Bluebell Motive Power

It's still perhaps a little earlier than one might have expected - unless it was either coming up to the renewal point of it's current agreement and/or the Bluebell thought "well there aren't really any other locos of that size/power that we could get in if needed so in case overhauls / repairs overrun it would be wise to lock it in before somebody else nabs it"

 

I'm sure it would be picked up by another railway rapidly if it turned out that it was surplus. Beachy Head hasn't even started testing/ training/ acceptance and 541 is still being reduced to component parts. Better to have it in the deck and not need it than be left fighting for something as capable. Can think of 2 to 4 railways who probably would welcome it with open arms.

 

With thanks to Tom for compiling the figures. The Bluebell News Spring 2024 issue has made its way to doors. I always have an interest for locomotive mileage figures and how they can differ each year. For those interested the figures are as follows

80151 - 6,808
73082 - 6,174
6989 - 4,388
65 - 3,900
72 - 2,008
D4106 - 922
34059 - 885
60103 - 531
34070 - 222
30541 - 190
52322 - 186
21C127 - 176
15"Hastings" - 138
11243 - 124
44932 - 56

 

Nice picture of gleaming, freshly painted and lined out 34059 on the Bluebell social media channels. Just awaiting the fitting of its nameplate brackets and nameplates themselves.

 

32424 "Beachy Head" is alive

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/2Vgz2Txr78ZSf9Xq/

 

Wow! That's pretty special, congratulations everyone!

Simon

 

Prior to the 3:40pm departure.

 

At East Grinstead

 

21C123 "Blackmoor Vale" now has had its boiler removed which will head to Leaky Finders in due course for them to remove the life-expired inner firebox and fit the new inner firebox

 

Makes me feel old, I remember going to the Bluebell to see Blackmore Vale’s first return to steam in the 70s

 

Me too - July 1977. Seems like only yesterday


Peter

 

I wasn’t far behind you, Peter. Tony Leaver, who I knew from the Talyllyn, organised a footplate ride for me on the Bluebell. It was sometime in August or September 1977. I was delighted to find it was on 34023, driven by Jock Mackay. It was that trip that spurred me into joining the NYMR and eventually abandoning the my trips to Wales.

 

One of the leading lights in the Bulleid Society is David Foale. Like a number of volunteers he came to the Bluebell with Blackmore Vale in 1971; last weekend, I was fireman for his last trip as driver, after 53 years. He will continue to be a friendly face in the Bulleid Shop and hopefully will still be around when BV returns to traffic in a few year's time.

In the early days of Bluebell Times, he wrote this article for me about the events leading up to the first trip of Blackmoor Vale in the summer of 1976. In this modern era when many Bulleid pacifics are running, it is interesting to note that it was the first pacific to run on a heritage line. It was also the loco on which I had my first rostered turn as a third man!

Tom

 

Many thanks indeed for that Tom. I've known David since SR steam days and timed many trains, including some of the very fast runs with him. And in the heritage era too, out on the the main line.

He's always been a friendly face at the Buebell ; either peering down from the cab of a loco, or in the Bulleid Shop.

It is truly amazing how long he has been active at the Bluebell, and of course I will call into the BV shop at Sheffield Park to chat with him as he continues to support BV.

I was aware of David's plans to retire from the footplate a year or so back. And during the 2023 G.O.S festival I did take a photo of him possibly opening the regulator of an unrebuilt Bulleid (34070) for the last time as he was leaving Horsted Keynes for Sheffield Park. But to save embarrasing him I won't reproduce it here! As it turned out David did have another shift with 34070 the next day on the 15 October and I photographed them passing the site of West Hoathly station as night started to close on the day and the G.O.S: photo below. Very appropriate that Manston was carrying the headcode discs of a Salisbury-Waterloo train, as we both timed the (sadly) late of the Bluebell Clive Groome's 'double 98 mph' run behind unrebuilt 34102 Lapford on the 18.38 Salisbury to Waterloo train in April 1967. Double 98 mph as Clive got Lapford up to 98 mph approaching Fleet, and then I think changed the loco control settings that saw speed drop to 95 mph, and then increase to 98 mph again on level track near Sturt Lane Junction signal box.

Anyway David, you've always been great company, and whilst it may take a while to get used to you no longer peering down at me from a steam loco cab at the Bluebell as we chat, I am sure you will entice me to get my wallet out in the BV shop at S Park!

Bryan

 

Pics from 21C123s boiler lift https://www.bulleidsociety.org/News/Latest_News.html

 

BR and SNCF tested thermic syphons in the fifties and found no measurable efficiency/steam production gain.
Why put a new in Blackmore Whale?

 

Because that’s how the boiler was designed.

 

Yes but will it cost more than 20000£ engineering consultation to omit syphons and have staying recalculated?