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.

    Did you? I'm sure I would have recognised you, given that, um, you're not exactly shy in coming forwards to put your face on t'internet or telly :)

    We were in Christine (oo-er missus)

    I was quietly hoping for the Q class, having never seen it in action. But the H is a lovely loco, albeit looking slightly odd with the GA regalia on its face!
     
    S.A.C. Martin likes this.
  1. S.A.C. Martin

    S.A.C. Martin Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2010
    Messages:
    5,591
    Likes Received:
    9,325
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Asset Engineer (Signalling), MNLPS Treasurer
    Location:
    London
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I was serving food and drinks in Christine that day, so yes :)

    The Q class is a lovely loco and fully capable of taking the GA (and has on occasion). But I do like the splash of colour the SECR engines bring, and to be fair Camelot (when fit) is always good fun to be behind.

    But nothing is going to top the feeling I will have seeing 32424 at the head of the Pullmans. Cannot wait for that day.
     
    gwalkeriow likes this.
  2. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,101
    Likes Received:
    57,418
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    With any luck, by time that happens we will have another Pullman available as well - Car 54, the wheelchair-accessible parlour brake 3rd.

    Tom
     
  3. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,101
    Likes Received:
    57,418
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    For those not averse to Facebook, there is an update on Project 27 with a wealth of photos of the ongoing renewal of the third of our Wainwright P class locos.

    https://www.facebook.com/littlelocogroup/posts/1012545435588989

    (It will probably appear on http://wainrightsfinestsecr27.blogspot.com in due course).

    The new frame plates are more or less completely drilled. The old frames have been dismantled; I believe it is hoped that the frames can be re-erected this year, which will be a significant milestone in the overhaul. Not pictured, but the replacement cylinders are at Statfold Barn for machining.

    Also in the background of one of the photos - the boiler of Beachy Head, sitting outside Atlantic House.

    Tom
     
    S.A.C. Martin likes this.
  4. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2009
    Messages:
    8,068
    Likes Received:
    5,164
    That's a lot of brand new material. Will it be as Flying Scotsman is reputed to be, with very little indeed of the loco as originally built?
     
  5. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,101
    Likes Received:
    57,418
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Wheels, motion, the frame stretchers (but not the frame plates), cab, numerous small fittings, parts of the boiler will be original. Main frame plates, cylinders, buffer beam and drag box, tanks will be replaced. There are some parts - notably the buffers - where new ones are planned with the originals going into store, with the objective of back dating the appearance.

    Over time all locos get bits replaced; 27 won't be the first on the Bluebell to have substantially new frames in preservation. I've heard it remarked that of our locos, 75027 is the most original (in the sense of having had the smallest amount of replacement material since it was first built).

    Tom
     
    S.A.C. Martin and MellishR like this.
  6. MellishR

    MellishR Resident of Nat Pres Friend

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2009
    Messages:
    8,068
    Likes Received:
    5,164
    Thank you, Tom.Not too bad at all!
    Presumably because it's much younger than most of them.
     
    S.A.C. Martin and Jamessquared like this.
  7. stephenvane

    stephenvane Member

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2011
    Messages:
    526
    Likes Received:
    399
    Also it was purchased direct from BR. It didn’t spend years in Barry scrapyard being stripped of parts.
     
    S.A.C. Martin likes this.
  8. S.A.C. Martin

    S.A.C. Martin Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2010
    Messages:
    5,591
    Likes Received:
    9,325
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Asset Engineer (Signalling), MNLPS Treasurer
    Location:
    London
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    F3E236DA-BB0C-4C1A-886E-F7C3551A55D6.jpeg

    I hope Tom will forgive me for interrupting the Bluebell thread with a post on the Golden Arrows we run.

    But it is officially one year since I started working at the Bluebell Railway, and today I laid up Fingall, one of our Pullmans, mostly on my own, but with very gratefully received input from colleagues and my train manager.

    It's a good moment to reflect on what we do and why we do it. To also give a bit of a hint as to the work that goes into one of these trains.

    On today's Golden Arrow shift, there were members of staff in early to start prepping the Golden Arrow train.

    This is made up of the locomotive, the two Pullman coaches Christine and Fingall, the converted LMS Stove R, BGZ and the MK1 coach known as Ashdown (which doubles up and gets shunted into another set called the Wealden Rambler for other types of dining train).

    The locomotive that pulls the first service of the day traditionally gets swapped onto the Arrow train when it gets back from East Grinstead.

    042394CA-9439-43AF-B1E8-2D6AB92319FC.jpeg

    Whilst this is happening, the train manager and some members of station staff will be going over the Pullman stock and Ashdown with a fine tooth comb, getting them ready for basic setting up which includes cleaning and setting down cutlery and plates, glasses, etc. By mid morning, the train staff will have all arrived, had a briefing, and will be helping the kitchen staff get the prepped food and drink onto the train ready for passengers. Celebration packs and birthday cakes get organised at this time too.

    This takes about four to five hours. When passengers get onto the train just prior to boarding, plans are already in place for serving. People have their assigned jobs. The chef and the train manager liaise to make sure everyone knows what happens when. A round of drinks is ordered then served, first course silver served and then collected for cleaning before we reach East Grinstead.

    The mains are then served, again silver service, and then plates and similar collected as we come back towards Sheffield Park. A quick turn around at Sheffield Park sees all the starter and main ingredients taken out and replaced with the dessert menu for the return run to Kingscote or Horsted Keynes.

    7EA45D39-7240-4A2A-938F-B47C6B7D751E.jpeg

    Coffee is served soon after the silver served desserts and then the train arrives back at Sheffield Park. Passengers depart, the train gets shunted back into the carriage shed. While it is being shunted, the staff on board clear and clean everything and then set up as much as they can for the next shift of the Golden Arrow.

    I have volunteered at a number of railways now, and travelled on a good few of the pullman trains that run around the country. In one year I have experienced much and I have always tried to work the hardest I can.

    So trust me when I say that the staff of the Golden Arrow are some of the hardest working people I know. They are a great group who care about the service they give. I actually think that the Bluebell Railway in all likelihood runs the best Pullman service on a preserved line anywhere. (I'm biased of course).

    This last year has been an eye opener for me. It's also been a year of highs and lows. The biggest low was upending a Christmas pudding onto a passenger (who took it in good humour, thank goodness). The best highs are when passengers come up to us and thank us for the wonderful time they've had.

    If anyone is thinking of joining their local railway, either as a volunteer or as paid staff, here's the best bit of advice I can give you.

    Do it.

    069E2781-E321-42C7-9498-C2348C418C0E.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Aug 5, 2018
  9. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,101
    Likes Received:
    57,418
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Not at all Simon, it’s interesting to see the story from the other side, as it were. I’ve a soft spot for the Arrow, partly because of having been a patron a few times (most recently about this time last year) but also because part of my firing test happened to be a lunchtime Arrow turn a few years ago. They are interesting trips to fire on a small engine - one of the few non-stop services we run. When things are running well up front it can be lovely, but when it’s not you have nowhere to hide and recover!

    Tom
     
    S.A.C. Martin likes this.
  10. S.A.C. Martin

    S.A.C. Martin Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2010
    Messages:
    5,591
    Likes Received:
    9,325
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Asset Engineer (Signalling), MNLPS Treasurer
    Location:
    London
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I have always wondered what it must be like on the footplate with the O1, say. It looks good and makes a great sound though which the passengers enjoy!

    I’ve always felt we get a smooth ride from the Q class though - born out by yesterday’s trip behind it. The S15s quite good too. I think we will all breathe a sigh of relief when Camelot is back though!
     
  11. Fireline

    Fireline Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2008
    Messages:
    1,179
    Likes Received:
    1,075
    Gender:
    Male
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Riding on the footplate of the 01, especially if you are not used to it, is rather a special experience.
     
    S.A.C. Martin and paullad1984 like this.
  12. jnc

    jnc Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2012
    Messages:
    1,511
    Likes Received:
    2,706
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Western Atlantic
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    They're up.
    Looking at the photos of the old ones, they don't, on a cursory look, appear too bad - but there must have been a good reason to replace them. Can someone please remind me what it was? Thanks (I hope)!

    Noel
     
  13. ghost

    ghost Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    May 29, 2006
    Messages:
    3,967
    Likes Received:
    5,064
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    N.Ireland
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Frame cracking would seem to be the reason from this post: http://wainrightsfinestsecr27.blogspot.com/2016/


    Keith
     
  14. Grashopper

    Grashopper Member

    Joined:
    Sep 7, 2011
    Messages:
    274
    Likes Received:
    88
    Occupation:
    Assistant FLeet engineer Southern Railway
    Location:
    Surrey
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    I was fireman on that service and passed on your comment to the driver :)
     
    S.A.C. Martin likes this.
  15. jnc

    jnc Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2012
    Messages:
    1,511
    Likes Received:
    2,706
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Western Atlantic
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Ah, thanks for the pointer. With that, I was able to find this post which explained they hadn't been able to weld due to variable metal properties in the (very old!) originals.

    Noel
     
    ghost likes this.
  16. S.A.C. Martin

    S.A.C. Martin Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2010
    Messages:
    5,591
    Likes Received:
    9,325
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Asset Engineer (Signalling), MNLPS Treasurer
    Location:
    London
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    It was a very good ride. One of my favourite shifts. The Q class isn’t as pretty as the SECR O1 but the ample power means it doesn’t need to be thrashed, as you all demonstrated perfectly.

    Makes our job on board so much easier when the rides smooth.
     
  17. 45076

    45076 Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2011
    Messages:
    478
    Likes Received:
    313
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    34004
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    John Petley and S.A.C. Martin like this.
  18. S.A.C. Martin

    S.A.C. Martin Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2010
    Messages:
    5,591
    Likes Received:
    9,325
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Asset Engineer (Signalling), MNLPS Treasurer
    Location:
    London
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
  19. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,101
    Likes Received:
    57,418
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    From the e-newsletter:

    Loco Update: Making Hay

    We can't say we haven't had a summer can we? I can't remember a summer like this since 2003, and despite the odd rain shower and bit of cloud cover, it's been clear blue skies and mid to high 20s for week after week.

    For the railway this brings another set of challenges: a dry lineside and the potential for fires. Through careful management of the locomotive the risk can be reduced, and despite the odd small lineside fire, we've faired very well. The welfare of the crews in this heat is also vitally important with the spare crews and loco yard volunteers all doing their bit to help those rostered on the engine.

    Inside the loco works, we've been undertaking some improvements to the machine shop through the installation of a 1-ton capacity electric post crane. This crane will serve a number of lathes and milling machines and significantly reduce the amount of manual handling required. We've also been improving our storage with the purchase of cabinets and racking for our tools.

    Our boiler team has continued to focus on the overhaul of BR Standard Class 4 tank No. 80151, with installation of stays now 99% complete and attention focused on fabrication and trial fitting of the ashpan. The smoke tubes and flue tubes have arrived, including the specialist machined "bottle ends". Once the boiler has been rolled over to replace a number of crown stays, it will be placed upright ready for installation of the tubes and flues. There is a small amount of specialist welding to complete, but we're now firmly on the last lap, perhaps with 350 meters to go, using an athletics analogy.

    Off-site work continues on the boiler of SR Schools class No. 928 "Stowe" with the repairs to the inner firebox now complete and each component bolted together. Work is now proceeding on drilling and de-burghing the lap seams before the whole assembly can be temporarily bolted together before final riveting takes place. Work on the chassis continues with the final axlebox being machined and preparation of the frames on-going.

    Two significant milestones were reached in the department recently. Firstly the re-wheeling of BR Standard Class 2 tank No. 84030 and the housing of the loco in the new polyshed tunnel. This work is a significant step forward for the project; congratulations to the class 2 team and all those involved.

    The second significant milestone is the return of No. 34059 "Sir Archibald Sinclair's" boiler. The boiler arrived from South Devon Railway Engineering on 9 Aug., 2018, and it was promptly placed on the accommodation bogies and shunted into the Works. The overhaul of the boiler has suffered some setbacks since leaving Sheffield Park, with a change in supplier midway through, delays in pressing the new throat plate, and new gusset stays and outer wrapper boiler platework being required, but the end product is now with us. Once the work on No. 80151 is complete, attention will turn to completing this overhaul. I'm very grateful to all those who have contributed, both physically and financially, to the loco's overhaul.

    Elsewhere in the Works we have been completing the repairs to BR Standard Class 5 No. 73082 "Camelot", with both the new piston heads machined and installed and all the new cylinder covers bolted in place. The final fitting of lubrication pipes, cladding, and other items is now taking place ready for testing and a return to traffic in the coming weeks.

    The Railway has its autumn steam gala on the 12-14 October. Two high profile visitors will be running alongside our own locos, so if you haven't had a chance to visit over the summer, we look forward to seeing you in October.

    By Chris Hunford, Locomotive Director
     
    Bluenosejohn and S.A.C. Martin like this.

Share This Page