Bluebell Motive Power

Hopefully you'll come down before 488 is finished, given the likely lead time!

Just as a general catch up, the locos currently being worked on etc are as follows. I'm not going to get drawn into dates!

Wainwright P class 0-6-0T No. 323
Wainwright H class 0-4-4T No. 263
Being overhauled by the main workshop (boiler and mechanical overhauls):

Maunsell Q class 0-6-0 No. 541
Off site at Leaky Finders, Devon, for boiler and mechanical work. Tender being overhauled by MLS volunteers at Sheffield Park.

Maunsell Schools class 4-4-0 No. 928 'Stowe'
Boiler off site at HBSS, Liverpool. Loco chassis off site at Quainton Road for mechanical work. Tender at Sheffield Park (overhauled but not painted, AFAIK).

Wainwright P class 0-6-0T No. 27
Riddles 2MT 2-6-2T No. 84030
Riddles 9F 2-10-0 No. 92240
All being progressed by volunteer-led projects at Sheffield Park

Marsh H2 No. 32424 'Beachy Head'
Awaiting final assembly, painting and commissioning

Adams B4 0-4-0T No. 96 'Normandy'
Adams 415 class No. 488
In Atlantic House, pending work starting on overhauls (96 is likely to be tackled first while 488 is investigated. Funding for No. 96 is from the Bulleid Society; 488 likely to be funded in similar ways to Beachy Head)

Also the Crompton and Thumper are progressing under their various teams at Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes.

Riddles 4MT 2-6-4T No. 80151
Riddles 5MT 4-6-0 No. 73082 'Camelot'
Bulleid BB 4-6-2 No. 34059 'Sir Archibald Sinclair'
Hawksworth Modified Hall No. 6989 'Wightwick Hall' (On hire)
Stirling O1 No. 65
Stroudley Terrier No. 72 'Fenchurch'
Class 09 Shunter
Nominally available for traffic (subject to washouts, minor maintenance etc)

Collett Dukedog No. 9017
On loan to the Vale of Rheidol Railway

Wainwright P class No. 178
On loan to the One:One collection, Margate

The remaining dozen or so locos are generally on display out of traffic.

Tom

 

Following up from yesterday's news about 32424 and as said by Tom up thread, 30583 has now moved into Atlantic House

https://twitter.com/bluebellrailway/status/1765664671082692651?t=JY452g4x6g79cFzi-NMDOQ&s=19

 

I also note that the Class 73 (or should that be 74?) has been out and about recently - is it formally available for traffic now?

With regard to 488, I am also glad to see her being overhauled. I don't normally get sentimental about individual locos but it was riding behind 488 in 1965 that started my interest in railways and their history (and the older the better). I think I would be very tempted to make a special trip to Sussex when she returns to steam.

Steve B
Edit - uncertainty over my class numbering

 

And pictures of Normandy also:

https://www.bulleidsociety.org/News/Latest_News.html

Tom

 

Last I heard still undergoing trials, but had gone to East Grinstead including the normal test of restarting a train on the 1 in 55 gradient.

Tom

 

No, you were right about it being a Class 73. The Class 74s were an electro-diesel conversion from the 1958 built Class 71 electric locos with, I believe, a bigger diesel engine than the rather under powered diesel in the class 73s. Here is a picture of one at Bournemouth in 1970. There are no 74s surviving in preservation but there is a 71 in the NRM's collection at Shildon

Peter

 

Thanks for that - I probably should have looked it up first, but I'd already pressed "send" before I doubted myself. Am I right in saying that the engine/generator in the class 74s took the place of a flywheel motor/generator set, or am I thinking of something else?

Steve B

 

That's correct.

 

Looks like it is No. 65's turn to be our roving ambassador this year (and what a fine engine it is!) Now announced as visiting the KESR again for their gala in June.

Tom

 

I know that you aren't looking to get drawn into dates Tom but is there a time soon when 34059 comes out of the paint shop and joins the fleet as shown here and having run in some more?
There is no mention on the Bluebell web site of 34059 at the Branch Line Gala next month (or when I last looked) yet the elsewhere it states February for painting completion.
Or is it safer to just work on a return for Giants of Steam Gala in the autumn?

 

I have no insider info, but I wouldn’t expect that the Branch Line Gala would be a target for the light pacific - it’s more a small engine event

 

No point keeping it for Giants. Otherwise it's a waste of a year of its boiler ticket. I expect it to be running by June latest.

 

It's nice to see her spreading her wings! Could you maybe give those of us in the frozen North a chance to see her at some point? She'd look grand at Keighley or Embsay...

Sent from my SM-A125F using Tapatalk

 

You could come down south!

Given the way loco exchanges often have a degree of mutuality, I wonder if a Bluebell loco going to the East Lancs could be a possibility given the two that came our way last year. (No inside info, I hasten to add, just idle speculation)

Tom

 

Announced on Facebook by its loco owners... 6989 "Wightwick Hall" is now staying for the 2025 season.

 

Interesting - we are going to have a surfeit of big locos next year! (Sir Archie, Beachy Head, Camelot, 80151 and Wightwick Hall, not to mention 541 at some point).

Tom

 

Interesting news. I'd have thought the loco situation would have been quite healthy for next year and it's loan would no longer be required (not necessarily that it's a bad thing, it's good to have plenty of available locos in case something comes up). Subject to usual caveats with overhauls, I'd have thought the railway have the following available for 2025 (excluding 6989 staying):

72
323
65
263
541
80151
73082
34059
32424

 

It was said a few Bluebell News ago (Spring 2023 I think) that 65's driving wheel tyres are almost on their limit which will require replacement. As far as I know, they haven't yet been replaced so I'm assuming it'll be taking a backseat over the next couple of years to last till the expiry of its ticket and have them replaced at its next overhaul.

That probably be a smallish reason why 6989 might be around a bit longer.

 

Could also be to allow a bit of leeway in case 541’s overhaul takes longer than expected