Bluebell Northern Extension - so what's occurring then?

Indeed. But it is not in the nature of railway enthusiasts to eat up their greens when they can see a trifle for desert!

With regard the 33: speed is of the essence, and over the seven miles or so between EG and HK when moving spoil around, a 25mph class 33 will be a big advantage over a 15mph class 08. In addition, the 08 hasn't had the greatest reliability, so we have a bit more redundancy with a 33 and the 08 as backup. Finally, it's been said that the 08 has been struggling with just 3 loaded Grampus, plus lowmac with JCB on it, and Brake Van on our gradients. The 33 should allow us twice the load.

As for a diesel charter with it: personally I hope not, but I'm not paying the bills...

Tom

 

Not technically feasible? Has 103 had it's push pull gear removed? VEPs and 33/1s share compatible control gear and the VEP's is in working order so I assume there is a problem with 103 is there? Also whilst it's true the 33/1 is ETH, so is the VEP, so if the 33 were pulling the VEP it can also heat it I believe.

 

With regard heating, yes the 33 could heat the 4VEP, but not any of our regular stock.

With regard control in push-pull mode, this is way out of my depth. (See [thread]39083[/thread] for an approximate gauge of my level of knowledge of beasts such as diesels). But a post on our Yahoo group suggested:

That may or may not be correct - not my specialist area!

Tom

 

This photo appears to suggest it could! (Not my Photo).
2010-05-07 SR 4-Vep 3417 Corfe Common | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

Come on you lot; give the Bluebell a chance! They are straining every sinew, physically and financially, to get their extension completed during quite a hard winter. Let's have no "helpful" suggestions for gricer pleasing diversions just now.

PH

 

The 33 cannot heat the Vep. The Vep has no ETH jumpers...

Am sure that the BB could find a 2nd pathway on a low season day to have a 33 day and if they market and price it correctly they will be able to earn quite a few extra pennies...:thumb:

 

I don't sign 33's so can't give chapter and verse on the technical side of things, but I would take issue with those comments on 33/1's and the VEP in push mode; we've done it often enough at Swanage galas (including with 33103 and U.3417!) to prove that it can be done. Not my photo, but see 3417 @ Harmon's Cross | Flickr - Photo Sharing! for an example. Compared to the modern railway, that was the great thing about the Southern Region; just about everything could work with everything else!

 

Yes the original Bluebell poster stating this was not not correct and I replied advising that it would work push pull. Not sure anybody on that group was listening however.
As well as the Swanage the MidNorfolk does it all through the season with 73210 and the CIG unit I have an interest in. Posters are correct in that the units MG set would not be powered by the loco ( only TC units had end jumpers for this purpose as has been said) the MG is powered via the pick up shoes at the unit ends into the bus line and thus the aux circuit tap off in the guards compartment. The MG set then powered the compressors, lighting, heating etc. The 27 way system operates the essential power controller circuits and brakes and the air is supplied from the loco via the high level hoses (or low level cocks and extension hoses)

The 33 could only heat the VEP ( or CIGs and CEPs) if the aux circuit was amended to be supplied via a cable and jumper into the 33s ETH cab jumper socket. You would also have to modify the return path by fitting cabling to ensure a safe return path to the loco instead of the units as built design via the return brushes and wheels into the rail.

Brian

 

As I say Brian, not my specialist area - must have missed your post I'm afraid.

So for clarity - if you ran the 4VEP and 33/1 in push/pull mode, when the VEP was leading, would the driver in the VEP have control over power and brakes, or just control of the brakes, with another driver in the cab of the 33 controlling the power?

Tom

 

Power and brakes. And if it was on third rail, the motors on the 4-VEP would be powering as well as the 33!

 

Would have complete control over power and brakes.....

 

Really reassuring to find a decent number of people on this forum both keen on the Cl.33 being used and knowledgeable about it. As someone who appreciates all heritage traction, I often click away from NP with a frown at the level of anti-diesel bias, so this has been a pleasing conversation to read.

Agree it's a bit of a side issue though, and the main thing is that if 33103 helps get the extension open sooner, that's great news all round. If the Bluebell did want a run a charter with it during its visit, if it was reasonably priced I'm sure it would get enough of a diesel fan turn-out to throw some extra cash in the coffers, VEP or no VEP (push/pull does sound tempting though), and I'd certainly be there if work allowed.

Either way, I'm coming down in February to sample the Bluebell as a Sheffield Park-Kingscote journey for the final time and pop into the Lavender Line too, then will be back in extension opening week whenever that may be, and then for another visit in the summer when there's a suitably intensive timetable.

 

Another John Sandys' photo update:

NEP Photo Update, Tues, 29/01/13 - a set on Flickr

The last photo in the set shows another bit of signalling infrastructure going into place. This is a post that in the long term (when EG is fully signalled) will have the EG up repeater on it (effectively the EG up distant). In the short term, when there is limited signalling at EG, it will have a fixed marker light to warn crews of their location relative to the terminus.

Also, but not captured by any photographers, the Kingscote up advanced starter has been erected north of Kingscote. This is a semaphore, and will ultimately be the most northerly semaphore on the line before colour light signalling takes over. the S&T have also installed a platform bell on the Kingscote down platform; previously there was only a bell on the up platform, but it is felt that with trains crossing, a bell is needed on the down as well, since the up platform bell cannot necessarily be heard from the down platform, especially if there is a train standing in the up.

Finally on the signalling front (but I suspect maybe not done before opening), the Kingscote up distant will at some point be converted from its current "fixed" position to operating. It can be cleared if the Kingscote home, starter and advance starter are all cleared.

No further news on opening date, but at the moment, no news is assumed to be good news.

Tom

 

Another photo-set from John Sandys, showing tracklaying at both railheads:

NEP Photo Update, Thurs, 31/01/13 - a set on Flickr

This weekend, the signalling at Kingscote should be commissioned - the recently-installed up advanced starter will be "on" and will mark the start of the engineer's possession from that point northwards, but south of there, the up starters on each platform, and a shunt signal to control access back over the north end loop point, should come into operation. So no more "stop" boards on the end of the platforms and phoning the signalman for permission to run round; instead it will be a signalled move after this weekend.

Tom

 

More good news. Seriously impressed by the work you're all putting in down there Tom.

 

Tom, it makes you wonder just how much residual waste will actually need to be taken out of the cutting, the latest set of images from JS show the diggers sort of "plastering" what they can over the recently placed geotextile sheeting.

 

Would have thought that that would be capping rather than waste as any exposed waste would most likely just get washed off.

 

Difficult to tell from the images, but doesn't look like clay.**

Anyway I am sure they know what they are doing with the different materials, ie waste and clay capping.

Must admit that to the layman the cutting sides in that narrow area do look very steep.

** Late edit: There is a major update on the main Bluebell website, and a comment about an image showing "...the mound of capping material prepared for spreading on the cutting floor", so yes it appears most if not all of the ever decreasing blockage is capping material. Given the plant now being utilised it must surely be only a few days to final clearance being achieved.

Looks like the big push in underway.

46118

 

Don't forget that on the down side (the East bank) that much of the cutting wall (about the bottom 2/3) is the original rock face. The west (up) side, and the top 1/3 of the down side, is spoil covered with geotex membrane and a layer of clay on top.

Tom