Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Buy a 66, round off the edges, stick a boiler in it, job's a good 'un.

 

Even better - don’t.

Tom

 

Wait, is the GWS making one now?

 

You must admit, that is one very ugly engine

 

Not unless it from was using 66779!

 

According to the railway's Facebook page the second guest for the branch line weekend will be announced at 5pm.

 

Well, with the lack of coal availability, I can see oil firing becoming the norm, in which case the thought of a Leader Mk.2 could become a more realistic option. Putting money aside and simply talking WIBN, oil firing would solve many of the problems of the original. Boiler placed centrally, fireman in one cab and the driver in whichever is cab leading. Fuel tanks underhung so no equivalent of a coal bunker to complicate the layout and the loco could probably be shorter as a result. I see little need for internal access between cabs, especially with a radio for comms and modern instrumentation. Automatic firing would be possible but I think that automatic water level controls would be difficult due both to the undualting nature of the road and the surging that you get under braking and acceleration so I''d still keep the fireman to control water and keep an eye on things. I'd do away with the sleeve valves and go for a simple form of poppet valve gear, a bit like Sentinel used. 75mph with 4 foot wheels would require about 500 rpm, easily achievable with Sentinels. Probably do away with the chain drive and go for cardan shafts. Any other changes, anyone?

I'm too old to lead the project but Tom, on the other hand....

 

Or just think how many batteries you could put in it to heat by electricity !!!!!!

 

Mount all the cylinders in a marine-style upright arrangement inside the body and attach a generator, then drive wheels using traction motors. [2]

Depending on space you could even chuck in a cheeky pantograph/pick-up shoes[1] and it can be it's own back-up and ETH provider for mainline work

Mike
[1]delete according to region/voltage/sanity
[2] I believe the French invented this particular arrangement...

 

I'm hoping its Lady Ingrid from Spa

 

With oil firing you have no need of an ashpan, so a simpler marine type boiler would do, so the boiler could be placed optimally for weight without having to fit the ashpan around the running gear.

Just saying

Steve B

 

Feel this gala is about a year or two too late - the late guards’ inspector would have loved the Lancastrian theme!

Looking forward to it though. Can’t beat a good pre-grouping 0-6-0.

Tom

 

Yes 2356 would have been a very useful coach for the Bluebell's Maunsell set, and one would have thought that it would have been an early priority for restoration as soon as it arrived at the line. It clearly must have had a lot wrong with it from the outset, otherwise the Bluebell would have got on and restored it as soon as they were in a position to. Other Maunsells in the collection were obviously in a better state, and those went to the front of the queue, pushing 2356 onto the back burner. I suspect that it was the worst out of all the unrestored Maunsells, and most likely not worth restoring despite how useful it could have been.

 

I hoping that another 0-6-0 the Y14 in Great Eastern Blue from the NNR will be a future visitor, would look very nice with the Mets.

 

And also a ‘might have been’ when you consider one was supposed to be on the shopping list for motive power back in the early days.

 

You mean - This?
Vezi atașament 74321

 

May have been the first but definitely Llangollen for the scenery and the more ideological location for such Cambrian locos.

 

Dukedogs were seen on the Aberystwyth to Carmarthen line which the Gwili was once a part off too btw....

Not that I support any idea of the Dukedog leaving the Bluebell I should add.

 

Neither am I! I do like it when the GWR comes closer to me rather than having to trudge all the way up to the West Country to see it.

Although, that was some rather interesting information, thank you.