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Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Jamessquared, Feb 16, 2013.

  1. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    Standing back from all this and as I understand it The Bluebell was pleased to welcome the Hall as it was intended to ease pressure on the main fleet that seems stretched at the moment. So far so good.

    The Hall has actually been unavailable more than it has been operational so that's not helped the Railway a great deal. Now the loco is unavailable because apparently there are no people from the owning group to attend to the loco even though the parts are now on site.

    Are there not engineers on the Railway able to do the work who are not from the owning group? Isn't it in the best interest of the Bluebell to get this loco operational?

    I understand that only those who 'know' the loco may be allowed to lay their hands on it but.....

    And can I just say that this is not a 'pop' at anyone at all. It just doesn't seem to be very joined up when viewed from afar.
     
  2. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    As the Bluebell has now confirmed that the Hall isn't running they won't be getting my money for the Festival ..or the beer.

    It was going to be a good combination of two things but with no disrespect to the planners of the event, if I want specialist beer I can do that without the £28 for everything else and the absence of the Hall was a deal breaker.
     
  3. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    Beer Festival Programme
     

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  4. brennan

    brennan Member

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    If you pop over to the Glos Warks at the end of October there'll probably be a "Hall" running.

    Does anyone know what's wrong with Wightwick? It failed at Shackerstone after going there for "an extended hire", went back to Quainton for a fix but now it's on the naughty step again. It looked a very nice job after its rebuild.
     
  5. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    It’s a GW loco; a pound to a penny it’ll be the brakes. ;)
     
  6. Ben Jenden

    Ben Jenden Member

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    The Hall failed on Monday 25th July with leaking stays and a brake issue. The stays was sorted but it's brake issue needed investigating.
     
  7. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    DSC_1420-01.jpeg
     
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  8. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    DSC_1415-01.jpeg
     
  9. ruddingtonrsh56

    ruddingtonrsh56 Member

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    That's interesting, because she failed at Shackerstone last October with leaking stays as well. The owning group decided instead of having it repaired on site (which was possible) to move it to Quainton Road for repair and terminate the 2 year running agreement with the Battlefield early. Is it usual for a loco to fail with leaking stays twice within the space of a year?

    It might have looked a nice job but looks can be deceiving. Certainly I know reports from crews when it was first at Shackerstone pre-Covid were that it wasn't running right and didn't have anywhere near the starting strength one would expect from a Hall - not quite sure what would affect that - maybe valves or motion not quite set up right? In any case that was rectified over COVID before she returned to Shackerstone for 2021, but there are certain areas where one gets a sense of papering over cracks - such as the fact that the loco is running with the original BR ashpan, which I gather is not really in a condition it would need to be in if it were to see out a typical 10 year boiler ticket without needing replacing. One wonders where else on the loco corners have not necessarily been cut, but perhaps rounded over...
     
  10. Paul42

    Paul42 Part of the furniture

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    I heard while on the railway today, that the owning group should have volunteers working on it next week, and got the impression that they want to do it themselves, rather than pay someone else to do it.
     
  11. 8126

    8126 Member

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    You didn't have to wait long to be proven right on that. What's so predictably unreliable about GWR brakes?
     
  12. Mark Thompson

    Mark Thompson Well-Known Member

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    Shoes, mate- they gets through 'em something shocking, I can tell yer. I can order a full set, but they're on back order, right now. Supply chain issues, innit? They're having to ship em in from China, and you know what they're like, eh?
     
  13. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    My experience of GWR vacuum braked locos is that the chamber side of slipping band cylinders (a GW speciality) soon leaks off if not maintained. Ok, my experience of GW locos is fairly limited but the problem has been fairly universal on those I have been on.
     
  14. brmp201

    brmp201 Member

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    Would I be correct in assuming that embankment stabilisation works are taking place here?:

     
  15. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Yes, I think there was a risk of it slipping. Before anyone gets too excited about Ardingly, although this would have to be done as a precursor to opening the branch, it would in fact have to be done anyway - so don't read anything more into it than "necessary maintenance works".

    Tom
     
  16. A1X

    A1X Well-Known Member

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    From Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/bluebellra...VcWPiPpiRJSutZRm1PWyX7TueG8ttp9qkh4jxpnDewl);

    "Special Notice: Horsted Keynes Station

    Due to ongoing heavy engineering work taking place at Horsted Keynes as part of "The Jewel In The Crown Project", the station will be closed Monday To Friday with no access available on these days until further notice.

    Passengers visiting the railway during these days are advised to start and finish their journey either at Sheffield Park or East Grinstead when the railway is operating.
    For further information on the Jewel In The Crown Project, visit https://www.bluebell-railway.com/.../jewel-in-the-crown.../"

    Latterly confirmed it will be open for Giants and Half Term
     
  17. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    HK was open for the beer festival - access to the south end of platform 5 (including the carriage works) was open via the brake compartment of a strategically-placed carriage to allow access from platform 4. Basically everything from the end of the canopy northwards is shut, including the booking office etc.

    Tom
     
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  18. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    A couple of photos from the weekend - the Hastings restriction brake 3rd 3687, partially lined out; and “Betty”, the Billinton all-third No. 328.

    25209391-3E1F-402A-9D4C-3F91EEBEF4AE.jpeg

    CF8CE6C5-EE29-4FA6-8F69-E8199E147505.jpeg

    Tom
     

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  19. A1X

    A1X Well-Known Member

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    Well isn't 3687 a picture
     
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  20. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Just been ploughing through the LBSC 4w list. Is the restoration of 949 further advanced than 328? It looked to be going great guns until the dreaded lurgi hit.
     

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