Brighton Atlantic: 32424 Beachy Head

Latest update, covering work over the last six months primarily on the tender:

https://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/locos/atlantic/latest.html

Tom

 

It looks superb and a really informative update as well.

 

Fantastic work! And I thought that bending Aluminium beading strip for my bus was a pain in the backside... I will never complain about it again!

Richard.

 

Brilliant work and I can’t wait to see her in steam. Top work.

 

Great news. Even a LSW man like me can't wait to see her run.
Is there any advantage to having vac brake on the tender while using air brake on the engine?
Pat

 

For when it visits Haven Street ..... obviously. Wot?

 

Don't go there!

 

I believe it won't fit the headshunt at Wooton ...

Tom

 

So? The RH&DR locos don't fit on the turntables on the R&E ...... didn't stop 'em tho'! .... and where else are you gonna find such a collection of LBSC carriages?

Pity mainlining's a non-starter. Seeing it at Victoria on the VSOE set would be a sight for sore eyes.

 

Don't worry, it will fit in the new headshunts at Newport and at Ryde.

 

How I wish that it would fit :-(

 

I personally will Chuck in £50 of my finest notes towards the “Big Chufferitis Express” to run with the Atlantic on the Isle of Wight.

 

I'll do the same Simon, it's got to be worth it for the firework display. Hell I could see it back here in Cambridge!

 

Does the signalling at Wootton allow a loco to be stationed there for a shunt-release, or is it one engine in steam? Asking for a friend

Tom

 

One Train Working can be modified by "Special Operating Instructions" if a safe lock-in procedure can be devised.
(Such as a Responsible Officer at Bodiam taking charge of the g/f emergency key and supervising loco changes at that station during a past KESR gala.)

 

I spoke to porter / stationmaster at Wooton during the 3 Ivatts. He reckoned that extending the shunt neck wouldn't be too difficult (so that 46447 could run round).
Pat

 

I know the Group building Beachy Head have said that they aren't going Mainline with it, I just wondered if that's been decided as a "final decision", or if it's likely to be reviewed in the future?

Richard.

 

Currently it is just one engine in steam but the civils are/were making great strides towards commissioning Wootton signal box and introducing electric token working. That would then allow a layover engine at Wootton.

 

I very much doubt it. A point to remember about the loco is that is an entirely Bluebell project: the loco is being built by the railway, for use on the railway. It is not an independent loco such as many other new builds.

The costs of running on the mainline for such a loco aren't just the specific equipment needed for the mainline. There is also an opportunity cost since, for all the time the loco is away, you need another to take its place. Given that a single mainline trip might involve several days where the loco was undergoing positioning moves etc. and thereby unavailable for use on the railway, you are essentially requiring perhaps another half to one large loco in traffic to cover the gaps, particularly if the loco ran multiple mainline trips per year. That additional provision has a significant overhaul cost in its own right. (If you only ran one or two trips per year, it would be like the loco being away for a gala - you could cover the lost time, but then one or two trips won't get close to paying for the mainline certification).

So I'd say the answer is no. My own feeling is that mainline and heritage line running don't mix: for a heritage railway, the mainline is a costly diversion.

Tom

 

Thank You for your comments Tom, much appreciated, and very insightful as usual.

Richard.