4VEP 3417 Fundraising

On behalf of the Southern Electric Traction Group, and with the blessing of the Bluebell Railway, we'd like to ask you all a question:

Could you buy the VEP a pint?

If you'd like to see the last working 4VEP given a chance to strut its stuff on the mainline again, we could use your help.

For more information, and to see what's been done so far, visit our website:
www.setg.org.uk

 

Battery charging 101.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead–acid_battery#Risk_of_explosion

Also: can you have a look at your code? The <caption> and <video> tags aren't working terribly well... (well, for me anyway )

 

Deleted.

 

I'll leave that to the fitters - none of them are allowed access to naked flames (or shoelaces or razor blades, come to that) so I reckon we'll be alright!

 

I'll have a noodle at that tonight. Thanks very much for the heads-up.

 

£4,724 so far...

I'm gobsmacked.

 

http://setg.org.uk/news/

Plenty of news.

Oh yes - £5,810.
We are beside ourselves. Thank you very very very much.

You lot are bloody brilliant.

 

Just thought I'd refresh this thread with a link to their latest news post as they look to getting the 4 VEP back on the mainline:

https://www.setg.org.uk/crowd-funding-and-one-trick-ponies/

Written in the usual inimitable style...

Steve B

 

I see from the "Swanning Arround" news letter diesel loco 33111 is being prepared to go to the Bluebell railway gala to work push pull with the VEP unit (like it has with the LU 4TC at other galas).
https://www.bluebell-railway.com/special/diesel-gala/
A good opportunity to show the VEP unit working (after the trip to Waterloo).
Guess it will get to the Bluebell railway under it's own power?.

 

That's an interesting question to which I don't know the answer.

If it comes under its own power, I don't know how it gets the last twenty yards from the end of the juice rail in the Network Rail siding, and the Bluebell Railway gate. It would have to couple to some form of Bluebell traction, but that can't go beyond the gate (*) I'm not sure whether it would permissible for the front half to go off the juice and through the gate to be coupled to a loco waiting there, but that sounds wrong to me, though I couldn't precisely put a finger on it. If there was a mainline-certified diesel at the railway when it arrived, that could go onto the mainline to pick it up - but would require someone with mainline training to couple up on the third rail, though I guess we have a few of people who could do that. Or it could come with a diesel attached from Strawberry Hill.

So the short answer is I don't know how it will get here.

(*) unless it is the O1 and Network Rail are inaugurating a new station - in other words, with the right conversations, anything is possible.

Tom

 

Interesting, but the trouble with writing in that style is that it tends to be rather an "in-joke" only understood (and liked) by the author's close contacts. I found it a bit tedious after a couple of paragraphs.

 

I observe that two diesels are visiting, both of which will work with the VEP. While one (33111) is not mainline registered, and may well come by lorry, the other is being loaned by LSL and could therefore be used to haul the unit dead.

 

GBRf 73 Possibly could power the unit from its depot, If its not got TPWS working, it won't be able to run under its own power,

 

Wouldn't Network Rail also require working Global System for Mobile Communications-Railway (GSM-R) radio and On-Train Monitoring & Recording (OTMR) ['black box'] for each cab being used? If so, this would require several several thousands of pounds I would have thought. Towing it to Sussex works out so much cheaper.

 

Yes, what I actually meant was everything that you have mentioned, it would need the full mainline gubbings, to run under its own power, It makes more sense for the time being to have an 73, haul it, and that can then, run onto Bluebell metals run round and a bluebell loco, either the 33, or 73 to take over , unless GBRf are open to allowing the 73 to operate on the bluebell possibly double heading the two ED's

 

Was it a GBRf 73 loco that took the 4VEP to Waterloo and back to Strawberry Hill?
Maybe could take it to the gala?.
Hopefully the 4VEP working push pull with 33111 will create further interest in the 4VEP restoration fund?

 

As far as I can see no GBRF 73 is down for the Gala. So the obviously logical point that @35B was making was why not get the mainline loco that is attending to collect it? Is there some technical issue prohibiting that, or are you expecting GBRF to move it for free?