Bluebell Motive Power

PSOV have posted a couple of excellent videos about the Dukedogs, with footage of 9017 at home on the Bluebell, as well as at the Severn Valley and Llangollen. In the second video she is being driven by somebody who used to fire them in BR days over the Cambrian, always great to see enginemen reunited.

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From the photos on Facebook it looks as though the out-of-frames steam test took place on the Q yesterday

 

Looking at the photos on FB of the Q having its steam test-when a boiler hasn't got a Smokebox or chimney, how do you create the right draft to raise steam?

 

Watching the scenes on the footplate I notice that the regulator handle operates not only the regulator itself but a linkage to an additional control of some sort. What is that?

 

Its the steam shut off to the atomiser for cylinder lubrication.

 

Really, there is almost no draft - just what is naturally created by the tubes. On the other hand, there is (assuming no leaks!) essentially no consumption of steam either, so you don't need a hugely hot fire to boil the water! There is also no ashpan, so effectively the whole of the underside of the grate is open to the passage of air.

The situation is kind of akin to when you light up an engine from cold. It is only when you have a few psi on the clock that you can turn the blower on and artificially create a draft. Up to that point, you are just reliant on the coal burning with no forced airflow.

Tom

 

It's complete vanity on my part, but was anyone out taking photos last weekend, especially the U Boat on Saturday and even more especially the Golden Arrow / Bluebell on Sunday?

Tom

 

Question is - would they have got your best side on the footplate?...........

 

Were you on the U on the first trip on Saturday? I was on it, took my nephew for a look on the footplate at EG so might have seen you? Sister in law may have pics but unlikely to be too remarkable!

 

As 1638 faces North and Bluebell faces South, and both are RHD, then any photographer who stood in the same spot all weekend would have had a 50:50 chance!

Tom

 

Yes, though we seemed to have a lot of footplate visitors over the weekend, so apologies for not remembering specifics!

Tom

 

Hi Tom, Just wondering if you know what loco's will be out this Weekend? The loco roster doesn't seem to be up yet.


Many thanks,

Will

 

Almost certainly same as last weekend - 1638, B473 on the service trains and the two Ps on the GA. I'll update if I hear differently.

Tom

 

Many thanks for the swift reply!

Cheers,
Will

 

From the Locomotive Director, via the Bluebell e-newsletter:

Loco News: Exam Time!

Readers will be pleased to hear that repairs to H Class No. 263 have been completed and the loco returned to traffic on 29 Nov., 2014. The stay replacement work proceeded very well, and while the loco was in the Works, a few other minor jobs were attended to. S15 successfully passed an annual boiler exam and repairs to the vacuum pump on No. 5643 have been completed.

U Class No. 1638 continues to show signs of age, and recently we've undertaken further repairs to the superheater elements. With one year left on the boiler certificate, we hope the loco will remain a reliable performer through autumn 2015. SE&CR C Class No. 592 is waiting its turn in the Works for some stay replacement work and should enter in the coming weeks. P Class No. 178 is currently undergoing its annual boiler, piston, and valve exams. We have made new piston rings for the lefthand cylinder and will fit these over the next two weeks.

Loco overhauls continue, with good progress on numbers 541 and 73082. A recent visit to Crewe to view No. 73082's boiler repair revealed completed riveting work and a new boiler barrel section and front tube plate. The flue tubes had arrived and smoke tubes were due that day. With a successful hydraulic and steam test, we should see the boiler delivered to Sheffield Park around mid January.

No. 541 has passed the necessary boiler exams, and over the last week the boiler has been lagged, clad, and lowered into the frames. The chassis is back in the Works, with fittings and final assembly taking place.

Of course, there was bound to be some not-so-good news coming up on the inside rail (excuse the pun!) While repairing No. 928's boiler, the throat plate revealed cracks in its lower corners, which could not be repaired, and further cracks were discovered, so the old plate was removed. The complicated steel pressing to make a new one is expensive, but it will ensure the loco is reliable. We hope to produce a boiler that's good for 20 years. Our Keep Up the Pressure campaign is still running, so please contribute towards the repair of No. 928. Your donation will be gratefully received.

Looking ahead, we have a number of special events in 2015, including some visiting motive power, along with the return to traffic of two of our locos. So Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and I look forward to a successful 2015!

By Christopher Hunford, Locomotive Director

And, not from the e-newsletter: the next issue of Bluebell News should give an outline of the Locomotive Workshop programme for 2015.

Tom

 

**Picks jaw up off floor**

Good to hear about Camelot, presumably if the boiler is back mid-January there's a chance she could be back in service for the summer? Or earlier, Easter perhaps?

 

Did I hear a rumour that there is a "giants of steam" event in 2015 at Bluebell? If so what giants will appear?

 

Summer for Camelot. The likely home loco fleet should be 847, 541, 1638, B473, 592, 263, 323, 178 and 3 available ready for the start of daily running at Easter, with 73082 available by the peak season.

As for special events etc - it looks like there will be a number of "enthusiast-friendly" happenings next year, but I am sure there will be official announcements in due course.

Well, we'll have 847, 541, 73082 and hopefully 1638 for starters ;-) There are discussions about another loco, but as is usual for the Bluebell, there won't be an official announcement until a deal is in place; and as is usual for any railway gala, there is many a slip 'twixt cup and mouth even after that!

Tom

 

It you look on the PLC website there are a number of dates where there is no service 1 or 2 timetable shown and one of these is 31/10 & 1/11.

I suspect the other days where neither service 1 or 2 is shown are likely to be as follows :
9 & 10/5 - Southern at War,
27 & 28/6 Model Railway Weekend,
18 & 19/7 Collectors Fair and
8 & 9/8 Vintage Transport Weekend

There is also no service 1 or 2 shown for 2/5, 14 & 15/11 and 21 & 22/11 ?

 

I think there is a plan for an engineering closure for the two weekends in November (as well as the middle two weekends in January).

Not sure about the date in May.

Tom