Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Had a weekly round up yesterday, have you checked your spam folder ?

Sent from my SM-A556B using Tapatalk

 

Also received the weekly Roundup yesterday to all 3 of my email addresses, signed up when using wifi at Sheffield Park. Need to unsubscribe to Two of them, keep forgetting.

 

No not in spam. The email regarding the Bluebell Times arrived today though. Will have to try and find a contact email address to ask for a copy to be sent over

 

For anyone keeping score, 34059 and carriage 2526 came back this afternoon.

Tom

 

The Ardingly Branch

Herewith a quick snap of the finished sketch map. Thanks to Gavin Bennett and Alan Hillier for supplying the missing pieces of information.

I will publish a properly scanned version when I can.

No copyright is asserted in the sketch.

regards

Robin

 

That's brilliant, Robin; I'll get the final version on the web site, somehow!
Richard

 

As regards the PTI page, it says it's maintained by Tony Haylar because he took it over from Peter Richards. It's now updated by Gordon Dudman, who gets updates as to what locos are being used when he's at Sheffield Park... but he hasn't yet found out how to edit the template to change Tony's name to his! It's always a "Best Effort" attempt to show what's running, but it can be hard to find out what's going on to update the page if you don't happen to be at SP.

 

So a bit of an update from me, not having looked at this forum for a while.

Yes, that was the one original siding dating back to LBSCR days that hadn't been lifted, post 1913. It was life expired and then some, so is being relayed at the same time as Platform 1. This area was going to be a display area for Railway200 exhibitions, but won't really be needed until the Railway200 Inspiration Train arrives.

Someone referred to it as 'Siding 0', but when the platforms were renumbered (Platforms 0-4 becoming 1-5) the siding numbering remained as it was, so the first siding behind platform 1 road is still "-1".

Someone else suggested that no trains have been signalled into/out-of Platform 1 (as it now is) for 111 years. That's not true - at some galas a few years ago services were signalled into/out of Platform 1 at the north end. And brake van trips have been signalled at the south end to/from the Ardingly Spur. The signalling at both ends became fully operational on completion of the HK resignalling project. Its use was somewhat limited by the condition of the track and platform edge, now resolved!

As regards connecting up the track at the south end of Platform 1, I believe the point near the signal box is indeed to move south a little to give a smooth connection. The location cabinet (signalling equipment/connections) adjacent to the track opposite the end of the platform has already been moved westwards to provide clearance.

Someone else asked about clearing the derelict stock - almost everything we still have is wanted for our longer term plans, and the intention remains that the vast majority should be accommodated in OP4 at Horsted Keynes. However, more of this shed than should be is required for operational vintage stock at present until we can stop the Sheffield Park carriage shed (OP3) from being used for locos. That's maybe not likely to happen until someone gets round to planning, fundraising and building another loco shed... but is a sore point to those of us who planned, fundraised, and put thousands of pounds each of our own money into the construction of two new carriage sheds to store all the (pre Mk.1) overhauled, and carriages awaiting overhaul, under cover!

Regarding wheelchair-accessible and buffet facilities in Bulleid coaches - we've had various ideas over the years for accommodating such facilities in either one of the SOBTs or TO 1481. But actually, we have two wheelchair-accessible Mk.1s (the original one shortly to re-enter service after heavy overhaul) and two RMBs (with the second also awaiting completion of its heavy overhaul), but only one Mk.1 set, the plan was always that Mk.1s should be used in the Bulleid set to provide the Buffet and accessibility. There is however some interest in creating a Tavern Car (bar area as original, but seating as per later arrangement with windows!) at one end of a Bulleid coach, and a wheelchair accessible saloon at the other end (where the kitchen was on the Tavern Car).

Hundred Seater 971 having a wheelchair-accessible section was an idea I've tried to promote, but no one else seems interested. We have two Maunsells (3724 and 4441) as potential wheelchair-accessible vehicles for the longer term. The good news is that the overhaul of 971 is set to commence (with initial funding from the SR coach Group) once the intermediate overhaul of Bulleid 1482 is finished (the new roof canvas went on last Saturday).

Richard

 

For anyone who wants it, here is the high res scan of the finished sketch map.

regards

Robin

 

Is there a copy available for the rest of the Bluebell?

 

Yes. https://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/map_grad.html

 

Evening Robin

A wonderful map. Given your links to the K&ESR, have you drawn a map like this for that route?

 

Kind of you to say.

I haven’t. I must enquire what we have in Kent.

Robin

 

It's interesting that the gradient posts on the line don't quite agree with the gradient diagram on that page, particularly north of Kingscote - I suspect the gradients shown there were the provisional ones that the extension was constructed to, but the gradient posts (which are newish) have probably been placed after resurveying.

In particular, the 1 in 75 climb from Kingscote is now marked as 1 in 65, flattening to 1 in 75 (and then steepening to 1 in 55). On the opposite side of the summit, the section marked as 1 in 60 now has a gradient post marked 1 in 61, but there is a gentle 1 in 344 climb preceding south of the viaduct before the 1 in 61 starts.

They don't make a jot of difference, but I guess arise from a more detailed survey.

Tom

 

I lived in East Grinstead when the extension was being excavated through the tip. At first they were digging out at the original track level but they revised the plan to make the new trackbed a lot higher (compare old photos of the cutting especially under the bridges to today's). I can't remember where the extra earth came from to raise the trackbed level. This probably explains the steeper gradients that exist now. The 1/55 doesn't seem to cause any engines a problem even 323 with 4 coaches!

here's the original profile from the Klaus Marx history; essentially level from Imberhorne lane to EG low level


https://photos.app.goo.gl/EqSJ1LEr2682U4jR7

This was the trackbed level prior to the raised gradients. It was a genius stroke to do this as it saved £££££ in tip extraction and enabled the extension to be completed before the huge increase in landfill tax. I always maintained that it would be much cheaper to simply climb over the tip rather than dig through it although the bridges at either end precluded that. What they ended up doing was half climb over and half dig through!

Bluebell Railway Northern Extension - Imberhorne Lane Tip - Derek-Hayward

 

Reminder that this Saturday is the BRPS AGM, held at Sheffield Park, starting at 4pm.

There is an enhanced service on the day and widespread “behind the scenes” opening at the various stations (C&W works, Atlantic House, maintenance shed etc)

Train times:

B - 32424 - departures from SP at 09:20 / 11:45 / 14:15 / 17:45 (after the AGM)

A - 6989 - departures from SP at 10:30 / 13:00 / 15:40 /

WR - 65
Evening GA - 6989

Sunday is normal timings with 6989, 32424 and 65 on the lunchtime GA.

Tom

 

There was approx 2 metre layer of clay found between the underneath of the waste and the original track level. This was left in. To raise on either side I expect they would have used some of the clay from the capping on top of the tip .

 

yes of course thanks! I thought the clay capping all went to Horsted Keynes where it was deposited between the Ardingly and Lewes lines (and even postulated as a possible location for a turning triangle) but that was the non waste infill South of the tip. So there is no actual waste left under the existing trackbed?

 

The only waste left in was the Westside of the cutting which is held in place by a membrane. No waste under trackbed since it would not be suitable to build the new formation over it. The clay lining under the waste had been compacted, and must have had sufficient bearing capacity to build the formation on.