Bluebell Motive Power

My thoughts as well, Met loco no.1 paired with the Mets will definitely look superb and will hopefully garner some photo charters. But the red Prairie, I just can't see that many enthusiasts being too interested in paying for a photo charter with her because it's not a historically correct combination. My Dad did joke that perhaps one of the reasons that the we've managed to get the red Prairie is that maybe no-one else wants it

But joking aside, 5521 will hopefully give some respite to one or two of our own steam fleet.

 

That's because the loco/carriage combination was authentic, ok as you say the location wasn't, but you can't get everything right. The primary concern was getting Met loco no.1 paired with the Mets, I just can't see many of us photters paying to want to see a Prairie Tank in an unauthentic livery paired with the Cheshams.

 

Surely people need to look at the bigger picture when moaning about 5521 being in LT livery. Finding another loco to help cover the summer time table is the main priority.

 

People go out every week to photograph the Shakespeares, despite it being a Hall in early GWR livery on Mk 1s, 2s and pullmans.

 

Indeed. I don't think this move is anything to do with photo charters, and everything to do with taking a bit of pressure off the home fleet for the summer.

Tom

 

I don't think the BB management had photters at the top of their list of priorities when looking for another loco to hire in. I would think they is the more profit to be made out of running trains for the general public than running a few charters for photographers.

 

Yes totally agree with yourself and Tom, the main priority is that 5521 will take the pressure off the home fleet. In terms of us photters I can't see too many of us wanting to phot it on service trains let alone paying £40+ for a photo charter, who knows I might be wrong, but yes that is well down on the priority list. I just hope we haven't had to hire this loco in because the 9F is going to leave us sooner than expected.

 

That comment seems a bit to reasonable, what's the catch?

 

AFAIK, 5521 will be staying well into next year, until Camelot is back in service. (She will be leaving in September for her commitment to the LU10 events, but then returning again).

The hire period for the MHR 9f is not effected.

Tom

 

I found it interesting how the LT livery changed the appearance (to my eyes at least) - when I first saw a picture of it I initially thought "Barclay 0-6-0T" and had to look twice to check that it really was a 4575 tank.

 

What is? Haven't seem too many historically correct passengers getting on and off the trains, nor too many historically correct wage packets being paid at the end of the week... There's also a shortage of historically correct neglect and decrepitude, and there aren't too many historically correct fed-up-and-don't-give-a-damn attitudes amongst the staff either... Not much grinding poverty in some of the wayside cottages either.

You just have to accept the compromises that are necessary to actually run the system... If things had worked out differently on LU maybe a few 55s would have been useful alongside the 57s, who knows. Lets face it, we are all pretending one way or another, so why not: we're recreating the past more as we would like it to have been than it actually was...

[much later]
And if you consider the Mets say: which is less authentic: a GW Loco in GW livery hauling Met coaches or a GW loco in Met livery? You could argue that aesthetically the wrong loco in the right colours is better than the wrong loco in the wrong colours.

 

So if anyone wants to take a photo of the small prairie, but is put off by the LT livery, hang on until the autumn or winter and you can take a silhouette shot when you'll just get the outline and no detail of the livery! There are some good spots on the eastern side of the track either side of Freshfield where I have done this (obviously, the preferred location depends on which way the engine is unloaded)

More to the point, regardless of the possibility of running 5521 (or "LT150") with the mets, the most important point, as others have said, the Bluebell have found an engine that will alleviate the motive power shortage. Given the nature of the problem, the attitude of "as long as the trains continue to run with a steam loco on the front, never mind the question of authenticity" is perfectly reasonable. If a Southern engine or a BR4 tank had been available, no doubt the powers-that-be would have preferred such a loco, but I can't think of any such engines that would be available for such a lengthy hire period. A small prairie will certinly do what is asked of it. I was quite surprised how long a train 5553 was entrusted with over the steep and lengthy gradients of the WSR when I saw it a couple of years back. 7 carriages, if my memory serves me right.

 

Thanks once again Tom. Would make sense keeping hold of 5521 for as long as possible incase of anymore potential problems and help out with service trains and the Santa Specials. I wasn't expecting Camelot back next year though.

 

With regard Camelot, the theory is the boiler should be back by late spring 2014, which means with a following wind, she could be ready in time for the 2014 winter season. What happens in practice is another matter - no loco overhaul ever seems to take exactly the allotted time, so probably your slight scepticism is well founded!

Tom

 

Camelot was pencilled in for "early 2015" before the decision to send the boiler away was taken, so it ought to stand to reason that it has maybe a three month "start" on that (boiler went mid-June, we assume 847 in mid-August and then some remedial jobs on the other engines) before the boiler would have gone in at SP. I agree with the caveats above but hopefully with the work being contracted there ought not to be the delays due to work on the home fleet which would otherwise be the case.

Out of interest, and if anyone knows, is this the first contract overhaul done since they sent the Adams Tank to Swindon in the 1970s?

 

Depends a bit what you mean by contract overhaul - it is only part of the loco, not the whole overhaul. Other parts of locos have been overhauled off-site recently, notably the wheels and axle boxes / bearings for Camelot, which were sent to the SDR a year or so ago. Not to mention production of major components, such as the new cylinders for Fenchurch, and indeed quite a lot of Beachy Head.

What I think is probably new is that in all those cases, they were sent off site because the Bluebell didn't have the in-house capability to do the repair (for example, tyre turning, or the roller bearing overhaul on Camelot) - for the first time in a long time, Camelot's boiler is being done off-site to speed things up, rather than because it was beyond the technical capability of the workshop. I suspect it won't be the last time.

Tom

 

Quick update - the C had a steam test today; haven't heard the result but haven't heard anything negative either.

Still a bit of work to do, not least refitting the buffer beam! Still, if you want to see the offending cylinders that forced the initial withdrawal, this could be your last chance for a while

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluebellrailway/9194257490/in/set-72157634443438867 (not my photo).

And, as a bit of a diversion, and to prove that the Bluebell is not unique in having pressing motive power needs, a few quotes from DL Bradley about the state of some of the C class locos immediately after the last war:

Bradley also notes that, during the SR renumbering, A580 was renumbered A1580 (should have just been 1580 in the new numbering scheme), while 1711 ran with one side of the tender numbered 1711 and the other A711. If you modelled any of the above, people would tell you that you didn't know what you were doing!

Tom

 

Playing devils advocate, isn't it a bit hypocritical of some to accept 5521 despite it sticking out like a sore thumb, while complaining about the 33 being out at the weekend, despite it being as Southern Region as a Terrier ?.

 

Ah yes, the "I think you'll find" brigade. Always nice to put one over on them.