B473 (Birch Grove)

According to the Loco Roster on the Bluebell Website B473 aka "Birch Grove" is due to be working next weekend. However, there is no mention on he rest of the website or indeed on this forum of it yet having moved a wheel in anger since withdrawal from service in the spring of last year. Is the compiler of the roster being a wee bit optimistic, or are we about to hear an announcement that it its re-entry into traffic is imminent? I saw it in the works two weeks ago and while it looks not far off being ready, I would be surprised if it will be hauling passenger trains next Saturday, although I would be delighted to be proved wrong.

 

I completely echo your above thoughts, although from my uneducated eyes it looks just a case of putting back together, I would be surprised to see it on a train this month at least.
Happy to be proved wrong!

 

Surely it's much more than just re-assembly; there's a good deal of testing and adjusting to be done before any newly overhauled engine can be put back in traffic. If you look carefully at the loco roster four engines are shown as in steam for a three train service. Someone is hedging their bets!

Regards

 

Maybe it's rostered to be out on test then?

 

My thoughts exactly and I shall, weather permiting, be at SP on Sunday just in case.

Regards

 

Not this weekend, but she is expected to be completed by the end of the month and probably won't be seen on trains until the vintage services at the end of December, according to Mr Nodes.

 

That's good news, coinciding with me being back in Sussex for the Christmas hols! It'll be nice to see 'Birch Grove' back in traffic, and I'm sure she'll look fantastic in SR Green.

Incidentally I recommend the end of December to make a visit to the Bluebell. I usually pop over there in the week between Christmas and New Year because although it's relatively quiet, your virtually guaranteed a journey on vintage SR stock or the Mets and 4-wheelers, pulled by one of the smaller engines. I remember a few years ago a rather spirited trip on New Years Eve behind 'Fenchurch' where we reached HK about 5 minutes ahead of schedule!

 

Thanks for this, I'll find something else to do!

Incidently, 'Jdwitts', in his posting above, hit on the right idea. December really is a good time to visit the BB; the light, although there isn't too bright often enough, is quite often nice and soft giving excellent photo opportunities. The Santa specials also give the photographer good pictures too, but SP is awash with kids in all sorts of moods, from the very high to the most desperate lows. Well worth staying away from SP!

Regards

 

Just took a look at the BB loco roster for December and 'Birch Grove' is rostered several times in December.

Regards

 

Birch Grove

It certainly looked superb in it's new Southern livery on Saturday when it was out of the works for a short period .The new lining/signwriting makes it look a completly different engine and casual observers may be forgiven for thinking it's another engine!
Exciting times at the Bluebell Railway,let's hope we win tomorrows People's Millions Lottery scheme so as to fast track the LCDR Brake no 51 from a Victorian garden shed to a sparkling Victorian carriage able to accomodate six wheelchairs users and their friends on the Victorian specials. Please look on the Bluebell website for the special telephone number that will displayed tomorrow.
Regards,Tim

 

I heard from the Bluebell Yahoo group that the people behind the project the carriage is competing with are using as many forums and emailing lists as they can to drum up support, please tell your friends and family and people you work with to vote, I also happen to know that you can vote 10 times......:smt074

Someone earlier said about visiting between christmas and new year, very sound advice, I hope to be doing it too. B473 in her new livery on the vintage or maunsell set should be brill.

Hopefully in the next couple of days we'll have a couple of photos of B473 on the BR website

 

An update to the loco roster and a message on the Bluebell yahoo group say that B473 won't be hauling passengers in December but will be run in on shunting duties and guard training days and that there will be an official launch day in January some time.

 

Derek Hayward has a photo on his fotopic of B473 nearly finished with some stuff left to do, and my word she looks different:
http://train.fotopic.net/p62352655.html

 

Different, but very very nice!

 

Yes absolutely beautiful, never seen this livery on a locomotive before, lovely.
Hopefully be able to find out in advance what days she will be about so I can try and see her, although looking at Derek's pictures the park looks a place worth a visit after the rearranging of the woodpax site, 27505 looks a sorry site, funny to think she was almost overhauled when she came back!

 

I'll drop Richard Salmon an email at some point and ask for what dates she'll be running

 

Yes absolutely beautiful, never seen this livery on a locomotive before, lovely.

Well its possible I'm colour blind but it looks very like the livery carried by 1618 to me!

 

Basically it is, though with the earlier numbering scheme, which is why it is B473, not 2473.

Tom

 

Also note in the background the bunker has been fitted to the frames of P Class 178 and painted, all looks promising for a return to steam for Branch Line Weekend in February