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Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Jamessquared, Feb 16, 2013.

  1. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    The railway owns all of the trackbed between Horsted Keynes and Ardingly, up to the edge of (but not including) the Ardingly station site, with the exception of Lywood Tunnel, which is leased with an option to purchase. I'm not sure how much additional land there is for storage purposes beyond the trackbed corridor.

    However - thoughts about building storage along there would seem problematic to me - at least for a visitor facility, i.e. museum type storage. Even if we opened to Ardingly, I cannot imagine that we would run on that line on every running day (resourcing that would be a big ask), so any museum would likely be cut off for considerable periods. Even on running days, the timetable would likely be such that realistically you could only get a few hours in the middle of the day at Ardingly and still arrive and get back to Sheffield Park or East Grinstead, which will be the overwhelmingly dominant starting / finishing points for visitors. So my personal view is that it is a non-starter for a museum building.

    I've heard suggestions (but I suspect somewhat tongue in cheek) about using Lywood Tunnel for storage. However, even if you could get over the likely dampness problem, my working assumption is that - even though it is a double track tunnel - if we ran trains, we would slew the track towards the centre (as in Sharpthorne Tunnel, and on Imberhorne Viaduct) to allow additional clearance. Which then rules out using it as storage space.

    Tom
     
  2. Steve B

    Steve B Well-Known Member

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    My thoughts would be that the issue of more covered accommodation and further consolidation of the existing line (eg track renewals) needs to be accomplished before setting out on any extension to Ardingly. Given that there is a substantial bridge to replace before you get beyond Horsted Keynes an extension is going to be expensive and not quick, and the need to protect locos and stock gets more urgent each year.

    Unless, of course, there was a suitable site just the other side of the "bridge", and funding was miraculously provided for the site, building and the bridge to get there...

    Just dreaming

    Steve B
     
  3. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    There's an idea ...

    Thinking how the land falls away from the station towards Station Approach, I wonder if you could do something tucked into the triangle, at low level fronting onto the road? Of course, you'd have some tricky access problems to get things in and out, but maybe there is enough drop in height to allow it to be unobtrusive when looking south from the station, and you would also preserve the western view. Probably megabucks, of course.

    (If you built something on the far side of station approach, it's a considerable distance away from the station, which might effect footfall - it's surprising when you look on a map just how far away that is).

    Tom
     
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  4. Mark Thompson

    Mark Thompson Well-Known Member

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    Are you talking about the Salt Yard here, Tom?
    If so, I think Infrastructure might have some typically- er- robust observations on that one!
     
  5. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    No, I was thinking within the triangular wooded area bounded by Station Approach, the Ardingly branch and the mainline - obviously not the whole space, but maybe just a part adjacent to the road, keeping as low as possible (remembering that the road is considerably lower than the railway in that area).

    Tom
     
  6. Mark Thompson

    Mark Thompson Well-Known Member

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    Ok. So physically separate from the railway.
    Something vaguely remembered from the Ardingly bridge planning days is that those woods are some kind of SSSI. I know there was a lot of objecting, and poxy Great Crested Newts was one of the issues. God knows why, when the damn things seem to be everywhere.
     
  7. paulhitch

    paulhitch Guest

    S.S.S.I.s can be a something of a point of interest if conveniently near to public areas. They are also warnings against railways becoming un-neighbourly.

    PN
     
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  8. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Just goes to show how hard it is to find an area that is

    - large enough
    - free of planning constraints
    - visually unobtrusive

    and that's before you even get on to issues like cost; what the ground conditions are like (and whether they are suitable to build on - a lot of Sheffield Park is built up ash); how it would fit into the structure of a visit to the railway; how you would access it to get items in and out etc. Not an easy problem.

    Tom
     
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  9. Mark Thompson

    Mark Thompson Well-Known Member

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    Thank you for your input, Cassandra.
     
  10. Mark Thompson

    Mark Thompson Well-Known Member

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    Its a circle which will probably be impossible to square within the constraints of the Railway as it exists.
    the Conundrum of "how it would fit within a visit to the railway" might be better dealt with on the basis of encouraging return visits, after all there is only so much one can do in a day, without rushing from pillar to post and not really gaining anything, accept breathlessness and indigestion!
     
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  11. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    From the Bluebell website ( .com)

    IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

    “Due to the ongoing repairs of 60163 ‘Tornado’, sadly it will not be visiting us as planned for the 25th – 29th May. However, we are pleased to announce that 60163 ‘Tornado’ is being rescheduled to visit Bluebell Railway on 3rd – 7th August 2018. We are just finalising the details of the new visit now and will be announcing them shortly. All customers with bookings for the event in May will be contacted by our Customer Services Department as soon as possible.

    However, we are pleased to announce that Paddington™ will still be visiting us on the 28th and 29th May, and that the Teddy Bear’s Picnics will still go ahead on the 26th, 28th and 29th May, with one of our own locomotives heading the trains”
     
  12. glen77

    glen77 New Member

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    Wondered when that announcement would be coming, glad that the visit has been rearranged though - shame its not for the Autumn gala though IMO!
     
  13. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    There are other visitors being planned for that event.

    I think the Tornado visit is being pitched at a different market from the Autumn gala - more family oriented (hence the Paddington tie-in) and trying to attract people who have not previously visited, whereas the Autumn gala is more enthusiast focused.

    Meanwhile - the Branch line gala is up next, which promises to be a lot of operational fun if last year's event is anything to go by.

    Tom
     
  14. paulhitch

    paulhitch Guest

    Up the road there has been a notable example of the linear scrapyard, now in course of being tidied up after a very long time. It is quite understandable for the locals not to want something similar in their midst. What I can't understand is the objection to a stopping place for trains.

    PH
     
  15. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Several things of interest in the e-Newsletter. Firstly:

    Spoil(er) Alert: OP4 Progress Report

    After an extremely wet spring we have at last had a period of (mostly) dry weather that has dried out the ground and enabled Matt Crawford and his hard-working team to make significant progress on stabilising the embankment.

    The most obvious outcome is that the spoil heap south of the shed has now gone, and the embankment at the south end of so-called "Dingley Dell" has been rebuilt, extending the space available in the yard.

    The ground south of the shed is "made ground"; that is to say, it is not virgin soil, but it has been built up over many decades by the tipping of loose material. This ground is therefore un-compacted and inherently unstable, slowly slipping into the valley. The removal of the spoil heap has reduced over-burden on the embankment, minimising the risk of further slippage.

    To stabilise the embankment, material at the bottom has first to be dug out and then replaced in shallow compacted layers, with reinforced Geotech mesh placed between layers to provide additional stability. Before this work can proceed much further, some small-scale piling is required along the edge of the stream to secure the toe of the embankment. This job is likely to commence within the next week, given continued dry weather.

    Heritage Skills Centre

    The materials for the framework of the Heritage Skills Centre (HSC) have been on site since the erection of the main shed, but no progress has been possible until the ground in this area has been reduced to finished levels.

    With the work on the embankment progressing well, it is anticipated that excavation can start before the end of the month, with the spoil being used in the embankment works. Discussions are underway about starting the erection of the framework during June.

    The detailed design of the HSC is progressing well, and we are currently awaiting Building Regulations approval before proceeding further. Completion of the design will provide details of finished ground levels to the east of the building, and crucially enable the northern and eastern wall cladding to be specified and detailed.

    On the Road

    Work not strictly part of OP4 is the relaying of the down yard. Plans are being prepared and components assembled for a new layout that will provide significant improvements in the yard's operational efficiency and also facilitate the shunting of stock into the new shed.

    However, until a significant proportion of the embankment work has been completed, and the ground stabilised, no further carriages can be shunted into the remaining two roads (H and J). The vehicles currently stored in the new shed are:
    • No. 33: Pullman kitchen car "Constance"
    • No. 60: LBSCR Directors' Saloon
    • No. 320: LSWR Lavatory 3rd
    • No. 494: LSWR Corridor 3rd
    • No. 676: LBSC Six-Wheel Brake 3rd
    • No. 1050: SER Composite
    • No. 1061: SECR Birdcage Brake 3rd
    • No. 2515: SR Bulleid Saloon Brake 3rd
    • No. 2773: LSWR Van
    • No. 4279: SR Bulleid Saloon Brake 3rd
    • No. 5498: LSWR Ventilated Luggage Van
    • No. 6575: SR Maunsell Corridor Brake Composite
    This project is entirely funded by donations, and a further £150,000 is required to complete the brickwork and cladding of the northern and eastern wall, which will provide additional weather proofing for the carriages and provide extra security, screening the vehicles from the road. If you can support this much-needed project, please visit the "Cash for Cover" donation page.

    By Barry Luck, OP4 Project Manager
     
  16. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Then, this about the museum:

    The Museum Seven Years On

    It is now seven years since the museum opened on Platform 2 at Sheffield Park station, and it's time to give an update since my last report in the Bluebell News magazine from Summer 2016.

    The original design of the Museum allowed for a viewing window into the carriage shed and a working signal operated from the Withyham signal box. Happily, these two projects have been completed in the past two years. Howard Strongitharm liaised with a local contractor to produce a very pleasing bay viewing window into the carriage shed.

    Under the leadership of Malcolm Johnson, Howard again found a contractor to make a suitable base for the signal post. Brian Hymas and members of the Signals & Telecommunication team, together with help from the Infrastructure team, moved the old starter signal from Platform 2, firstly to a place where it could be renovated and then in front of the Withyham signal box. A group from the Museum helped to restore the signal post, the fittings, and signal arm. Visitors can now enjoy the full signal box experience.

    A wall displayer has been set up to provide a space for displaying topical information, such as photographs and details of the Sulky Service. A series of photographs of the Railway then and now also appear there.

    A number of items have been acquired, mainly from auctions. Tony Hillman, our Assistant Curator, keeps a watchful eye on the main "railway-iana" sales. A large bridge plate from East Dulwich and a weight limit bridge diamond from Newhaven Harbour are amongst recent acquisitions now on display.

    Two of our stewards, Sue Elliott and Lance Hodgson, have developed a couple of quizzes for younger and older children, and these are being well received. Children receive a badge on completion of their quiz. We find that the children like being occupied and at the same time they are encouraged to seek out information that they might normally pass by.

    Currently, a complete redesign of the Museum website is underway. This redesign will produce a contemporary-looking website that is compatible with smartphones and tablets. More information will be available soon.

    Now that the ASH project is well under way, we hope to make progress on the long-overdue building of a Research and Records Centre at Sheffield Park. This centre will house the Railway Archive and the vast archive of material from railways throughout the south of England, the latter being held at considerable cost in storage off-site.

    We have been counting visitors over the past three years, and it is interesting to find that the numbers have been fairly constant, at around 45,000 per year. Before actually counting visitors, we estimated that the figure would between 8,000 and 10,000 per year, clearly a gross underestimate!

    The Museum is open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. when Service One operates, and until 5 p.m. for Service Two. Stewards are on hand to answer queries and demonstrate the signal box. Please do come and visit us!

    By Tony Drake, Curator
     
  17. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    This, from S&T:

    Introducing the S&T Data Recorder or "Black Box"

    The curse of any engineer is to have a fault reported that rectifies itself before the reason can be identified or before a worse situation reappears.

    In the signalling world, this type of problem is known as a "self-rectified no cause found" (SRNCF), and when it is entered on the failure fault report, it is sure to generate a critical response from the management, particularly if delays have been experienced or if the issue reoccurs.

    It goes without saying that it can be very time consuming to look for a fault that isn't there or to wait for the problem to resurface. On the Railway, the Signalling & Telecommunications (S&T) Department faulting team are only routinely in attendance on Wednesdays and at weekends. To follow up a self-rectified failure that has not reoccurred for a number of days can be arguably a poor use of valuable time.

    Each incident is carefully considered, of course, safety is given the top priority, and the history of similar events is considered when informing a professional decision as to our response.

    To help us, last year the Railway acquired a Data Recorder (a "black box" that is in our case blue) that with the correct interface had the potential to help identify repetitive SRNCF faults. Unfortunately, when we received the box, we had little information on the device's features or how it could be linked with safety critical circuits.

    Not discouraged, Chris Chambers took on the challenge to understand the unit's attributes and design a safe method of connecting it to a variety of circuits. The successful result is a unit that can be fitted to any system and left to monitor exactly what is happening 24hrs a day; it can also be interrogated online from our office computer.

    Since we commissioned the new Kingscote signal box more than two years ago, and under very specific conditions, we have had a repeated fault reported to us. There was obviously an underlying issue in this case, but despite many days of investigation, we could not prove our suspicions of what was happening.

    With this ongoing issue in mind, we decided to fit and apply the Data Recorder. Within one week the problem re-appeared and our hunches were confirmed. As a result of the data, we are about to install an extra indication so that signalmen can feel confident that the locking is performing as it should and there is not a fault.

    We are very lucky that the cost of the material for the Data Recorder was sponsored by the members of the Signalling Records Society who visited us last year. We thank them for their generosity.

    By Brian Hymas, S&T Department
     
  18. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    And this, about the overhaul of the Bulleid Society Corridor Composite 5768

    No. 5768 Update: End in Sight?

    A first class compartment, showing reupholstered seating and re-chromed fittings (all photos by John Fry).
    Roger Williams sums up current progress as "painting and bogies are progressing slowly but the end of the fit out is in sight'.

    Seventy one years after its construction, and 50 years after its purchase by the Bulleid Society, the coach is on the verge of the completion of its most comprehensive overhaul in preservation.

    Twelve re-upholstered First Class seat cushions have been returned; photographs show the interior of a first class compartment, luxurious in comparison with the third class further along the corridor.

    Re-chroming of items such as heater controls, lamps, and luggage racks lend style and class to Bulleid's design for the six passengers in the first class environment, where Bulleid intended, and succeeded, to give the passengers as much comfort and spaciousness as possible.

    The third class passenger had a lower level of luxury with a greater passenger capacity in each compartment, but there was still the upper class chrome fittings, as can be seen in the photograph.

    Painting continues on the exterior, and work is progressing on the overhaul of the first of the two bogies, as shown in the bottom right photograph.

    By John Fry, Chairman, The Bulleid Society
     
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  19. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Any chance of making the photographs available on here? The report is rather incomplete with only the text.
     
  20. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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