Bluebell Motive Power

I did hear a rumour this morning, and yes it's only a rumour, that due to so much money being made from the extension opening that not only Camelot's boiler is being sent to Crewe but also that of 34059's. Can Tom or anyone else confirm please?

 

Don't know for certain, but I seem to recall at the AGM there was talk about one or possibly two boilers going, and 34059's would be the obvious other choice right now. Of course, I don't know exactly what the capacity of LNWR is to deal with two large boilers simultaneously, which might put a constraint on timescales. [Additional thought: it's probably not in the Bluebell's interest to have both boilers finished simultaneously either, since it would would swamp the available space in the workshop to have Camelot and Archie being reassembled at the same time. So logic suggests that even if the rumour is true, we'd want to stage delivery so we don't end up reassembling both locos more or less simultaneously].

With regard money, it is not only extra fare income, but where it has come in the year. Normally, the first six months of the year are quite lean and then you recover in the second six months (which has both the summer holidays and the Santa season). So that limits the ability to take on major expenditure in the first half of the year without taking out an overdraft to be paid back in the second half of the year. It also means you have to have a lot of confidence that the second half of the year will meet expectations - it would be easy to spend money in Jan - Jun not yet earned on the basis of a predicted strong second half of the year, and then be caught out by poor summer weather and snow at Christmas runing your summer and santa seasons. I believe the budgets this year were set on a very conservative prediction of flat passenger numbers but a small increase in fares, so any increase in passenger numbers over and above last year effectively looks like a bonus and can be more confidently channeled into a project straight away.

In addition, filming revenues this year have been well up on what was budgeted. That's really just luck of the draw, not directly attributable to the extension. (Historically, the target budget for filming has been set very low because it is so unpredictable; again that means anything above that very low base effectively becomes a kind of windfall).

Not really loco-related, but there is also a plan to channel some money into drainage work in the tunnel with the aim of preventing winter closures due to ice (a problem that has effected us for several of the last few winters). That opens up the possibility of a double-ended santa programme (SP -HK and EG - HK) which wouldn't have been possible otherwise if we were not confident about being able to keep the tunnel open all through December - a couple of years ago we had to make substantial refunds when several days of the santa season were lost due to ice in the tunnel.

Tom

 

The option is maybe to hire out the smaller steam locos to lines that they are now more suited to maybe KESR and use the money gained from this to hire in a suitable loco.
The point about other railways not using regular diesel services I think the bluebell is easily the longest standard gauge line that does not yet all other the NYMR SVR and West Somerset all use diesels of DMU on a regular basis maybe there reaches a point in line length and weight of service train that it becomes necessary.
I could suggest a DEMU might be a good idea and fitting in nicely with the location.

 

Surely Archie's boiler is going away as a result of the fundraising effort last year? Hasn't that been the plan for quite awhile? Bluebell doesn't have a dedicated boilershop yet, and doing Archie's boiler in house would take up a lot of workshop space, which really needs to be allocated to assembling 541 and 73082, as well as making a start on other overhauls (65?). Sending both Camelot and Archies boilers away makes perfect sense if funding is available.
Daniel

 

Current loco position is, U+9f+H+2*P.

Expected loco position is, C end of June + S15 mid/late August.

 

I hope so then we can have her back in steam. Would the boiler have to be removed in the works though which would mean it having to go in after 592 or 847 return and would the chassis then stay in the works or get moved out until the boiler returns?

I think it was said that 34059 needed £60,000 for the repair work and the Big Give appeal I think raised just over £38,000.

 

Worrying news reported by Martin Lawrence on the Bluebell e-mail group today is that the U class has received some minor firebox work carried out that should see it back in service soon. However it may not last until the Santa season as by which time more serious problems may cause it to be withdrawn.

 

Does this mean that the U is not currently in service? I only ask because I'm probably going to drop in over the weekend and the Bluebell website has the U working every day this week. The absence of the U would not be a deal breaker for me, but if it's not available I'd love to know what's working instead...

 

I'd take a guess at SE&CR ones...

Seriously, I'll update if I hear, but might not be until the end of the week, if at all. I'd doubt the U-Boat will be in traffic.

Tom

 

Much appreciated.

 

Thanks Tom, I hope 1638 lasts until the Q comes back to steam as if the 9F leaves us before the Santa trains we could be left with just one large loco (S15) to take the bulk of the workload, Unless we have to hire in another large loco for the Santa season?

 

Im also planning to visit on Sunday and Monday. It would help if the loco roster was updated as it has not been since 23rd May and does not reflect the loss of 473 and 1638.
Suppose I will just have to phone up on Saturday?

 

Normally the Public Train Information page is a better indication of what is running, as it is updated at least weekly and sometimes more frequently if changes are known about. The loco roster tends to be more in the nature of a long term plan taking into account the service, planned washouts etc, but stuff happens...

http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/pti/

More positive news: the S15 has had its out of frame steam test, so with any luck should be in traffic by August. The C class has had its cylinders refitted and it is hoped (last I heard) to be in service before the end of June, for the Edwardian weekend. I've heard conflicting things about the U-Boat, but at least with the S15 done (as far as boilers are concerned) with any luck there should be some boilersmith capacity if the problem with the stays is not too serious. It's worth reflecting that when it entered service in 2006, a paper presented at the AGM suggested that the high mileage it would have to run meant that it was unlikely to run beyond 2012, so we've had a bonus that she is still running. But she is starting to get mechanically tired as well, as evidenced by the recent injector problems which recently meant the fireman's side injector had to be swapped for the one from the Q class.

Tom

 

Thanks for info.
Public train information page again not been updated.Still has 473 as well as 1638 being serviceable.

 

Not 473 - not showing any future operation (for that matter, the loco roster has also had all B473's turns removed).

1638 was only definitively failed yesterday - I suspect there isn't a published plan for its replacement, which is why the PTI isn't updated. The person who does the updates has access to all our rosters, traffic notices etc, so he will no doubt update as soon as he knows what the plan is. As I say, that page is normally updated much more frequently than the Loco Roster (and also includes the carriage roster), but don't expect information to be updated before it is known!

Tom

 

I can't understand why 92240 doesn't feature in the Bluebell's short term plans. I've been told by a senior member of the Bluebell shed management that it doesn't need much doing to it and could probably be turned around in 12-18months. Seems to me that a quick fix like that ought to be hard to ignore, particularly when a member of the same class is already being hired in.

 

Really just a question of workshop space and capacity, as far as I can see. Yes, I believe that estimate of about 12-18 months is right, but that is assuming a clear run to work on her. Right now the workshop is full of 847 and 592, with 541 and 73082 (and probably 34059) all needing time in the workshop thereafter, not to mention repair work on the running fleet. In other words, 92240 might take only 12-18 months, but what would you stop work on in order to start work on her?

I'd suspect that one of 92240 or 80151 would be high priority candidates as soon as space and capacity is available, which might be after 847 is finished, or maybe more likely after 73082 is finished.

Tom

 

I realise that with in ticket 34059 473 592 and 1638 all out of service the Bluebell has problems.Leaving only the 2 Ps H and on loan 9F to operate the service.So it must be very difficult to provide the timetabled service.

 

The Bluebell's requirement in the long term plans are that they only require 1 from 34059, 34023 & 92240.

92212 was hired in to cover for 34059 which only needs approx 9 months work once the money was raised and space becomes available in the workshop.

I agree with Tom that workshop space and capacity appears to be the issue. Repair work on the running fleet appears to have delayed the overhauls of 847 & 73082.

The long term plan mentions that ideally one of the larger engines is a tank engine so I would expect 80151 is the most likely loco to enter the works once 73082 is completed.

 

A brief update on the Bluebell website is suggesting that 1638 should be back in action by the weekend. I guess we won't know until probably Friday, but it at least sounds hopeful.

Tom