60163 to the Bluebell with Steam Dreams - Tuesday 10th September

Update on the Steam Dreams website (and in the April newsletter) . On Tuesday 10th September 60163 will be working from Victoria to Sheffield Park. Departure is 09.45 arrival 12.30, so probably a similar schedule to the UKRT 66-hauled train last month. Departure from Sheffield Park is 16.45, not arriving in London until 21.30. The newsletter talks about the return trip going via the Surrey Hills. It will be interesting to see if, like SD's Swanage trains last year, part of the journey will be tender first (Not impossible, as the Oxted line is hardly a crack express route!) or whether a diesel will be used for part of the journey. I'm not surprised that a through steam trip to the Bluebell has been announced. It wil be interesting to see if any more charter operators decide to run a steam train through to the Bluebell while the extension still has something of a novelty value.

 

I think Diesel on the back to take the train on the return to East Croydon where it reverses is the most likely.

 

That was my initial thought too, althogh probably Norwood Junction might be a better bet for reversal. Echoes, perhaps of the old 5.25 London Bridge-Reading via Redhill?

 

I can only assume NR are planning on getting busy with their diggers at some point in the next few months to lower the track at certain spaces. After all, if a Black Five didn't fit a few years back I can't see how an A1 is going to manage it.

 

Tornado's been built to NR gauging regulations but I agree that if a Black 5 struggled it might be tricky for Tornado.

Anyway great news that there'll be a tour hauled by steam to Sheffield Park this year.

 

Hi Big Al

31799 was rare as it was nearly always a Schools from London. I used to photograph it after work including some crude attempts in the darkness of winter. Here is 30930 at South Croydon in 1962. By sheer coincidence taken on this day 51 years ago!

Good to talk to you at Marylebone on 6th April after that fabulous run with 5043

Don

 

If you are referring to the Past-Time Rail tour which was advertised to go to East Grinstead, but was re-routed to Uckfield due to gauging problems on the East Grinstead line, I believe it was Tangmere that was out of gauge. I think 45407 then replaced 34067 after the route had changed and, ironically, may actually have been in gauge for East Grinstead.

 

If Tangers is out of gauge is there any hope of steam arriving at EG?

 

Routes can come back into gauge as well as out, Birmingham - Bristol southbound was out for years, but has now come back in.

The issue with 34067 could be the width of the "flat top" what with being a spam can, most loco's are only that high for a small bit down the middle where the chimney/safety valves etc are.

 

It's already there - arriving from the south :smile:

But seriously, if Steam Dreams have gone as far as to announce this trip, then presumably behind the scenes they have already had assurances that Tornado, and maybe one or two potential stand-ins in case of non-availability of their preferred loco, will be in gauge.

Tom

 

Exactly. It's hard to imagine that details of this trip has appeared, including an indication of possible motive power, without investigating the gauging issue. After all, if a good few of us on this forum are aware that it's rather tight passing under the Redhill-Tonbridge line, surely messrs Bunker and Robertson would know it too.

I wonder whether Britannia, which had been due to feature in the opening gala, had already been gauged for South Croydon-East Grinstead before its unfortunate mishap at the North Norfolk Railway. Looking to the longer term, I think that the most optimistic scenario would be that Tornado, Black Fives, Britannias and possibly Bulleids might make it through to East Grinstead from the north, but apart from the main line registered tanks (9466, 9600, 7752/L?? and shortly, 47298) I would suspect that nothing else will fit that's currently certified. Interestingly, when 3440 worked as far as East Croydon with a ramblers' excursion from Greenford in 1958, the original plan was for the loco to work right through to East Grinstead and beyond. It's hard to imagine a GWR tender engine getting that far without clouting something even before the dip under the Redhill-Tonbridge line was smoothed out.

 

But do Network Fail know? Just look at what happened on the Ace a couple of weeks ago, 777 was rostered for a long time only to be pulled due to gauging 4 days before the run.

 

The difference is that 777 was a (fairly) short-notice replacement for a more gauge-friendly loco on an RTC trip that was already advertised and selling well, whereas the trip to the Bluebell is a newly-advertised Steam Dreams tour. I don't know this for sure, but I strongly suspect that SD will have checked the likelihood of Tornado fitting the route before going public. Even so, there may still some work to be done to ease clearences, in which case there's a risk that the work won't be done in time. If that's so, we'll have to see whether SD postpone until the work is done or substitute a lower/slimmer loco. I guess the point of this tour is to work through to Sheffield Park behind a steam loco.

 

No massive outside cylinders on Truro, the connecting rods are probably the widest part.

 

Wonderful news and will be intriguing to see which loco get's to haul the train regarding the gauging issues. I remember when I took my photters PTS course the chap instructing it mentioned that tour companies are queuing up by the dozens to bring excursions down to our railway so hopefully this is the first of many steam specials. I would agree though with Tom that perhaps after a couple or three of years the novelty may wear off and might see only two a three steam excursions a year visit the line.

 

No turntable makes it difficult but not impossible, Swanage have managed ok to date, though I'd imagine both are looking at getting one installed sooner than later.

Before anyone says it, the 50 footer at Swanage isn't much use for most Mainliners.

In any case, it's a bit of a moot point unless the list of loco's that can reach EG is longer than that suggested.

 

A question was asked on the Bluebell's Facebook page about the installation of a turntable and the moderator replied that it's planned to be built within the next 5 years.