Bluebell Railway General Discussion

Flying Scotsman seems to be very quiet here, though there has been a good number of photos on Facebook.

Part of the daily diagram sees FS arrive back at Sheffield Park on Platform 1, but depart from Platform 2, which involves Fenchurch doing a shunt with an eight coach train on the slight rise out of Sheffield Park, which is quite entertaining each time. There's also a bit of rare track - for those who like such things - if you are booked on the LNWR Obo, since it loads its passengers in the platform 2 milk dock, and then has to get shunted each time via the pumphouse siding onto the back of the train before departure; a consequence of short platforms. (And to think Fenchurch had already reached 50 while Flying Scotsman was still just pieces in the Doncaster erecting shop!)

Anyway, I was running foreman yesterday; here's about the three photos I had time to take.

Preparation under way: much rebuilt A1 meets somewhat rebuilt A1 ...



Going past the loco yard ground frame and off shed a couple of minutes early at about 09:30



A few minutes later, taking water - a large crowd looks on.



FS running continues into next week, and then there is a period when it will be on display in the loco yard, arranged to allow footplate visits accessed via the corridor tender.

Tom

 

You can still shunt coaches containing passengers? Wow! On the NYMR there’s no platform permissive working with class 1 & 2 trains other than for the train loco to couple up. We’re not allowed to put a loco into a platform road with coaches containing passengers to get it off or to shed.

 

Something made me look at the SP webcam yesterday (having not looked for a while & totally forgetting the visit was happening) and wondered why the platforms looked very busy with everyone looking north, just as FS arrived back. Is it a 7 or 8 coach train Tom?

 

FS still has its white cab roof done for the Kings visit to NYMR.

 

It's 8 coach

 

Yes, not common but happens occasionally. It would always be some kind of special event.

I think we used to have a move at Branch Line gala where a seven coach set got split into 3 + 4 which headed in opposite directions at HK, and reformed into 7 on their return; I’m sure the splitting move happened with passengers (can’t remember now about the joining move).

What are class 1 and 2 trains?

Tom

 

I thought there was no problem with that providing there are facing point locks or the turnouts are locked manually

 

Steve, I’ve never been able to understand the inconsistencies as to whether shunting of occupied passenger trains is permitted or not. For example, 6 nights a week, Caledonian Sleeper trains are shunted at Carstairs and Edinburgh.

 

Express passenger and stopping passenger respectively.

 

I note that this is NYMR's, and omits some classifications used on the "big railway" - see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Train_reporting_number#Train_classes for a more up to date view. Class 9 is used much more widely, as a guide to trains that need particular attention from signallers for operational reasons, where the route letters may not be enough (e.g. all Thameslink and East London Line trains).

 

Permissive working involving running lines has to be approved by the ORR, be authorised in the Special Box Instructions, specifically the for that line and class of train and whether it is for platform sharing and/or attaching/detaching. It also has to be a signalled move. Emergency Permissive Working can be specially authorised in an emergency.

 

Shunting of trains containing passengers was an everyday occurrence on the big railway with platform permissive working. I don't think it is banned nowadays but doesn't happen too often. Coupling and splitting of MU's must happen reasonably regularly but I doubt there is much shunting of loco hauled stock with passengers on board.
Things were tightened on the NYMR after the unfortunate collision in 2021. Now, we can't even add a coach to a train containing passengers and, as I said, make any movement towards a train containing passengers unless it is the locomotive that is going to haul it going to couple up. A bit of a knee-jerk reaction IMHO. Shunting is avoided as much as possible. I can't remember the last time I buckeyed any coaches.

 

Yes at one branch line weekend the Southern set top and tailed with The H and C was split in the platform at Horsted Keynes while passengers were on board including me.

 

We do it reasonably frequently ...

Bringing it back to FS: The current Flying Scotsman set is 8 coaches (Obo or GN saloon, depending on the day + 7 coaches with buckeyes). Because it is the third of three trains to depart Sheffield Park each morning, it has to go in the carriage shed (to leave the Newick and Pumphouse sidings free for the first two service trains). So it gets berthed with the Obo in the milk dock, and the other seven carriages split in two groups in the carriage shed (which is only six coaches long); that has to get assembled each morning and split up each evening by the pilot loco (Fenchurch).

I think back in 2017 the Flying Scotsman trains were 6 coaches + GN saloon, so we had the attaching / detaching move for the GN Saloon then, but not the whole pavlova of also splitting / joining the main train each day.

Tom

 

New Road Bridge, HK today…

Photo : Carol Mitchell

 

Paid a visit today (had an inclination to pop down while Scotsman was visiting at the end of last week). As usual had an enjoyable day and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Was good to see Chris Cooper paying a visit to Horsted Keynes too.

6989 seemed to have had an issue as it was in steam in the loco yard, but with 80151 covering it's services (which sounded in good form). Was interesting to see the Obo movements with Fenchurch as mentioned above by Tom, with Fenchurch cheekily carrying the Flying Scotsman headboard that accompanied Scotsman on many occasions since returning in 2016.

Following Scotsman's return to Sheffield Park it was amusing to see someone flying over the station in a sort of Gyrocopter doing a few fly overs.

 

6989 was failed with tender brake problems

 

I went to photograph the breakfast Pullman train about three hours earlier, opting for the foot crossing near Horsted House Farm. For me, the big attraction was the chance to try a new location rather than the actual loco. In spite of having been taking pictures at the Bluebell for over 40 years, I have not been aware of many northbound trains running before 8AM during that period and even fewer, I suspect, which have run on a cool early morning in full sunshine, However, having hardly seen a car on the road during my journey or spoken to anyone beforehand, when I neared my chosen spot, I noticed that there was quite a gallery in place already, including two French enthusiasts and a man of East Asiatic appearance - perhaps Japanese. I was quite amazed by how many people had foregone the chance of a lie-in on a Bank Holiday morning to visit a spot that required at least half a mile's walk. I believe there were also quite a few people in the field from which Dan's photo was taken. Scotsman therefore can still draw the crowds. I also very much hope the Bluebell's finances have benefitted from its visit.

 

A couple of minor (non-FS) updates.

Firstly, “Aquila” has now been sold - I don’t know the destination before anyone asks. Just “Carina” left.

The second point, previously remarked on, was that when “Fenchurch” entered service, it had painted numbers on the cab / bunker sides. Those have now been replaced with proper cast number plates, completing the look.

Tom