Bluebell Motive Power

9017 got a pretty thorough rebuild last time out as well as I recall, so presumably should be in pretty decent nick (although the potential for horrors is always there I guess).

The only engine on the Bluebell where it is acceptable, given the opportunity of any alternative livery, to have it painted in BR colours. Anything's better than G*R.

 

More on Camelot - yesterday she passed her boiler insurance inspection and moved around Sheffield Park under her own power. Still more to do before she formally enters service, but looking good for GoS!

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=627814287360200&id=381518251989806

Tom

 

Ah, I remember it well! Shame my photos haven't survived as well as my memories (so far). The C Dog on a Mince Pie special on a very gloomy winter's day.

Steve B

 

Tom, just as a matter of interest, what is happening with 80064? That one never seems to get mentioned in the overhaul lists. Even the USA tank has made it into this discussion, but not 64!

 

Deleted due to getting locomotive numbers mixed up (therefore post irrelevent)

 

Why would they need to acquire motion parts? The loco has run before so it should have a full set of everything!


Keith

 

Don't you mean 80100?

 

Sorry, getting my BR standards muddled up! Previous post deleted. 64 is a privately owned locomotive as far as I am aware.

 

That is also my understanding and also that it repairs major boilers repairs.

 

It would be good to see work start on 80100 before too long. It was moved to the line as bar back as 1978 and the three other ex-Barry locos which arrived at the same time (30541, 92240 and 847) have also steamed subsequently whereas 80100 remains unrestored. While the line does have 80064 and 80151, which were both allocated to SR sheds, (unlike 80100 was an LTS/Cambrian engine like most of the ex-Barry 4MT tanks), it is, as far as I know, a Bluebell-owned loco whereas the other two engines are not.

On a personal note, I'd love to see 80100 working because I lived in North West Gloucestershire for three years before moving back to Sussex and 80100 did work over a route which, if still open, would have been my local line - the Grange Court-Ross on Wye-Hereford line - one of very few surviving engines to have operated over this lovely line.

 

I could see 80100 becoming a museum piece to demonstrate the amount of work required to turn a Barry wreck into a working locomotive.

 

As has been said, 80064 is privately owned so I assume any further period in traffic would be by mutual agreement with the owners.

The one difficulty with putting 80100 in a museum as an example of a Barry-condition loco is that we don't have a large exhibits museum yet! If and when we get one, it might happen temporarily, but long term, 80100's future must surely be as an operational engine.

Tom

 

It is not likely to be started until 84030 is finished, since it is likely to be the next project for that team.

 

With regard to 80100, the loco is basicly only being retained because the other two (80064 and 80151) are owned by private groups. Should they both leave the railway the Bluebell would be left without one of the signature locos used on the line during its final years, hence the reason the railway bought 80100 in the first place.

Were one, or both the owning groups transfer ownership of their locos to the Bluebell then it is quite possible that disposal of 80100 could take place. Alternatively if one of the groups departed then it might increase the chances of 80151 being restored as few doubt the usefulness of such locos.

( I say this because we have two U class locomotives, one owned by the Maunsell society (1618) the other by the Bluebell (1638) yet that didn't prevent 1638 being restored from Barry condition rather than overhauling 1618)

Now that doesn't mean that 80100 will never be restored of course and I know there are quite a few members that would like to see that happen, but from the railways (as in cooperate point of view) for as long as we still have 80151 and 80064 and subject to a deal be done with the owning groups overhauling 80151 / 80064 will be a easier proposition.

 

And of course there are quite a few other locos that members would like to see restored as well

David R

 

What a shame 80100 may never steam again if 80151 / 80064 are retained on the BB. If the railway doesn't want to sell 80100 why don't they look into leasing the loco on a long term lease to another railway. Maybe one way this loco could return to steam.

 

If you could just let the Bluebell know which line has a whole bunch of volunteers sitting on a pile of cash saying, "well, we've got everything running, we need another loco to restore" I'm sure they'd be glad to hear from you... [grin]

 

And indeed that is a problem across the heritage railway movement - a major overhaul seems to cost between 1/4 to 1/2 million these days for an everyday locomotive - and the costs are only going up

David R

 

I get the feeling that 2 and 2 are somewhat failing to make 4 here...

The strategic direction on several major railways seems to be to buy motive power, or sign long-term leases, to give themselves surety of provision for the long term. In the circumstances I can't see why we would wish to dispose of such a useful loco as 80100 for what would be a relatively small capital sum.

Personal opinion, as always.

Tom

 

Meanwhile, back in the here and now, some brief video footage (not mine) of Camelot moving round Sheffield Park under her own steam.



Tom