Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Roster for October half term week

24/10-25/10
A/GT: 73082
B: 41313
WR/GA: 80151

26/10-29/10
A/GT: 73082
B: 41313

30/10-01/11
A/GT: 73082
B: 41313
GA: 32424

 

Is there any news about the overhauls of 323 "Bluebell" and the H class 263? I haven't seen any mention of these for a while. Many thanks in advance.

Steve B

 

They're still going.

I think Bluebell's boiler has been sent off to the Severn Valley?

Evidence of overhauls of both engines is very much apparent in Sheffield Park works.

I think the hope is Bluebell may steam in 2027.

 

323s boiler was indeed sent to the SVR sometime in 2024/early 2025

 

323 is I think more or less mechanically complete. It is awaiting the return of the boiler from the SVR, after which final assembly should be quite quick.

263 is having both mechanical and boiler work taking place at Sheffield Park, but AIUI is awaiting the return of the new cylinder block which is being machined by external contractors.

Tom

 

Thank you both - much appreciated!

Stee B

 

Hopefully the Bluebell have plans to keep as reliable a supply of water as possible, as Ardingly reservoir was in the SE news again yesterday re the way the level is steadily going down at present.

Bryan

 

The railway recently installed a reverse osmosis plant at Sheffield Park, so the majority of water will come from that unless something needs water at Horsted or Kingscote.

 

Thanks. So preumably you have your own water supply? The local stream perhaps or a borehole?

Bryan

 

IIRC the water towers at Sheffield Park and East Grinstead collected rainwater.

 

All well and good until (like this year) you've had insufficient rainfall. Rainwater isn't exactly clean either.

I think all the water columns on the railway take from the mains; that said, the one at EG hasn't been in use for a while. I have a vague recollection of being told about a leak in the system that needs fixing when I queried this recently, but I can't wholeheartedly say that was the absolute case so happy to be corrected on both matters.

Edit to add that the RO machine will only treat/clean the water - it still has to be sourced from somewhere. Typically this is the mains, and the system filters out the solids that can cause scale build up in the boilers.

 

Thanks for that. So back to and building on my original point. If the Bluebell don't have a secure water source of their own for however they process it before it goes into loco tenders, then they are now in area (if I have interpreted the news correctly) that from today has been declared to be in severe drought. Me only finding that latest news since I started this particular discussion - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwm243lrgdpgo

I suspect and hope the Bluebell will know better than me if they are in that severe drought area, and if so, will have plans to deal with it.

Bryan

 

Believe the water comes from Pellingford Brook, which runs under the railway to the south of Sheffield Park station.

 

The East Grinstead tower has a leak so is currently out of use. Not sure when it will be fixed, but engines that require a top-up at the north end of the line will fill up at Kingscote on the up.

 

When I sign on in HOPS, I get a statement saying that all four stations have working water sources! EG was out of action I know, but is now presumably fixed.

The only locos that really need intermediate water are Terriers (and the P tanks when they come back), where a complete round trip is a bit marginal. The custom is to diagram the water stop at Kingscote on the up journey; firstly I think it plays a bit nicer with the timetable, and secondly because of the amount of climbing on the line, Kingscote on the up journey is approximately the half way point in water usage for a round trip.

East Grinstead, Kingscote and Horsted Keynes all use mains water as far as I am aware. Sheffield Park can use mains, recovered water from the carriage shed roof or water from the brook; part of the commissioning of the RO plant is to find the optimum way to balance between those sources.

Tom

 

Thanks for clarifying that Tom, wasn’t aware it had been fixed.

 

Are you on duty this weekend?

 

No, for the first time in several years I'm not rostered for GoS - off for an OUCC reunion in Oxford for the weekend. But at least I have had a day on one of the visitors!

Tom