Brighton Atlantic: 32424 Beachy Head

I remember going to Hampshire hunt bridge with you Martin and sanding the rails by hand up to Medstead station due to 73096 coming to a stand between Hampshire hunt and Medstead.

 

Yeap, medstead section could be interesting from October through to the Santa's, that day I was with Dave, we decided we would go hell for leather up from Alton to get as much momentum as we could, we did slip and slide a fair bit but made it ok, on days like that you prayed you didn't get Swanage, she used to slip for fun, and I always used to make sure I had a couple of bags of sand on the footplate as well as ensuring we had working sanders before leaving shed.

 

Great to see those skills being passed on to another generation; too much of that has been lost. (Vivid memories of the glassware shop at my uni closing down when the guy couldn't get an apprentice.) Definitely an update to check out.

Noel

 

That's interesting albeit sad. I am aware of an instance where a vacancy for a trade apprentice brought a large number of good applications.

PH

 

Atlantic House Open Weekend
July 7/8

More information on the annual Bluebell Atlantic Open Weekend, July 7th and 8th, with the opportunity for supporters and visitors to see the latest progress with the construction of 'Beachy Head'. Atlantic House at Sheffield Park will be open from 10 am to 5pm both days.

There will be a small auction of Railwayana, Pictures , Models etc on Sunday afternoon at 2.45pm. Viewing will be from Saturday morning. Commission Bids can be left if you can't attend on Sunday afternoon.

Items include:

• A BR Firing Shovel.
• A S.M.J. 'Beware of Trains' cast iron Notice.
• An original Matthew Cousins Painting
• Hornby and Bachmann Locomotives
• and other items.

There will be a progress report and presentation before the Auction at 2.30

Tom

 

All new builds are amazing, everyone involved in one has skills, courage and determination beyond most.

But this one resonates so much with the Bluebell Railway and I think it’s because the group building it have incredible attention to detail, and such a powerful desire to make it happen.

Mark Allatt once said that railway preservation was about showing that anything “could be done”.

Beachy Head back from the dead must add to that mystique, surely.

 

More like Gel Head...

 

Wasn't that 32427?

 

It isn’t back from the dead, the original ceased to exist, for ever, when it was scrapped. This is a new life to be celebrated!

 

This seems rather unkind: given I was wearing no gel (!) in 26 degree weather, required to wear black tie for my job on the Pullmans...!

I defy you not to sweat in this weather wearing all black!

 

Mr Martin, if only I could photoshop that picture so the nameplate framing your boat-race read 'Peachy Head' it would be well worth a good natured chuckle at the expense of your youth .

 

Ha!

 

I gather that at least the regulator handle is from the original.

 

It has ceased to be, bereft of life it lies there, it is an ex loco.... Apologies to the Norwegian blue.

 

If that is correct, then it's a rebuild! (For accountancy purposes you understand....)

 

It is correct (about the regulator handle). In the warbird field it would be a restoration

Personally, if I get to drive her, the regulator will form an emotional connection back to the original, probably to a greater degree than any other component could.

Tom

 

i.e. it isn’t. That’s the kind of accountancy that really is nonsense. I say celebrate this brand new locomotive for what it is, and the magnificent achievement of those people who are building it.

 

I assume that the boiler, which was the genesis of the whole thing, had been on a loco. Anyone know which one(s)?

Noel

 

Several of the original GNR Atlantics, which were the original type and from which the LBSCR types were closely related - and even I, as an LNER man, would think perfected the type.

 

There is some doubt about which specific boiler it is/was, (it’s one of two, but the ID number has been removed, probably when the boiler was sold out of railway service in 1947). AFAIK, it was built as a spare by the LNER but is thought never to have been used on a loco.

Tom