Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Yes, give it a chance.

 

Its a poor show that the BB management can't put on a gala this year. I've always seen a gala has a show case for the railway and a big thank you to all the volunteers and members for their hard work they have put in to the railway over the year.

 

What about the two weeks festival in mid summer when Tornado is coming, the "Bluebell at War" event, the "Edwardian Weekend" event … ?

Tom

 

Most other railways have special events like war on the line and so on. But still find room to put a steam gala on. I do take the point about Tornado which should be a big crowd puller.

 

I agree. Because there are none at the Bluebell this year I have decided to visit more gala's at other railways.The West Somerset and possibly the Churnet Valley this Winter/Spring ( in adddtion to the GC and the Midhants which I usually go to).

 

I would rather travel behind Tornado on the mainline, and would prefer to see the T9, a Manor( any) and 5322 visit.

Southern at War ( Bluebell at War - internal politics?)usually clashes with something else I want to do, this year 1-Zulu-48.

 

The Summer festival falls in the middle of the main operating season so the money would already come in. Autumn steam galas bring in money on damp weekends in late October when the line would otherwise be pretty quiet.

 

The T9 must be due a visit, we seem to be the only ex-Southern line she hasn't visited at least once during this ticket.

 

I wonder what the maximum load it would be allowed on its own? With 6 coach trains now required another loco would be required, one of the P's ?
Must visit the Swanage during its month long visit

 

It would be down to an agreement between the Bluebell and the NRM (as owner), but I suspect you would be in similar territory to the H class, i.e. about 140 tons. Enough for four Southern or three Mark 1 carriages (four at a pinch); enough for the Golden Arrow set, but certainly not enough for a six-coach set of Bulleids / Mark 1s.

Tom

 

When 30120 visited at last years spring gala at the MHR 30120 worked five MK1s up Medstead bank. I would think the T9 should be able to take five at the BB.

 

Stick her on the SR green set and I'd be happy. Be twice as happy if she was in a proper livery.

 

Don't forget the steepest bit of the Bluebell is a bit steeper than the MHR, so the gravitational pull is a bit bigger. In the end, it would be the owner's call if they were happy to see the engine worked that hard.

Tom

 

Yes but the MHR isn't really steep, is it?

 

+1 for Howard & Skippy at the gala. At least put them on display, then I might come.

 

Indeed. The bluebell was pretty busy this morning, which given the nay saying on here, you would have thought unlikely.
Quite a few families, who were more than happy to be on a DMU, with the opportunity to see the track from the drivers viewpoint.
I would estimate that the services I travelled on had 3/4 of the seats occupied.

A few pictures from this morning available here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/timw1/sets/72157640424081065/

 

I like dmus if I can get a seat at the front - used to almost fight for such seats when there were old style dmus on the Settle and Carlisle back in 1989!

John

 

Was looking at the photo of the relay on Freshfield bank. On the BB website.
http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/pic2/wn/2014a/freshfield_patp0640_22jan14h.jpg

Query I have is What is the item visible in the ballast to the left of the new track?
It runs all the way along, I thought initially it was Pads, Clips and Plastics but then noticed all the track is clipped up.
Or is it the new Pads etc waiting for the new rails to be fitted?

 

Looking at it, the BB are relaying in 30 foot panels using slave rails, presumably to be followed up by 60 footers.

It's interesting to compare the BB & NYMR's major relays presently going on. The BB have gone in for pre-fabricated panels but AFAIK the NYMR has basically used one tracked machine for the whole job, assembling everything on site. No doubt Bryan can give a much more detailed explanation of what has gone on. The old rail & sleepers have been lifted and loaded onto wagons and the formation levelled. All the materials were laid out alongside before the actual relay started and these have been lifted in a couple of sleepers at a time. The NYMR relay is well over a mile (I think!!) and has been accomplished with far less personnel than are evident in the photo of the BB relay in effectively four weeks, which I consider to be a fantastic effort. That's not to decry the BB as I have no knowledge of what has been done nor the constraints that they have had in doing it although I think that the formation has also been dug out, which hasn't been done on the NYMR. Both are excellent professional jobs.

 

I'd be very happy to pop over with my fireman and give a crack. She's surprisingly sure footed and powerful. Having driven it on our very flat bit of railway, which is of course very flat for 4 miles in one direction and dead flat, plus very flat for 6 miles in the other direction, I suspect that providing the rails are of a reasonable standard and not too moist, it shouldn't pose too much of a challenge to get a round trip out of the old girl.