Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Excellent work chaps.

 

I think it's pretty much a dead cert that 65 will not be operating!!

 

Latest update on the work at Horsted Keynes, with Platform 2 released to traffic, board crossing rebuilt at the north end of the station and general tidying up.

http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/whats_new.html for 8th April.

This photo (not mine) gives a good impression of the improvement wrought by the new work:

http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/pic2/wn/2017b/s15_h_hk_brianl1759_4apr17h.jpg

Also - Camelot back in traffic ready for the visit of Flying Scotsman which - gulp - starts less than a week away.

Tom

 

Just before it no doubt gets buried under an avalanche of Flying Scotsman photos, a slightly belated update on finishing off the track relaying works at Horsted Keynes - http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/whats_new.html for 12 April.

Tom

 

Not all of us know what "65" is. I've just tried the Bluebell website and http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/locos.html is getting "599 Invalid request".

Edit: and the other website http://www.bluebell-railway.com/ doesn't mention locomotives at all.

 

It's working again now. The Bluebell's websites are really not great unfortunately.

Simon

 

65 is the SE&CR O1 class, currently nearing return to service after overhaul.

http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/loco_overhaul.html#65

Tom

 

Photo of number 65 taken in the works last Friday:
http://paulsimpson.zenfolio.com/p523527454/h882efc23#h882efc23

 

I wonder what will be in the works next? After the O1 4MT Schools are completed. Does anybody have any thoughts? My thoughts are Blackmoor Vale E4 and Earl of Berkeley.

 

There is still 34059 and Beachy Head to complete. The Firebox of 34059 is expected to return from South Devon in June.
The Dukedog is the most likely class 2/3 once the 01 is complete.
Once Stowe is complete the MLS have stated they will overhaul 1618 next.
The Bulleid Society have stated they would like Blackmoor to return to steam a couple of years before the end of 34059's ticket, so it is not likely to be started for some time.

 

Fenchurch will also be in the frame sooner or later, as she has a fairly significant birthday not many years away, as well as the fact that we will need a replacement for Bluebell before too long.

Tom

 

The loco pulling our train has gone off the boil south of EG. Memsahib not very pleased as we were targeting a specific train from EG.

 

Are there any short to medium term plans for 75027, 30064, and 2650?

 

30064 will get a cosmetic overhaul as part of the HLF-funded "ASH" project to enhance the display of our locos. There are no immediate plans I know of for 75027 or 2650.

Tom

 

It's a shame she's stored out in the open at HK IMHO

 

Five years ought to be long enough! A1x anniversaries are coming along by the trainload now. Next year it will be 140 years since No.40 (Now IOWSR W11) won her gold medal in Paris after demonstrating the Westinghouse brake to Continental Europe. The IOWSR has now acquired the illuminated address which the Brighton board gave to Stroudley along with the medal itself. No-one seems to know if the medal survives.

She was running the train service today.

Paul H

 

Not just Rooters either: next year is the 150th anniversary of the birth of R.E.L. Maunsell - would be nice to have an event to mark the date.

Last October 8th was also the 50th anniversary of the last day in BR traffic of the C class, and as far as I recall, it was running the service that day. Either on that day, or within a few days afterwards, it also became the highest mileage loco on the railway, and now stands at a bit over 96,000 since arrival.

Tom

 

Now a celebration for Maunsell in the form of a gala I would love to see, perhaps a gathering of all three schools in working order. Though that would be dependent on Stowe being completed by somepoint this year or early next year, and I'm not sure that is very likely... That said, have either Lord Nelson or Sir Lamiel visited the Bluebell yet? I believe the later may have done at some stage.

Just out of curiosity as well Tom, how old is Stepney? I'd imagine a critical birthday milestone must be soon for it, though I'm aware it's in need of a major going over.

 

Unless you can do a "Riley renovation" you have no chance of Nellie being seen anytime soon.

She's the queue & in the boiler shop /carriage works taking up space.......