Bluebell Motive Power

Looks like the Bluebell is also suffering adhesion problems this "fall". Seems to be getting its own Railhead Treatment Train:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluebellrailway/sets/72157636693068725/
Assuming there will be a repaint into SECR livery shortly.

Richard

 

They are on their way to Horsham, once the remaining vehicles arrive in the next few days. Apparently, we now have the most convenient mainline-connected road / rail facility in the south-east of England! On Sunday, they were stored at Horsted Keynes, next to an LBSCR Open A goods wagon - surely the first time such a pairing has ever occurred.

My understanding is that if all goes according to plan, the crane used for unloading the next delivery will be used for Sir Archibald Sinclair's boiler lift (and possibly lifting the frame off 27's wheels, if there is time) and the lorry that has delivered the wagons will return via Crewe with Sir Archie's boiler.

Tom

 

Well, that might earn some useful pin money and some good will... Was that expected or is it a happy bonus?

 

Well, the general characteristics of our loading area (big wide open space in a hard-surfaced car park with plenty of room for lorries to turn round, and entrance within a hundred yards or so of a main road) aren't exactly news, so I guess someone at NR may have just had a lightbulb moment.

Tom

 

Photos (not mine) of Black 5 and support coach at Sheffield Park here...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluebellrailway/sets/72157636838002144

Tom

 

From memory there is actually good road/rail access at Horsham (the yard being next to an industrial estate), but the yard tends to be fairly full of broken MPVs.

 

It's alright, but the problem is the road access to the yard is pretty much non-existent for large vehicles, the road down the side of the bridge is narrow and with recent works to the roundabout there's less of a turning circle.

 

A reminder that the Black 5 will be in public service for the first time this weekend.

Duties are:

Saturday
45231 runs 9:45 / 12:15 / 14:45 ex SP and 10:45 / 13:15 / 15:45 ex EG
92212 runs 11:00 / 13:30 / 16:00 ex SP and 12:00 / 14:30 / 17:00 ex EG
263 runs afternoon Wealden Rambler

Sunday
45231 runs 9:45 / 12:15 / 14:45 ex SP and 10:45 / 13:15 / 15:45 ex EG
92212 runs 11:00 / 13:30 / 16:00 ex SP and 12:00 / 14:30 / 17:00 ex EG
263 runs lunchtime Golden Arrow
178 acts as station pilot at SP.

Sunday is also a bus running day - more details here: http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/events/2013/bus_2013.html

The following week is half term week and we will be running a two train service with 45231 and 263 in traffic. (45231 on the 9:45 / 12:15 / 14:45 ex SP and 263 on the 11:00 / 13:30 / 16:00 ex SP).

Tom

 

I must say 45231 does look at home in the yard. Will have to try and visit for a ride behind it before the Santa's start

 

Photos here of Sir Archibald Sinclair's boiler lift - the boiler is now at Crewe.

http://www.bulleidsociety.org/News/Latest_News.html

We still need to raise more money for the overhaul of this and other locos - you can donate via the "Keep up the Pressure" appeal, which currently stands at just over £80k.

See www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/trust/appeal/kutp_donate.html or my footer for details of how to donate by mobile phone.

Tom

 

Quick question Tom - have you heard any complaints about the "Keep up the Pressure" Appeal, along the lines of "these locos have run in traffic and the cost of repairs should be covered from fares, not from asking people to donate"?

Thanks

Steven

 

Not that I know of. That said, there has been a subtle change in fundraising strategy post-East Grinstead, with an easing of directly appealing to mass numbers to a more targeted appeal. For example, we aren't doing on-train collections at the moment (like "Tenner for the Tip") so as to try to avoid donor fatigue. I'm sure they will come back (not least because they form a useful opportunity to talk to the public about major projects, even if they don't donate there and then) but right now we aren't fundraising that way.

Also worth noting that since the launch of KUTP, there hasn't been an issue of Bluebell News. So I gather the amount raised so far comes primarily from the results of a mailing to former donors; people who have seen news online such as our website, Facebook etc; and from subscribers to our fortnightly email newsletter. Will be interesting if there is another jump in donations when Bluebell News lands on doormats and a new group of people hear about the appeal for the first time.

Tom

 

A small collection of photos from a visit today including S15 847 nearing completion in the works, Stowe and the C Class in the yard and Black 5 45231 at Sheffield Park and East Grinstead : - http://paulsimpson.zenfolio.com/p152824886

 

Surprised the Bluebell does not repaint one of their pre grouping engines into BR livery for a short time i am sure a appeal along the lines of the one with 4566 at the SVR would have the photo charter groups flocking to the line to run charters yes it may upset a few but worth it if it brings in extra income.

 

I suppose they would if enough money was put up for it, how far is the C into it's ticket ?, not much point repainting the H while it's still relatively recent.

 

The repainting of 4566 will be financed by donations from photographers, over £ 2,000.00 has been raised so far.

The C Class is not Bluebell owned , H Class - I believe the money for its overhaul was donated on the understanding it was in SECR colours and that is why it jumped the overhaul queue .The E4 has been in BR Black before. so that just leave the P Class.

 

With regard the three Ps, when 27 is restored, I believe it is likely to go into ROD livery to commemorate the time it went to Boulogne during WW1. 323 has spent some time fairly recently in the SECR Austerity livery, but I think having it in blue is popular with the public, and by extension, the commercial department, as a kind of flagship (especially given the current livery Stepney is in, basically unrecognisable from its iconic form). 178 went into SECR livery (apart from a very brief spell as "Pioneer II") at the request of those who restored it.

The problem with black is that it is a very drab livery, especially unlined (as 592, 65, the Ps etc would be) - just take a look and compare 1638 and 31618. It looks OK when new, but is hard to keep clean. Also, when we have lots of locos that can only wear BR liveries, it seems a shame to repaint the older ones in that livery as well, especially as we are slowly assembling a Maunsell-livery train to go with Southern-liveried locos. We can represent 95 years of railway history between the introduction of Fenchurch and retirement of Blackmore Vale (not to mention the subsequent preservation history); personally I can't understand the attraction of a particularly baleful and depressing short period within that history. A bit like being a Manchester United fan and then wanting to relive 1974...

Just my personal view of course.

Tom

 

Well said. Don't forget that as well as Stepney having the "iconic" colour scheme that the same could also be said of the C class, I believe people still refer to the late 1990s version of the Railway Children.

It was of course done with the Dukedog as well, which sort of counts in that it looks older than it actually is, but then there was nothing really historic to match it with. Seems a shame to invest in a pre-grouping train to stick a BR liveried engine with it.

Most of you probably know my opinion of BR liveries, although I do admit they can have their place. Generally though I think it better to celebrate the company which built the engines rather than the one which would have scrapped all of them given half a chance. And you can't tell me 21C123 is less visually stunning than (for example) 34007, fine machines though both are.

 

They all have a place and a story to tell, and we are lucky that the story is told all over the UK. Nowt wrong with a bit of variation, and pre-nationalisation/pre-grouping liveries provide lots of that!

 

My only thoughts are that we've got 3 locos in SECR livery, and no coaches that match them, whereas trying one of them (at some point, if it made financial sense) in SR green would match the Maunsell set and look magnificent...

Also, maybe it would be nice to ring the changes a bit-after all as far as I know the C and the H have never appeared in another livery for 40 years. But that's not to take anything away from it being the owner/restorer's prerogative to choose, and everything Tom says about some liveries looking drab...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free