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Bluebell Motive Power

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by Orion, Nov 14, 2011.

  1. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Au contraire!

    Tom
     
  2. A1X

    A1X Well-Known Member

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    Finally, we're getting our flagship back to how she's supposed to look
     
  3. ady

    ady Well-Known Member

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    Any plans for Fenchurch, or she in a similar condition to Stepney? Her 150th birthday will be in 2022 (I think). Not a million miles away.
     
  4. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    The powers that be are well aware of the significance of 2022, though as yet I'm not aware of any definite restoration proposal. It is also worth noting that we always need one or two class 0 locos in any case, and both 323 and 178 will be out of traffic by 2022. So I'd assume a restoration of Fenchurch before then is highly likely.

    As for condition - much better than Stepney. She had a very heavy rebuild last time round.

    Tom
     
  5. ykin01

    ykin01 Member

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    Any idea what might be running this Sunday? Have got a free Weekend and was thinking of a visit, Thanks.
     
  6. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    This is a bit of a guess as I haven't seen the roster, but if it varies I'll try and update on Saturday, time and mobile reception permitting:

    5643 is in service this week, so I assume will be on the "A" service.

    592 is stopped for its annual boiler exam, so that leaves perm any two from 263, B473 and 1638 for the B service and the lunchtime Golden Arrow. 263 seems to be a bit of an Arrow favourite of late, and B473 seems to be being used at the moment while the "B" service uses the vintage carriages (1638 is used when the B service is the SR livery set). So I'd take a wild guess on B473 on the "B" service and 263 on the lunchtime Golden Arrow.

    One or other of the P class locos will be pilot; last weekend it was 178 so I'd take a guess at the same.

    So at a guess I'd reckon on:

    5643 - A
    B473 - B
    263 - GA
    178 - Pilot

    As I say, if it varies, I'll try and update on Saturday night.

    Tom
     
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  7. Matt35027

    Matt35027 Well-Known Member

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    I saw a comment on somebody's post to the Bluebell Facebook page that says on the subject of the S15 "the left hand driving wheel has come loose". Is there any truth to this, Tom?
     
  8. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Not that I am aware of! She was running OK on both Saturday and Sunday, and the use of 5643 as a replacement this week was planned from at least Friday. (I know, as I was firing 847 on Saturday, and there was no problem noted by the driver on his ticket that I am aware of; and I was around the yard on Sunday when there was a warming fire in 5643 while 847 was out and about without apparent problem; the "locos for the coming week" information is updated in the loco lobby for the benefit of crews before the weekend and definitely said 5643 for this week on Saturday when I arrived to sign on, in other words using 5643 this week was a planned, not a late, replacement).

    So unfounded, I think.

    Tom
     
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  9. Matt35027

    Matt35027 Well-Known Member

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    Thanks Tom, I was taking it with rather large helpings of salt as this sort of unfounded rumour crops up on the Facebook page from time to time.
     
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  10. Maunsell man

    Maunsell man Well-Known Member

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    I heard the S15 was suffering from dirty pick-ups and kept stalling on the points...
     
  11. Duty Druid

    Duty Druid Resident of Nat Pres

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    Sounds more like a Hornby model than the real thing.............................
     
  12. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    I thought the p/way lot put electrofrog points in to try and stop that happening ...

    Anyway, for anyone about tomorrow, it promises to be a busy day. There is an afternoon Wealden Rambler but the set is not currently formed, so there is more than the usual amount of shunting to be done by the pilot first thing in the morning, according to the traffic notice - the action starts around 9am. The WR runs two round trips in the afternoon / early evening and the Golden Arrow two round trips in the evening, so 11 round trips in total - 242 miles of steam running for the day.

    Tom
     
  13. Zoomeg

    Zoomeg New Member

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    847 sadly suffered what appeared to be a regulator problem at HK today on the last up train; she was still lobbing out loads of steam an hour later; quick work by the crew to put the fire out kept it all under control though

    sincere thanks to the Bluebell staff who pulled out all the stops do get us all home! brings home how hard it is to make contingency on an all steam railway but you boys did good!

    Camelot was coming along but very slowly; I heard a rumour she'd be out by Christmas
     
  14. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Plan for today is to use the E4 and 263 on the service trains (can't remember which way round) and the two P tanks on the lunchtime Arrow.

    Will involve some more shunting first thing I'd imagine as the main train will need a couple of coaches knocked off to get it within the weight limit for the medium tank engines.

    With regard Camelot - won't be ready by Christmas, it's looking more likely for next summer. 541 should be ready by the end of the year.

    Tom
     
  15. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    From the Bluebell e-Newsletter:

    "No. 592 Gifted to Bluebell Railway Trust

    Although never in serious doubt, the long-term future of ex-SECR C Class No. 592 was secured when the Wainwright "C" Preservation Society formally gifted the engine to the Bluebell Railway Trust at a ceremony at Sheffield Park on 20 Sept., 2014.

    No. 592 was one of the few engines bought direct from British Railways in working order. Fortunately, it was the very hard winter of 1962-1963 that helped to save it. Instead of being broken up with most of the rest of the class, it was retained for snowplough duties with two of its classmates at Ashford.

    No. 592 remained in service for another three years, latterly as DS (Departmental Service) No. 239. This reprieve gave the Society the time to raise the money to buy No. 592 for £1,420, then about half the cost of an average house. The purchase was completed on 12 Dec., 1966, but the engine remained at Ashford, where restoration work was carried out by Society members during the following three years.

    However, an increasingly acrimonious relationship with their landlord forced the Society to move No. 592 to the Bluebell Railway, where it arrived on 16 Aug., 1970. In 1972 a long-term loan arrangement was agreed, and the engine has been with us ever since.

    Apart from periods when it has been out of service for overhaul, No. 592 has been at work on the Railway for more than 40 years. In spite of being nearly 113 years old and designed as a goods engine, it has proved to be a reliable, popular, and consistently useful engine on all but the heaviest trains. The loco has three years left on its current boiler certificate.

    With a diminishing and aging membership, the Society decided to donate No. 592 to The Bluebell Railway Trust. Unfortunately, on the day of the formal transfer, the loco was out of service with a broken spring.

    However, it will soon be repaired and once again we will have the opportunity of seeing three SECR engines--P Class No. 178; H Class No. 263 (also owned by the Trust); and No. 592--all in steam in their splendid SECR livery. They will shortly be joined by their older SER cousin--Class O1 No. 65--once the overhaul of its spare boiler is completed.

    We are very grateful to the members of the Wainwright "C" Preservation Society for gifting us the engine in the knowledge that we will continue their good work indefinitely.

    By Vernon Blackburn, Administrative Trustee, Bluebell Railway Trust"
     
  16. Matt35027

    Matt35027 Well-Known Member

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    Good to know that the loco's long term future is secure, of the Bluebell fleet she's a firm favourite of mine.
     
  17. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Yes, she's a good old loco! Unfortunately, she is out of traffic at the moment needing some stays replaced, but hopefully they can be repaired without too much trouble - I think ideally we need her for the winter for the Victorian Christmas trains (otherwise it puts more pressure on 263).

    Incidentally, a story I heard, which I can't verify but came from a good source: When 592 was saved, the foreman at Ashford offered some "other C class spares". Sadly, they had to be turned down as the fledgling C class trust couldn't afford them. It turned out that the said "spares" consisted of the frames, wheels, cylinders, motion, boiler, cab and tender of a Wainwright C class, which also co-incidentally happened to be assembled together into something bearing a striking resemblance to 31271 / DS240 ...

    As I say, it might be apocryphal, but nice story if true - though sad to think of another one that got away!

    Tom
     
  18. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    A couple of updates from the Camelot Society, with photos, showing the continuing reassembly of the loco. The boiler is still at Crewe with the latest projected date for return to Sheffield Park bring in January.

    https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=381518251989806&refid=17 (you don't need to be a Facebook member to see the updates).

    Also, I understand that the regulator problem on 847 that sidelined the loco the weekend before last has been fixed and she is back in traffic. She is the rostered loco for the relief train this Thursday in connection with the Alton to Sheffield Park charter.

    Tom
     
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  19. green five

    green five Resident of Nat Pres

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    Great news about 847. Thanks for the update.
     
  20. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Updated loco roster for October.

    http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/loco_roster.html

    With the start of Autumn Tints yesterday, the two P class locos each have effectively 28 days of continuous service, give or take a couple of days for 178 - they are being used in tandem on Ramblers and lunchtime Arrows at weekends as they will be warm. A quick totting up suggests that they should each rack up about 1500 miles during the next four weeks. Not bad for lightweight Edwardian 0-6-0s!

    Weekend service trains are mostly in the hands of 1638 and B473, before 847 comes back for half term week.

    Tom
     

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