Bluebell Northern Extension - so what's occurring then?

Presumably better when there's some steps/stairs by those doors then, I guess… ;-)

Simon

 

Ah yes, I see what you mean. The wooden walkway will continue, but I assume construction paused until the coach had been craned in to avoid any inadvertent damage during that move, and to make final positioning of the coach easier.

Tom

 

Since late afternoon yesterday 4-5 on snow has fallen in East Grinstead. Yesterday evening the roads had not been gritted so driving was hazardous.The last 10 miles of my journey home from work hour took about 1 3/4 hours.I am working from home today.

 

Latest film, covering the "white fishplate" ceremony. As Roy Watts says, "we might go westwards one day, we might even go south, who knows, that would be an interesting project, but that will be for someone else to do, because as far as I'm concerned, you guys deserve a well earned rest!"

[YOUTUBE]8dyJU7KySig[/YOUTUBE]

Tom

 

RP has made some comments on his website about the nearness of the EG runround road to the public, and that he thought some protective fencing was to be put in place. I would imagine that part of the training for steam crews in the run up to the EG opening will be about being "good neighbours" at EG, keeping the loco quiet, no excessive smoke, etc. It can be done!

46118

 

The operating instructions and training, certainly for loco crew, stress the need to minimise production of smoke, excess steam (blowing off etc), operation of draincocks etc. For a loco that has just worked hard up the hill and is returning fairly soon afterwards, there shouldn't be any need to open draincocks in normal service, and in any case, the steam comes out forwards, not sideways! There are also speed limits in the station area that are, in part, designed to ensure no-one is trying to make starts that are excessively vigorous / noisy. But it all strikes me as being within the bounds of good enginemanship...

Tom

 

Unless you hire in S160 6046 from the CVR of course!

 

Oh, what's the story there? Sideways blowdown?

The steam also comes out sideways on the MHR 9F, but we aren't planning to do blow downs within station limits at EG!

Tom

 

Sorry, thought you meant cylinder draincocks, not boiler blowdowns. You certainly wouldn't want to blowdown the boiler in any station, but the S160 cylinder cocks discharge sideways too.

 

I was joking about blowdowns! I think RP was worried about cylinder drain cocks, which was the subject of 46118's original post. But given the nature of the line and timetable, it is very unlikely a loco will spend enough time at EG that the draincocks would need to be used, at least except in very unusual circumstances. We have very explicit instructions to loco crew about handling locos in a way to minimise disturbance, while still ensuring safe operating practice - the fact that the railway might actually think about such things in the run up to opening has evidently passed RP by!

Meanwhile, back at the plot: according to one of the volunteers, "19 volunteers at NEP today in the cutting, S & T wiring, brickwork on water tower at EG station, fitting out catering coach, tamper working south from the viaduct into the cutting, EG distant now illuminated. Replaced 30ft rails with 7 pairs of 60ft rails - ends cut, drillled, clipped and fitted in final positions. " Oh, and it was snowing...

Tom

 

Deleted

 

Tom: Assuming the tamper is on schedule, when will crew familiarisation runs take place, and presumably the Railway Inspectorate will need to visit in the next few days to look at the actual engineering works, and no doubt some paperwork?

Initially at least, will Kingscote to EG be in effect "one engine in steam" operation ?

46118

 

Taking them backwards -

Yes KC to EG will be one engine in steam, for at least until the phase 2 resignalling takes place in the year 20-ahem ahem... For normal service it actually won't make much operational difference: for example, the length of time to go KC-EG-KC with time for a run round and taking water is basically similar to the length of time needed to get up and down trains through the SP-HK or HK-KC sections; so effectively not being able to cross trains at EG doesn't actually act as a limit on the timetable. Where it will make a difference is for movements to / from the mainline, since the only way to let a train in is to take a token from KC up to EG by road; and when a train leaves, the token will similarly have to be returned by road. But I suspect mainline moves, especially during normal operating hours, will be rare.

With regard the tamper, it has been in action today and I assume will carry on for the next few days. Hey, guess what, photos from John Sandys! NEP Photo Update, Thurs, 14/03/13 - a set on Flickr

The official handover date from infrastructure to operations is 18 March and crew familiarisation will take place during the following week, before March 23.

With regard a visit by the Railway Inspectorate: My understanding (and I may have got completely the wrong end of the stick) is that there is a process of self-certification. The ORR are, as I understand it, concerned to ensure that we have an appropriate process for managing safety, rather than providing a hands-on certification. So we have had class room training for opertaional staff, there will be crew familiarisation, there have been updates to the the Bluebell rule book and Sectional Appendices, and no doubt many other things that have happened, but ultimately - at least my understanding - is that opening will be our risk.

Tom

 

Many thanks for the regular updates Tom!

I'm intending to come over to the Bluebell on the 24th of March, would it be essential to book ahead to travel on the line on that date, as I would rather just arrive and pay on the day, especially as I was hoping to be able to ride on any train at will?

Thanks,

Chris

 

You shouldn't need to book ahead. I'd expect it to be fairly crowded, but AFAIK, the only trains that were pre-booked (apart from the obvious Pullmans etc) were the first up and first down service on March 23. March 24 is just a normal gala all day ticket type deal.

See Sunday 24th March

Tom

 

There can't be an upper limit on tickets for a Gala can there? Would be very difficult to manage if there was. It just might be you don't get a seat all day!

 

Would it not be possible, on the assumption such moves would only ever happen on a non-operating day, for the move to take place EG to KC (or vice versa) under a possession or a "one engine in steam" scenario?

 

It is one train in steam! (not one engine in steam: you can have two or more engines, but only one train)

Under normal circumstances, the driver gets the token at KC, drives to EG and returns to KC with all the vehicles the train started with still attached and returns the token. (Under exceptional circumstances, you can return with fewer vehicles by locking a failure in the cripple siding: there are specific operating instructions for that). But for an incoming vehicle from the mainline, what you can't do is drive one train to EG, leave it there while you bring another train in from the mainline - you now have two trains in the section! So instead, a pilotman will take the token at KC and then walk or drive to EG to meet the incoming train, which then returns with the token (with the pilotman on the footplate) back to KC. In the long term, it will be possible to have two trains passing at EG, but that is a major signalling task and will be a long way off, IMHO.

Incidentally, the entire line between KC and EG is track circuited, so the progress of a train can be followed from KC signal box. The track circuits are non-standard (for the Bluebell) 24V AC due to the issues of ground leakage in the vicinity of 750V DC third rail on the mainline.

Tom

 

Could a light locomotive or even the Wickham trolley take the token to EG an then be locked in the cripple siding? On the subject of which, has it been shortened? I refer to the lone buffer stop on the viaduct.

 

No. The cripple siding is for failures, not just a convenient bit of track to get round the signalling rules!

Worth remembering that the distance from KC to EG is about 2 miles by road - say 5 minutes drive. The pilotman can get the token, drive to EG, park at our station in EG and walk down to the ground frame ready to let an incoming train come in, all probably within about 15 minutes. I doubt you could drive a Wickham from KC to EG and lock it in the cripple siding in that time.

No, it is as long as it has always been. Not sure why those buffers are there; I assume in due course they will be removed.

Tom