Bluebell Railway General Discussion

An accolade indeed!

 

If you know somewhere to get the right colour material, I people who are producing cloth facemasks and would do it for a small commission.

 

https://pixelshack.co.uk/products/locomotive-facemasks-several-designs

You could always ask these guys...

 

My wife is as well - over three hundred so far I think, though they are all going to the local surgery. But we digress...

Tom

 

And mine but just for the family including grandchildren. She is thinking of making them for the Royal Victoria Railway who are required to provide them before being allowed to open

 

Nice bit of publicity for the Bluebell (and others) here:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/...eritage-rail-operators-getting-back-on-track/

Tom

 

The two P-tanks look absolutely splendid in their colourful and attractive liveries, as pictured in Bluebell Times No 7.

Question - How did the Bluebell manage to keep these locos, and the other SECR engines, away from the clutches of the Black Brigade?

 

For the C class, when it was originally preserved (by an independent trust), that trust had in its articles words to the effect that the objective of the trust was the preservation of the C class locomotive in as near as possible original condition. About ten years ago, the Trust was wound up and ownership of the loco transferred to the Bluebell Railway Trust, but with the same stipulation; hence it will remain in Wainwright condition. One interesting change from 1967 condition made as a result was a new chimney, since the chimney in SECR days (and which it has now) was taller than the BR one.

The H class is essentially similar: original aim of the H class trust was to preserve the loco in Wainwright condition, and that stipulation was included when the ownership was transferred to the Bluebell Railway Trust.

No. 65 is privately owned; I'm not aware of the specific conditions on livery.

"Bluebell" went into a corporate blue livery early in the history of the railway, and that has become something of a flagship livery. It did run briefly in SE&CR austerity green in connection with the SE&CR centenary around 1999, but went back into blue at its last overhaul. I suppose in theory it could have any livery at its next overhaul, but I'm sure the desire will always be for it to be blue.

The livery for 178 was the choice of those who first overhauled it. It did run for a few weeks when first overhauled in its 1960s industrial livery as "Pioneer II", which was fairly easy since that was full SE&CR livery, but with a name rather than SE&CR lettering. So it was an easy transformation with vinyl name for a few weeks before the full SE&CR livery was completed.

That leaves 27, which hasn't run since 1974. The livery there will be the choice of the group restoring it; I think that will be the later Maunsell era as 1027.

The objective of the group planning the E class new build, incidentally, is to create the loco as originally running, so at least as built, it will be No. 516 in full Waiwnright livery. As with Beachy Head, other liveries might be possible in the future, but the initial livery is incorporated in the objectives that are being set out for its construction.

Tom

 

I tend to think these livery "stipulations" when transferring the ownership of equipment are unfortunate. Early S.R. "true" olive green is a bright, attractive colour (witness E4 No, B473) which ex- S.E.C.R. machinery can wear perfectly appropriately on an ex L.B.S.C.R. branch.

 

On this matter I agree with Paul. I like to see locos rotate through the different liveries they've worn when they're repainted - grouping and BR liveries are just as much a part of their history as the ornate pre-grouping ones.

 

The question of which livery something should be painted is always going to be one where there is no "right answer". Probably not worth a thread drift to go through it all over again!

The longer C class chimney, I believe, was made out of two shorter ones - or so I was told in the early 70s. Is that correct, and does it still carry the same chimney today?

Steve

 

That’s my understanding too. Interestingly, the uneeded lower half of one of the chimneys was used to form the bottom of the stovepipe chimney later fitted to the Adams tank...

Tom

 

Would you have the same qualms over the stipulation by a donor that a loco should be restored to run in an entirely non-authentic identity?

My own view is that this is no different from donation to a ring-fenced fund within a charity. A donor is at liberty to make stipulations about how they wish their donation to be used; the receiving charity is at liberty to turn down that donation if they feel the conditions are too onerous - but if they accept, then they should honour the stipulations.

Tom

 

Yes

 

Is this smoke drift?

 

The latest issue of Bluebell News with news and information about Bluebell Railway for members of the Preservation Society and others is now available to download.

https://www.bluebell-railway.com/bluebell-news/

Once again it is a free download and available to all.

Also, Issue 8 of The Bluebell Times will be out on Friday - plenty of reading matter for the weekend!

Tom

 

The success of the Virtual Track Trek and the financial contribution it has made to the overall Emergency Appeal are featured in Issue 8 of The Bluebell Times.

There are also several tributes to Dame Vera Lynn who was a great friend of the Bluebell Railway and a frequent visitor to Sheffield Park.

In Issue 8:

• A report on the reopening after the pandemic of our twin railway in the Netherlands
• TV coverage of one of our locomotives … in a programme about paintings
• What a Running Foreman does at the railway
• The second and final part about living on the site of a former railway station
• A personal rundown of the top 10 railway films
• New puzzles as well as the regular favourites
• Special kids’ section with a new challenge
• And much, much more.

You can download the latest edition using the link below.

https://www.bluebell-railway.com/bluebell-times/

Tom

 

Dame Vera. Another link with our past gone, but what an innings.
Back in February, a very elderly relative of ours passed away. She had been a resident of Ditchling for many years, and a near neighbour of Dame Vera, and so I chose to have her recording of "Goodnight, wherever you are" played at the service. 80 years on, it had lost none of its power and poignancy. Not a dry eye in the house.
Made me remember Bernard, too.
RIP.

 

A couple of updates from Facebook - Visit England certification and tickets on sale from 15 July.

Firstly:

We're Good to Go!

We are really pleased to announce that we have achieved the Visit England certification to show that we have followed Government and industry COVID-19 guidelines to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing.

We will be reopening on Friday 7 August.​

Then:

Set your alarm clocks.

We are pleased to announce that tickets for our August reopening services will go on sale at 11am on Wednesday 15 July.

We can't wait to welcome you all back from 7 August - which also happens to be our 60th birthday!

Tickets will be available for a range of services, so don't miss out on being a part of our historic reopening this summer.​

Tom

 

Tom - Thanks for the explanations of how the Bluebell's fleet of SECR locos has stayed in bright colours. Certainly one of the joys of the Bluebell that not only does it have an exceptional number of truly vintage vehicles, but so many of them are in colourful and attractive historic liveries. I notice that an SECR birdcage carriage is prominent on the front of the latest issue of Bluebell Times.

Reference the chimney of the C-class, this seems to be an example of the way that loading gauges change over time. In the early 1900s, SECR tender engines had chimneys up to 13ft 4in high, but it was decided around 1910 to reduce the maximum height. Bradley simply says that clearances were tight in some SER tunnels, but I wonder whether there is any link with the work undertaken around that time to prepare for heavier locos (starting with the L-class of 1914), which could have involved deeper ballasting. Anyway, the SECR loading gauge later showed a maximum permitted height of 13ft 1in (and a width limit below platform height of 8ft 7½in - I doubt whether N-class cylinders actually fitted within that figure).

It is arguable that the small-boiler LCDR engines actually looked better when fitted with shorter chimneys (See attachment). An M3 is obviously not the ideal engine for the Bluebell's current needs, but I am sure that one would look good at the head of the Wealden Pullman! Presumably, the Bluebell's own present-day loading gauge reflects the more generous LBSC gauge, modified of course to accept the 9ft 3in wide Restriction 4 & BR Mark 1 carriages.