Bluebell Motive Power

Any idea if 45231 is running next Saturday. Wouldn't mind a last visit this year before the Santa's start up.

 

At a guess I'd say yes, since she will be needed for the Sunday santas, so might as well be in steam on the Saturday. But that is a guess on my part. The loco duty roster on the website only goes up to Friday and the STN won't be out until then.

Tom

 

Took the wife on a Christmas shopper trip today-great value and the 2:30 back from EG was as rammed as I've seen a train on the Bluebell. Two questions I'm wondering if anybody knows the answer to...

Is it just me or is there a strange high pitched whine from the front end of 45231? Sounded like a turbo or something-I assume if it's an air pump it would only be used on mainline? Was fairly loud as we left SP, I even checked out of the window that there wasn't a diesel on the front! Didn't seem to stop it working though...

Also-where do the collection of wheelsets parked north of West Hoathly come from? I assumed they were for wagons, but I'm sure I saw some with balance weights as I went past...

Ta in advance...


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What about 27? How is that doing?

 

Yes, they are nice locos and an ideal size. But the realistic position is that we really need four large engines running at any one time, and fairly soon those four will be 847, 73082, 34059 and 541. Then probably followed by 80151, 928 and 32424. So looking at everything else big - 1618, 1638, 21C123, 75027, 80100, 80064, 92240 - they only start to become needed in the early to mid 2020s. It's just rotation - if we are still having the same thread in 2030 (by then up to about post 15,000…) it is likely that the running fleet might be 32424, 21C123, 1618 and 92240 and people will be asking "when are you going to steam 847 and 541 again?"

The other specific issue with 1618 is that it is a Maunsell Loco Society locomotive, and currently their focus (both for fundraising and where they are deploying their volunteers) is on 928. It's better for them to concentrate on one loco (928) which they can realistically restore than spread themselves too thinly and not restore either.

Tom

 

Funny to think that when 928 has been completed, 1618 will have been out of traffic for something around 25 years! But it's a fact of life, even when the MLS are rotating between 5 locos within the overall Bluebell fleet of about 30.

 

Many thanks Tom. Drove ast yesterday and seemed busy as there were quite a few cars in the overflow.

 

From Bluebell Railway Newsletter : -

We are taking on hire No. 5643 from the Furness Railway Trust from February to December 2014. This is a GWR 5600 class 0-6-2 tank, BR power class 5F.

No. 847 passed its boiler exam on 19 Nov. and successfully ran trials on that day and the following, making a number of test runs to Horsted Keynes. It is now back in the works for painting and is expected to be in service for the Santa trains.

No. 1638 had its boiler repaired by copper welding. Where the platework around stays had fractured (known as "star-fracturing"), the heads were chiselled off, then the cracks chiselled out, and copper weld applied in the cracks and over the stay ends.

A long-standing crack in the rear right corner was also chiselled out and re-welded. A steam test has been performed, and the loco is expected to be in service for the weekend of 22 and 23 Nov. The boiler has two years left before overhaul is required, but whether it will last for that time is yet to be seen.

The apparent success of the welding operation on No. 1638 is to be repeated on B473, probably early in the new year. The loco frames of No. 541 have been replaced on the wheels. Work continues on this loco with aim of running next summer.

No. 92212 has returned to the Mid-Hants Railway, and L150 is expected to return to our Railway about 10 Dec.

 

And also L150 coming back in December...

Tom

 

I have updated my post updated since your reply.

 

By that time, 80100 will have been waiting over 60 years for its turn in the queue.

 

Looking forward to seeing 5643 visit us next year, saw it at the SVR last September but never got a ride behind it. At least we'll have one GWR Tank that's in a decent livery
Joking aside, also very good news to read that hopefully the Q will be finished in time for the Summer season as well.
Here's a couple of photos of 5643 taken at the SVR gala back in September -
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/hw4-ZQPiacR7sKMvgyk2BtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/z6CvIfDBxJSs6GT25elR4dMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink

 

It is privately owned and requires major boiler repairs I believe.

 

I think the main issue is the firebox requires a fair bit of copper welding, of course the required specialists are in short supply. Oh to have an in-house copper welder!

 

There was a big rumour about a year ago (probably on this thread) about all 3 Standard tanks going in to the works together wasn't there? Don't think it came to anything though...


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No. There has been no mention that its likely in happen in Bluebell News.I am not sure who is reponsible for paying for the work. I have heard that all members of the owning group own a stake in the loco and contact with a number has been lost.

 

By 2025 it will have been on the Railway 47 years, and the group overhauling 84030 should have completed this loco and made a start on overhauling 80100.