Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Thanks @ady - thats interesting. After the 1970s when I had moved to Yorkshire I rather lost touch with the modern Sussex railways of my youth.

Interesting that the Spa Valley's 3D unit is the one in my picture of East Grinsted LL. Funnily enough the only picture I've found that I took of 1305 is at Eridge in 1967


Peter

 

Given Toms comments on door maintenance I suspect that the absence of a centre trailer may be no bad thing in operational terms at least.

 

In part. The 4-CEP trailers only had 3 doors to a side, so weren't the burden of the original centre cars.

 

Looking at the special events programme for 2023. Looks good but sorry to see that Giants of Steam has disappeared. I thought last year's event was excellent. On the plus side there seems to be a Summer Steam Gala and then of course there is Flying Scotsman visit so plenty to look forward to.

 

I speculated in the galas thread

 

It puts me in mind of when Scotsman last visited in Easter 2017. There was no Giants of Steam that year either and 34092 was brought in for an End of Southern Steam weekend. That year also had a Deltic event around the usual time of Giants and the Bluebell website is teasing a Diesel event for this coming October.

Also, is the incoming Class 73 going to be owned by the railway too or by the group who own the 09 and 33?

 

The latest issue of BN says "privately owned" and on a proposed ten year hire agreement. I don't believe it is owned by B350 Ltd.

Tom

 

Looks like the 73 is owned by a private individual

"It will form a useful and economic means of bringing passengers to our railway earlier than is currently possible and allowing them to spend a full day exploring the line"
So the DEMU might be used on the first train from East Grinstead picking up mainline passengers?

 

A few bits of winter infrastructure news.

Firstly, not widely reported at the time - the railway suffered a landslip in November south of the tunnel (just north of the 12 mile post). Approximately 180 feet of land slipped on the embankment, blocking the track in the vicinity. Fortunately, no trains were running at the time, and the area was tidied up and made safe in time for the Santa season, though there was a TSR in the vicinity at the time.

Secondly, the winter works are in two places, both north of Horsted Keynes. 200 yards of track starting at the north portal of the tunnel and extending to teh foot crossing at West Hoathly is being replaced. The track doesn't need to go at this point, but there is necessary drainage work which requires the track to be lifted, so it will be replaced at the same time. The larger job is south of the tunnel round about Vaux End, and is 26 panels (520 yards), starting at the northern extent of where track was relayed two years ago and continuing north. There will also be some reprofiling over Vaux End bridge where, over the years, the ballast has got too deep. Apart from saving of ballast and removing pressure on the bridge parapets, it will apparently lead to some local gradient changes in the area, with a section north of the bridge becoming 1 in 68 (from the current 1 in 75). I guess at some point we will need a new gradient diagram! (There is already a section there that changes 1 in 75 - 134 - 60 - 75 in quick succession).

I believe one consequence of the work is that a ban on short wheelbase vehicles north of Horsted Keynes should be lifted, which should lead to the reintroduction into service of the Victorian 4 wheelers.

Finally, a reminder that while the work is going on, when services resume at half term, they will be Sheffield Park - Horsted Keynes only; I think probably with Fenchurch and the pre-grouping SR vintage carriages judging by what has been out and about. Full line services will resume I think around Easter.

Tom

 

Tom, I don't know whether you know any more than we do, but the latest BN C&W report mentions the recent stock disposals. Apart from the CIWL sleeper which is definitely going across the Channel, the fate of the remaining sleeping cars is unclear, whilst the Maunsell TK and TPO are described as having "found new homes".
Does anyone at the railway know for certain if they are actually "new homes", or if this is a euphemismistic way of avoiding the word "scrap"? Evidently both vehicles left the railway intact, rather than flat- packed, and the VCT database shows them as still at the Bluebell. The vagueness is very strange, particularly as neither vehicle appeared to have been stripped for spares before departure.

 

My understanding (but it is only that - I don't know for certain) is that they have been scrapped. However, I think the article in BN (which would have been written in late November) was written in good faith, in that at that time it was understood they had been bought for further preservation (albeit not at a railway site). For some reason the intention of the new owner changed.

I think the lesson is - not just at the Bluebell, or even primarily at the Bluebell - we have to consider everything stored in sidings not being actively worked on is potentially at risk. (Indeed, the fate of loco 7027 elsewhere might say "at risk even if being actively worked on"). I think further disposals are possible, though hopefully not of any more vintage carriages. I think there are Mark 1s on the railway that in due course will be put up for disposal.

Perhaps this is the right place to draw attention to the article in the latest issue of The Bluebell Times, and in particular the survey contained therein:

With the centenary of the formation of the Southern Railway upon us, The Rolling Stock Committee has been considering ways to increase interest in the restoration and maintenance of the railway’s collection of Maunsell and Bulleid carriages.​

Our Railway has a long and successful history in the restoration of Southern Railway designed rolling stock, from Bulleid coach restorations in the 1970s through to more comprehensive restoration of Maunsell and Bulleid stock from the 1980s onwards. However, with a number of vehicles that have been in traffic now stopped for comprehensive overhaul, there is work to be done, to deliver the Long-term Plan’s objective of creating full sets of Maunsell and Bulleid carriages.​

Other societies have created dedicated groups to develop interest, encourage volunteer recruitment and generate funding for rolling stock restoration around a specific theme. These include the LNER Coach Association based at the North Yorkshire Moors and the Great Western (SVR) Association at the Severn Valley Railway.​

The question the Rolling Stock Committee has been considering, and which it is asking The Bluebell Times audience, is whether a similar approach would make a difference to the current resources available and planned programme of work for Southern Railway coaches in the future.​

Would you be interested in supporting a Southern Railway Coach Group?​

The objectives of the Group could include:

• External promotion activities and awareness through published articles and social media
• Newsletters, through subscription, as a mechanism to secure funds for restoration
• Leadership of campaigns for specific vehicle restoration in a similar manner to that adopted for Restaurant Car 7864
• Working with the Carriage and Wagon Trustee, Director and Manager to identify the most effective approaches and timescales for restoration and maintenance programmes
• Working with the Bluebell Railway Trust to help secure external funding for vehicles and other fundraising activities
• Providing a focus for volunteer co-ordination for those with an interest in Southern Railway carriages

The current thinking is that a Southern Railway Coach Group would become an informal group under the umbrella of the Society in a similar way to the Bluebell Railway Goods Division. Money raised would be directed into Trust restricted funds. The Bulleid Coach restricted fund is already in existence. A similar fund could be established for Maunsell vehicles on completion of 7864. There is no reason why the group could not develop further to include other vehicles from the constituent companies of the Southern Railway.

RESOURCING REQUIREMENTS​

Through its discussion on this subject, the Rolling Stock Committee was very clear that the justification in setting up such an association was greater interest and support from members, adding to the work of those already helping to restore coaches, rather than adding further pressure on them. If you have a desire to see more of our Southern Railway coaches restored and operating, could we ask you to take 5 minutes to answer 5 questions on the survey link below.​

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/F8796JB​

The survey is live for the next month and the results will be considered at the next Rolling Stock Committee before making a recommendation to the Society.​

Tom

 

Thanks for the clarification, Tom. For what its worth, I believe the setting up of a Southern Railway carriage group is an initiative which, on reflection, is long overdue, and something which, as I stated in the survey, I will happily subscribe to, particularly if its existence will safeguard those unrestored vehicles still on the railway. Apart from hands-on expertise, a war chest is definitely needed, not just for future restorations, but also conservation, and upkeep of those carriages already in service.
I commend it to the house!

 

Fair play to all concerned as DEMU 1305 is already onsite at the Bluebell. With this, the one at Spa Valley and two at the Lavender Line I can see a bumper Thumper tour in the offing!

 

This is wonderful news. A 3D will be most fitting for the line given their association to local lines. Wishing all the restoration team the best of fortunes with their project. Once 1305 is complete and in service, I will be sure to visit.

 

I think this is the first time a class of unit I travelled on in revenue-earning service on the 'big railway' has turned up at a preserved line..! Honestly never thought that would be the Bluebell, but I'm delighted that 1305 is staying in Sussex and can't wait to sample the 'Thump' again. I have very specific childhood memories of hearing 'Thumpers' which operated around Hastings head up the Brighton main line late at night, presumably for servicing at Selhurst or similar.

 

Had the Bluebell survived until Beeching, the line would have most likely seen 3Ds. They did of course reach East Grinstead and onto the metals of Imberhorne Viaduct.

 

And given the architectural similarities between the Bluebell and Cuckoo lines, this is probably a good illustration of how that scenario would have looked:

 

Indeed, as per my picture in post #5878.
But being pedantic this isn't really a 3D is it? It would have been classified as a 2D back in the day, as the two car Hampshire Units were classified as 2H.

Peter