Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Diesels AND the Western Region??? There used to be standards.

 

One of the more sensible ideas from the school of "we have the technology" within Network Rail maintenance.

A sensible idea where there is plenty of gauge clearance but can be problematic in most of the UK with a narrow 6 foot way.
It gets worse in 3rd rail areas where a full isolation and therefore possession needs to be taken to use these maintenance trains.
Part of the idea was that they could work in a line blockage between trains as they would effectively provide their own protection occupying track circuits.
Then some of the nuances of the rule book and engineering standards came into play and for a lot of work they need a absolute possession.

Even allowing for that, they can change broken rails and have all the welding kit on board which saves using RRV's and trolleys. It is a safer working environment with no restrictions on the adjacent line being open to traffic. Thermit welding obviously has to be done outside the maintenance train. (There was one manager who thought it could be done with the train in place. No - that would be a very quick way to have a burnt out maintenance train sat over a weld.)

Luckily in Plain Line renewals we had nothing to do with it apart from hear the tales of woe ....

Cheers, Neil

 

Another Chatham line up on the front page - it's alright Tom, I don't think anyone noticed...

Steve B

 

Yeah, I think I just about managed to sneak that one under the radar ...

Tom

 

The latest Bluebell News had a long infrastructure update, and there were a few things in it that have been completed or underway over the first half of this year that I suspect - due to Covid - haven't been well reported. A summary, from south to north: (apologies if these have already been covered):

South of Horsted Keynes
- 13 track panels (260 yards) relaid at the bottom of Freshfield Bank, either side of Palmer's cattle creep, which was also rebuilt (there was a time-lapse video of the bridge replacement earlier).
- 13 track panels (260 yards) at Milepost 9.
- New retaining wall below New Road Bridge
- 9 Panels (180 yards) relaid north of New Road Bridge
- New up home signal post at Horsted Keynes (in situ but not yet commissioned). The current post will be refurbished and will probably get used at Ardingly.

Between SP and HK, the only sections of the line that remain to be relaid are:
- 1/2 mile from north of SP to the foot of Freshfield Bank
- 16 panels round about milepost 9 1/4
- 2.5 panels over New road Bridge

At Horsted Keynes
- More reconstruction of the down yard. In particular, there is to be a new south-facing siding leading from "J" road of OP4 (the easternmost road). That siding will be a tramway and available for unloading vehicles from road transport, particularly I think mainline p/way vehicles. There is also a planned pit on a small stub siding, planned to give resilience for loco operations if the line between SP and HK gets closed (as it will need to be for future reconstruction of new-road bridge); partly to help service tampers and additional capacity for the C&W.
- The space in the triangle between the mainline and Ardingly branch is being given over to a training facility for mainline companies

North of Horsted Keynes
- New kissing gates at Horsted House Farm foot crossing
- 16 track panels (320 yards) relaid from Horsted House Fram crossing to Vaux End bridge
- Rebuilt gangers hut at Vaux End

East Grinstead
- Some initial S&T enabling work to allow installation of signalling at EG (which will be controlled from Kingscote)

Ardingly branch
- Replacement cattle creep

Finally, there has been lots of effort from the line side clearance gangs, and their efforts are much appreciated - at least from the footplate! the line is looking very tidy in that regard; it also incrementally reduces the risks from line side fires in dried vegetation.

Tom

 

A pedant writes:
So, what did the gang do? Stand out in the rain?
[A common misconception, that gangers are the men. They are in charge of the gang, a lesson I learned on my first day in Woking PW.]
Pat

 

Cracking day at Road Meets Rail yesterday. First time visiting for 643 days as a fare paying passenger and one worth waiting for. Unfortunately things didn't go 100% to plan. As the first train from Sheffield Park left 30 mins late as 80151 replaced a failed 847 with 65 tailing the train in order to also leave 35 mins late from Horsted Keynes with set B which was also a result of a signal failure.

30541 took 10:45 departure from SP approx 15 late and 65 took the wedding charter. "Skippy" the C&W shunter took the morning part of shunting at Horsted Keynes. The Q remained on the rear of the 13:15 departure as the loco department managed to rectify the injector issue with the S15 which carried the last two B set round trips of the day. 541 was dropped off at Horsted Keynes to do the afternoon shunting demonstration and double headed the ECS using the set formed of the wedding/catering set with the O1 back down to SP.

Fantastic day. They do say you got three certainties in life. You are born, you die and that SECR will always remain one of the most ornate liveries.

 

I also notice from BN that Clan Line is the first confirmed visitor for Giants of Steam in October. Other than her previous single trip a couple of years back, is this the first Merchant on the line since CanPac in 2005? I can't find anything more recent.

 

Yep correct.

 

Actually, as a Brighton branch line, it does rather need a few Brighton carriages!

I certainly agree that the teak framing of L.C.D.R. stock is remarkably durable. Where did they get the money from?

 

Page 5 bottom right hand side

 

Front page, above the picture of the class 33.

Sent from my SM-A125F using Tapatalk

 

Good question, though today's C&W types can certainly be jolly glad they did!

As a wider subject, how such factors impacted what pre-grouping stock remains might make for an illuminating topic.

 

The outstanding example is the composite from the Ventnor West set. Was used as a summer house from 1938 with the addition of a thatched roof!

When rescued the structural condition remained excellent.

 

Just noticed Trackside Magazine also mentions 35028's visit for Giants and a 2nd Southern Region guest being lined up. Also mentions a proposed filming job featuring 35028 and Bulleid carriages from Bluebell on the Brighton Mainline has been dropped.

 

Back in those days, teak was both cheap and remarkably plentiful, even though it had to be imported. Remember that Burma was a British colony.

 

The L.B.S.C.R was better off than the L.C.D.R. but used less durable mahogany.

 

Maybe it had other material properties that made it preferred? The latter-day survival of grounded LCDR carriages has been very fortunate, but I doubt "durability for a hundred years sitting in a field" was of much concern when selecting the material; provided it gave good service for 30 - 40 years that was probably all that mattered.

Tom