If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

Bluebell Railway General Discussion

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

  1. AnthonyTrains2017

    AnthonyTrains2017 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2014
    Messages:
    2,237
    Likes Received:
    918
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    is there much to see at east grinstead
     
  2. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,102
    Likes Received:
    57,422
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    At the station, not really a lot - it's really a gateway to the rest of the line, and the main attractions for when there are no trains running are elsewhere. East Grinstead the town has its attractions.

    Tom
     
  3. andrewtoplis

    andrewtoplis Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2006
    Messages:
    1,357
    Likes Received:
    816
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Grinstead town has a nice old part to the high street with some small independent shops in very old timber framed buildings. This is, however at the other end of town to the station so needs a walk via the standard WHSmiths type chain shops first.
     
  4. David R

    David R Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 30, 2013
    Messages:
    1,018
    Likes Received:
    1,386
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Surrey
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    For something slightly different, here's some pictures of the elephant van (aka Circus Play Carriage) roof which has been replaced with a new steel roof (as original) consisting of 13 panels joined together with straps top and bottom at each join (originally it was rivetted construction, but we're doing it with stainless steel button head socket bolts and nylon insert nuts as fixings - each pair of straps has 110 bolts). Today we got 4 pairs of joining staps fitted and bolted together leaving just one more to do. The final picture (complete with broom) shows the final strap waiting to be fixed.

    David R
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Apr 16, 2016
  5. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,102
    Likes Received:
    57,422
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    One of my daughter's favourite vehicles, I think ever since she found out it was used for transporting elephants.

    Where is it planned that it will be based once finished - will it go up to Kingscote?

    Tom
     
  6. David R

    David R Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 30, 2013
    Messages:
    1,018
    Likes Received:
    1,386
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Surrey
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Tom - I believe the plan is still for it to remain at Horsted either in platform 1 or the dock. Interestingly although some enthusiasts don't seem overly keen on the vehicle, when I talk to non railway enthusiasts about it they are very interested because of it's history. One of the positive reasons for restoring the van in my opinion. As well as providing a usefull play facility for our younger visitors, I expect that many of the general public will be fascinated by the history of it.

    David R
     
    Jamessquared likes this.
  7. dhic001

    dhic001 Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2008
    Messages:
    312
    Likes Received:
    35
    Location:
    New Zealand
    I'm glad the elephant van is being restored, but Horsted Keynes is completely the wrong place to have it in that livery. It may be correct, but not for sitting in a 1920s station. Just shows how preservation standards has no guts, yet again.
    Daniel
     
  8. A1X

    A1X Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 21, 2011
    Messages:
    1,158
    Likes Received:
    1,158
    Occupation:
    Insurance
    Location:
    Good Old Sussex by the Sea
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    The obvious place would be Kingscote but unfortunately the yard isn't ready.
     
  9. Platform 3

    Platform 3 Member

    Joined:
    Apr 20, 2015
    Messages:
    827
    Likes Received:
    1,092
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    I may be able to make it down to the Bluebell for the 'Southern at War' weekend but was wondering whether it is worth it for a non-forties aficionado? What is generally out in terms of timetable frequency, carriage rakes, number of locomotives etc?
     
  10. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2006
    Messages:
    5,921
    Likes Received:
    3,827
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    East Grinstead
    It is usually a 3 train service. Last year the trains off Sheffield Park were 9:45, 10:15, 11:00, 2:15, 12:55, 1:30, 2.45, 3:20 2:45, 3:20, 4:00 5.15.
    Carriage rakes - since the Mets are out until later in the year, it will be most likley 2 sets of Mk1's/Bulleid and the Southern set ( 3 Maunsells, LBSCR 1st, SECR Birdcage, and SECR 100 seater).
    At least 3 locos.
     
  11. Rosedale

    Rosedale Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2015
    Messages:
    456
    Likes Received:
    435
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Shipbourne
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Meaning?
     
  12. Zoomeg

    Zoomeg New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2010
    Messages:
    129
    Likes Received:
    23
    Thanks Bluebell and GBRf for an excellent diesel gala yesterday. Shame a few of us missed the first train out of EG due to the large queue for tickets ( maybe a few roving sales staff accepting cash only for busy weekends in future?) but it didn't impact on the day much and I think everyone went home satisfied :)

    The failure of one of the 20s provided a surprise bonus on the form of double headed 73/1's on a single train which were only supposed to be there as brake translators (another fascinating aspect of the day; new locos don't work with old coaches!)

    20905 ( I think; the one without headcode boxes) did get back into service hauling an unlikely combination of the 73/9 66 and the 4TC back to SP rather sedately. I've not done diesels much in the last 30 years and I'm amazed at what a following they still have given their almost zero use on passenger trains!

    out of interest what else does the 4TC work with there days? it only seems to have a buckeye coupling which now only works with 73s and 33/1s which I'm sure is not what LUL use it for.

    thanks again
     
    Last edited: Apr 17, 2016
    Graft on likes this.
  13. threelinkdave

    threelinkdave Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2013
    Messages:
    2,065
    Likes Received:
    1,240
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Stratford-upon-Avon or in a brake KD to BH
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Like all MK1 derived coaches the buckeye can be lowerd to reveal a normal hook. The buffers can be extended using removable saddles and any screw coupled loco attached so long as it has air brakes. The 4TC is also due to visut the SVR for our diesel gala in May
     
  14. dhic001

    dhic001 Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2008
    Messages:
    312
    Likes Received:
    35
    Location:
    New Zealand
    Preservation standards and its trustee, are meant to ensure that work is done to a suitable standard, and stations retain their period correctness. However they don't seem capable of doing it, hence the proliferation of modern signs, the unsightly modern ladder on the traditional water tower at EG, and now a bright red BR livery van in a 1920s Southern station.
    Daniel

     
  15. nick813

    nick813 Well-Known Member Loco Owner

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2010
    Messages:
    1,503
    Likes Received:
    1,503
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    poole dorset
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Hello,

    Wagon shed next?


    Nick
     
  16. goldfish

    goldfish Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2009
    Messages:
    14,900
    Likes Received:
    12,241
    One of the lesser known signs of the coming apocalypse…

    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    Simon
     
    andrewshimmin, A1X, Kje7812 and 2 others like this.
  17. andrewtoplis

    andrewtoplis Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 28, 2006
    Messages:
    1,357
    Likes Received:
    816
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Living just near the line, I was quite surpried how quiet it was over the weekend. The normal steam locos are much louder...something to do with heavy freight locos on light trains?
     
  18. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,102
    Likes Received:
    57,422
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Actually, Daniel has a fair point - if you have stations spread across a long time period, inevitably you will get anachronisms when the (moving) trains pass through the (static) stations - as for example when the H class hauling pre-grouping carriages crosses Camelot on Mark 1s at Horsted Keynes. But the elephant van will essentially be static, so it seems more reasonable to treat it like static infrastructure with regard colour scheme. Which was partly why I assumed it would fit best at Kingscote. There will always be a debate about the balance between preservation and commercial interests, but this does feel to me like an instance where the two should co-exist easily without impinging on each other.

    Tom
     
  19. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,102
    Likes Received:
    57,422
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Let's finish OP4 and the planned ASH project at SP first!

    If you look at the LTP, the large exhibits museum would be on the radar, which I guess could take some wagons (and vans, such as LBSCR 270), as well as some out-of-traffic locos - that constitutes Operation Undercover phase 5. But it is likely to be quite expensive. (In general, storage + access + interpretation is more expensive that storage alone).

    There is also a plan for an archive and research centre, which is also an important part of the jigsaw of making sure that everything we have is properly protected for the long term and accessible - in that case, paper and photographic records.

    Tom
     
  20. goldfish

    goldfish Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2009
    Messages:
    14,900
    Likes Received:
    12,241
    And I get it, I just thought the response was disproportionate. The preservation movement sky won't fall in whilst this particular vehicle is stored in the 'wrong' place, or is painted in the 'wrong colour'. I imagine that having it in its immediate post-restoration glory in shimmering red will be a great advert for the railway, and at Horsted Keynes will be accessible to its intended audience in a way that (as I understood it) Kingscote probably isn't right now.

    It's no biggie, just seemed a touch over-dramatic at the time.

    Simon
     
    Paul42, ghost, David R and 2 others like this.

Share This Page