Bluebell 2009 "Modernisation"

January 2009 sees the Bluebell get more modern!
The 4VEP near the East Grinstead station site.
Further dow on the main line for 2 months however will be a Class 73 diesel (Pegasus). This will be used for spoil trains to and from Horsted Keynes the northern extension at Imberhorne Lane.

 

Minky - I knew about the VEP - but the 73 is news - no hint about that in the last Points and Crossings, Blue News, Yahoo group or anywhere else that I have picked up!

What happened to the other bit of "plant"? - it was working the weekend before last...

Or are we in elaborate - but just about feasible - windup territory? :-k

Tom

 

Intrigueing - I can only assume that the hire agreement on the 08 is now up and Class 73 was the best deal the railway could get.

Regards,

Dan

 

Perhaps, having had one diesel, they're so excited that they want another?

Goodbye Steam Only Bluebell......................

 

It's funny how things go. At the Rhineland Plandampf event in 2005 three Bluebell volunteers were in the same hotel at Neustadt Weinstrasse as a friend and myself. On saying to them that I was surprised that the Bluebell hadn't got a Diesel (thinking of an 08 or similar for shunting work) the reaction couldn't have been more violent than if I'd kicked them in the b*ll*cks. If a Diesel appeared on the Bluebell, I was solemnly informed, the Loco department would resign en masse.

Within a year an 08 arrived...............

 

They'll be wanting new-fangled things like electricity and telephones next ...

Until then, how are they going to operate the EMU? Is the guard's compartment big enough to fit a steam-powered generator ...

Richard

 

As I suggested elsewhere "Perhaps destined for the Ardingly branch?"

 

Well, I think you'll find that a 73 will plug in just nicely.... Failing that, Birch Grove is air braked so they could fit a beefed up generator to that during her overhaul for the train supply... :-k

 

I was quite excited when I saw the word modernisation come up thinking that the whole of the railway was coming into the 21st centuty especially some people I believe a director who walks around looking scruffy can onlylook at the ground and completly ignore you when a question is asked.
I was thinking of the management apart from being volunteers they do lack a certain amount of engineering knowledge and have repeatidly refused professional help from volunteers, is this the reason for all the problems that have been aired on the web for some time now.
The art of management is to harness thoes who are vocal and maybe learn something to everyones benefit but from what I have read on this web this seams not to happen and there is only one voice and that is from certain members who are also directors
Just my thought
Engineer

 

Can we please stop turning every thread about the Bluebell into another attack on those who run it?

Anyway, back on topic - does anyone know roughly how much spoil is left at the Imberhorne Lane end, before th tip itself is reached?

Chris

 

There are currently regular updates going onto the Bluebell web site http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/ext/extprog.html

The tip itself is being removed, as the clay capping was taken off around the end of November and put to one side to re-cap the remaining rubbish once the initial funds have been exhausted. The arrival of the VEP will signal the completion of Network Rail's commitment to provide a mainline connection into the current East Grinstead compound where the Bluebell will terminate and act as a fundraising focus for the local population who are sure to benefit from the railway's arrival.

I know there are struggles underneath which seem to bubble up on here every now and then, but this project is showing true determination to reach a preservation goal which can only be applauded. I just hope it doesn't leave the railway as a whole in a poorer state - this did happen to Swanage after its push to complete to Norden many years ago and some of the cracks appearing at Bluebell could be symptoms of a similar problem.

 

I've read this post several times and attempted to understand the point being made.

Are you suggesting that it was yourself who was asking the question of a Bluebell Director? If so, I hope you articulated your point better than you have in your post.

In my opinion, the art of management is to involve people who have ideas, knowledge, skills and experience (not those who are vocal....empty vessels and all that).

To be fair, the Bluebell seems to be the brunt of some quite severe 'knocking' on here - I really wonder that the bottom line is with it.

Just MY thoughts, another Engineer.

 

Oh?, I thought this thread was started about the 4-vep and a 73 Chris?. \/ \/

Regards
Chris

 

The Class 73 is coming to the Bluebell, because they do not have enough steam engines, to do the job. It will also no doubt cost less than restoring and using one of their own locomotives, let alone hire a Steam loco to do the job. Every penny is needed to keep the lorries moving the rubbish.

I can see the 08 staying, being used to do the shunting etc.

The crisis at the Bluebell with regards to available locos has been expected for some time, even the "scruffy" (as engineer calls him) director wrote a widely read report that 2008-2010 would be very lean years.

The lack of investment in the loco works over at least the last 10 years has caused this situation, but this has been pointed out repeatedly during the last 15 years and now after the event... Very little can be done about it now, it is now a lesson for future management.

 

Perhaps they'll get a DMU next? We have several on the Llangollen there more than welcome to borrow as it seems to be a preserved line thing to have at least one around.

 

But not a Bluebell thing to have around, [-( If you had seen the correspondence and threats when the Chairman suggested we could look into getting a Thumper... hmmm, but it could solve the loco and carriage crisis at the same time! 8-[ 8-[

 

The 73 is only making a short visit, about 8 weeks, to clear the remainder of the spoil that was dumped around Imberhorne Bridge from the road works in East Grinstead, the stuff that dont contain any rubbish. The 08 needs some attention and is not avaliable for this work and the 73 will hopefuly be able to get the job done a little quicker as it is capable of line speed! The reason for getting the 73 in and not using steam is that as the Bluebell is so short of working steam it would be a waste to use a loco on spoil and then not have it for a passenger service.
The spoil needs to be moved soon as this work needs to be compleated in a limited time or more testing will be required.
It would be nice to be steam only but this is an unfortunate result of the current steam shortage.

 

Is the Howard petrol loco running yet?
http://www.bluebellrailway.co.uk/bluebell/pics/957.html
With the Class 08 and now a Class 73, they've got the beginnings of a Diesel Gala surely?!

[Sorry - couldn't resist it :-# ]

Richard

 

Where is the 73 coming from?

 

The advent of a dedieselel on the Bluebell will certainly limit my visits to the railway which are generally about once a month. Other railways which run diesels I visit during their steam galas and perhaps that will be the future for the Bluebell also.

I will not spend money on things that I don't enjoy and I don't enjoy diesels. I would doubt also if the general public will pay to see diesels. Those preserved railways who are primarily diesel railways are the most impoverished railways in the country. This is because the public at large want to see steam not diesel and again people will not spend their money on things they don't enjoy.

I just can't see the point in my going to any railway which runs diesels in a 'turn and turn about' manner ie sharing the haulage duties between steam and diesel on a daily basis therefore railway that do this don't get income from me.

Most railways run an hourly service in the peak periods ie one train each way hourly. This implies a fair amount of time spent waiting for the next train. When I have visited railways where the services are shared between diesel and steam it is inevitable that at some points during the day there is going to be a two hour gap between steam services. The result of this is that I avoid those railways excepting when they have their steam galas.

Many railways run a dmu service during the off-peak season as the first and last service of the day and I can see the point of this. Preparing a steam engine for service is a time consuming job and the volunteer who has to 'do' the prep on the first loco of the day has to get out of bed very early indeed, not nice even on a summer's day but horrendous in the winter. An early morning and late evening dmu solves the problem at least in part.

There is a case to be made for a 'Hampshire' demu on the Bluebell for early and late services, but no case at all for running an electro-diesel in with the steam services.

I shall probably retain my membership at least for the time being but even that is by no means certain in the future, I shall wait and see how this pans out.

Perhaps the directors of the railway who have consistantly called for diesels on the Bluebell are pleased that they have finally won the battle but it will I'm sure be a pyrrhic victory.

Regards