Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Had a weekly round up yesterday, have you checked your spam folder ?

Sent from my SM-A556B using Tapatalk

 

Also received the weekly Roundup yesterday to all 3 of my email addresses, signed up when using wifi at Sheffield Park. Need to unsubscribe to Two of them, keep forgetting.

 

No not in spam. The email regarding the Bluebell Times arrived today though. Will have to try and find a contact email address to ask for a copy to be sent over

 

For anyone keeping score, 34059 and carriage 2526 came back this afternoon.

Tom

 

The Ardingly Branch

Herewith a quick snap of the finished sketch map. Thanks to Gavin Bennett and Alan Hillier for supplying the missing pieces of information.

I will publish a properly scanned version when I can.

No copyright is asserted in the sketch.

regards

Robin

 

That's brilliant, Robin; I'll get the final version on the web site, somehow!
Richard

 

As regards the PTI page, it says it's maintained by Tony Haylar because he took it over from Peter Richards. It's now updated by Gordon Dudman, who gets updates as to what locos are being used when he's at Sheffield Park... but he hasn't yet found out how to edit the template to change Tony's name to his! It's always a "Best Effort" attempt to show what's running, but it can be hard to find out what's going on to update the page if you don't happen to be at SP.

 

So a bit of an update from me, not having looked at this foum for a while.

Yes, that was the one original siding dating back to LBSCR days that hadn't been lifted, post 1913. It was life expired and then some, so is being relayed at the same time as Platform 1. This area was going to be a display area for Railway200 exhibitions, but won't really be needed until the Railway200 Inspiration Train arrives.

Someone referred to it as 'Siding 0', but when the platforms were renumbered (Platforms 0-4 becoming 1-5) the siding numbering remained as it was, so the first siding behind platform 1 road is still "-1".

Someone else suggested that no trains have been signalled into/out-of Platform 1 (as it now is) for 111 years. That's not true - at some galas a few years ago services were signalled into/out of Platform 1 at the north end. And brake van trips have been signalled at the south end to/from the Ardingly Spur. The signalling at both ends became fully operational on completion of the HK resignalling project. Its use was somewhat limited by the condition of the track and platform edge, now resolved!

As regards connecting up the track at the south end of Platform 1, I believe the point near the signal box is indeed to move south a little to give a smooth connection. The location cabinet (signalling equipment/connections) adjacent to the track opposite the end of the platform has already been moved westwards to provide clearance.

Someone else asked about clearing the derelict stock - almost everything we still have is wanted for our longer term plans, and the intention remains that the vast majority should be accommodated in OP4 at Horsted Keynes. However, more of this shed than should be is required for operational vintage stock at present until we can stop the Sheffield Park carriage shed (OP3) from being used for locos. That's maybe not likely to happen until someone gets round to planning, fundraising and building another loco shed... but is a sore point to those of us who planned, fundraised, and put thousands of pounds each of our own money into the construction of two new carriage sheds to store all the carriages awaiting overhaul under cover!

Regarding wheelchair and buffet cars for Bulleid coaches - we've had various ideas over the years for accommodating such facilities in either one of the SOBTs or TO 1481. But actually, we have two wheelchair-accessible Mk.1s (the original one shortly to re-enter service after heavy overhaul) and two RMBs (with the second also awaiting completion of its heavy overhaul), but only one Mk.1 set, the plan as always that Mk.1s should be used in the Bulleid set to provide the Buffet and accessibility. There is however some interest in creating a Tavern Car (bar area as original, but seating as per later arrangement with windows!) at one end of a Bulleid coach, and a wheelchair accessible saloon at the other end (where the kitchen was on the Tavern Car).

Hundred Seater 971 having a wheelchair-accessible section was an idea I've tried to promote, but no one else seems interested. We have two Maunsells (3724 and 4441) as potential wheelchair-accessible vehicles for the longer term. The good news is that the overhaul of 971 is set to commence (with initial funding from the SR coach Group) once the intermediate overhaul of Bulleid 1482 is finished (the new roof canvas went on last Saturday).

Richard