It Won: Bluebell Railway Carriage LC&DR 51

This is like election night, except Peter Snow doesn't have any weird charts or a swing-o-meter, when is the winner announced?

I've also put the word out on my Twitter (if anyone bothers to read it) as well as the Bluebell Railway Flickr group

 

I have rung 10 times from home phone and twice from my mobile.

 

I would thank everyone who has thus far voted for the Bluebell Railway project.

To those of you who haven't, I would remind you of the telephone number you need to phone to cast your vote(s).....

0871 626 88 51

The phone lines close at 12 midnight. Calls cost 10p from BT landlines, call charges from other networks and mobiles may vary. A few seconds of your time this evening could see another 19th century 4-wheeled carriage back in service, and offering wheelchair users the opportunity to experience travel in a 4-wheeled coach formed within the railway's Victorian heritage train.

Chris

 

I have voted for this. Excellent project idea.

 

have rated this thread and made it sticky.

 

I see via Twitter that the Cholsey & Wallingford are throwing their support after the project

 

Nice to know somebody reads my tweets! Happy to support a great project - I'd love to see a dedicated disabled vehicle on our line one day. I've voted 5 times!

 

here is a link to the programme featuring the project http://www.itv.com/meridian-east/fullprogramme/ (starts at about 6 minutes) the winner will be announced on the Meridian East 6 o'clock news tomorrow

LINES ARE NOW CLOSED

I feel quite confident of victory, but if we don't there still a £50,000 grant to the best runner-up

 

We've won!

 

Fantastic !

IMHO the best project clearly won here...

 

The Bluebell Railway WON the funding in yesterday's phone vote that it needs to restore the derelict 4-wheel LC&DR brake second carriage No.51. Therefore by Christmas next year, the railway should be able to offer wheelchair users a comfortable and nostalgic ride aboard the railway's Victorian heritage train.

To everyone who has made this possible by voting for the Bluebell, I say........



And finally, thanks also go to Admin and the Moderators for allowing use of this forum for the purpose of promoting the project.

Chris

 

Excellent, thanks to everyone that voted

 

Well done to all involved thats excellent news.

 

Well done all around!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Everyone wins, we get a carriage to photograph, disabled passengers get a proper ride and bluebell gets an extra attraction and revenue.

 

This news makes up for the fact my team lost badly in the pub quiz tonight - best 50p I spent all month.

Well done and good luck with the restoration!

 

Thats great the bluebells won to restore the carriage.

Will look great once the carriage and wagon team finish the carriage.

Well done to all.

 

I have found out via the Bluebell Yahoo group that the Carriage 51 project got 10,830 votes. The Uptown Players got 621 votes

 

Don't think there has been an update on this carriage (on Nat Pres) since the original lottery funding was secured, but for anyone who isn't aware, the restoration has been completed and the carriage was launched into traffic this weekend.

This means that wheelchair-bound passengers can now enjoy travel on our Victorian train. Hopefully, the operating department will roster the carriage (with maybe the Mets in the first instance) on the 12pm / 2pm / 4pm service most days; not only will this mean wheelchair accessible vehicles on both service trains but more use for our Victorian stock. But that's a hope from me; I haven't had that confirmed.

In the intervening year, it has undergone an identity change from LC&DR No 51 to SE&CR 3360 - this is because the intention is to turn out the SCER set in Edwardian livery to match the SECR locos, so the colour is a deep purple lake. (The LBSC 4 wheelers will be turned out in Victorian livery).

See http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/whats_new.html for details of the relaunch. (on 26 May 2011)
See http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/cw_news/3360.html for details of the restoration.

For those that don't know, this carriage started as a 4 wheel brake coach, identical to no 114 (http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/pics/coach114.html) already restored on the railway - changes involved removing a partition and converting the resultant space and the brake compartment into a saloon with space for wheelchairs, with access via the brake compartment double doors. Plus of course all the "normal" work in restoring a four wheeler, including preparation and shortening of a suitable van underframe.

This is the third 4 wheeler in service on the Bluebell. Currently in the works is a Stroudley brake 3rd (949) and another Stroudley 3rd (328); and I believe another LCDR five compartment 3rd (668) will now be taken on by the group that did 3360. I believe also that in due course 114 (currently in LCDR varnished teak livery) will be painted to match 3360.

Tom