Bluebell Motive Power

The Bluebell Website says that it is likely to need a new boiler barrel

Steve B

 

And new wheels.

 

Thanks for that Tom. very much appreciated! Much as though I like the Drummond look, I'd prefer an LSWR livery of some sort, so if stove pipe it has to be, then so be it!

Steve B

 

Ah, the great NatPres circular thread - if you wait long enough, the same questions come round

This is what I wrote on page 1 of this thread:

I don't think her condition has dramatically improved in the intervening 15 months! (There is some speculation that welding techniques have improved sufficiently in the last few decades that maybe a repair of the wheels is viable, rather than making new ones - I couldn't comment on the truth or otherwise of that statement). I suspect the operational use we could put her to has diminished in that time though, making it, in my opinion, even harder to justify a repair - and I say that despite the fact that she is one of my favourite Bluebell locos.

Tom

 

From what I've been told by a long serving Bluebell member. The BB went for the wrong loco and should of taken one of the other two locos which were in better condition. I'm led to believe the other two locos weren't considered because they had the wrong type of boilers and they also had other alternations which made them undesirable to the Bluebell membership.

 

Ooops should of read the whole thread

So 488 sounds pretty shot then, be interesting to see then if the best part of a new boiler is required if they go for the current Adams type or a Drummond type replacement.

And thanks for all the info as well Tom, extremely detailed and interesting, just a fascination I have with some unusual survivors like the Wendfordbridge Beatties and an ex Lyme Regis Radial.

 

You may well be right - I think the other two had Drummond boilers on withdrawal, which steered those involved towards 488. Also, 0125 and 0520 (which became 30582 and 30584) had new frames, cylinders, fireboxes, springing, tyres and well tanks in 1930; whereas 0488 was still on the EKR at the time and didn't therefore have that more or less complete rebuild. So 30583 (as was) was in considerably more original condition, but also probably considerably worse. There is evidence still surviving of some pretty crude frame repairs that must date from EKR days, involving riveting extra frame plate around the driving axleboxes to double the thickness of the frames.

30582 and 30584 had worked the Lyme Regis branch for many years on a week on, week off basis which can't have left much time for anything more than minor maintenance "on-shed" at Exmouth Junction - anything more major would have been awkward to organise without any suitable motive power to act as even a temporary replacement. (Repairs tended to be scheduled for the winter where possible, with Adams O2s standing in as required). So when 488 became available, the SR snapped it up quickly to give more flexibility - but it's very doubtful that 488 had had much in the way of major repairs either between 1917 and 1946. Incidentally, the SR spent £120 buying 488 in 1946 - but then a further £1,638 on repairs!

Edit: mileages on withdrawal:

30582 - 2,070,918
30583 - 1,504,703 prior to Bluebell service
30584 - 2,102,781

The mileages suggest that 30583 didn't run a huge amount in the thirty-odd years on the EKR whilst the other two were running more intensive London suburban, then south-western branch services.

Tom

 

Well, any decision is probably years away, but I'd imagine an Adams boiler: first it would be "like for like", so compliance / design would probably be easier, but more significantly, the Adam's boilers were also reckoned to be better steamers than the Drummond ones.

Tom

 

There's an NSE refurbished SK (is it 25679?) which has some surprisingly graphic graffiti on the compartment blinds. That could be the one.

 

Alas it is not just one vehicle but the whole rake, which does the Bluebell no favours. If one visits the railway on a "one set in use" day, it is odds on it will be this one. Really it ought to be brought out at times of stress only. I am not happy to say this, but IMHO it needs to be addressed.

Paul

 

There is worse to come as the 33 and the 9F allegedly both failed today, the latter because of a broken spring for the second/third time.

I am also led tp believe that there are also star cracks inside the firebox which have already been attended to once before.

Of course i stand to be corrected if this is not true.

Regards
Chris:

 

Believe the Shunter has had to be resorted to today according to elsewhere, grim days.

 

Ah, the joys of operating vintage machinery! I have the misfortune to work with class 313 and 442 units so know how difficult it is to keep old things going on a daily basis with little or no support infrastructure from original component manufacturers. Added to that we run with minimal spare units as all are in traffic, so regularly go short when defects occur.

 

Yes the new 09 shunter was used on service trains today after the 9F and class 33 were failed this morning!! Here's hoping the prairie passed its FTR tests today.

 

Is there any truth in the report in Steam Railway that Tornado is visiting the line for a month beginning on the 19th July and will be using the wheel drop for some maintenance?

 

Not according to Tornadoes own newsletter it is not.

However there is a Railtour to Sheffield Park in early September.

Regards
Chris:

 

There is nothing official. Neither the A1 Trust nor the Bluebell will report it unless it's official. SR can say what they like.

 

Looking on UK steam info web site. 60163 isn't working a rail tour until 10th August. So there isn't any reason why Tornado can't visit the BB.

 

im terribly sorry to hear of such a premier line (and one close to my heart) having awful problems re traction especially after the east grinstead opening and so close to the school holidays. i do hope things get better very soon.
cheers,
julian

 

At least a 09 can run at 25mph, a 08 or something else wouldn't get there.
It appears that BB is having not much luck atm, but hopefully it's a short term thing. The SVR ran out of steam locos at one point last year, but it managed to recover.