Bluebell Motive Power

I vaguely remember that it I saw somewhere that it is to do with the weight of the train running through it on the gradient, although that may just be the GN saloon.

Back to locos and I hope that 80064 is returned to service quickly (interesting that the article mentioned it being overhauled in parallel with 4561 which they have been working on for more than 20 years .....

Andrew

 

Might it be down to the nature of the roof coverings? I seem to recall that the Bluebell tried using some form of "plastic" roof coverings at one time instead of the traditional canvas and it wasn't a success with holes melted in them from cinders. My memory suggests that the first two "Mets" restored needed their roofs recovering comparatively early on because of this (but possibly I'm mistaken here). Do these carriages have a similar issue? Can @RichardSalmon shed any light on this? Thanks

Steve B

 

I'd be interested to know if this is an issue on other heritage lines - e.g. the KWVR obviously have a lot of vintage stock and run through a tunnel on a gradient (I think) but maybe it's not as steep?

 

KWVR and NYMR both have vintage stock and proper climbs ,not molehills.

 

Boiler overhaul update on 30541: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?st...yLaxpv6vuMCT1uqRWhyL4x7tXl&id=100063522582254

 

After the end of steam BR started to use plastic roof coverings, certainly on freight stock. I've certainly had experience of sparks from steam locos creating holes in them, leading to leaking roofs. I don't know whether this was the case with the Bluebell vehicles, though.

 

I see from some videos from the last few days that 34059 has regained it's smokebox numberplate and shedplate, as well as cabside lettering and numbering (presumably temporary before the loco is fully repainted in the new year).

 

Yes the cab numbers are tempoary and will be replaced on the repaint.

 

Does anyone know which locos are likely to be in use Thursday to Sunday next week (28th to the 31st). I realise it is likely to be 2 from 6990, 80151, 73082 and 34059.

Thanks

Andrew

 

73082 is a definite no, 80151, 65 or 6989 is likely. Probably 34059 and 6989 given the fact they have been in operation for New Years Day

 

I think it is 6989 (A); 65 (B) except on Sunday 31st, where 80151 does the A service and 6989 is on the lunchtime Golden Arrow.

Tom

 

Just for a bit of fun, the 01 in 'bluebell blue' livery....


Credit to Rapido Train UK Facebook page for doing something fun....I like it

 

Paint the O1 like that and 828 in SECR green...

 

I've always quite fancied the idea of No. 323 in SECR Crimson Lake - which has the added advantage of being prototypical ...

Tom

 

Maroon carriages yes, but locos?

 

SER blue? Inauthentic for the form, but the loco has carried it in its working life.

 

An experiment by the Locomotive Committee of the SE&CR.

When 323 was built, it was turned out in Crimson Lake and three carriages were painted green. The combination was inspected by the directors to see if it was a preferable livery combination to the reverse (which at the time was green engines and crimson lake carriages).

Nothing came of it, and it is doubtful if the loco ever emerged beyond the confines of the works in that livery, but it did exist!

If you look at the Engine repair record for 323, it has a curious double date for when it was released to traffic - 26/04/1910 and 16/07/1910:



By contrast, No. 178 is more typical and has one date - 25/02/1910:



My hunch is that the period between 26/04 and 16/07 represents the time that "Bluebell" spent being inspected by the directors, and then repainted, before properly going into traffic - the earlier date being when the loco was finished as far as the workshop were concerned; and the latter date being the actual date into revenue traffic.

(Interesting as well on No. 178 that the loco it replaced - "old" 178 - wasn't scrapped immediately, but hung on for four months as duplicate 178A. Normally you see the old loco is "condemned" and then "New loco class X" comes afterwards, but occasionally the new loco comes before the old one is condemned).

Tom

 

I don't think the SER ever painted engines blue - at least not since the very earliest days of the L&B / L&C / SER Joint locomotive committee in the 1830s/early 1840s. By the time No. 65 was built, SER livery was black, lined red.

Tom

 

I was misinformed!

 

Is Bramble a genuine name hat the O1 is sometimes known by, or have Rapido just come up with that themselves?