B473 (Birch Grove)

Well between the 2, I am going to make sure it is the MHR Goods Gala... Are you going to be there Chris??

 

Certainly am, for both days as luck would have it my Wife is going to her Mothers for that weekend and iIshall be giving yard tours at Medstead .

I cannot say anything yet until it is confirmed but there is some nice suprises coming up for that weekend which I will post up on the Freight Weekend section.

Best regards
Chris

 

I think I have an incline to what this surprise might be??? But I am not willing to divuldge my suspisions...

 

B473 passed her steam test today, with just a few snaggles left to fix.

All is looking good for the return to traffic on the 16th.

Pil

 

Great, any details on the relaunch day, i see 9017 is rostered for service 2 so what is happening with 473, if it is not to early to ask for details?

 

Great news, I look forward to seeing the first pictures of her on the front of some Maunsells

 

Just posted on the Bluebell website:

See http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/whats_new.html

Tom

 

Not sure what we're supposed to be looking at on the page Tom? I can't see anything on the link with regards to the steam test??

 

Sorry - should have made it clearer, I was just giving a citation for the news, as it hadn't previously been reported here.

I'm sure given a day or two Mr Hayward will provide us with some photos!

Tom

 

The loco roster suggests B473 is on a special and 9017 on the service train, however everywhere else it is documented there is only one train! I am meant to be the guard this day on the service train, so hopefully it will be on that! But I'll try and keep y'all posted.

 

Derek Hayward has some more photos of her back in the works for adjustments after her test on the 30th
http://train.fotopic.net/p62754979.html

EDIT If you click through this set of photos you can also see the beginnings of Stepney being dismantled for her boiler overhaul

 

Wow look how thin walled that cylinder casting is on the H class

473 really does look the part in SR Green

 

I think i have finally turned into a proper railway enthusiast.

I took some photos of 80151 on the bluebell last week (the very day that 473 had a steam test, which i didnt know about!) and
i got peed off by the observation car on the end of the train. Bulleid coaches and 2 mark 1 coaches seemed a perfect combination, but
it got in the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-D

That was my photo ruined!

 

Why not show us the photo and let us judge whether that marvellous obo ruined your shot. It is a coach any line would be pleased to run!

 

Yes I agree it is a coach that any line would be pleased to run. I suppose it all depends whether or not the photographer wants to take a picture that is a facsimile of something he imagined might have run whenever or a picture of an actual train that is running on the Bluebell Railway now.

Regards

 

I've got my feet on both sides of the fence regarding the Obo coach. Having had many a ride in the Obo, it is a superb carriage and very popular with the general public. But as a steam photter the Obo can be a real pain in the back side when added to certain carriage sets i.e. Bulleid set, Maunsell set, especially with regard to 80151 because it's usually stuck right up behind it as the loco faces south. I just hope when the E4 returns to steam that the Obo is not included with the 3 Maunsells as it would unfortunately ruin the olive green combination and no doubt frustrate many photters.

 

On the other hand ... It's £1 supplement per round trip, so I guess on a good day it's probably about £100 extra "free" income over just running any other carriage for the same number of passengers (on the assumption of 30-odd paying passengers per trip).

I agree that Birchgrove + Maunsells is going to look spectacular - but any railway has to balance historical accuracy against the hard reality of making cash...

Tom

 

Yes I do agree, I can accept both sides of the argument with the Obo and also the Great Northern Directors Saloon. Those carriages are superb to ride in and can bring in some extra money for the railway. But many times when I've been lineside photting it's been so frustrating to try and phot locos such as 80151 with the Bulleids or Mk1 set and I guess soon the E4 with the Maunsell's only to find the Obo or the Directors Saloon is in the carriage set and stuck right up behind the loco and it does ruin the photo. I can't wait to photograph the Fairburn Tank with the Bulleid set and hopefully maybe a rake of 2 blood & custards with a Bulleid Brake at the Branch Line w/e but there's part of me dreading it. As I fear I could be so disappointed because either the Obo or Directors Saloon will be added to the designated carriage sets, put right up behind the Fairburn Tank and completely ruin the loco/carriage combination authenticity.

 

Well its often said on here that photographers don't mind coughing up to get what they want, so here's asn opportunity to prove it!

 

Sorry unable to uplod the photo i took, it may work if i emailed it to one of you, because u can view it then, but not otherwise.