Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Good to know your becoming a convert.

 

The Earl of Berkley, is she ever going to steam again? I was just wondering, as I see she is off on her travels to the Seven Valley Railway and if the Bluebell don't have the money to get back in steam, I was wondering if maybe one of the many Welsh GWR branch lines might find a use for her?

 

They hinted at in Trackside that Bluebell might be willing to allow another line to restore and run it but they'd regain ownership of it so I think it could happen that another line will express interest in restoring it.

 

Thanks, Alex, it might just happen in my lifetime to see both the Earl and the County both in steam at the same location, if all the parties involved could make it happen.

 

Why do you ask in terms of "ever going to steam again?" The loco is safe and is in the queue amongst other, similar, locos...in the meantime why not lend it out to someone else who would like to display it?

 

I'm sure it will steam again. But with 30 locos in the collection and an operational need for only around 8, on average most locos will spend about 3 years out of traffic for every year running. That's just the nature of the collection. And that is before you consider the fact that if you do a big overhaul on a loco, as happened on 80151 last time round and is happening on 541 this time, you probably want to capitalise by getting a couple of stints in service in quick succession. That means some locos will be sidelined for considerable periods.

On the medium front, 263 is being worked on in the main workshop, and 488 by the Beachy Head team. Personally I'm happy to see 488 in line for an overhaul and hope to drive and fire it before I retire from the footplate. But you can guarantee that had that loco been passed over to do 9017 (as was the plan at one point), there would be plenty complaining about how long that loco had sat out of traffic. You can't run everything all the time.

9017 last ran in 2011; 21c123 (2008); 75027 (2006); 96 (2006); 92240 (2002); 1618 (1994); 2650 (1992); 928 (1990); 488 (1990); 27 (1974) have all spent longer waiting their turn. Fortunately several of those are currently being overhauled; I can wait for 9017.

It's not regain ownership, its is retain ownership. The locomotive was gifted to the railway with the condition it couldn't be sold.

Tom

 

For me the Dukedog is as much a part of the Bluebell scene as Stepney, 488, or the P tanks, and a reminder that in the early days the Bluebell and its supporters were interested in preserving ANY historic locomotives (with a focus on Victorian designs). I'm glad it's under cover and raising interest 'away from home' and I'll certainly make sure I go and see it at Highley.

For those who haven't seen it, the Tom Martin film 'Operation Dukedog' (available on the Bluebell YouTube channel) is an excellent watch.

 

Sorry that was a typo on my part I meant retain.

 

Could you see the Bluebell being open, more generally, to letting another organisation have a stored loco on a 'restore & run' basis with ownership retained by the railway, Tom @Jamessquared? Such as 75027 or the NLR tank, perhaps?