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Brighton Atlantic: 32424 Beachy Head

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by Maunsell man, Oct 20, 2009.

  1. Eightpot

    Eightpot Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    The route from Claydon LNE Junction to Bletchley appears to be disused, overgrown with weeds, and in places the 'metal fairies' have been at work. As I understand it trains will not be stopping at Quainton Road, and possibly Calvert and Verney Junction(?) either. Winslow only is a possibility, so not a great deal of potential traffic.
     
    Last edited: Aug 29, 2019
  2. S.A.C. Martin

    S.A.C. Martin Part of the furniture

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    upload_2019-8-29_14-40-52.png

    Meanwhile, the locomotive continues to get a bit more work on it day by day. Really looked the part on Monday when I popped by to help out with '28.

    Let's put the whole thing to bed, right now, mind, for the benefit of that gentlemen whose name I forget (and ignore mostly):

    Why Beachy Head was chosen to be built
    • the railway missed out on saving the original
    • enough people wanted it enough, to then put money in
    • a similar boiler existed still which could reduce costs dramatically
    • wheelsets from a similar tender also existed
    • a group of like minded folk had the guts, experience and knowledge to have a go
    Why it made commercial sense to build it
    • it adds a unique selling point to the railway - no other atlantics of any form running today on any other UK standard gauge railway
    • it has enough power in reserve for all of the bluebell's trains including the heavier and carefully scheduled Golden Arrow dining trains
    • it was a class seen on the line throughout the history of the line and there are photographs of beachy head on the line, thereby adding authenticity to owning one (no amount of protestations of "how often" can deny this: it is factual. Get over it)
    • enough people are dedicated enough to donate money regularly and also their time and experience too
    The advantages of finishing it
    • recycling bits and using components that otherwise would have been scrapped (boiler, tender wheels) - reduces total costs
    • drawings for most of it and its origins (LNER C1s) still exist and this has improved the potential for finishing the project
    • some bluebell locos are going out of traffic soon and it will fill a gap in the operational fleet
    Nobody will, happily, remember any of the usual complaints when the loco is complete and in traffic.

    The wider points about the financial viability of railways and locomotive groups are worthy points, however I think it's Chris Price's words in Steam Railway this month that matter more than the usual sniping at the one locomotive group out there doing a fantastic job of making something useable through good honest recycling and excellent design and research and engineering excellence.

    Are we done with that? Good. Carry on.
     
  3. S.A.C. Martin

    S.A.C. Martin Part of the furniture

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    Hi Ross,

    I had a similar discussion with some city transport planners recently and their views were illuminating. The whole thing actually rests on the power used, carbon emissions and number of people moved these days. Buses by far complete and move more people than rail (look at the 2018 Transport statistics from DfT) but that gap is decreasing as rail ridership is increasing across the UK (increased 250% in a decade).

    Both railways and bus companies are heavily constrained by the capacity of their actual routes. Buses are more constrained in cities by single occupancy vehicles taking up the same road space (despite bus lanes). It is interesting that in most major cities in Europe, trams have largely returned but buses are the poor relative.

    The conclusion I drew from the dicussion was that the tram networks were superior for one reason and one reason only - they were given right of way and their routes designed to minimise any potential for congestion. Buses have to like it and lump it with roads.

    Obviously where the Bluebell is concerned, a bus route would have to cover many, many more miles than the railway to achieve the same thing - and you have to be sure the routes are clear too. Your assertion that it would be cheaper is perhaps correct at the base level of costs to run, as you say - but convenience of the route, amount of time taken to travel, and where the passenger is going is actually why longer distance bus routes in some towns and villages are disappearing.

    The ridership prefers to have personal cars to taking buses on longer journeys. Train journeys are normally more direct and longer distance (hence why buses took more people on shorter journeys, and trains took less people on far longer distances, in the last year).

    As with everything, "it depends!"
     
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  4. ross

    ross Well-Known Member

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    This was never the place to be discussing this, more apologies to the folk who are actually trying to follow 32424, my original comment was a tongue in cheek response to a tongue in cheek comment. I'm well aware that without the Bluebell Railway existing, there would be little reason to venture into that part of Sussex at all-how many people visit Newick in a year, or Barcombe...?

    However, I appreciate the message of optimism in your informed post. Perhaps this debate could be continued elsewhere.

    Back to Beachy Head, which never had a train service, merely the bus from Seaford to Eastbourne....
     
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  5. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Much as I respect the decision of those who founded the project to call the loco “Beachy Head” (and it will have actual original components from that loco incorporated in the build), I still partly wish it had been named “Seven Sisters”, which not only would preserve the tradition of naming the class after prominent coastal features, but would be a quiet acknowledgement of the loco being the seventh in the class.

    D70FE736-5360-499F-BA75-03D38992EB38.jpeg

    Tom
     
  6. Tobbes

    Tobbes Member

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    Nice idea - what is incorporated from the original?
     
  7. huochemi

    huochemi Part of the furniture

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    Better than Walthamstow Central I guess.:eek:
     
  8. Dan Hill

    Dan Hill Part of the furniture

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    I think one of the original components is the regulator handle. I'm sure there is something else but can't remember of the top of my head.
     
  9. mdewell

    mdewell Well-Known Member Friend

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    " Train journeys are normally more direct" is only true if your journey starts and ends near stations and does not involve much too many changes. In the case of someone like myself living in Essex it can take over an hour to reach mainline London stations such as Paddington or Euston before I even start the main part of the journey west or north.
    Even commuting to work (a 12 mile journey) takes 60 min by train (with 3 changes) plus a 30 min walk. So I drive and that only takes 30 min. I will also point out that the train journey is probably more like 20 miles by the time I've reached a connection to get me onto the DLR and back eastward to the Royal Docks area.
    My first preference is to use public transport, but as you say, "it depends".

    PS. We seem to have wandered rather far off topic, so please pardon me for adding to that.
     
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  10. johnofwessex

    johnofwessex Resident of Nat Pres

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    While I think that there are undoubtedly various issues with the choice of Beachy Head, firstly the avalibility of a boiler undoubtedly made it a much more viable project that (insert loco of choice)

    Secondly, and I say this from both the enthusiast & non enthusiast viewpoint, having no particular knowledge of railways in that part of the world, fascinating though they seem, it has a massive 'Wow' factor. I cant imagine that almost any of the non enthusiast travelling public wont at least feel that it looks like a rather marvelous recreation of the past
     
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  11. S.A.C. Martin

    S.A.C. Martin Part of the furniture

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    Absolutely right to pull me up on that - I should have clarified I was talking more long distance travel compared to short distance with buses - yes, it probably is a topic all of its own! :)
     
  12. nine elms fan

    nine elms fan Part of the furniture

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    Or Stratford Broadway. :D
     
  13. John Petley

    John Petley Part of the furniture

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    Just think back to the hoo-hah a few years back about Flying Scotsman's livery, the smoke deflectors and double chimney. All forgotten now - the main thing is that we have a working A3. It will be just the same when Beachy Head is completed.
     
  14. CH 19

    CH 19 Well-Known Member Friend

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    Thanks for that Tom, spent many a happy holiday around there:).......7 Sisters, nice one !!!! from a Sussex boy.
    Don't think Cuckmere Haven is a name that would have worked though :Saywhat:.
     
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2019
  15. CH 19

    CH 19 Well-Known Member Friend

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  16. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Did you mean to say some more than you had said last night in #1394?
     
  17. CH 19

    CH 19 Well-Known Member Friend

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    No, it was a senior moment involving lack of IT experience :( I would just mention that Cuckmere Haven is very picturesque, but if I recall correctly requires a lot of walking, not to mention having to top and tail in a caravan wiv me brother and sisters.
     
  18. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Last edited: Nov 1, 2019
  19. S.A.C. Martin

    S.A.C. Martin Part of the furniture

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    Absolutely epic. The tender discussion is interesting too. The use of a cladding on a tender must be quite unusual (probably discussed before, I’ll search the thread in a quiet moment).

    Lovely stuff all.
     
  20. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    It was discussed a few pages back, but got lost in the usual wibble :rolleyes:

    In short: the original (LBSCR) tenders were double-skinned as a hangover from the Stroudley era when locos had had surface condesning of steam: all LBSCR tenders and tanks from the period had double skins to protect the paintwork (and people) from the near boiling water within the tanks. By the time of the Atlantics, condensing had gone, at least for new locos, but the construction practice remained. I suspect a big advantage at the time was it allowed the tank-proper to be a fairly rough and ready rivetted job, while allowing a degree of care in finish to the outer skin.

    For the current loco, the same basic construction is being used. There are some differences incorporated, amongst which the most significant are:
    • The new inner tank is welded, not rivetted construction
    • There will be an additional manhole cover under the bottom of the tank, scaled to allow access for those of slightly wider girth! The originals could only be entered through the water filler on the tank top, which is quite small and of typical Brighton design - an oval something like 14" by 10".
    • There are three additional small doors on the cab end of the tender that lead into a couple of extra cupboards (for want of a better word) that will be used to house equipment associated with the brake system.
    Tom
     

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