The Gricing Owl's Recent Activity
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The Gricing Owl liked Gladiator 5076's post in the thread Spa Valley Railway Cuckoo Line Gala - June 13-15 2025.
For info, for those lucky enough to be able to attend 31806 (as it still is) was at Norden this morning, but when I went past the low loader had not arrived.
Jun 9, 2025 at 9:40 PM -
The Gricing Owl liked Mark Thompson's post in the thread Bluebell Railway General Discussion.
I wasn't handed a shovel on PS Ryde, but as a 9-year old who was fascinated by what I saw, I did find myself invited onto the engineers bridge, being told which lever to pull, in answer to the telegraph. Amidst a gently moving backdrop of...
Jun 9, 2025 at 8:29 PM -
The Gricing Owl liked johnofwessex's post in the thread Bluebell Railway General Discussion.
In their later years when they were on special trips, anyone who showed more than a passing interest in the machinery of PS Ryde or the Humber Ferry steamers was in danger of bneing handed a shovel & told to get on with it
Jun 9, 2025 at 8:29 PM -
The Gricing Owl liked Ben Jenden's post in the thread Bluebell Railway General Discussion.
Due to leave for a few day on Wednesday for something down at Willesden (unsure if its a private event or not). Meant to be back on Saturday night. Though that's probably dependent on the repair to its superheater elements
Jun 9, 2025 at 4:17 PM -
The Gricing Owl replied to the thread Spa Valley Railway Cuckoo Line Gala - June 13-15 2025.
A very mundane matter for @Jonnie if you have a moment. Is the coffee and snacks kiosk going to be open again at Groombridge station this coming weekend please? I know it was shut for a while earlier in the year. Thanks, Bryan.
Jun 9, 2025 at 3:24 PM -
The Gricing Owl liked Ben Jenden's post in the thread Swanage Railway General Discussion.
Yes, Norden is where locos get loaded and unloaded for road movements
Jun 9, 2025 at 1:24 PM -
The Gricing Owl replied to the thread Swanage Railway General Discussion.
Checking the very useful Swanage station webcam this morning I saw a diesel on the front of a not in steam 31806. And later both were gone. Presumably having taken the U class to wherever it will be loaded onto a transporter to bring it up to the...
Jun 9, 2025 at 1:06 PM -
The Gricing Owl attached a file to the thread Bluebell Railway General Discussion.
An interesting comment within an altogether very interesting post, about the tendency to burn out a strip right across the box on 32424. It so happens I've just started on the chapter that is for my heritage era main line steam logs, and this...
Jun 9, 2025 at 12:50 PM
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The Gricing Owl liked Jamessquared's post in the thread Bluebell Railway General Discussion.
Relative to the boiler - so the back is closest to the door. (But when they first get on an engine, it seems everyone gets it wrong - so first time you say to a green cleaner “put some in the back” it goes wanging down at high speed to exactly...
Jun 9, 2025 at 8:56 AM -
The Gricing Owl liked Jamessquared's post in the thread Bluebell Railway General Discussion.
Hopefully the original photographer (Brian Dandridge) won't mind me sharing this photo from yesterday - all nicely under control with the Maunsell set (3687 leading) and Obo, approaching Kingscote. [ATTACH] Tom
Jun 9, 2025 at 8:55 AM
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The Gricing Owl liked dan.lank's post in the thread Bluebell Railway General Discussion.
I’ve had a couple of third man turns on it now, and my all round experience of footplate work isn’t enough to compare it to other locos - but I concur with Tom’s comment about the cab! There’s basically nowhere to stand - if you’re behind the...
Jun 9, 2025 at 8:55 AM -
The Gricing Owl liked Jamessquared's post in the thread Bluebell Railway General Discussion.
I think I've had 8 days on it, totalling 306 miles which I think all but 22 I've fired. I've not driven it yet! One of those was the half trip to Horsted for familiarisation, so really seven full days. As @andrewtoplis says, it's not really...
Jun 9, 2025 at 8:54 AM -
The Gricing Owl liked andrewtoplis's post in the thread Bluebell Railway General Discussion.
In a sense Martin, there are no other locos of a similar power rating. I suspect the Atlantic is our only Class 3 engine, it slips between the smaller class 2s like the C, H, 01, E4 etc, and the larger class 4s, 541, U Class, standard 4s and so...
Jun 8, 2025 at 9:45 PM -
The Gricing Owl liked Jamessquared's post in the thread Bluebell Railway General Discussion.
I know. I was on it :) Tom
Jun 8, 2025 at 9:45 PM
