Bluebell Motive Power

You're missing quite a lot - like about another six miles of railway...

You can tell it's autumn: I come away for my annual week of Chatham tank engine therapy and it starts lashing down with rain :-(

Camelot is in the workshop finishing the painting and one or two other issues. 80151 has already had the tanks and cab removed as stripping down continues.

Tom

 

How far SECR O1 will return to steam and how long overhaul 4MT 80151? I know 34059 will return steam next year.

 

I don't know the details but 80151 got a pretty thorough overhaul last time around so I would be surprised if it needed major surgery beyond the usual boiler works. Same with 65.

 

The NLT did a lot of works trains especially between Horsted House Farm and West Hoathly. 541 got used more as te line went north because of water capacity. I fired a lot on the works trains. Oddly enough, the B4 was the first one through the tunnel. I was firing that one as well!
The NLT was not at all hard to fire, as long as you didn't put any down the front which would kill it. I don't think the draughting was quite right because if it was steaming well the firehole doors would glow orange.
The worst thing about it for the fireman was the horrible lifting injectors.They would overheat and pack up. I had to throw the fire out at Horsted once. A bit scary.
I don't recall anyone saying it was hard to drive, screw reverse, Dreadnought ejector and so on. The reverser was confusing though, the scale was back to front but you wound the handle the 'right' way.
It will need a lot of firebox work as well as the usual to make it go again.
I'd love to drive the thing on a pass to EG.
Oh, catering didn't like it on their trains because of a tendency to surge back and forth.
Fond memories, Russ.

 

Great job paintwork on 73082 can here Via Heritage Painting Facebook
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?...093575967:tl_objid.10153924093575967&__tn__=C

 

Quick question for anyone in the know and apologies if its been answered before. Is there likely to be an overhaul for 75027 in the foreseeable future?

 

I have not heard or read anything about
75027 being considered for an overhaul in the foreseeable future.

 

It is not in the stated list of overhauls, which encompasses 73082, 34059, 928, 80151, 65, 27, a Terrier (probably 72) and another medium engine (possibly 9017). That list isn't explicitly dated, but probably covers the next 4 - 6 years at least (ish, usual caveats etc). So not in the foreseeable future. After that - well, by definition you are into the unforseeable future

Tom

 

Thanks Tom, guessing it's a bit tired?

 

I guess so. She has basically had three periods in traffic (early 1970s; right through the 1980s; and late 1990s / early to mid 2000s) and I think now needs a very extensive overhaul.

Silly personal note: I was due to have a footplate turn on her on my very first ever rostered engine turn as a cleaner, but she was withdrawn just before, and I had 21c123 instead.

Tom

 

Blackmore Vale replacing something else ?!

 

Yeah, I don't think I had too many turns subsequent to that...

Tom

 

The 5P5F progresses ...

https://www.facebook.com/3815182519...1518251989806/631809936960635/?type=3&theater

Tom

 

Has this been reported yet on here? I can't remember.

From Sunday's e-Newsletter:

LNWR COAL TANK NO. 1054 TO VISIT IN EARLY 2016

Arrangements have been made for LNWR 0-6-2 Coal Tank No. 1054 to visit the Bluebell Railway early next year.

Built at Crewe Works in September 1888, this loco was finally withdrawn for scrapping as No. 58926 in 1958. At that time a fund, headed by railwayman J.M. Dunn, was established to successfully purchase the engine and save it for posterity.

Within 12 months, it had been restored at Crewe to its former LNWR identity as No. 1054. Indeed No. 1054 became the first main line steam loco to be purchased for preservation by public subscription.

The engine was presented to the National Trust in 1963 (who remain the owners today) and placed in the care of the Bahamas Locomotive Society (BLS) 10 years later.

BLS volunteer members restored the engine to working order in 1980. An award from the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2004 provided funds for another extensive overhaul, which was completed in 2011. No. 1054 is the sole survivor from a class of 300 and one of few remaining LNWR engines.

Normally resident at the BLS base at Ingrow on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway in Yorkshire, No. 1054 will be travelling by road to visit the Railway for two weekends in March 2016, one of which will be the Branch Line event on 19-20 March. The visit will provide an opportunity for No. 1054 to be paired with the Railway's 1913 LNWR Observation Car.

 

Am I right in thinking that Big 27 was only acquired by the Bluebell in the first place because at the time the line was looking for additional motive power she was all that BR was prepared to offer?

 

Wasn't the late Dr Beet was involved in negotiating the acquisition? Supposedly better than 19 or 48, the other members of the final trio in service.

 

I vaguely remember an article by Richard Greenwood saying the Bluebell went it alone with the purchase of '27.

 

IIRC 75027 was bought by a private individual and presented to the railway as a sort of gift* and as such the 'Bluebell didn't buy it in any sense of the word. Initially, I am also given to understand that some members though 75027 was far to big for the railways needs and were not afraid to say so, but as the decades passed and visitor numbers increased they soon saw the folly of such statements.

* Please note that during the mid - late 60s all available cash had to be saved up so that the society could buy the line from BR when the initial lease expired as BR made it quite clear that it would be sold outright when that happened and if the Bluebell couldn't afford the price there were plenty of demolition contractors only too willing to step up with the asking price.

 

I have a feeling that Dr Beet owned '27 for a few days while the cheque for paying for it cleared?


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