Bluebell Motive Power

It was in some of the earlier ones as I recall, can't be any later than the early 90's that it aired.

 

Didn't P class 753 on the KESR get a new boiler last overhaul? So getting a new boiler for 27 shouldn't be so hard, its only a matter of money. As three engines will need new cylinder blocks in the future (323 has a new old stock block this last overhaul), 178 needs the block soonest, and 27 next, it would seem sensible to go ahead and make a pattern and do some castings.
Daniel

 

Last update they're already making enquiries about new cylinder blocks for the Ps, although we weren't 100% sure whether the talk was 3d printing or poly-patterns...


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News on 27's overhaul ...

http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/loco_news/oh_27.html#latest

Tom

 

From the Bluebell e-Newsletter:

"Loco update: Gearing up for daily running

Since my last update, there have been the usual boiler washouts and general maintenance.

No. 3 "Captain Baxter" suffered a leaky tube while being prepared for service in late February. After removing the tube and examining it, we discovered that slag had been present in the manufacturing process causing a small abrasion to wear thin and pin holes to form. A new tube has been installed and expanded against both tube plates.

U class No. 1638 has developed an intermittent fault with its vacuum brake cylinder. Fortunately, we only have to remove the cover and piston, which will take place over the coming week. "Bluebell" is having some minor attention to its firebox. Once complete, it will undergo its annual boiler exam.

Inside the Works, Q class No. 541 successfully passed its final steam test on the 11 Feb., 2015. This highlighted some snagging items which we attended to, and it has been in steam undergoing tests around Sheffield Park. Apart from a blocked steam chest drain and lubricator feed pipe to the cylinders, the engine is complete. Once infrastructure work is done, it will venture north of Sheffield Park.

No. 73082 "Camelot" continues to take shape, with the boiler now sitting at the correct height within the frames and the smokebox offered up, marked out, and drilling of the holes ongoing. The boiler cladding is being rubbed down and primed, and the boiler crinolines (the part the cladding fixes to) are being screwed into place.

Schools class No. 928 "Stowe" continues to undergo extensive boiler repair. A new throat plate has been ordered along with steel for the new outer firebox. The inner firebox sides have been cut away and templates made for rolling the new sections to the correct radius. Outside work continues on the chassis.

All the new stays for C class No. 592 have been installed, and the boiler underwent its initial hydraulic test over the past week.

Offsite work continues, mainly at Flour Mill, where No. 65's boiler is coming together. New crown girders have been installed and inspected. The next stage is to complete copper welding to the firehole door ring and firebox before boiler tubes and fittings are installed.

At Crewe, work has stopped temporarily on No. 34059 "Sir Archibald Sinclair's" boiler, while the Works move to a new premises at the old Crewe South diesel depot. No. 34059's boiler will be the first to move to the new site.

With daily running almost upon us, I look forward to seeing you at the Railway!

By Chris Hunford, Locomotive Director"


Same source also has an update on the overhaul of No 27 "Primrose", and news of a grant of £10,000 to Camelot from the Hilary Awdry Charitable Trust.

Tom

 

New boiler, new cylinders, new frames for the last 5' at the rear and possibly new main frame plates, new tanks, cab and bunker, new front buffer beam, new connecting rod. New works plate?

Poor old thing. A salutory lesson in what happens when a loco is pulled apart and left for four decades in the open. I guess this rebuild will set the precedence for Stepney if she ever runs again, though it will in that case be rebuilding a loco that is completely knackered as opposed to completely knackered and completely corroded.

 

It's not only for aesthetic reasons I go on about "the linear scrapyard"! The Bluebell are not the only offenders in this regard, or the worst for that matter.

PH

 

My understanding is that 27 was originally dismantled in the 1970s when there was an offer of external labour and a job they could do was found for them (rather than necessarily a job that explicitly needed doing). When the labour dried up, there was no ongoing plan for continuing the restoration, hence the current issues. One outcome from that situation was an improved project methodolgy, such that projects cannot now be started unless there is a realistic resourcing plan (both financial and in people and space) to see it to completion. I think I am right in saying that, on the loco side at least, there are no locos that are currently dismantled except those undergoing an active restoration programme.

I suspect in any case that a new boiler (or at least substantial work) and cylinders would have been needed regardless, but clearly the frame and platework issues are worse now because of what happened forty-odd years ago.

With regard linear scrapyards - after Operation Undercover 4 is completed, no doubt we will have to think along the lines of securing undercover storage for out-of-traffic locos, somewhat along the lines of the SVR facility at Highley or, indeed, that of a certain Island-based preservation scheme bordering France Space and money permitting, of course - space might be the big issue.

Tom

 

Thinking outside the box, how about covering the scrap line with blue tarpaulins and using blue-screen technology (as used to good effect in the Muppets film - HK carriage shed becoming an American station!) to make them look like countryside? If all visitors were issued with VR headsets, this would have the added bonus that locomotives could be viewed in your personal livery of choice....

 

Just the tarpaulins would make things tidier and might keep corrosion at bay a little bit. Before it acquired an all singing, all dancing carriage shed, a certain railway used to overwinter its coaching stock under tailored tarpaulins. However it still needed an annual re-varnishing, which it has had this year as well.

PH

 

Nah, what you want is this. Whether to include the guns or not is another matter!

 

Both are impressive facilities, especially the IoW one given they're not due to get Ceefax until next year...

Not sure where you could realistically put such a facility though, unless you put it on the site of the current up yard at HK and move the stock, but that just seems like robbing Peter to pay Paul as there's nowhere for that to go.

 

Also the KWVR has a large amount off covered storage for both coaches and locos out of use. There maybe a more economical one especially the carriage storage.
The question that maybe you need to ask is do you need everything you have not point keeping locos coaches you are never going to get much use from even if they were restored.

 

That's really IOW, a place of contrasts in every way! For instance there is very poor mobile phone reception in the middle of the Island, yet steam trains which never "progressed" to vacuum from air braking and thus can really stop!

PH (This thread is getting a bit wayward - sorry)

 

How long does anyone know (if at all) before the Q is running? After the final touches are Obvs.

I tempted to make a special trip out to see the lovely engine.

 

There's not a definitive date - it needs to do test runs up the line before it can be released to traffic, but at the moment finding free time is slightly awkward, as there are some photo charters and also an engineer's posession booked. Once test runs have been successfully negotiated, I'm sure it will go into traffic quickly, if for no other reason than to relieve pressure on 847 and 1638.

Tom

 

Taken during the lunch break of today's S15 photo charter.

 

Damn that would look superb on the Mid hants BR liveried freight set or 3 mark1s and a milk tank on the Bluebell. Anything to ease the Bluebells slight concern over lack of locos.

 

Lovely video (not mine) of Q Class 30541 shunting at Sheffield Park, including pulling 73082 Camelot out of the works.

 

Nice! When you see Bluebell's cab roof barely up to the top of the smokebox, you realise what a big engine 541 is!

Tom