Bluebell Motive Power

AIUI Bulleid numbered the Q1s C1 - C40, not 00C001 to 00C040. Including leading zeroes is far more logical and familiar to people brought up in the IT age, but was somewhat unusual before that.

 

"The unexpected upturn in traffic in October 1945 led to the Southern's first class of Beyer Garratts, designed by Mr Bulleid, the sixteen locos numbered ..... Aaarghhh!!"

 

Though he wasn't too far away with the Leader! One boiler on a frame with two power bogies.

 

Yes, you're correct, axles not wheels, guilty as charged, but it got all You overthinkers back on track.

 

Bulleid's system did resemble the French system in counting axles rather than wheels, but there the resemblance ends. The French system seems best to me.

 

In one of HAV Bulleid's books, he describes the Leader as "a sophisticated Garratt" -- and then in a later book apologises for it, so I think he got his knuckles rapped for that one

 

I'd heard it called a 'sophisticated Kitson-Meyer' ..... among one or two other things!

 

Any news on Fenchurch? Only three weeks to the gala weekend...

 

Does anyone know if 6989 has arrived yet?

 

Yes it arrived on 22nd June, ran on the 29th June on gauging and entered service today

 

Frames in the workshop, tanks been painted. Looks a bit tight for the 29th July.

 

Is 6989 due to run during the week and next weekend? I've got time off work from Thursday to Monday so thinking of going down to the railway to have a ride behind it as I assume it won't be running at the Terrier Gala at the end of the month?

 

6989 at the Park earlier this afternoon, on her way to play fire engines after 73082 set half of Sussex alight

 

Wrong colour for that surely? ;-)

I do like a Hall/Modified Hall, has there been any work of how the crews are getting on with her?

Chris

 

Is booked to run at Fenchurch 150th Birthday Bash (as it is now known). Not sure on the week ahead

 

Ah ok thanks, I might still pop down on the off chance this coming week, but planning on attending the Fenchurch Birthday Bash as well.

 

Well, as yesterday was her first day in revenue traffic, not much experience to go on yet!

I was fortunate enough to be fireman for two trips yesterday morning. The split grate (flat then sloping) makes getting the old fire out a pain, but once that is achieved, I was impressed. We have a stock of Welsh coal (with a few residual ovoids mixed in) and it steamed very well on that. You do seem to need to get the fire really hot before starting, something I remember on 5199 as well, though maybe that is as much to do with the coal as the loco. As is often the case on the Bluebell, how you fire the down trip from East Grinstead will be the key to having a good subsequent up trip.

Tom

 

Tom, this is tantamount to heresy.
With Welsh coal I was always taught to put it on half an hour before you wanted it and, with a GW loco fill it up at the back end to half way up the firehole door before lifting the flap. Or more. Seemed to work but other techniques might do so, as well.

 

About that. First trip I had the coal in about twenty minutes before departure, in a wedge right up to the bottom of the door at the back, and it steamed really well. Second trip, for operational reasons not related to the fireman we were late back and I didn't get the coal in as quickly, say ten minutes to go. It was a bit dicier up to Horsted - pressure between about 165 - 180 - but after that it came round and we were at 215 - 220 all the way to the tunnel, just using the injector to keep it quiet until putting it on properly before the tunnel itself; we had about 200psi and 2/3 glass at West Hoathly; and similar at Imberhorne summit. I think I probably only fired about two or three rounds of six between Horsted and East Grinstead.

Tom