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Bluebell Motive Power

Discussion in 'Steam Traction' started by Orion, Nov 14, 2011.

  1. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Hopefully you'll come down before 488 is finished, given the likely lead time!

    Just as a general catch up, the locos currently being worked on etc are as follows. I'm not going to get drawn into dates!

    Wainwright P class 0-6-0T No. 323
    Wainwright H class 0-4-4T No. 263

    Being overhauled by the main workshop (boiler and mechanical overhauls):

    Maunsell Q class 0-6-0 No. 541
    Off site at Leaky Finders, Devon, for boiler and mechanical work. Tender being overhauled by MLS volunteers at Sheffield Park.

    Maunsell Schools class 4-4-0 No. 928 'Stowe'
    Boiler off site at HBSS, Liverpool. Loco chassis off site at Quainton Road for mechanical work. Tender at Sheffield Park (overhauled but not painted, AFAIK).

    Wainwright P class 0-6-0T No. 27
    Riddles 2MT 2-6-2T No. 84030
    Riddles 9F 2-10-0 No. 92240

    All being progressed by volunteer-led projects at Sheffield Park

    Marsh H2 No. 32424 'Beachy Head'
    Awaiting final assembly, painting and commissioning

    Adams B4 0-4-0T No. 96 'Normandy'
    Adams 415 class No. 488

    In Atlantic House, pending work starting on overhauls (96 is likely to be tackled first while 488 is investigated. Funding for No. 96 is from the Bulleid Society; 488 likely to be funded in similar ways to Beachy Head)

    Also the Crompton and Thumper are progressing under their various teams at Sheffield Park and Horsted Keynes.

    Riddles 4MT 2-6-4T No. 80151
    Riddles 5MT 4-6-0 No. 73082 'Camelot'
    Bulleid BB 4-6-2 No. 34059 'Sir Archibald Sinclair'
    Hawksworth Modified Hall No. 6989 'Wightwick Hall' (On hire)
    Stirling O1 No. 65
    Stroudley Terrier No. 72 'Fenchurch'
    Class 09 Shunter

    Nominally available for traffic (subject to washouts, minor maintenance etc)

    Collett Dukedog No. 9017
    On loan to the Vale of Rheidol Railway

    Wainwright P class No. 178
    On loan to the One:One collection, Margate

    The remaining dozen or so locos are generally on display out of traffic.

    Tom
     
    Last edited: Mar 7, 2024
  2. Big Al

    Big Al Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator

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    I'm glad you modified your comment. I have no sense that the Bluebell keeps a line of locos sitting around dropping rust flakes off them waiting for overhaul. There was a time when they wrongly thought that any bit of rolling stock with historical interest had to be kept at the Bluebell 'for posterity' and that resulted in an unworkable linear scrapyard. But that was then.

    As for the Atlantic, it's worth comparing and contrasting this loco with all the brouhaha over the P2. Unlike the A1ST the Bluebell Railway has just been quietly going about its work of creating a magnificent and useful loco for the line that plugs an important gap in the LBSCR story book.
     
  3. Dan Hill

    Dan Hill Part of the furniture

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  4. Steve B

    Steve B Well-Known Member

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    I also note that the Class 73 (or should that be 74?) has been out and about recently - is it formally available for traffic now?

    With regard to 488, I am also glad to see her being overhauled. I don't normally get sentimental about individual locos but it was riding behind 488 in 1965 that started my interest in railways and their history (and the older the better). I think I would be very tempted to make a special trip to Sussex when she returns to steam.

    Steve B
    Edit - uncertainty over my class numbering
     
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  5. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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  6. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Last I heard still undergoing trials, but had gone to East Grinstead including the normal test of restarting a train on the 1 in 55 gradient.

    Tom
     
  7. torgormaig

    torgormaig Part of the furniture Friend

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    No, you were right about it being a Class 73. The Class 74s were an electro-diesel conversion from the 1958 built Class 71 electric locos with, I believe, a bigger diesel engine than the rather under powered diesel in the class 73s. Here is a picture of one at Bournemouth in 1970. There are no 74s surviving in preservation but there is a 71 in the NRM's collection at Shildon

    Peter
     

    Attached Files:

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  8. Steve B

    Steve B Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for that - I probably should have looked it up first, but I'd already pressed "send" before I doubted myself. Am I right in saying that the engine/generator in the class 74s took the place of a flywheel motor/generator set, or am I thinking of something else?

    Steve B
     
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  9. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    That's correct.
     
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  10. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Looks like it is No. 65's turn to be our roving ambassador this year (and what a fine engine it is!) Now announced as visiting the KESR again for their gala in June.

    Tom
     
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  11. misspentyouth62

    misspentyouth62 Well-Known Member

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    I know that you aren't looking to get drawn into dates Tom but is there a time soon when 34059 comes out of the paint shop and joins the fleet as shown here and having run in some more?
    There is no mention on the Bluebell web site of 34059 at the Branch Line Gala next month (or when I last looked) yet the elsewhere it states February for painting completion.
    Or is it safer to just work on a return for Giants of Steam Gala in the autumn?
     
  12. alexl102

    alexl102 Member Friend

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    I have no insider info, but I wouldn’t expect that the Branch Line Gala would be a target for the light pacific - it’s more a small engine event
     
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  13. Ben Jenden

    Ben Jenden Well-Known Member

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    No point keeping it for Giants. Otherwise it's a waste of a year of its boiler ticket. I expect it to be running by June latest.
     
  14. MuzTrem

    MuzTrem Member

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    It's nice to see her spreading her wings! Could you maybe give those of us in the frozen North a chance to see her at some point? She'd look grand at Keighley or Embsay...

    Sent from my SM-A125F using Tapatalk
     
  15. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    You could come down south! ;)

    Given the way loco exchanges often have a degree of mutuality, I wonder if a Bluebell loco going to the East Lancs could be a possibility given the two that came our way last year. (No inside info, I hasten to add, just idle speculation)

    Tom
     
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  16. Ben Jenden

    Ben Jenden Well-Known Member

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    Announced on Facebook by its loco owners... 6989 "Wightwick Hall" is now staying for the 2025 season.
     
  17. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

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    Interesting - we are going to have a surfeit of big locos next year! (Sir Archie, Beachy Head, Camelot, 80151 and Wightwick Hall, not to mention 541 at some point).

    Tom
     
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  18. Dan Hill

    Dan Hill Part of the furniture

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    Interesting news. I'd have thought the loco situation would have been quite healthy for next year and it's loan would no longer be required (not necessarily that it's a bad thing, it's good to have plenty of available locos in case something comes up). Subject to usual caveats with overhauls, I'd have thought the railway have the following available for 2025 (excluding 6989 staying):

    72
    323
    65
    263
    541
    80151
    73082
    34059
    32424
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2024
  19. Ben Jenden

    Ben Jenden Well-Known Member

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    It was said a few Bluebell News ago (Spring 2023 I think) that 65's driving wheel tyres are almost on their limit which will require replacement. As far as I know, they haven't yet been replaced so I'm assuming it'll be taking a backseat over the next couple of years to last till the expiry of its ticket and have them replaced at its next overhaul.

    That probably be a smallish reason why 6989 might be around a bit longer.
     
  20. ghost

    ghost Part of the furniture

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    Could also be to allow a bit of leeway in case 541’s overhaul takes longer than expected
     

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