Bluebell Northern Extension - so what's occurring then?

[h=1]AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE LEWES & EAST GRINSTEAD RAILWAY [Hardcover][/h]MARX KLAUS (Author)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/ILLUSTRATED...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354685536&sr=1-1

 

Dan

I think the wheelchair accessible Mk 1 probably does the biggest annual mileage these days, but the Obo has a thirty year head start in preservation!

Re Klaus' book: It's "An illustrated history of the Lewes and East Grinstead Railway", OPC, ISBN 0860935477. It's out of print now I believe, but Amazon has a second-hand copy for sale (other online purveyors also available!) It might be worth giving the Bluebell shop a ring as well, as they may have a new copy - that way any profit goes to the railway, not an offshore tax haven...

It only covers the preservation period briefly (though there are some interesting photos of the NLR tank and Birch Grove at work demolishing the northern section of the line!) but it is very thorough concerning the L&EGR / LB&SCR / SR / BR periods, and with lots of early photos.

Tom

 

Was thinking about this a bit more. Applying the above rough calc to our current line (with 1:60 gradient, not 1:55) implies a P could shift about 130 tons on a 1:60 (at low speed), and we allow them 70 tons while maintaining line speed. So we are setting our load limits quite conservatively in terms of absolute haulage power, but with the obvious caveat about fall-off of TE at speed and water consumption.

Given the above, and given the fact that in timetable terms, there is no pressure on speed between KC-EG-KC (the limiting factor on the timetable is the time taken to get an up and a down train through the SP - HK section - see discussion about a million pages upthread), we could cope in timetable terms with engines running rather slower than 25mph for the steepest bit of the gradient. I'm also fairly certain that, knowing how much water a P uses to go one way from SP to KC, which won't change with a given load, there is still plenty in hand for two miles more running. (Typically a P uses about 250 - 300 gallons to run 9 miles from SP to KC with a 70 ton load, so still leaving about 300 - 250 in hand for the last two miles).

So putting all that together, it is possible we may decide that actually we don't have to change the load limit at all: the current relatively generous margin of available TE over load, and the relative shortness of the gradient, and the time available in the timetable if we drop a minute or so between KC and EG from what is optimally possible, may all point to keeping the current loadings. Certainly doing so would be operationally useful.

(Though, as an aside, the C&W are working towards putting sufficient and the correct types of carriage into service that a 4-car "core set" is viable, with brake, 3rd, 1st and wheelchair facilities; currently we need 5 cars to provide all that. 4 coaches, even Mark 1s, would be within the capacity of the E4 and C class. We would then, as the SR did, add "strengtheners" to the core set at peak times).

Tom

 

Aha! That makes much more sense about the obo... Quite a handy purchase by the early preservationists when you think about it...

Thanks for the book tip, I'll look it up!

Dan

 

Worst case scenarios or footplate stories?:rain::smow:

 

I believe the LNWR built two such coaches. Knowing what we do now about 1503, if we could travel back in time and buy the other one, we would in shot - if only to allow 1503 some much needed TLC in the works.

We have I believe looked now and then at other similar coaches, such as the LMS inspection saloons of which a few are preserved on various railways. However, the Obo has a seating capacity of 72 seats and the LMS saloons about 35 I think; and economically for our Autumn Tints / Bluebell Specials, what is viable with small loco + one coach + potentially 72 passengers isn't viable with small loco + one coach + 35 passengers. Hence the amazing value 1503 represents - 72 seats and brake capability all within 28 tons...

Tom

 

What about converting a DMU driving trailer for use as an Obo, like the one which used to operate on the West Highland?

This one, I think: BR 56356 Class 101 DMU: Driving Trailer Composite Lavatory built 1958

 

It would need some work doing! The real daddy of all Obos must be the LNER beaver tail one, that used to grace West Highland metals. I think it has ended up at Shackerstone; at least I saw it there a couple of years ago.

 

Erm - was that a serious suggestion?

Anyway, taken at face value, I'd suggest no, firstly because we don't have particular concentration of skills in dealing with that type of vehicle (our expertise is more in wooden bodied carriages); secondly because we would simply not be able to enthuse volunteers to take on that sort of project rather than, say, any other vintage vehicle; thirdly because we simply could not enthuse donors to take on such a project. Nothing against DMUs if you like that sort of thing, but, well, I suspect a riot might break out in Bluebell circles that would make the arrival of the first incoming charter being hauled by a diseasal look like a gentlemanly conversation amongst friends

Tom

 

There is also the Devon Belle car at Swanage. It's a lovely vehicle, but really its niche is as premium tail traffic to charge a supplmement on for normal trains, or for private charters for small numbers, where you can have food, drinks etc. We do use our LNWR Obo for that purpose (at least as tail traffic), but the real killer use is that it forms a high capacity, but light weight, fully formed train it its own right, because it has 72 seats but also can act as a brake. If we had two, I suspect we could run both together with a P tank sandwiched in between, and at certain times of the year, could probably sell out two such vehicles on some services.

Tom

 

It was a serious suggestion, although I was citing that vehicle as an example of a similar conversion and not as a possible restoration project.

 

Footplate stories I was thinking, that was a great read!

 

BBC Radio Sussex interviewed Chris White yesterday about the project. Probably the most interesting snippet to emerge was that track should be laid throughout (i.e. joining up the two ends of the line) by Mid January.

News article here: BBC News - Bluebell Railway extension nears completion

Tom

 

Thanks, dan.lank, for your kind comments. I have one or two. I'll perhaps open a thread in the bullhead memories section.

Regards,

jtx

 

Reading the BBC news thread. The BB only requires 200.000 to complete the extension. Won't take to long to find this amount of money compared to how much has been donated so far. Next year would be a wiz bang of a year once the extension is open. I would think next summer season will break all records for the Bluebell in ticket sales.

 

We'd like to think it'll be a good year! Latest estimate of the funding gap is £150k - £175k.

And just to show how far we have come, take a look at this photo of Kingscote, ca. 1990. (not mine). Looks like the ground was so boggy that year that even the signalbox sank

Tom

 

Thanks for sharing the photos of Kingscote and Sharpthorne Tunnel ,the Bluebell has really come on far. I like the picture of the "sunken"signalbox.

 

Work has started on the new Bluebell Railway water tower at East Grinstead.
Pictures at FOR STEAM AND VINTAGE RAILWAY ENTHUSIASTS - Featuring pictures of the Bluebell Railway extension
.

 

Current speculation on the Bluebell Yahoo group is that the signalbox didn't sink; rather, it started that size as a nice sapling and after twenty years of loving care and devotion and careful watering it grew to its current size. Whereas the current south box is still bonsai...

Anyway, back at the plot: Robert has posted pictures (above) of the beginning of work on the EG water tower. My understanding is that it should be finished and commissioned before the opening, though I guess (see the discussion about watering arrangements a few pages back), it is one of the few parts of the current works that isn't mission-critical, because the Kingscote tanker could always serve as a northern water supply (if necessary moved to the EG cripple siding) until the water tower is commissioned.

Tom

 

Good pictures of Kingscote and West Hoathly, I remember going as a kid with my Dad to look around before track reached there.