Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Everything is relevant if you are willing to accept a tangent or few...

 

Peter, are you using a coal pick or a coal hammer? I've noticed that the new ones on the NYMR are all picks. Not even sure if you can get a coal hammer these days. I suspect a coal pick would be useless with this coal.

 

And indeed Thanks very much, and yes I have been to Strasshof, many many moons ago!

 

It was a coal pick, but I suspect that a coal hammer would be equally useless given that a JCB bucket would not beak the stuff up. However I did find that after 10-15 minutes in a hot firebox it became quite brittle and could be broken up with a chisel bar. All part of the learning curve with this coal.

Peter

 

For anyone who missed the two Chathams out on the bank holiday weekend, looks like they are paired again on the service train this coming weekend 12/13 June/ (Plus 847 on the dining services). Carriages for the service set are the Mets + pre-grouping SR bogie carriages.

Come and say hello if you are around on Sunday - I'm on one or the other of the Chatham engines.

Tom

 

I took a hammer to some of the Russian boulders supplied by William Smith Ltd and it shattered into manageable lumps quite easily. All that's needed now is to find a supplier of traditional coal hammers, which I've so far failed to do.

 

From Facebook:

We are delighted to hear the Great News that the Bluebell Railway Trust has acquired an additional wagon for the Historic Wagon Fleet.
Some months ago, the Science Museum Group issued an assist disposal list which 14036, a BR(S) Shock Open Wagon of Southern Railway Design, was listed.

Once agreed by the Rolling Stock Sub Committee, Bluebell Railway Preservation Society, Bluebell Railway Trust and the Bluebell Railway PLC, an application was submitted to the Science Museum Group from the Trust requesting the Transfer of Ownership. Yesterday evening we heard the news we had been the successful applicant.

While the Transfer of Ownership of this Wagon is free, we still require to cover the Transportation Costs to move it from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway to the Bluebell Railway. Very generously the Bluebell Railway Trust has kindly agreed to pay for the Transport Costs so a big Thank You towards them.

The Wagon Strategy has called for a Shock Wagon of Southern Railway Design to be acquired for a long time and we are very lucky to have been able to get the Sole Surviving Example.

For More Details: http://www.ws.rhrp.org.uk/ws/WagonInfo.asp?Ref=6580
​

(Also watch out for Bluebell Times later this morning!)

Tom

 

If the wagon has been on loan to the NYMR, and thus already taking up none of the Science Museum Group's space, why do they need to get rid of it, and why to the Bluebell rather than to where it is already? I am not complaining but I am curious.

 

From the Science Museum point of view, the fact that it is on loan elsewhere may mean it is not using up space, but doesn't mean it is not using up resources; you still have to periodically check that it is being well looked after according to whatever agreement is in place. So ownership isn't cost free in that regard even for items that are not located "back at base".

The Bluebell's wagon strategy (agreed in 2008) has about 8 or 10 wagon types that are considered of high value to the collection for acquisition if they became available; an SR Shock Wagon was one of those.

Tom

 

The June issue of The Bluebell Times has pictures and stories from around the Railway as we are once again able to run public passenger trains. The issue also contains information about our first events of the year, including Road meets Rail and Model Railway Weekend.

In issue 21:

• Details about the first events of 2021
• An update on the arrangements for the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society AGM
• The future for our splendid Pullman Train
• Readers’ reaction to the pressures on our carriage fleet
• Pictures from the Sheffield Park gift shop following its refit
• The Bluebell Railway Museum – 10 years on
• Buy a limited edition 60th anniversary cushion – and support the Heritage Skills Centre
• And much, much more

The Bluebell Times is published monthly on the second Friday of each month. The July issue is due out on Friday 9 July.

You can download the latest edition using the link below.

https://www.bluebell-railway.com/bluebell-times/

Tom

 

Just resurrecting this conversation about Pullmans: see page 8 of the current issue of Bluebell Times, and in particular the diagram on Page 10. It was drawing the diagram that made it clear to me what the planned evolution is over the next four years (and also what has changed over the last six). If you take the decade from 2015 - 2025, we are at something of a low right now, but things start to look much healthier from next year, such that by late 2022 we are in as good a position for seats than we have ever been in before, and that improves again by 2024/5.

Tom

 

I thought that the June edition was going to give some information on the 60+1 event. Is there anything that can be shared .?

 

I didn't get anything sent to me (and for various reasons we were a bit down on production capacity this month to chase). I'll see what I can find out - Ruth's update on events concentrated just on July and at least until June 21st, tickets are only being released for a month or so ahead.

Tom

 

Do you know if 847 failed today? 10am was a double header, but from then on it was 263 on her own (minus 1 coach I think to make load 5) and 65 on the dining trains.

 

Even though I am not Tom. But I can safely say the S15 did indeed fail. With what I do not know. Its a very rare occurrence for both SECR locos to be let loose with 5 on anyway without being double-headed so 65 being put on the diner will only suggest the S15 being failed (watched with the webcam whilst visiting the Mid-Hants). The said double header will run as planned with 30541 on the diner today.

I suppose both SECR locos can manage 5 but will use more coal and water and probably won't do the mechanical side if they both do it on a regular occurrence. Did note 263 almost certainly blowing off at Kingscote. Almost considered aborting the day early at MHR just to see the H and O1 on a five-coach train but was to busy enjoying 41312

 

Some pictures from yesterday:

1000 double header comes into Horsted Keynes.


263 on a mixed set of coaching stock, forming the 1430 Pioneer.


65 on the evening dining train at Holywell.

 

Seriously good images there.

 

Apologies for the late reply, was at the railway both days somewhat away from a reliable internet feed. Yes, 847 failed on shed. As your photos show, a carriage was knocked off the service train and 65 took the diners, while 263 took the service train. Meanwhile, we put a warming fire in No 541 so it could be used today (Sunday) on the dining service while the two Chathams were back on the service train.

Was on 263 today - amazingly the first time in over two years, I didn’t get on it last year. Good to be back on her! This photo doesn’t match the quality of yours, sadly.



Tom

 

Some very nice piccies, many thanks for posting. Not natural bedfellows perhaps, but I reckon Blood & Custard sits surprisingly well behind the ornate SE&CR livery. The fact both are gleaming doubtless helps.

 

I think blood & custard harmonizes much better with SECR green than with standard BR engine green.