Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Beer Festival Programme

 

If you pop over to the Glos Warks at the end of October there'll probably be a "Hall" running.

Does anyone know what's wrong with Wightwick? It failed at Shackerstone after going there for "an extended hire", went back to Quainton for a fix but now it's on the naughty step again. It looked a very nice job after its rebuild.

 

It’s a GW loco; a pound to a penny it’ll be the brakes.

 

The Hall failed on Monday 25th July with leaking stays and a brake issue. The stays was sorted but it's brake issue needed investigating.

 

That's interesting, because she failed at Shackerstone last October with leaking stays as well. The owning group decided instead of having it repaired on site (which was possible) to move it to Quainton Road for repair and terminate the 2 year running agreement with the Battlefield early. Is it usual for a loco to fail with leaking stays twice within the space of a year?

It might have looked a nice job but looks can be deceiving. Certainly I know reports from crews when it was first at Shackerstone pre-Covid were that it wasn't running right and didn't have anywhere near the starting strength one would expect from a Hall - not quite sure what would affect that - maybe valves or motion not quite set up right? In any case that was rectified over COVID before she returned to Shackerstone for 2021, but there are certain areas where one gets a sense of papering over cracks - such as the fact that the loco is running with the original BR ashpan, which I gather is not really in a condition it would need to be in if it were to see out a typical 10 year boiler ticket without needing replacing. One wonders where else on the loco corners have not necessarily been cut, but perhaps rounded over...

 

I heard while on the railway today, that the owning group should have volunteers working on it next week, and got the impression that they want to do it themselves, rather than pay someone else to do it.

 

You didn't have to wait long to be proven right on that. What's so predictably unreliable about GWR brakes?

 

Shoes, mate- they gets through 'em something shocking, I can tell yer. I can order a full set, but they're on back order, right now. Supply chain issues, innit? They're having to ship em in from China, and you know what they're like, eh?

 

My experience of GWR vacuum braked locos is that the chamber side of slipping band cylinders (a GW speciality) soon leaks off if not maintained. Ok, my experience of GW locos is fairly limited but the problem has been fairly universal on those I have been on.

 

Would I be correct in assuming that embankment stabilisation works are taking place here?:

 

Yes, I think there was a risk of it slipping. Before anyone gets too excited about Ardingly, although this would have to be done as a precursor to opening the branch, it would in fact have to be done anyway - so don't read anything more into it than "necessary maintenance works".

Tom

 

From Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/bluebellra...VcWPiPpiRJSutZRm1PWyX7TueG8ttp9qkh4jxpnDewl);

"Special Notice: Horsted Keynes Station

Due to ongoing heavy engineering work taking place at Horsted Keynes as part of "The Jewel In The Crown Project", the station will be closed Monday To Friday with no access available on these days until further notice.

Passengers visiting the railway during these days are advised to start and finish their journey either at Sheffield Park or East Grinstead when the railway is operating.
For further information on the Jewel In The Crown Project, visit https://www.bluebell-railway.com/.../jewel-in-the-crown.../"

Latterly confirmed it will be open for Giants and Half Term

 

HK was open for the beer festival - access to the south end of platform 5 (including the carriage works) was open via the brake compartment of a strategically-placed carriage to allow access from platform 4. Basically everything from the end of the canopy northwards is shut, including the booking office etc.

Tom

 

A couple of photos from the weekend - the Hastings restriction brake 3rd 3687, partially lined out; and “Betty”, the Billinton all-third No. 328.





Tom

 

Well isn't 3687 a picture

 

Just been ploughing through the LBSC 4w list. Is the restoration of 949 further advanced than 328? It looked to be going great guns until the dreaded lurgi hit.