Bluebell Motive Power

I think that may have been the reason given in Bluebell News, but I did/do not have the time to check.

 

The previous locomotive director stated that the Q could be overhauled quickly, and would be expected to give 5 years service. A new locomotive director was appointed during the overhaul and more extensive repairs to the boiler may have been carried out. There is no such thing as a 10 year ticket, a boiler has to be lifted off the frames after 10 years. I do not think the current locomotive director, has stated how many years service it is expected to give.

 

As I recall, it wasn't the condition of the boiler as other mechanical parts of the loco, in particular the tender. However, touch wood, all seems to be holding up well. The Q tends to run a lower annual mileage than Camelot or the S15, which helps. (The Q ran 4,688 miles last year and 7,132 the year before; by contrast Camelot ran 11,442 last year).

Quite a lot of work was done on the outer firebox at the last overhaul to put right a temporary repair carried out during the war after the boiler (at that time on a different loco) was damaged by a bomb blast. There are some photos of the repair carried out here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamessquared/14065772587/in/album-72157645690946939/

Tom

 

Footage of the 30541, 73082 'Camelot' and 847 in action last Wednesday.

Hope you enjoy

 

Thanks for the responses and for teaching me something new Paul42

 

Not long now ...

https://www.facebook.com/2170167383...924467746974/1422922561080498/?type=3&theater (Photo by Heritage Painting)

And the tender a few weeks ago (photo by me):



The rather dull day doesn't really do the quality of the finish justice.

Tom

 

Photo of the 01's tender in April : -

 

Nice, Can never get enough of that Chatham livery, So elegant.

 

That is wonderful, I don't know what's happened to me because a few years ago I was an absolute dyed in the wool BR Green or BR Lined Black bloke, I think since I saw Caley 828 at the SVR in 2011, (has it been that long?) I have mellowed somewhat! Seeing the Y14 and the B12 at the North Norfolk last weekend in their respective GE blue and LNER apple green was wonderful. I have to pay a visit to the Bluebell at some point!

 

Some more livery to drool over on Facebook today, of which this caught my eye:

https://www.facebook.com/2170167383...643557575065/1424639920908762/?type=3&theater

It's just a lowly guard iron and sandbox, pretty well hidden when the loco is in the platform, on a humble goods locomotive. And some people thing locomotives look best in black

Tom

 

You on the G&T's again?.....

 

I'l have you no I kan mistipe entirely sowba ...

Tim

 

Like you, I think the older liveries are just so elegant and the great thing about the Bluebell is that there will often be appropriate carriages to match. The railway doesn't always manage this, but at weekends with the two-train timetable, one is usually a vintage set. Obviously, not every heritage line has been going as long as the Bluebell and therefore wasn't able to accumulate such a collection of older carriages, but they are much more enjoyable than a Mk 1 to travel in and it is encouraging that a number of lines are taking greater interest in pre-1948 stock.

To me, one of the bonuses of the Bluebell's Flying Scotsman event was the chance to see 847 on a six-coach train of SR stock. Living quite close by, I wouldn't bother to photograph it hauling Mk 1s, but it really looked great heading a train all in olive green.

 

To me, one of the bonuses of the Bluebell's Flying Scotsman event was the chance to see 847 on a six-coach train of SR stock. Living quite close by, I wouldn't bother to photograph it hauling Mk 1s, but it really looked great heading a train all in olive green.[/QUOTE]

I definitely agree with you on that 847 looked so much better with the SR stock.

 

Does anyone think that the Bulleid Q1 will ever come back to the Bluebell?

 

Does anyone think that they would want it back? I suspect that they have enough engines in the overhaul queue without adding another to it.

Peter James

 

And I think the NRM aren't about to let it go yet if those plans for York are anything to go by. Plus remember that five of the museum's Southern Region machines are already in service or will be in service again after overhaul on other preserved railways (Beattie Well Tank, Drummond T9, and all three Maunsell express engines) so they may not want more in use for the moment...

 

I remember reacing a piece from a number of years ago that the problem the National Collection has is they have a lot of express 4-4-0s of the pre-grouping era (such as the infamous T3) as much of it was initially bought by wealthy people who simply purchased the engines which took them off to boarding school. They have a real shortage of workhorse 0-6-0 freight engines. Hence I can see the Q1 being clung on to for this reason, it plugs two big holes (this and the war).

 

One of the other workhorse 0-6-0 freight engine that the NRM own is LMS 4F 4027 which is being overhauled at the Vale of Berkeley Railway.

 

Sounds like a myth to me. I'm not sure any of the early preservation 4-4-0s were bought by individuals, my impressions was that they were donated by the companies. Much more to do with the 4-4-0s being older than the 4-6-0s and coming out of service earlier I should have thought. Here's the 1960 list, not many donated 4-4-0s on there. Probably simply there was less interest in the freight locomotives.