Bluebell Railway General Discussion

It didn't look good. I guess until it's dismantled and moved back to Sheffield Park for assessment no one knows if any other damage has been done. Quick swap with parts from Fenchurch overnight?!

 

..... even though there are two OOS home fleet Terriers? I'd expect so.

It took Blodge a while to sort Talyllyn's new motion out, when the old loco threw a fit of the stops a few years back.

 

Unless things have changed in the last 5 years Three Arch Bridge has a public footpath going over it. It is of course a high more head on shot in both directions from that shown above.

 

I hate to state it again but why didn't the Bluebell wait until Fenchurch was a runner before holding an event? The whole event is now being held with one engine which can't pull a train on it's own. Admittedly that engine is the engine which won the designer a gold medal at the paris exhibition but still...

 

It is with regret that immediate repair work is needed to be undertaken with Poplar, which means that the locomotive will not be able to take part for the rest of the weekend. A amended timetable will be in operation for both Saturday and Sunday and W11 “Newport” will still be running trains throughout the weekend. We’re very sorry for any inconvenience caused by this amendment.

https://www.bluebell-railway.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/AMENDED-FENCHURCH-TIMETABLE.pdf

W11 paired with 65 for the rest of the weekend.

 

Anyone else get the feeling like there's a hex on the Bluebell, right now?
God, what rotten luck they're having. Still, that's the three things- Fenchurch, FS, and now Poplar, so it can't get any worse- no, don't you DARE, W11!

 

You missed Wightwick Hall.

 

This has been posted on the Bluebell's Facebook page. No idea who the original photographer was.

 

That is some serious damage. Both con rods bent, and bearings shattered. That really is a heart rending scene, which will take a lot of putting right. I truely feel for not just bluebell, but the KESR as well.
But over and above this is the question, how does all this even happen?!

 

Gutted about Poplar, if I recall it failed prior to start of the Railway's last Terrier event?

Hopefully the loco can be repaired as soon as possible and have the loco up and running again, but that looks quite serious.

 

The bearings are split bearings (not shattered). They're split in half so one can get them onto the crank axle. Priming could possibly cause the valve gear etc to get damaged but that really is pure speculation so take it with a pinch of salt.

 

The damage doesn’t look good but, provided there’s no cracking, it should be possible to straighten them. What intrigues me is how it has come about. I know very little about these locos but I think the loco has slide valves so hydraulicing is unlikely but what else can affect both connecting rods in this way? Just have to wait for further information.

 

Oh Dear. The SP Running Foreman looks like he will have had a busy day keeping the show on the road.

I understand that one of the advantages of these tubular con rods is that they bend more easily than rectangular ones and therefore reduce the likely damage to the cylinders. Hopefully this is so, but I'm no engineer so I'm open to correction on this.

Feel sorry for all involved here, but I'm sure that the Bluebell will still put on a good show this weekend.

Peter

 

Are they still running the Metropolitan coaches? I was under the impression they were set C but photos of the event yesterday seem to show otherwise

 

They were failed last weekend as well, however been told it isn't a major job

 

I was told no on Thursday, due to a problem. No details on what that was.

 

right I was trying to salvage something out of this since I never ridden on theses, but now why the f##k am I spending 6 hours in total travelling there and back apart from I didn't want to see the money I spent on train tickets wasted?

 

To enjoy a day riding vintage trains, to a busy timetable on a fantastic heritage railway?

As frustrated as the punters might be no one is going to be more frustrated than the staff/volunteers at the Bluebell. The last thing they need now is all the visitors throwing their toys out of the pram when they need the support the most.

 

Have a heart for goodness sake. Staff at HRs work their socks off to make their events a success and it pays in my opinion to not have an expectation that things can't go unintentionally wrong sometimes.