Bluebell 2009 "Modernisation"

Bearing in mind that health and safety is a personal responsibility as well as a corporate one, I'd be a little concerned if I were associated with the decision to leave this matter. The trackwork is displaced to the east in a loop in between Oakham Bridge and Town Place Bridge. The displacement is two to three feet which makes me think that the sleepers are not being held in place by the ballast and are moving about under the influence of trains. Now I would have thought that this is unsafe no matter what the speed restriction through the TSR.

When I was working the maximum compensation for an injury under H&S legislation was £20,000 per person injured for personal responsibility and was very much greater for corporate responsibility. If this matter goes belly up there could be a number of personal bankruptcies as well the Bluebell going bankrupt.

No matter how little the pot of gold is at Sheffield Park at present, can the railway afford not to fix this problem?

Regards

 

Im quite sure the Bluebell has people who are capable of determining what is and isnt safe and i see no reason to think otherwise. To be honest, im really uncomfortable seeing this kind of speculation - it can start rumours that could potentially do a lot of damage. If people have genuine concerns then i'd suggest getting in touch with the railway and those working on the PWay.

Chris

 

Now im the first to admit i know sweet F all about track work at the moment but if the track is moving ( to what ive read of around 2 to 3 foot out of alligment ) then surly this increases the possiblity of fishplates being broken and or rails startting to get stressed and brake/crack ....Surly that isnt safe?

Personly , anything track relatted be it at 125mph or 5 mph i think should be a top priority thing to be fixed .

Like i said , i dont understand the workings behind track mantinace so can actulyl say if its safe or not , just saying how ive personly understood it becuse for all i know if its got a 10mph TSR it could be perfectly safe for another 20 years .

 

When I was working the maximum compensation for an injury under H&S legislation was £20,000 per person injured for personal responsibility and was very much greater for corporate responsibility. If this matter goes belly up there could be a number of personal bankruptcies as well the Bluebell going bankrupt.

No matter how little the pot of gold is at Sheffield Park at present, can the railway afford not to fix this problem?

Regards[/quote]

sensationalism at its best, this wouldn't look out of place in The Sun.


To me the track on Freshfield needs some work but it is not that bad. I remember when the Bluebell had at least 2 speed restrictions on all of the time. Yes it will need investment in the future but the railway has a great PW department and are doing a great job in difficult times.

Luckily the majority of volunteers at the Bluebell have a "glass half full" attitude and the ones that have a "glass half empty" view do the most moaning or disappear to another railway.

It's amazing how many "railway journeymen" there are.

Constructive criticism is always good and keeps people on their toes and I'm sure is taken on board.

Anyway well off topic and now back to Bluebell Modernisation, a modernised Bulleid (well it was in 1960) moved under it's own power this week. 34059 passed its steam test.

Regards,

Dave "glass half full" G.

 

Some of the comments and figures mentioned on this forum really are quite interesting!

We are all aware that this stretch of line needs some attention, however the railway's managers have passed the track for 15mph running. If they had decided it was unsafe, then we would not be running on it!

Obviously we would prefer not to have a TSR in force, but we do. If the section becomes unsafe it will be relaid. When funds and line occupancy allow the section will be relaid anyhow. For the meantime we continue to monitor the section and take action to prevent it becoming any worse. Indeed, this coming weekend we will have one PW team working on Freshfield Bank as part of this maintenance cycle, and another undertaking routine maintenance elsewhere.

It is only thanks to the positive attitude and commitment of the volunteers that we are able to split the PW gangs up like this and ensure the railway keeps running. As Dave put it, these are the "glass half full" people who are determined to find a way through whatever problems present themselves. Without these people the heritage railway movement as a whole would be in a sorry state!

Cheers,
Jon

 

Heres a nice "modern" photo for you taken today:

 

I have added a photoguide to the Bluebell. You can find it here http://railways.national-preservation.com/viewtopic.php?f=82&t=17793

Regards

 

From Saturday...

 

The Guard of the train presents:




Click for bigger photos.

 

I trust you were part of an armed guard to keep the hoards at bay!

 

Looking at the responses on the Bluebell chat group today, he'll need one!

 

Only if you think a horde consists of three people.

Pil

 

Beat me to it! Maybe its a hoardette?

 

Am I to take it that there were only three passengers on this train or have I got the wrong end of the stick?

Regards

 

south end of stick...

 

No it's because only three people currently voicing their dissent over the diesel pax working on the Bluebell . This figure omits those who aren't on the chat group but are equally "anti" and those who are on the group and "anti" but won't/can't speak because of their job and those who have voiced their dissent in the past but have not re-entered the fray. I'm prepared to accept that the dissenters may be in the minority but there's certainly more than three of them.

 

On that front it was quite a boring day....no protests or angry mobs or anything, most dissappointing. And quite alot of the anti-brigade were out taking pictures of it.... :-k

 

Can't please everyone all the time. If the net result was money and publicity then the Bluebell wins.

This time next week all teddys will be strapped in prams and the steam fleet will be that less worn out and the funds that little bit higher.

 

Exactly right, and shortly 136 will be off to Eastleigh for her refurbished bogies to be fitted and then back out onto the main line where she belongs.

Not only is 136 the first diesel to work a pax on the BB* but isn't she also the first main line registered loco to work over the line.

* Some of us know different. \/

 

Income is quoted as £2400.

Was it £30 per ticket?

If so, then 80 people bought tickets - hardly overwhelming support.