Bluebell Northern Extension - so what's occurring then?

The latest update is now available on the Bluebell website - The final year: Funding for the Finish

Chris

 

Would that seem to indicate creating a hump through the cutting to minimise movement of what is left?

 

Also perhaps a steeper gradient up to Imberthorne bridge which has plenty of clearance to allow a raised track bed.

 

What about a cut-and-cover tunnel in the cutting, putting the remaining spoil back on top..

 

The update is excellent news. As another poster mentioned much earlier, maybe what is left is more clay capping than actual waste, hence no further need for trains over NR to landfill, rather it looks like using the surplus material at HK for the triangle and the Ardingly line embankment.
Still an eye-watering amount of money to raise to complete the job, but given the success of the £100,000 jobbie in December, they must feel it can be done, one way or t'other!

 

One item which was very interesting was the overall contribution of the Tenner for the Tip. I remember that at the start the idea of small value donations was scoffed at and that there was great reluctance to set up something.

As a learning point perhaps other societies with large sums to raise (GCR etc) should take note of this. Well done to those people in the Bluebell that had the good sense to push this through.

 

Fair do's to the Bluebell,thats a comprehensive and optimistic report.Lots of good news.

Also on BBC local radio this morning,they had a a very good plug just after the 8.00 news,stating that the extension would be " open to incoming rail tours this autumn ",and that full services would start March 2013. There was then a short bit with chairman Roy Watts who emphasised the £800K still to raise.

 

That's not quite what was said. The presenter asked if we could possibly see a train in EG this year, and Roy Watt's said "I am sure we will have a train running south from East Grinstead to Sheffield Park in the Autumn of this year" (BBC iPlayer - Sussex Breakfast: 29/02/2012 - skip forward to 1hr 43). Nothing about an incoming rail tour - I'd say that would be unlikely as until the spoil is removed, the line wouldn't be passed safe for passenger traffic. So I'd assume any train seen this autumn would be a class 66 and wagons of clay capping. The target for opening a passenger service is still spring 2013, and I'd wager that we would want to have a grand opening of the line itself before letting in the first charter traffic.

Just my $0.02...

Tom

 

I am sure your analysis is correct, but it was actually BBC Radio Surrey(not Sussex) and the presenter Nick Wallis said the Bluebell "was on track to have railtours reaching East Grinstead this autumn". I put 2 + 2 together and made 5! I guess,on reflection, that he just meant trains of some sort and wasnt using the word railtours as we understand it. But anyway,good they can get this kind of mention on radio at a peak time when lots of people are listening.

 

I think Roy Watts (the chairman of the BRPS, for those that don't know) was choosing his words carefully when put on the spot! But I don't think the fact that the remaining clay cap will be removed south using mainline motive power and rolling stock is much of a secret anymore. The important point to remember are that the clay has to go before the line can be reopened to passengers: I can't imagine we'd get permission to run passenger trains while the clay is still piled up on either side. Once the line is open, the first through trains from SP to EG are clearly going to be a massive event, so the railway would want to capitalise on those internally before getting in a railtour I would have thought - though I am sure there will be a clamour to be the first railtour as well - but after the first train from SP.

Roy also mentioned the important point of another £800k being needed to open to passengers - £80k per month for the next ten months. It might sound a lot, but set against the several millions already spent on the project, it can be seen we are very much on the home straight. The next big fundraising event is a match-funding effort 24 - 30 March. £40k has been pledged which if doubled would see £80k raised; but that then has to be repeated every month to the end of the year.

Amongst the works that will pay for include:

- A new point at the north end of Kingscote, designed to allow 25mph running over either direction. Design work has happened and this should be installed in March
- Final profiling of the cutting sides and floor. Design work is still underway but it seems probable that there will be a gentle climb and descent through the cutting, rather than it being level. The sides will be covered with a geotextile membrane to stabilise them until vegetation grows up to do that job naturally.
- Drainage works in the cutting.
- Installation of a cable for the signalling, so that EG can be controlled from KC box. The signalling itself I think is a later phase (it will start one engine in steam with no new signalling at EG) but it makes sense to lay any necessary cables at the beginning.
- Installation of "up" starter signals on both platforms at KC (these will be semaphores - the posts already exist) and a down home and down distant (both colour light) for KC. Incidentally, once commissioned, this will mean that every platform face at every Bluebell station will be signalled for bi-directional running. This has been done for maximum operational flexibility, but means our signalling is considerably more complicated than it was in SR days!
- Installation of necessary token instruments for the KC - EG section. The two ground frames at EG (one to control access to the mainline; the other to control the points at the south of the station) will be unlocked using the token.
- Installation of track circuits. This is complicated by the proximity of the 3rd rail at EG which means for reasons beyond my detailed knowledge, we will need AC track circuits rather than the DC ones used elsewhere so as to avoid complications caused by stray leakage of currents from the 3rd rail.
- Installation of rails through the cutting - likely to be late summer 2012
- Removal of residual spoil - obviously can't happen until the steps above have happened! Likely to be autumn 2012.

At that point we have a railway - Yay! - , but then presumably there is various regulatory and insurance compliances to go through. Add in the likelihood of any of the above slipping (not least for funding reasons) and the full opening date to regular passenger trains of spring 2013 (rather than, say Jan 1st 2013) becomes easier to understand.

Tom

 

Gentle climb? The gradient from Hazelden Bridge to the summit within the cutting and back down towards East Grinstead will be 1:60.

Not so. Both signals will be colour light. Signal designations are 53 and 53R respectivly.


Chris

 

OK, I take your point - was mening to show that there is likely to be a slight hump up to and back down from the middle of the cutting, rather than the original profile. Doing so saves a small, but significant, volume of material from having to be moved. My understanding is that actually the floor of the cutting turned out to be much more solid than anticipated, making this a viable option.

And for those not aware of the Bluebell's gradient profile, 1:60 is the same (i.e. not steeper) as a short section of line south of the tunnel, so shouldn't have any impact on the already existing load limits, though having a steep climb much closer to the terminus than we currently do will make firing more interesting.

My mistake... I'll correct it above.

Tom

 

I thought that the original gradient through the cutting was a constant 1 in 75, that began just north of Kingscote Station and ended somewhere between the Hill Place overbridge and the viaduct. Still, it makes sense to alter the profile if it means less of a hole to dig. Even without the re-profiling to 1 in 60 in places, the extension should cause the locos to grunt a bit as they head for EG. It's interesting - from the photographic point of view, Freshfield Bank has always been popular due to the 1 in 75 gradient, sun angles and accessibility, but in my experience, if you want to travel on the train and enjoy the sound of an engine working hard, then the HK- Sharpthorne tunnel section wins hands down. Even Sir Archie can be quite vocal on this part of the route! Photographers are going to find few spots on the KC-EG section for northbound trains, but it sounds like it will be nearly as good as south of the tunnel for engine noise. Hopefully only a year and a few days to go before we can find out.

 

IIRC The KC-EG section will be off limits to photographers, owing to the limited clearance section immediately north of KC and the viaduct at the other end. And as far as I know there's no public access to the line on the stretch in between.

 

Certainly from the point of view of firing, HK - tunnel is much more of a challenge than Freshfield bank, which isn't long enough to really get you into serious problems if you get it wrong, and for which you also have plenty of time to prepare at SP. But if you are in trouble for steam or water by time you get to HK, the next section - which is about 3 miles mostly at 1:75 but sections at 1:60 - can cause a lot of sweat and furrowed brows of the "will we / won't we" sort!

Tom

 

How long is it planned to fit the new set of points given that late March/early April is usually when the Bluebell start operating their daily services.

I hope there is a nice gala to celebrate the full opening when its complete. The Fiver for the Finish is also quite a good idea as although its smaller than the Tenner for the Tip it is a more easier amount of money for a lot of people to afford and thus may allow money to come in.

 

Will take place before daily running commences. I haven't seen any traffic notices yet, but at the moment, my understanding is that a loco (probably Baxter) will be stationed at KC for the weekend when there is no point to act as a pull-off loco to release the train engine.

There certainly will be. Ideas are being solicited from volunteers at the moment and I believe planning is well underway. Amongst the issues to balance are how to allocate seats on the first train (for example, should it be for a few worthies only, e.g. Bernard, the Mayor of EG etc); or try to have the biggest possible capacity; secondly how to make the town of EG feel a part of the Bluebell for the first time; thirdly how to celebrate our history. So a lot of complicated choices to make, but rest assured the opening will be pretty special.

I think that is some of the thinking behind it - always a balancing act with such schemes to choose an amount that maximises income. That said, TfT did pretty well - nearly quarter of a million quid raised in about two years of individuals plodding up and down our trains day after day asking for donations. Those donations on their own paid for two weeks of waste trains.

Tom

 

Thanks Tom. Good to hear plans for a gala to celebrate the opening.

 

I'm a newcomer to this forum!

How about running 55 Stepney up to East Grinstead light engine and posing it on the viaduct, that would be one of the most symbolic photos in the Bluebell's history, along with the shots of it in the station at East Grinstead? Somehow I feel it's appropriate that the line's 1st loco should be the first one into East Grinstead.

Chris

 

That is actually a cracking idea , how about a brake van special? with premuim fares charged once the line is connected if its a private hire do the same rules apply as its not strictly a public service?