Brighton Atlantic: 32424 Beachy Head

The reason is here: http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/loco_gone.html#830 - hope that helps understand it.

Steve B

 

Except it has run on the main line. Both the Liskeard to Looe and Southall to Brentford branches have seen the railcar operate public services.

 

Yes, the steam motor has run on nr but the trailer hasn’t. My understanding was that there was an effort to get the trailer up to nr standards (double the passengers) and Southall was supposed to be its debut, but it didn’t happen.

 

Not really... the MLS had to let it go for financial reasons, but the Bluebell itself should have bought it off them to plug the upcoming gap in their fleet... remember how they ran themselves into MASSIVE trouble about 10 years ago, when the biggest loco they had available was the O1?!

 

Since the Bluebell opened to East Grinstead do they find that many people do arrive by the modern train from London for a trip on the Bluebell ? If so could they have some kind of discounted joint ticket from London Victoria through to Sheffield Park. Should they not try and encourage day trips from London more to arrive by modern train. I checked it takes just 1h 12mins by train from Victoria to East Grinstead, so perhaps they should promote themselves more to tourists in London. ?

Possibly the new Brighton Belle train could get used also on the route when it is finished ?

 

That's a possible option, as long as the Bluebell have an air fitted engine that can drag it between EAST Grinstead and Sheffield Park .

 

A fair number come from London, but more would always be welcome. How to get more people to come from London is one of the railway’s great marketing conundrums. It doesn’t have much to do with Beachy Head though.

Tom

 

Can we get back to reality, please?

The Bluebell Pullman train (which I work on regularly) is two 1920s Pullman coaches, a six wheel LMS BGZ and a mk1 coach. Three bogie coaches and one six wheel coach.

Four coaches total.

The original Atlantics including Beachy Head pulled up to eight or more Pullmans on the Southern mainline. A much heavier train on much more varied terrain with much more varied line speeds and restrictions.

Unless we’re suggesting that Beachy Head is a poor replica, it’ll have ample power and adhesion for our needs.

More importantly, she’ll look terrific at the head of the Pullman stock - which adds to the aura of the service and makes it sellable.

 

I thought it was simple - like many railways the Bluebell is not unique and has plenty of motive power, the trouble is many of them are out of traffic awaiting overhaul. Just to have another loco awaiting restoration like the second S15 ain't going to solve anything especially when you have suitable locos like multiple std 4s and U's awaiting attention.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

In any case, the decision to sell the S15 in order to fund the purchase of a Schools was a matter for the MLS, not directly the Bluebell, since it wasn’t owned by the Bluebell. Withthe remit of the MLS, given the opportunity to obtain one of Maunsell’s most important designs in exchange for removing a duplicate, clearly it makes sense - the more so in that Stowe was complete while the S15 would have required restoration from Barry condition.

Tom

 

And I suppose they could just magic the money out of thin air to buy the loco?

I'm starting to wonder if you've ever actually been involved in railway preservation, or if you just like to sit on the sidelines and snipe...


Keith

 

Just a thought - Beachy Head has a new superheater header... I am assuming, the boiler being a later LNER-manufactured GNR boiler, that the header pattern and casting would be identical to that which should be fitted in 251 at the NRM, if ever in the future it was deemed feasible to steam 251?

Richard.

 

The Bluebell spent an awful lot of money around that time on other projects that I might dare to suggest were not as essential as safeguarding the availability of motive power!

 

Sorry - you’re talking rubbish. How would buying another Barry wreck have improved the motive power availability, either then or subsequently, when there are already other locos awaiting their turn for overhaul? There is only so much restoration capacity available at any one time. So it would have remained unrestored for years.

As for other projects around that time: ignoring the fact that different people will support different projects so you can’t assume money spent on one would be available to another if the first didn’t happen, then the big projects around that time include getting to East Grinstead; the C&W workshop extension; Sheffield Park Carriage Shed; the loco shed wall; starting to build up the train of four wheeled carriages; completing the restoration of the Metropolitan carriages; restoring 1638 from Barry condition. The last of those would likely have been, in resource terms, an either/or with restoring a second S15; the others I would venture to suggest we’re all considerably more essential or valuable.

Tom

 

And those projects were?

 

With the greatest of respect:

1) what's done is done
2) the main aim has been to get the East Grinsted extension and everything undercover
3) the new engine shed and its educational aspects has also taken priority

I find it hard to swallow that holding onto a scrapyard condition S15 is more important than virtually everything else on the railway.

Might we take a step back, look at the bigger picture, and consider that one locomotive does not a railway make - with plenty of locomotives being built/overhauled/running and the ability to hire in other locomotives (as has happened from time to time) the Bluebell has done pretty well for itself.

FYI, the SECR O1 is an excellent locomotive that could have probably run the railway singlehanded - and did on occasion, on our Pullman trains.

 

I follow a few blogs for updates on the various exciting projects around and about; there are few I wait on more avidly than this. A wonderful locomotive and a quality build.

I just hope the Bluebell get a decent sized 'shitty stick' to beat off the number of hire requests that they are going to get for galas etc from other railways once it's finished!

 

The NRM declared several years ago that they were no longer prepared to consider 251 for steaming. (Which makes it all the more tragic that the second Atlantic boiler discovered in Essex was cut up - it could have been the basis of a replica )

 

The bluebell are not short off motive power they will have a battle of Britain back working soon a standard 5 and a school all easily capable off haul 8 coaches.
People forget there is a lot more than just locos to consider the other infrastructure will have saved the bluebell money on coach repairs already and made repairs quicker.

 

The superheater was removed from GNR 251 when it was first preserved in the 1950s. I think a number of things were done to it when first preserved to back convert it nearer to its original condition. I am sure I read somewhere that the piston valves were even converted back the original slide valves. I think it is very unlikely anyway that it will ever steam again.