Bluebell Railway General Discussion

The frames left Statfold today so things are progressing apace.

 

Can someone explain something for me? In the photos shared by Statfold Engineering of Fenchurch being loaded onto the transporter to head back to the Bluebell, the wheels were painted Improved Engine Green. In the photos of the loco being unloaded at Sheffield Park, the wheels are grey. Have I missed something?

UPDATE: apparently the railway have photoshopped the unloading images to try and conceal the livery reveal... even though apparently it's an 'open secret'

 

I could be wrong, but wasn't Fenchurch originally due to painted in Stroudley Improved Green during it's last ticket? I certainly remember one or 2 of the Railway timetable leaflets having a Matthew Cousins drawing of the loco in that livery.

I hope there's an opportunity to have Poplar/Bodiam and Fenchurch together in matching liveries at some point.

 

Rather late for that now, since the most recent Fenchurch update clearly shows the wheels in Improved Engine Green, not to mention a pair of tanks brazenly showing off their new gamboge paintwork in the sunlight at SP!

 

Had what must be my first visit in three or four years yesterday, and thoroughly enjoyed the Road Meets Rail event laid on. Demonstrations from engines large and small were most interesting to watch.

Class 33 Ashford could be seen in the maintenance shed from the 'gallery' at the end of the Steamworks, and Fenchurch's tanks could also be seen in the adjacent workshops having progressed further since the last shared update.

My only critique of the day was the Bessemer Arms seemed to be having an off day - only serving breakfast food all day and struggled to keep up with the demand to the point people arriving at Sheffield Park on the 1:35pm train didn't make the 2:15pm departure. I know not what the situation may have been to cause this, and it's certainly the only time I've ever had problems, but it did get me thinking that the queue for food crosses the entranceway and round a pillar into a tight corner. Perhaps in future this may be an area for review/improvement?

 

On catering: not an excuse, but AIUI, there are staff shortages this year driven by a wider national labour shortage in that industry - there was some discussion at the AGM on Saturday night. I agree with you that the layout could be improved.

One photo from me: LBSCR 949 in the carriage works, approaching completion.



The contrast with the appearance when initially recovered, from more or less the same angle, is staggering to behold.

Tom

 

Such a pity it won't be ready for Fenchurch's birthday celebration. Let's hope the locomotive is still in ticket by the time 949 is finally released into traffic

 

I see from the link provided by Tom that of the other vehicles earmarked for the intended Stroudley 4w set, 661 is already back in traffic (and looking superb), 328 is work in progress, 992 looks - perhaps deceptively - in better condition than many grounded bodies.

The shot most relevant to the current anniversary bash is that for 725, the condition of which is most charitably described as "challenging", but in this context, that's not what makes it interesting. Follow the link for 725 to see which loco features on the page's masthead photo. Small world!

 

When I looked at the carriage fleet recently, I think the proposed Stroudley train would be:

725 (Mainline Brake 3rd, awaiting overhaul)
992 (Third, awaiting overhaul)
328 (Third - under overhaul, complete 2024?)
661 (First - available)
949 (Suburban Brake 3rd - under overhaul, complete 2022)

In addition, 676 (another Suburban Brake 3rd) is on the railway but appears to be being earmarked as a museum piece rather than an operational vehicle.

Will be nice to see Fenchurch and 949 next to each other in due course.

Tom

 

.... so that C&W can get on with the Craven set, eh Tom?

More seriously though, I know it's still a long old way down the road, but is discussion of the Craven set homing in on a preferred loco yet?

 

Realistically - too many potential projects snd not enough people, so my view is that unless someone new comes along with huge amounts of energy, that Craven train will remain in the realms of WIBN. There are too many higher C&W and loco priorities.

Tom

 

Fair enough. It's not as if the Bluebell is exactly short of stuff in the repairs queues in either Loco or C&W depts!

Much as I love the notion of a newbuild E class, I have to confess if it's an 'either/or' situation, dear old 488 comes first. It is a damned shame the wherewithal just wasn't there to save either 125 or 520 as well, six decades ago. Double heading a heavy mainline rake of happy holidaymakers was as 'Lyme Regis' as the radials themselves!

 

Would that be the link in his post #5189, an hour after yours? Can I borrow your time machine, please?

 

No, it'll be in the post quoted.

 

Is the milk van operational? Would look rather good tacked onto that.

 

Sadly it has never been operational; my understanding is something to do with a change of brake geometry needed to convert it from air to vacuum brake. It really needs a raison d'être to get the necessary resources spent on it - there was talk at one point about it being used for carrying e.g buggies etc on that train in lieu of more ample brake compartments. Would be nice to see it in traffic. But everywhere you look there are things to sort out ...

Tom

 

I understood that these issues had been resolved, and that a solution had not only been found, but manufactured and mounted, although reports seem to have dried up, even in the "Brighton Matters" newsletter. I just read it as " the van is ready, but there is no practical use for it at present".
But then, reports of any kind from the C&W dept are not what they were.

 

All I see in that link is a picture of one coach.

 

There's another link lurking lower down in Tom's post which reads "appearance as initially recovered". That isn't a link btw, as I've never bothered to work out how to insert your own text into a link, so here it is in the raw. This (really is a) link contains further links to the different carriages mentioned:
https://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/pics/coach949.html

 

Aha! Now I understand! I did see the link "appearance when initially recovered" in Tom's post, clicked that, saw the picture of exactly that, and never thought to scroll down below the picture.

Shame about the time machine.