Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Further to my earlier reply, the Bluebell e-Newsletter suggests that the following ten vehicles are the priority to move undercover. Remember, every £10 donated could be worth £22.50 to the project with match funding and Gift Aid. £250k will enable the supports and roof to keep ten vehicles under cover and a start to be made on construction next year; a further £100k will enable the full roof to cover twenty vehicles.

The first 10 carriages with priority to be moved out of the elements will come from across the spectrum of our collection:

• No. 6575 (Maunsell brake/composite) and No. 5644 (Maunsell composite), both to be part of a Maunsell train, currently suffering damage from open storage.
• No. 1481 (Bulleid open third) and No. 4279 (Bulleid brake/third), both with commercially valuable carrying capacity.
• No. 1050 (SECR/SR non-corridor composite), which has not run in service since the early 1970s and which suffered damage when it lost its tarpaulin in a storm (although a new tarp is now in place). Of the non-corridor bogie vehicles waiting to be overhauled, this one is in the best condition, so it will be the next of that type to be overhauled, following No. 971.
• No. 1061 (SECR short Birdcage brake/third) and No. 1170 (SECR long Birdcage brake/third), both will form part of a Birdcage Set.
• No. 60 (LBSCR Directors' Saloon), the "Brighton Saloon," which was operated during the Railway's early days, was dear to the heart of late President Bernard Holden.
• No. 157 (Pullman brake/third, "Car No. 54"), key to the future of the Pullman train.

Donations can be made here: http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/trust/appeal/donate.html

Tom

 

That does look most impressive Tom, though just out of curiosity, while I'm aware this building will put around 20 coaches undercover, will there still be some coaches out in the cold? If so, is there plans for an additional building somewhere, certainly I'd be most keen to see the whole if the railway's stock safe and secure for the future.

 

The website says this will be sufficient to get "virtually all the pre-nationalisation carriages undercover" - its in addition to the SP Carriage shed and whatever is undergoing maintenance / storage in the workshop. That still leaves various vans and wagons that need protection, as well as half the engines.

The Long Term Plan talks about a large exhibits museum as well, that would be ideal for engines such as Sharpthorne and vans such as the SECR birdcage van, but I think that is still someway in the future - I'm not aware of even an indicative location at the moment, though I am sure that such things are thought about in a strategic sense.

Probably the last update from me for a week: I'm off to the land 3G forgot for a week of Autumn Tints.

Tom

 

[Pulls out crayons] The long-term solution would doubtless be to extend south to a new Newick Parkway station with three or more 12-car platforms

 

With third rail?

(gets tin hat...)

 

Not third rail but as a Brighton line all locos must be Westinghouse fitted to haul the electrics to Newick Parkway. Air pipe extenders allowed. EDIT forgot about the auto couplers would need translator vehicles. A good use for some of those vans on Ardingly spur

(tin hat body armour etc)

 

Good to see that over time these historic coaches will be going under cover to help to stop them deteriorating any more. Over time the saving on restoring them as they are under cover will help to pay off the cost of the carriage shed.

 

After a week away, during which time Bluebell News dropped on door mats, the cash for cover appeal now stands at just over £71k - remember, any donations up to £125k made before mid November will be matched pound for pound. Many thanks to all those who have contributed. More details here: http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/trust/appeal/donate.html

Meanwhile, it was "four engine Friday" yesterday - 178 and 323 on the two Autumn Tints services, B473 on a Wealden Rambler and 1638 on a film charter. The same four engines are in service this weekend, 1638 and B473 on the service trains and the two P tanks on the Wealden Rambler / Golden Arrow / Pilot duties. Having fired eleven round trips during the week, I can say with some conviction that the Autumn Tints services may look relaxed, but are quite a proposition to get right - there is pretty well nothing in reserve if you get the firing wrong.

Also the Above Workshop Facility was officially opened during the week - attached is the view on Friday morning from the balcony. Note that this viewpoint is not open to the public.



Tom

 

Current status of the Double Donation Dash is about £96.5k - an excellent start, but still a way to go to meet the initial £125k target!

Also, a news update on the Bluebell website on the opening last week of the Above Workshop Facility:

http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/ext/inf_news.html

Tom

 

A couple of weeks and £96 000 in the bank?
Exceptional!


Well done yet again Bluebell Railway.

Nick

 

Many a true word ...

The debate about third rail could be interesting, but with the Brighton Belle project heading towards completion of a six car set (yes, another worthy appeal), there could be scope for some co-operation. Excursions starting from Newick Parkway, then hauled from Sheffield Park to East Grinstead and then back on the juice to all sorts of interesting places on the Southern Electric. Or discreetly lay a third rail all the way north to East Grinstead??

No, haven't just won the Euro millions lottery.

John
(now in hiding)

 

I'm not sure "discreet" and "third rail" is necessarily a good idea!

Tom

 

I have an appeal leaflet which is indeed from the 5 BEL Trust, but it refers to 'six of the original Brighton Belle cars'. Perhaps I should look further for a reasoning behind this.

John

 

Maybe it will run as a five car set with one spare? or they've added another one just for extra capacity?

 

My enquiries reveal that they ended up with six cars because the last one they acquired happened to be a first class car. They will eventually run with all six. This looks a worthwhile project - I don't know where the set will be based, and I am not a member of either Bluebell or the 5 BEL Trust, so none of my business but I can't help feeling that a re-opened Horsted Keynes to Haywards Heath line on third rail could be almost ideal (as an alternative to Newick Parkway).

Now trying to find that flak jacket.

John

 

You really will need a flak jacket if you suggest electrification of the Ardingly branch!

My best guess for a permanent home (disclaimer: not a 5-BEL trust member) is nearer London, for the simple reason that I suspect the market for what are likely to be premium-price trips is likely to be quite London-centric.

As for the carriages involved: somewhere in the mix is a like-for-like (in condition) swap of Doris (owned by the Bluebell and an original 5-BEL vehicle) for Carina (owned by the 5-BEL Trust, but originally a loco-hauled carriage). That will require some extensive structural restoration of Carina to get it to the same condition as Doris, but I haven't heard much of late about when that is planned to occur.

Tom

 

6 car units aren't, of course, entirely without a history, so although maybe amalgamating the principles of a 5BEL and a 6PUL, maybe not a hideous one?

 

Wasn't a 6-PUL five ordinary coaches with just one Pullman though?

I must admit, I can't get worked up about whether it ultimately ends up as five vehicles, or whether they feel commercially it is more viable with six - what matters is that it runs! I suspect the only people who would really notice would be photographers, and I doubt they are high up the 5-BEL Trust's list of concerns

Tom

 

I seem to remember the 6 PUL were one Pullman carriage units and were on the Littlehampton and Eastbourne service with 6 PAN. When the MidSussex ( my local line) was electrified in '38 it was given those lovely Art Deco Buffet Cars designed by Bulleid, sadly the Nene Valley Line managed to lose the NRM preserved one through fire although I believe the underframe still exists.

I am sure Mr and Mrs Normal will not mind or realise that the '5 BEL' or '6 BEL' they are riding in is nothing like the actual Brighton Belle. If you follow the traditional norm that its the frames that denote what the rolling stock actually is then the unit will be a 6 PIG as it will have Pullman bodies with completely different seating on CIG underframe with CIG control gear and motors. Does this matter? probably not, but to me and others who actually experienced the original BELLE it cannot be or ever will be the Brighton Belle.

I don't suppose Belmond are losing much sleep over the forthcoming competition either, a ride to Bristol/York in one of the real 5 BEL coaches Belmond have will always beat a ride through the backsides of South London/the Coastway towns in a non authentic PIG unit.

Brian