Brighton Atlantic: 32424 Beachy Head

I missed A1X referring to the Standard tank. Two Brighton built locomotives and a Brighton-ish built locomotive.

 

Again, why is it only Brighton-ish built when it was built at Brighton? Yes the design is derived from a Derby lineage but the loco itself was built at Brighton. If anything the Standard is more Brighton built than Beachy Head which is Sheffield Park built!

 

I think the "Brighton-ish" one in this case refers to the Atlantic

 

Yes. Brighton-ish referring to it being built at Sheffield Park which is close to Brighton.

 

Post 1839 referred to the two locos that were looking on as the Atlantic moved, and termed one of them Brighton-ish, hence the challenge. The Atlantic is clearly Brighton designed (apart from a few tweaks) but not Brighton built, even if it incorporates one of two components that were made in Brighton works.

 

Had the pleasure of seeing Beachy Head running for myself yesterday (I was rostered for an evening turn and it was moving round the station when I arrived mid afternoon). It’s a fantastic sight!

AIUI the very first movement had Keith Sturt at the regulator - he was the Bluebell workshop manager for many years until retirement, and subsequently has been the project manager for Beachy Head, so a fitting choice.

Still lots of commissioning and running in to do, plus I believe the loco is booked into the paint shop to complete the painting.

Tom

 

Beachy Head to be launched in August, over the Bank Holiday Weekend. Think I might have to make a trip down the road for this.

 

Tickets for the first public trains featuring Beachy Head are now on sale, 23 August - 1 September:

https://www.bluebell-railway.com/beachy-head-2024/

As far as I can see, this is being run like a gala, i.e. all day rover tickets are available, but it isn't like (e.g. Flying Scotsman) with tickets on specific trains.

Tom

 

It would be nice to see 32424 with 2999 as an Atlantic. After all, the GWS have the parts!

 

Off topic I know, but I wonder which railway will eventually be the one to host a gala using only new builds as a celebration of what can be achieved.

That would be quite a thing.

 

It could be part of Stockton and Darlington 200.

 

It's a nice idea but I think it will be a few years before it becomes viable so pretty unlikely for S&D 200. Unless some mixed gauge track is laid, that is.

 

I suspect 82045 might be the next to be finished. There's probably an opportunity to have 60163, 2999, 6880, 32424 and 82045 running perhaps in the 2027-2028 sort of time frame. After that, 2999 goes out of traffic and I'm not sure what is likely to come into traffic.

Of course, that depends on all those owners lining up for a simultaneous event, and someone wishing to host it! If you held it at the Bluebell, you've got 5 lorry moves and a mainline move in each direction (i.e. incoming and outgoing). Hold it at the SVR and you have six lorry moves and the mainline move. Hold it anywhere else and you are up to 7 lorry moves and a mainline move. It would be pretty expensive ...

Tom

 

Has already been done - Didcot did a new build weekend back in April / May 2011 with Tornado, the steam railmotor and their broad gauge Fire Fly.

 

The seemingly obligatory gala tactic of "let's double head the stars" must have been somewhat tricky!

Tom

 

Didcot would most likely be the one to hold it again I'd have thought.

Ok they won't all be operational, but in a few years time if 6880 was brought in as a guest, you could possibly have that alongside 2999 and 1014, with the Steam Railmotor, Iron Duke and Firefly on display.

Back on the subject of 32424, I see the Bluebell have started offering tickets for the loco's first Golden Arrow Evening services on August 23rd and 24th and Wealden Rambler on August 29th.

 

That would be doable on the mixed gauge track they’ve got.

not sensible maybe, but not tricky.

 

5551, 82045 and the P2 are all about a similar time frame in the 2027/28 period i would imagine.

Work is due to start imminently on 5551 chassis, with basically a kit of parts ready to assemble.

 

Quite tricky as the drawhooks would be offset by half the gauge difference!

 

82045 are targetting sometime in 2026.

Dare I say somewhere like the SVR or the GCR would be the railways to have the aforementioned gathering. You can also bet the monthly rags sponsoring the event/s and cover some of the transport costs.