Southwold Railway

A lot of the flying Spitfires you see at air shows started like this…

 

No mention of the newly built loco "Blyth" in the information posted on the SR website about their open days this coming Saturday & Sunday.
Presumably this means it won't have been delivered to Southwold in time?

 

There's a bit on builder NB Engineering's FB site which (if I read it correctly) mentions the exhaust arrangements. We've waited since 1929 ... a few more days won't kill us!

 

Just met the Halesworth mob at their worksite at Blythborough. Very nice people and keen to show off their works. More power to their elbows.

They said the Southwold group's engine hasn't arrived, but did mention that the Steamworks would be open this weekend. We will be visiting on Saturday, all things being equal

 

I hope both groups have seen this (Bord na Mona flogging off rail kit).

https://www.wilsonsauctions.com/auc...USVMzSyRy8NKR-tmpd3fXVT9ELliga0T60KV1yfJTyu8o

 

Well, I'm here and it's raining... (first day this week ironically).

Nice to see all the new PW, and things have definitely moved on from last time we were here.

 

Was going to have a run up there today, but took one look out the window and decided not to bother.
Equally dire weather forecast for tomorrow, just when we have a visiting Ransomes built (1916) traction engine in steam at our Museum as well.......

 

These recent photographs from North Bay suggest that there is still a little way to go with Blyth:
Most recently, the safety valve assembly "almost complete and awaiting MPI" (MPI, anyone?):


Whilst from the 22nd, the exhaust arrangement:

Plus the final arrangement of the lubrication pipework:


So maybe a few more weeks, yet. But still, worth the wait.

 

MPI Magnetic particle inspection.

 

Even if Blyth takes until new year, the progress of this build has been nothing short of stunning .... well worth the wait. What a little gem!

 

I’m hoping they get to extend their line the 0.5 miles to the harbour

 

From North Bay's Facebook. Oh my goodness, what a wonderful sight....
https://m.facebook.com/pages/catego...ering-Services-222968755125074/?locale2=en_GB

 

Looks lovely!

For now I'd say I hope they don't do the boiler test until spring, no point starting a clock running.

 

Are you still on the platform at Halesworth?

 

Does it make sense to start the clock ticking a.s.a.p? Just a thought that this would probably the time of year an overhaul would start, end of the season. Waiting for next year may just mean losing the last 6 months of a ticket to overhaul it over the winter as is usual?

 

Two words occur ..... Santa Specials.

 

It's quite common to extend the 'ticket' to suit the circumstances. They aren't cast in tablets of stone unless the condition warrants it.

 

Blyth under air test. Sorry it's on Facebook!
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?st...areness&notif_id=1638588400945373&ref=m_notif

 

Just looked at the Halesworth & Southwold Railway FB page and saw this......

Announced at our recent AGM, we are now launching our Blythburgh Mainline Reinstatement Project and the first two parts of this project are the reinstatement of the platform and track running beside it, as far as the Goods Shed at Blythburgh Station.
We are seeking sponsorship of the sleepers which were not only under the track but also comprised part of the platform.
Our Co-Chairmen have subsidised our previous projects but the cost of the ballast alone for this project (20 tons) will be about £900 plus delivery, and the sleepers will be another £800)so this project requires extra funding.
Sponsor one or more sleepers for yourself, or as a gift for a family members or friends. You can sponsor online through our Shop on our website, halesworthtosouthwoldrailway.co.uk or by bank transfer to Barclays Bank Ltd, (20-16-12) to credit HALESWORTH TO SOUTHWOLD NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY (Acct. 33671607) (please let us know you have done this, and the name for the certificate)
*Sponsor one sleeper, £35.00 Benefits: your name on the Goods Shed notice, certificate of sponsorship
*Sponsor two or more sleepers : £70.00 Benefits: your name on the Goods Shed notice, certificate of sponsorship, “Halesworth Hub” book

...so it would appear that clearing the site, restoring the wooden shed and exposing/restoring the foundations of the station building are just the start of a cunning plan for the area!!

 

Hi - well spotted. Yes, we have some plans for Blythburgh Station. Can't say too much at the moment, but watch this space.... Meanwhile, we already have half of the next section of line sponsored - we have the rail - and it'll all go in next spring. More than half the platform is cleared. Still about 50 sleeper sponsorships to go....and that's before we start rebuilding the platform itself. There will be events there next year - dates will be posted here after Chr istmas.

In other news, HSNGR received a "Highly Commended" from National Railway Heritage for the Blythburgh Station Goods Shed restoration (L&B won, with Chelfham - a very worthy winner). The Society's very first national award!
Also, we have recently taken delivery of eight Royal Naval Armament Depot wagons and part-wagons from Alan Keef - these will be dismantled and rebuilt to 3-foot gauge (they are 2'6" now) to form our Heritage Train. We believe that freight is as important - historically - as passenger provision (and was certainly more lucrative for the original company) - so we want to portray the movement of general goods and the use of mixed trains right from the start. Ideas currently being discussed are one or more classic SR curved-end open 4-wheelers, a private owner MOY Cleminson's Patent 6-wheeler coal open, and, if affordable and practical, possibly eventually a Cleminson 6-wheel balcony composite coach as ran on the SR in its early years. The quality of these wagons is very good indeed: most of them have solid wheels, good flanges, and roller-bearings, with complete brake gear and scarcely-worn "wrap-around" brake shoes. Even some of the timber can be re-purposed. Work has already started on dismantling the first one - with the steel price as it is, we will be re-cycling all the channel rather than buying it in.
On Saturday I was shunting at Wenhaston with our Greenbat 4WBE locomotive - great fun, and very quiet (to such an extent that we have put a ship's bell onto, it to give an audible warning). It's all go.......