Brighton Atlantic: 32424 Beachy Head

Er, I think that they are building a Brighton Atlantic!!

Cheers

Alan

 

I agree. They should build an example of a local class which ventured onto the line regularly during the pre-closure years and which became a well known class for the company which built the line. Something like a Brighton Atla...oh.

 

To continue the metaphor, this machine is a racehorse when it is a van horse which is needed. Or, on a more mechanical basis, a Type 51 Bugatti when the requirement is for a Leyland Titan.

My last contribution on this subject!!

Paul H

 

Hooray!!! Back to the real World folks!!

Cheers

Mr Angry from Purley

 

Good, because, last time I looked, they were building a Brighton Atlantic because they wanted to. More power to their collective elbows!

 

Paul, I'd venture that the simple solution would be this: if you don't want a new atlantic, don't build one! I'm sure the people who do want to build an atlantic, and have poured years of blood, sweat, tears and money into building one are rather fond of the idea, so I'm sure you'll understand if they carry on...

 

A new update just posted on the Bluebell website - http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/locos/atlantic/latest.html

 

The boiler has of late evaded the cameraman, but an earlier update did mention that considerable work was taking place on the firebox, so the team must want that ready to drop into the frames at an appropriate time.
The sheer amount of engineering going into this build is totally impressive.

I wonder if the team will "rest" awhile once the Atlantic is completed, or perhaps they have something else up their sleeve?

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There has been some small scale renewal work around the mudhole doors where there had been some localised corrosion, but I believe the current strategy is to get as much as possible of the running chassis completed first. With inside motion and pipes for air brakes (it's a Brighton loco so would have been air braked; no thoughts about mainline running before anyone jumps to conclusions); vac brakes; associated brake cylinders, steam heat and all the lubrication runs, there is a lot to squeeze into a tight space, so it is best to get all that completed before the loco is put onto its wheels and the boiler put in place.

There is also a tender to construct as well, or at least, a tender body - the underframe exists, but currently serves as a useful flat storage space for small components, sales articles etc, so I don't think there is too much hurry to finish the tender.

**cough** Craven era loco **cough**

Tom

 

I still find this a surprising choice after the completion of the Atlantic. I would have thought that a K class mogul, a C2X, a D tank or an I3 would command far greater support, and all would be more useful engines. The spartan cabs (if you can call them such) are likely to be pretty unpopular with loco crews unless we get a lot more weather like last month. I suppose that with the four-wheeled stock, it would place the Bluebell firmly in the No. 1 spot as a location for a film requiring a railway scene from the mid/late Victorian era. The argument that there are no Craven era locos left can be countered by the total lack of L.B. Billinton locos either. It will be interesting to see which Craven era loco will be chosen, as he was the opposite of Stroudley (let alone Churchward) when it came to standardisation. A single-driver would offer a unique selling point, as neither MR 118, Caley 123 nor GNR No.1 are likely to steam in the foreseeable future, and one Craven 2-2-2 was named Sussex, which would be a very appropriate choice for a Bluebell engine (although this may have been after rebuilding by Stroudley) However, with a line nearly 11 miles long which now includes a 1 in 55 gradient, a mid-Victorian 2-2-2 (or even a 2-4-0) is going to be of rather limited use when the cameras aren't rolling.

 

As you know, I think much the same about an H2 when it comes to practicality! Now an E3 with a boiler that can be interchanged with "Birch Grove" would have a lot going for it. There is absolutely no need for anything which can exceed 90m.p.h. (or 30m.p.h. for that matter)

PH

 

It's to go with the Craven coaches, though I think in practical terms, they will be replicas too, rather than restorations. To quote the LTP:

Someone did tell me what the likely loco was, but now I've forgotten, but I seem to recall it may be one of the 2-4-0 tender engines. One of the 2-2-2s would be nice, but probably impractical. I'd imagine that filming would be a major use - that's a risky revenue source, but not to be sneezed at when it goes well, as next year's accounts will make clear (let's just say that Captain Baxter will definitely be on Camelot's Christmas Card list for the next ten years...).

I think such projects will always be subjective. Personally, I'd love to see a D tank (the archetypal Sussex branch line engine for many years, and likely much more practical with our growing 4 wheel rake than a Terrier now the line is longer and steeper); one of the big Billinton tanks (either J class 4-6-2T or L class 4-6-4T) would remind us that the Brighton was pre-eminently a tank engine line, even for its mainline trains, and would be ideal for our heavier services; and a K class mogul is very significant in British loco history, as well as providing a nice contrast with the U boats. But the Craven engine also has a lot going for it, most significantly that it plugs a major gap in what is preserved nationally (locos from ca. 1840 - 1870 are very rare, rarer than locos from either side of that period).

But all that is a few years away: we need to finish Beachy Head first! It is likely to be at least 25 years before any Craven engine and carriages are finished, by which time we may well be running at least to Ardingly...

Tom

 

Oh dear, I'll be 80 years old then. It seems that if I want to see a K class, it sounds like I'll have to live to 100!

 

Look on the bright side - by that time, we might well be running to Lewes as well!

As for a K class mogul - there's always FaceBook and we know a really good supplier of copper to make the boiler. Now, what livery shall we paint her?

Tom

 

Quite agree with all of this. Another point in favour of a Craven 2-4-0 is that we currently have no working British SG 2-4-0 of any era.

That said, the LCDR also ran some very nice 2-4-0s and 2-4-0Ts...we currently have no preserved LCDR locos, and wouldn't it be nice to have an appropriate loco for the LCDR 4-wheel rake...?

 

Further updates on the Brighton Atlantic are up on the Bluebell website see http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/blueb ... atest.html It appears that much good work is going on in Atlantic House, with much of the motion coming together well. I do get the feeling from various comments that several contractors have rather blotted their copybook by not supplying to schedule. Fortunately the project seems to be on track, and providing funding keeps up, the loco is probably only a few years off completion.
Daniel

 

When i was 15 years old many moons ago a friend and myself shed bunked into Stewarts Lane Shed
one sunday morning there was an entrance off Stewarts Lane itself via a footbridgeover the electrified lines and the old shed straight ahead and in the shed were the withdrawn en bloc K class they were all there except two if i remember there were also a couple of tank locomotives they all had red signs on them saying not to be moved, we went back two weeks later and the shed was empty.
did anyone else ever use the same entrance via Stewarts Lane.

 

Another update, with lots of detail about parts of the motion (crosshead, piston rods, eccentric sheaves).

http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/locos/atlantic/latest.html

Tom

 

Tom: Both the quality and complexity of the engineering are evident. What a superb job the group are making of this build.

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