have been lots of work doing the pipe work under the loco, which is fiddly but doesn’t show much visible progress. Unfortunately the erstwhile project leader died about a year ago which set the project back though new arrangements are now in place. I don’t know who was arranging for the earlier website updates, but it may have been him.

    Tom
     
  3. D1039

    D1039 Guest

    TIA Tom

    Patrick
     
  4. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    The last few BN reports:

    Spring 2019
    During the winter months, now that 84030 is under cover, steady progress has been made on the rebuild project, especially on some of the components for the rear pony truck. For the front pony truck, all components have been sourced or are on order. The outstanding work necessary before the front pony truck can be assembled are the horn guides. These need the brass area to be built up, white metalling and machining. We are hopeful that the brass welding, which is a specialist job, will be carried out in the near future.

    Cast flanged connections for the steam pipework have been delivered, along with making a former for the tight bends in some of the pipework. Further construction and installation is now planned.

    Work has continued preparing and painting the inside of the frames and the area under the saddle.

    Manufacturing drawings for the side tanks have been produced. Off-site manufacture of the tanks is being investigated due to the constraints on space and resource at Sheffield Park. We also have manufacturing drawings of the bunker and propose building this at Sheffield Park at the end of this year or early next year.

    Summer 2019
    All the parts required to complete the front pony truck have now been delivered. Side control springs to the original square section BR specification are no longer available, so an alternative round section had to be found that met the same duty specification. To accommodate the new spring design it will be necessary to modify the end keeps. The other outstanding work on the front pony truck is the refurbishment of the axle boxes: once this is done, assembly of the pony truck can be started.

    Further work has been carried out on the carriage steam heating pipework. This is now complete from the “T” (where the supply from the boiler splits to run to the front and back of the loco) through to the front buffer beam.

    A start has been made to get all the brake and reversing gear together to establish if any parts are missing and that those available are fully serviceable.

    The manufacture of the side tanks is being further investigated. It is our intention to rivet the tanks as per BR practice for these engines – to achieve this objective the cost will be considerable and ways of funding are being investigated.

    Autumn 2019
    Work continues on the mechanical side of the build. Including machining the crank pin washers for the front driving wheels. The sanding valves are virtually complete and only require a final part to be machined. Parts for the front pony truck have now been sourced, apart from various bolts, and it is planned to assemble later this year once the bronze on the front pony truck axle boxes has been built up, white metalling completed and their final machining taken place. Various parts for the rear pony truck are being made/sourced including machining of the two main castings by the workshop staff. In addition work is on going manufacturing the various components for the tanks.​

    A UK company has been found that has a six metre laser profiling table and a seven metre brake press which will enable the large tank panels to be made in one piece. This will allow the tanks to be made to the original riveted design. However, the team are in need of someone to prepare the necessary drawings – anyone with the necessary CAD programme skills and time available is invited to contact Chris Wren.​

    Winter 2019
    Work has been progressing on:
    • Cleaning and refurbishing the front driving wheels for the fitting of the recently manufactured new crank pin washers and ‘T’ bolts. This will involve both rolling the chassis back and jacking up to provide sufficient clearance between the frame and wheels to get the bolts in.
    • The front pony truck axle boxes are having the bronze welding carried out. Once complete they will be white metaled and machined prior to lapping them to the journal. This will then allow for final assembly of the complete truck followed by connection to the main chassis.
    • A solution to get suitable CAD drawings of the side tanks for water jet profiling of the main panels may well have been found as well as for the smaller items needed throughout the engine rebuild.
    • Work has started on the copper steam heating pipework to the rear buffer beam from the ‘T’ feeding the front of the engine including the manufacture of new brackets which, to fit them, will include the awkward job of drilling the new frame extension.
    • Assembly of the recently manufactured drain cocks is ongoing requiring some minor adjustments. Once complete, they will be stored off the engine.
    We are always pleased to welcome new members to our working group, no previous experience necessary. If you are interested why not look us up at Sheffield Park on a Thursday, contact Chris Wren or come to one of the railways “Find Out More” days.​

    Tom
     
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  5. 240P15

    240P15 Well-Known Member

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  6. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    It’s going to be the loco with the wheelchair access to the footplate in SteamWorks! As I understand, the staging is designed such that any mid size tender engine can have that role, so in practical terms 9017 and 65 as well as 592, as they rotate in and out of service. (My hunch is that there will be a desire to get 592 back in traffic towards the end of this decade to replace 65).

    Tom
     
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  7. 240P15

    240P15 Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for your information Tom! Much appreciated as always:)

    Knut
     
  8. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Exciting news today about plans for when we reopen. We all know Normandy is a powerful engine, but it is very limited in range - so we are looking to convert to a tender engine to ensure it can get to East Grinstead and back.

    https://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/whats_new.html

    Tom
     
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  9. ghost

    ghost Part of the furniture

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    :) ;)

    Keith
     
  10. RLinkinS

    RLinkinS Member

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    Fitting a superheater will make better use of the water and extend the range without the need for a tender. Even better fit a radiant superheater then when she primes the water will flash off to steam in the radiants and she will go like a scalded cat. Mind you she will have to be reclassified as B4GTI

    Sent from my SM-A105FN using Tapatalk
     
  11. Steve B

    Steve B Well-Known Member

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    That could be fun on the Wealden Rambler afternoon tea trains...
     
  12. andrewtoplis

    andrewtoplis Well-Known Member

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    Appreciating that this is guesswork, is there any view on which are engines are the next couple in line?
     
  13. Dan Hill

    Dan Hill Part of the furniture

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    I think 672 and 9017 are the next 2 due in for overhaul (672 has had its boiler lifted for inspection already). When 928 is complete the Maunsell Society are hoping to overhaul 1618.
     
  14. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    There are different streams. For example, for the Maunsell Loco Society, my understanding is that 1618 will be tackled once Stowe is finished.

    Within the main works, "Fenchurch" has had its boiler lifted and the intention is to restore it by 2022. There was a description within the Loco Report in the latest Bluebell News (available here, including for non members: https://www.bluebell-railway.com/bluebell-news/) of the work required on the boiler. I don't know if there was a definitive plan for what else would enter the works when Sir Archie emerges, though the Dukedog is frequently talked about and I suspect would be preferred to Birch Grove simply on account of having been out of traffic longer.

    That said - that was then and this is now (the loco report was written only a month ago, but it feels like a lifetime). To what degree priorities and timescales get reset is I suspect something that nobody knows right now - certainly not me.

    Tom
     
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  15. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Is any concensus yet coalescing concerning 488/30583?
     
  16. andrewtoplis

    andrewtoplis Well-Known Member

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    Cheers Tom / @Jamessquared ,

    Wow, 1618 - I've not seen that since I was a child and they only ran to Horsted and back. I'm sure the was a Bluebell poster with it on.

    Interesting re 3217, I missed that entirely last time round :(.

    I'll have to have a trip down when it all open up, its only a mile or two away yet all my contact with it is Sainsburys car park!
     
  17. Bikermike

    Bikermike Well-Known Member

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    You can't fool us! It's for the Terrier behind isn't it?

    P.s. - nice to hear the Std 2 is going - do they talk to the Standard 3 tank people?
     
  18. nine elms fan

    nine elms fan Part of the furniture

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  19. nine elms fan

    nine elms fan Part of the furniture

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    My favourite bluebell loco. :)
     
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  20. CH 19

    CH 19 Well-Known Member Friend

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    Oh, and mine......such an elegant design :).
     

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