Bluebell Railway General Discussion

My “Now you are just being silly” WIBN scheme is to construct a spur through the Sainsbury’s car park (following the line of the old goods yard spur) to join the old high level line and have an “East Grinstead Town” terminus - the very first station building (later demoted to goods station) still exists. Then you’re off along Beeching Way and down the hill through Forest Row to eventually join up with the Spa Valley at Eridge or Groombridge.

Oh, just me then?

(The spur to the old goods station would be cool, though, and slightly better for access to the town. I believe the building is now a chiropractor).

Tom

 

Despite the terrible weather forecast, today's charter was better than expected in the morning. Thanks to @jonpbowers, the crews and the railway. A few phone photos below, will post those from my camera during the week.

 

Bluebell make the Daily Telegraph today with a photo of Camelot on Steam Lights

Sent from my SM-A556B using Tapatalk

 

The lineup and loco allocations for the New Year's Day Steam Up have been announced. 65, 72 Fenchurch, 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair and 73082 Camelot are the locos running.

 

Or, to a minority of us (or should that be to a minority of just me ?), 31065, 32636, 34059 and 73082. Looks a very good way to start the New Year, unless I am searched on arrival to see if I am carrying a tin of BR black paint and a tin of BR lining paint . . . .

Bryan B

 

I fear you may in the minority in preferring 65 or 72 in BR Black over their exquisite pre-grouping liveries!

I also admire your optimism for thinking a tin will cover a loco or two, unless you're planning on doing something similar to what Jesus did with a small boy's picnic for 5,000 blokes and their families on a hillside...

 

Presumably looks like raspberry ripple ice cream in paint form…?

 

Surely won't you just fly in under the radar Bryan, It's amazing just how much a small owl can carry

 

'Fenchurch' has always rung the changes with livery on the Bluebell - I think the only main liveries it hasn't been seen in are SR schemes as B636 / 2636. There are some photos showing a variety here: https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/32636-lbscr-72-fenchurch-sr-b636-sr-2636-br-32636/ I think there is generally a bit of a desire for the loco to carry a name, hence the not-entirely-prototypical Marsh Umber with name (which was wrong on at least two levels) and the period it ran in Newhaven Harbour Co. Livery where it retained 'Fenchurch' on one tank. The current livery seems to have been very well received though.

No. 65 - I think that, unlike Nos. 263 and 592, there is no clause in its ownership about livery, so I guess it could be repainted into any livery over time. That said, my understanding is that the railway prefers to always have at least one of the big SE&CR locos running in the full livery as it is attractive to film companies.

Tom

 

Oh please don’t put these fabulous locos into BoRing black! The Bluebell has such an exceptional and interesting range of liveries on its fleet. There’s already the two standards in this livery as it is. I’m

 

... lost for words?

 

Moving on, and this is almost certainly a question for Richard:
RBR 1674, a privately owned vehicle, arrived on our metals in 2011, after a comprehensive contract overhaul.
This very presentable vehicle is now, just 23 years on, suddenly receiving major surgery for what appears to be serious tinworm- the usual lower ends/ collision pillars, but also up around the cantrail and bodysides, too.
As nothing has really been said about this carriage or its prognosis, is anyone at liberty to say-
1)- was this work known about when 1674 arrived, or was it an unfortunate discovery?
2)- presumably the work is being funded by the present owner?
3) What are the plans for the carriage after overhaul?
I gather that steel sheeting already aquired for the Ex NRM CCT is having to be used, which will presumably set this fairly urgent overhaul back.
Would anyone be able to answer these questions; and comment on how this situation is meant to be panning out over time?
Unfortunately I don't have the BN back copies for 2011/12, so no reference material
Many thanks in anticipation.

 

Get’s my vote. When’s the Facebook page going live? I presume the GoFundMe appeal has already been launched.

 

Made by the same company that produces tartan paint.

 

Another point is that Fenchurch has been cosmetically restored to look like an A1 even though mechanically it still (I presume) remains an A1X. The most noticable difference visually is the front of the smokebox, which looks very different from an A1x. The point I am making is that any SR or BR livery would now be inapropriate for this engine. I would suspect that DS680 (formerly No. 54 Waddon, now in Canada) was probably the only A1 ever to wear BR livery

 

I don't think Waddon even carried BR livery either, I think it was the same for Boxhill, both I think were departmental locos. Personally I think Fenchurch's current look is probably the best it's looked since being preserved.

 

Tom

 

As someone who hasn't visited the Bluebell for 50 years and who hasn't really followed this thread, can I ask something which may be well known to insiders?

Ferreting around on Google Earth there seems to be a reasonably intact trackbed south of Sheffield Park Station. With the talk of East Grinstead and Ardingly, what is the reason that south of Sheffield Park has not been mentioned?

Thanks. I hope to rectify the lack of a visit next year.

 

Isn’t raspberry ripple the same as scumbling but with different pigments?