Bluebell Railway General Discussion

It was only at the weekend that I heard about the plan to turn 80151 to face North. My assumption is that it's for a loco line-up (like last year's with the four new-builds, at the North end of Horsted Keynes) at Giants. Doing it when there's a suitable low loader available on site is the usual way its done.

As regards Sharpthorn (note that the village has an "e" on the end, but the loco doesn't): The plan had been to progress the structural steel repairs such that the new timber buffer planks I've made for it could be fitted, and then it could be towed down to SP, for the rest of the work necessary to prepare it for public display in SteamWorks! The new plan (or so I gathered last week) is, since the relevant Loco volunteers would prefer to work on it at SP rather than miles from their facilities and tools, that it be made fit to be hauled down to SP with minimum of work. The cosmetic overhaul will need a lot of brand-new platework. But of course that's being done in such a way that the work would also be suitable for it to be made operational again. A small budget has been made available from the Bluebell Trust via the Museum, to enable the current work to bring it up to display standard. A full overhaul to operational condition would cost a lot more, since the wheels/axles, motion and boiler all need major work.
With a Tractive Effort just 75% of that of Baxter, and smaller diameter wheels, it's apparently not considered a suitable loco for use on our line. But because it's so small, I don't believe the overhaul costs would be huge, and like Baxter it could have its niche uses (especially fitted with a vac brake), and act as a roving ambassador at times. So personally, I'd love to see it overhauled at some point.

 

You heard that first on Nat Pres from a small brained dinosaur! But thank you for the post Richard.

Typing those sentences leaves me just enough RAM to comment on the possibility of a loco line up facing North at this year's Giants Of Steam.

Hmm, 73082 and 80151 plus . . . . . .80078 and 75069? Or a Britannia?

Bryan

 

71000 has already been announced for Giants.

Tom