If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

Bluebell Motive Power

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by Orion, Nov 14, 2011.

  1. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,100
    Likes Received:
    57,414
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I’m sure you are right Roger. I wasn’t intending any more detailed analysis than to link to the photos!

    Tom
     
  2. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,100
    Likes Received:
    57,414
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
  3. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2017
    Messages:
    12,172
    Likes Received:
    11,493
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Brighton&Hove
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Blimey ...... Warley time again already!

    Another stunning SECR paint job! It's hard to reconcile that beautiful sight with the shabby machine withdrawn from BR service over half a century ago. Even though Ashford steam centre didn't survive, those involved back then (and in 263's case, earlier at Robertsbridge) can be truly proud that their vision and effort was what has allowed the collection to come into bloom so spectacularly at SP.
     
    240P15, Bluenosejohn and gwalkeriow like this.
  4. richards

    richards Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Oct 1, 2008
    Messages:
    4,634
    Likes Received:
    1,921
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    London
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Auteur style? It just that nearly all other railway videos share the limited style. If only more railway videos and photos had some variety of angle, focus, depth of field, etc.
     
  5. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2009
    Messages:
    8,068
    Likes Received:
    5,164
    And no b-----y "background" music!
     
    Bluenosejohn likes this.
  6. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,100
    Likes Received:
    57,414
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    From the eNewsletter:

    New for 2018: Footplate Taster Days

    It's a perfect Christmas gift for any steam buff! (Or why not treat yourself?!)

    On selected dates in January and February 2018 you can visit Sheffield Park Station and enjoy a "turn" on the footplate of P class "Bluebell"

    Included in the £150 package:
    • An individual one-hour "footplate taster" with one of the Railway's experienced drivers.
    • Depending on the time of your visit, enjoy either a full English breakfast or a two-course lunch in the Bessemer Arms.
    • A discount voucher for a Family Ticket for a visit to the Bluebell Railway for a date of your choice in 2018
    • A gift pack from the Bluebell Shop
    • A year's membership of the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society.
    • A certificate upon completion
    For more information and to book, click here.
     
    S.A.C. Martin likes this.
  7. Worsdell

    Worsdell New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2017
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    27
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Stanhope & Tyne Railway
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Interesting to see 178 at the NRM - is it known how long it is likely to stay there for?
     
  8. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,100
    Likes Received:
    57,414
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I believe it will remain there into the early part of next year.

    Tom
     
  9. Worsdell

    Worsdell New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2017
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    27
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Stanhope & Tyne Railway
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Thanks Tom - hope to see it in steam whilst it's a lot more local than usual, although at the same time would be good to see it on the Bluebell at some point. Is it known when 2018 events will be publicised? Been far too long since I've visited the Bluebell
     
  10. I know that paint froth is the very work of Beelzebub himself but - if I had much longer arms and much shallower pockets - I'd be the first in the queue to pay to get the Swanage Maunsell pull-push carriages restored and sponsor the H in black for a season. Just to recreate in real life the scene in the photos my Dad took in the last days of a number of the Kent branches.
     
    horace, 30854 and Cartman like this.
  11. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,100
    Likes Received:
    57,414
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I don't know which days it is planned to be in operation at the NRM, I assume that is something they would publicise through their own channels.

    As for our own special events - I haven't seem any list, but the Bluebell is not normally very quick off the blocks in publishing its plans, for better or worse.

    Tom
     
  12. Funnell

    Funnell New Member

    Joined:
    Jul 14, 2009
    Messages:
    141
    Likes Received:
    39
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Pullman Steward
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    The 2018 service plan is due to be published any time now! Have seen it and there are some interesting additions for next year.
     
  13. torgormaig

    torgormaig Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2007
    Messages:
    4,440
    Likes Received:
    6,546
    I believe that the current plan is for 178 to stay at York until after the February half term.

    Peter James
     
  14. Worsdell

    Worsdell New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2017
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    27
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Stanhope & Tyne Railway
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Thanks both. Look forward to seeing the 2018 plan - is there an Edwardian or similar event planned?
     
  15. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,100
    Likes Received:
    57,414
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    All very interesting, but any chance of getting vaguely back on topic? :rolleyes:

    Tom
     
    Worsdell likes this.
  16. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,100
    Likes Received:
    57,414
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
  17. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,100
    Likes Received:
    57,414
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    From the e-Newsletter: (Incidentally - worth reading in the actual newsletter to see the photos)

    Nos. 34059 & 21C123: Pressing On With the Fireboxes

    There are six new inner fireboxes under construction at the Engineering section of the South Devon Railway (SDRE) for Bulleid Light Pacifics. Steel was chosen by Oliver Bulleid for Pacific class fireboxes for a number of reasons: copper was more expensive and was in relatively short supply and steel firebox repairs involving welding could be undertaken at motive power depots.

    The decision to replace the inner fireboxes of a number of Light Pacifics gave the South Devon Railway an opportunity to start a production line for these items, with many of the firebox components being pressed using the 700-ton Shaw press, previously owned by Pridhams, whose business had been taken over by the South Devon Railway.

    The major steel inner firebox pressings are the back head and the combustion chamber and throat plate and the two thermic syphons. The combustion chamber and throat plate were, in Southern days, a single pressing, and, until recently, Pridhams supplied this item as a number of separate pressings welded together to give the final plate.

    Discussions with SDRE suggested that it might be possible to revert to the Southern practice and produce the combustion chamber and throat plate as a single pressing. The Shaw press at SDRE is capable of such a job, and, after a search for a supplier to produce the dies, an initial 3D printing of the male and female dies was created, with a final product formed in plastic.

    To produce the pressing, the steel plate is heated to red heat--approximately 800 degrees celsius--placed between the dies in the press and the resulting combustion chamber and throat plate is pressed within four minutes. Examples of the pressings are seen in the photographs. The final product is oversize to enable it to be used for both the lightweight Pacifics and the Merchant Navy class.

    To enable the inner firebox to be fabricated, the tube plate and back head are aligned and tack welded together in a suitable frame and checked for alignment using a laser. The sides and the pressing of the tube plate and the combustion chamber and the crown plate are then added, before the alignment is rechecked and the final welding takes place. Apertures for the two thermic syphons are cut into the crown, combustion chamber, and throat plate to enable the syphons to be welded in place.

    The first inner firebox of the production run is for No. 34059. This is now in the final welding stage before marking-out is started for the stays. The inner firebox will be inserted into the outer wrapper, and then the foundation channel--which is already welded to the inner firebox--will be welded to the outer wrapper, with additional temporary support for the complete firebox being steel studs between the two firebox items. The drilling and reaming of the 2,000-plus stay holes will be undertaken at the Bluebell Railway.

    Meanwhile, components for the new inner firebox for No. 21C123 have been pressed to enable work to be started on this item.

    By John Fry, Chairman, The Bulleid Society
     
  18. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,100
    Likes Received:
    57,414
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    S.A.C. Martin and Bluenosejohn like this.
  19. torgormaig

    torgormaig Part of the furniture Friend

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2007
    Messages:
    4,440
    Likes Received:
    6,546
    It is interesting that John Fry mentions some reasons for Bulleid using steel fireboxes in the Pacifics but does not mention the one reason that gave him no other choice in the matter. In the 1940s you could not fit thermic syphons in a copper box as copper welding was not available at that time. While I do not claim to have any great knowledge on such matters I get the impression that there are alot of people who fail to grasp this basic fact - unless there are those who can tell me that I'm talking absolute rubbish.

    I understand that the second of Gresley's V4s had a thermic syphon and a steel box for this same reason.

    Peter James
     
    30854, 8126 and Jamessquared like this.
  20. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,100
    Likes Received:
    57,414
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Would be interesting to know which was chicken and which was egg - i.e. did a desire to fit thermic syphons force the issue of using a steel firebox, or did the austerity conditions of needing to use steel then make using a thermic syphon a viable design avenue to explore?

    Tom
     
    30854 likes this.

Share This Page