Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Branch Line Weekend timetable (including loco roster) on the Bluebell Railway website https://www.bluebell-railway.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Branch-Line-Timetable.pdf

 

A video of the Q Class in service yesterday, followed by a few photos. Nice sunny day, surprisingly hot! It was good to see the vintage rake out again, bring on the Branch Line Weekend! As always with thanks to the Bluebell staff and volunteers.




First train of the day at Imberhorne Lane

Camelot accelerates towards the tunnel

The combined 2:45 and Wealden Rambler made for a strange mix of coaches!

Birch Farm for the 4:05

And the Q approaches East Grinstead

 

Nice! That’s me firing the Q in the morning; my right arm is now immortalised in a photo

Tom

 

I saw a video by John Harwood on Youtube yesterday which seemed to show 73802 having suffered some sort of failure at Kingscote, with the 09 being used to rescue the service train.
I don't suppose anyone has any inside gen on the matter? Here's hoping it is nothing major!

 

It returned to SP this morning behind the 09. The crew of the Q were saying something valve or cylinder related but I didn’t catch the entire conversation... my lunch in the restaurant was waiting!

James

 

Are there any future plans for 75027? I saw its having a complete repaint on Heritage Painting's facebook.

 

It's having a cosmetic overhaul for display as part of the ASH project.

Tom

 

Any idea whats happening with my favorite bluebell loco the ex Lyme Regis tank loco.

 

She’s well cared for, but I’m not aware that there is any imminent plan for a restoration to running status beyond the fact that there is a widespread desire to do so, but it will be very expensive.

I happened to ride on her for a shunt a few months ago - a grand old lady, and with little quirky features of her age, such as a steam brake on the fireman’s side. That betrays design at a time when the fireman was responsible for braking.

Tom

 

Whilst we are requesting information on some of our favourites, is it still the plan to bring the USA tank into the the ASH project? It desperately needs some TLC!

Steve B

 

No

No, sadly the USA tank requires more work than expected to cosmetically restore it and there was only a limited amount of money allocated from the ASH budget so 75027 is being cosmetically restored to go into the ASH display instead.

David R

 

Well, I have to say that I'm not surprised, given it's condition. I do hope that some attention can be given if only to delay further deterioration. It was one of the in service locos that I remember from my time as a volunteer on the Bluebell, and whilst I can accept that it is not going to be a high priority, it would be a great shame if it remains seemingly abandoned. Thanks for the reply.

Steve B

 

From an economical point of view, and for the sake of the loco, wouldn't it be an idea to move the USA elsewhere? Its too small to really run on the extended bluebell and therefore would be an expensive project to ever undertake with little return, surely another heritage railway elsewhere would like to take on the project?

 

Possibly, though there has to be an “elsewhere” to make such a deal feasible. I’m sure the board are not averse to considering a viable plan if one was presented.

It’s not uncommon on NatPres for comments of the general type “why doesn’t railway A let railway B have loco X for overhaul” as if the blocker on such a deal is railway A hoarding items - no one stops to consider whether railway B actually exists in such a deal, or has the wherewithal - financial and otherwise - to follow through. As has been often discussed, there is no shortage of locos in preservation, but there is a shortage of resources to do anything with them.

Tom

 

Rare though they are, such arrangements do happen. You and I are both aware of one such instance.

Paul H

 

I'm not sure that it is too small for the Bluebell, after all there are several smaller locos that have a firmly established place in the scheme of things there, one of which (27) is now having a very comprehensive rebuild - new frames, cylinders, etc, etc, and extensive work contemplated for others. I think I'm right in saying that it wasn't it's ability that was the problem - in my day it was regarded as a "big" loco capable of taking 5 or 6 coaches. The problem was that it was designed as a shunting loco, and wasn't really suited to passenger work. Having sat in a train behind it and felt every cylinder stroke as it steadily plodded up the hill to Horsted Keynes I would agree!. The short wheelbase did the track no favours as well. When it fell due for repairs and overhaul there were more suitable locos available, and which were better liked, and the USA tank was laid aside. I don't know how much enthusiasm there is to see it restored to traffic - certainly not as much as the Adams, the Dukedog, Stepney, Fenchurch, 75027, the C class, Birch Grove, Normandy, or even the North London tank which shares the same shortcomings as a shunting loco.

I do think, though, that even if a loco is not likely to be restored to traffic, some effort needs to be put into preserving it, if only cosmetically - something that the Bluebell is now doing better than in the past, and ASH hopefully will help further. The USA has languished, seemingly unloved, for far too long and clearly now needs far more than a quick coat of paint. I can but hope!

Steve B

 

Well that just about suns it for 30064 when it arrived at the Bluebell it was used to earn its keep.
I spent a lot of my time years ago when it first arrived at Droxford & Liss to help restore
it and raise funds to keep it going.
Now its out lived its usefullnes and not suited to there needs it weights its fate.

 

I do agree it’s sad seeing the old girl where she is, especially that platework etc is beginning to really suffer. Unfortunately though, it’s hard to see what other options there are in the short term - it’s easy to say ‘they’ should do something about it, but ‘they’ are either a cash-strapped railway trying to run a commercially viable service, or thinly stretched volunteers...

Tom is right, the idea of passing a loco to another railway isn’t always as easy as it sounds. If it’s a railway without its own locos, will it have space, workshops, and most importantly, expertise to look after a historic asset? There would have to be a lot of trust that it wouldn’t be stripped down and abandoned with bits lost...

I don’t have a master plan to suggest or an answer to any of the above, but personally speaking I would love to see Sharpthorn at least protected a bit better. Always dreamed it might get a chance to steam one day, but it’s hard to see it’ll ever happen...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Indeed I fully agree with and understand the points you make (including Sharpthorn!). And it is easy for me to sit here and say what I think without any possibility of being able to do or contribute towards a solution. Unless you can get everything under cover there is always going to be the issue of deterioration from the weather. What the answer is I cannot really say.

Steve B