Brighton Atlantic: 32424 Beachy Head

The most likeliest option will be to hire a large crane in to do the lifts, far easier, and safer, plus what ever loco is due to take up residence next, will need to be craned in, in the same way, So it makes sence to do all the moves in the same day, loco and tender out, shunt into shed, next loco shunted in, lifted and put into the vacated space. which way operationally would be the best way for it to face, once on the rails, East Grinstead, or Sheffield Park ? both ways have a steep gradient to face,

 

I knew there was a reason to not junk the Harriers
Pat

 

The latest issue of the supporters' magazine said:

"On current progress I would anticipate 'Beachy Head' will be ready to leave Atlantic House and go into the Main works for final fitting, testing etc. in late autumn with running-in trials in spring next year. Assuming that a slot is available in the Works programme and that there are no constructional problems to address, hand over for traffic could take place in late spring / early summer."
​

There's many a slip 'twixt cup and mouth of course, and at least part of that is that space in the works over a pit is limited, so that puts a constraint on timescales: as always, it's a juggling act. Currently 'Sir Archibald Sinclair' and the H class are in the works; I assume the idea will be to get Sir Archie out first; then probably move the H class from one side to the other so as to free up pit space for Beachy Head. In other words, the timescale is to an extent dependent on factors external to the project.

(The H class, incidentally, needs new cylinders and I believe Fred Bailey, who did the design work on 'Beachy Head', is involved in producing drawings from which a pattern can be made).

Tom

 

This is in line with what I expected with the usual caveats attached.

 

All are chimney north apart from Fenchurch and 80151. Think Fenchurch has always pointed south since working top and tail with Stepney in the early days. Not sure why 80151 does, but perhaps one day it could top and tail with 80064 if we ever need the superpower!

 

I've got no inside knowledge, but generally larger locos face north.

Unlike, say, the MHR, our gradients are predominantly all in one direction - uphill from Sheffield Park to East Grinstead. The line is actually in four "steps" of increasing severity, with sections of downhill (or level) track between them. The worst is at Imberhorne, where there is an almost instantaneous change in gradient from 1 in 55 up to 1 in 60 down. At West Hoathly you go from 1 in 75 up to 1 in 122 down, but with a short section of level track between.



Conventional wisdom is that locos ideally face north, such that if you are short of steam and water, the water covers the crown if you stop while going up hill. The downside of that is that when you go over the top, you instantly get a big drop in water level. The worst case is typically the Chatham locos (H / O1) where that fall at Imberhorne can be the height of the glass - in other words you really need the water out of sight at the top of the glass at Imberhorne Summit to ensure you have enough for the subsequent 1 in 60 descent. Our instructions for No. 65 recommend, for example, that if you can see the top of the water on a rising grade with the regulator open (such as approaching the tunnel or at Imberhorne Lane), you probably already have too little to go over the top. That does mean that you spend a considerable part of a trip on that loco working on feel as to where the water level is, since there are relatively few places where you get an accurate reading of where it is - most of the time what you see is the glass full.

By contrast, for south-facing locos (currently 80151, 'Fenchurch' and - in recent years - 'Bluebell', 'Baxter' and 'Birch Grove') the issue is braking when coming south and in particular aiming to arrive at Sheffield Park at a suitable level given the long layover. As an example, if you come down Freshfield Bank (1 in 75 down) on 80151 with the water level showing half a glass, you will probably have 3/4 glass or more at Sheffield Park. If instead you try to arrive with half a glass, you probably need to come down Freshfield Bank with only a quarter of a glass showing, and the water will bob down out of sight when you brake (and the water gets thrown forward). The standing instruction on 80151 recommends leaving East Grinstead with 3/4 glass to ensure you have plenty on the subsequent 1 in 55 descent with the associated braking.

'Fenchurch' isn't so bad, since with a short boiler, the variation of water level caused by gradients is less pronounced. The same was true for 'Bluebell', except that 'Fenchurch' has taller gauge glasses which makes things a bit easier to manage.

As I said earlier, I don't have any inside knowledge on 'Beachy Head', but I think it would be a reasonable assumption that when it emerges, it will face north.

Tom

 

Fenchurch has definitely varied over the years (seen plenty of photos from the 1970s of her facing north), for a long time it was 323 which faced south and had done since day 1, but even she's been turned now.

 

I think Fenchurch probably was turned N—> S during the previous overhaul (ca. 2000)

Bluebell was turned S —> N when it returned from a visit to the Churnet Valley Railway about five years ago.

Tom

 

Ah, ok, had them mixed up!

 

Quick note to say that Atlantic House will be open this weekend (10-11 June) for "Bluebell on Parade".

On Sunday:

Chairman's Address and update at 2.30pm on Sunday 11 June

Auction: On Sunday 11 June at 2.50pm at Atlantic House.
30 lots of Railwayana, Books, Photos, Paintings and Models.
Viewing from 11.00 am Saturday. Absentee bids may be left.

Items include:

• 2 original paintings by Matthew Cousins of 32424.
• LNER Loco ‘Weight Diagram’ book 1945 containing projected class scrappings and much additional detail.
• Brand new Bachmann model of 32424.
• Original LBSCR ‘Official photographs’ of Atlantics including one of No.38 in full umber livery signed by D.Earle Marsh

(@S.A.C. Martin - item 2 of interest?)


Tom

 

For sure Tom - how can I leave an absentee bid?

 

I'll see if I can find out - worst case scenario, I'll be at the railway on Sunday so could arrange something then.

Tom

 

That’s most kind Tom, thank you.

 

Latest update covering last year’s work:

https://www.bluebell-railway.com/brps/atlantic-latest/

Tom

 

Fantastic news!
I hope you are going to be washing some shirts with it
I was mildly intrigued to see the pics of soldering pipework with steel protection of the paintwork behind - it does seem slightly odd to me that the finishing coat and lining has been applied before all these bits and bobs

 

When does the Bluebell use air braking and when vacuum?

 

All stock is vacuum braked.

Three of our LBSCR locos are air braked (Fenchurch, Birch Grove and Beachy Head). So light engine they are / will be controlled using the loco’s own air brake, but on a fitted train, the vacuum brake is used and the air brake on the loco works in proportion to the vac brake setting.

Tom

 

I could be wrong but in pre-grouping days wasn’t the Brighton an all Westinghouse line? When 35028 is working the Belmond it’s even more complicated, the loco is still as it was in BR days , engine steam braked, tender vacuum with train air all worked through a combined brake valve from a clas 47. If it’s working West Coast vacuum stock the air system still has to be charged to work the TPWS. It was nice to see it working on the Bluebell with it shut down and no exhaust from the air pumps coming out of the back of the tender

 

There's always going to be multiple variations in the sequences of steps to the same end I guess - the flip side of leaving the top coats until last is that you are faced with the issue of needing to do the finishing coats with the pipework in place, meaning you couldn't paint / varnish behind them.

Tom

 

When this loco gets out, it will not only right an historic wrong by way of the scrapping of the original, but it will - in my view - stand as one of the very best examples of reuse of existing components and engineering excellence.