Good News from the Bluebell

Although I love Tornado and 70013, David is right that 42085 is more relevent to the line itself and is a holy grail as Spamcan81 said to those that saw these locos on the line. I was seriously looking forward to seeing the Fairburn because of this and because it was built locally in Brighton.

 

was the defect known before the engine arrived, if so then any owner would probally agree to it staying for a few weeks longer as a way of saying thank you for repairing my loco, does the lakeside need it right now? i would not write off seeing it run, but if the plan was to send it just to run and the defect was found on an inspection then some agreement normally takes place i cant see the bluebelle repairing it if they arnt going to get use of it either once its repaired or at a later date after all how does anyone know that some deal hasnt been struck that would see the fairburn being exhanged for a bluebelle loco at a later date to allow both railways to make sonething out of it after all the re opening of east grinstead is the next big milestone might it be better to wait till then and say exchange one of the bluebelles engines with the fairburn for a monthif its still in ticket?

 

592 is on the Wealden Rambler departing Sheffield Park at 2:32, and then on the main set departing SP ad 4:47

 

According to the Whats New on Bluebells website the work was prearranged and on 6th Feb the spring change occurred, therefore the problem must be something unaccounted for.

 

http://train.fotopic.net/p63309206.html Derek Hayward has photos of current progress on 178, it's going to be tiiiiight.

 

Yes progress is going very fast. But I don't think 178 will be ready by Saturday because it looks close but I suspect that there's a lot more work required.

 

I think it'll be ready enough to be in light steam next weekend (saying that has reminded me that 21C123 didn't manage to run at her own relaunch day, but no one seemed to mind) but it won't run trouble-free straight out of the box as it's a 'first timer' in preservation (just my thoughts, not having a dig at the workshop team) I reckon we'll see her in proper passenger service the following weekend top and tailing the mets with 672.

 

I agree, i think 178 will be in light steam. Because i doubt there will be time for fiddling around with wheels and valve settings b4 this weekend. Could double head with 592 though.
9017 likely replacement.

BTW the reason for no wtt, is that on the thursday before any gala, as bob deeth of MHR told me, they conduct ftrs on the locos, see whats available and then finalise the draft
of the timetable.

 

Bob Deeth would know - A very experienced and very educated engineman!! He has endured many a good run with a bulleid!! Which I am sure is 35008!! Probably his favourite of all time!!

 

So what about all these other railways that do manage to produce a working timetable in advance of the event...?

 

Thats a new excuse!
Never heard a railway use that one before.....

 

As mentioned in the Gala thread, all is not lost for Branch Line weekend regarding the Fairburn. Should know on Thursday if it will be fit to run at the weekend.

 

That's not an excuse. It's sensible, at least for those railways which run an intensive service in the lead up to the event. If you aren't running the locos in the days before, you can pretty well do a mechanical FTR well in advance of the day and be fairly confident that it will be available.
It begs the question, do some railways really do a realistic FTR? I have experience of sending a loco to one railway and I put the' first aid' kit of spares in the smokebox as the loco has no lockers or other convenient place to leave them. I even told them in an e-mail. They discovered the rather charred first aid kit when they eventually got round to cleaning the smokebox out after the third steaming. And this wasn't a small outfit

 

That's not even just an FTR matter, the steamraiser should have checked the smokebox before each steaming!

Three steamings with the char building up, must have had a scorched smokebox door by then!

Mike

 

I agree! Fortunately the loco hadn't done much work during its three steamings, one of which was supposedly for an FTR(!) and another a photo charter.

 

That may be so, but it is at least possible to publish the intended loco roster well in advance. All timetables will have the caveat of 'subject to availability', 'may be subject to change without notice' etc. Certainly at Swanage we publish the planned roster, and if something happens to change it then it is covered within those terms.

That's appalling, both from a railway point of view and the point of view of the person/people who lit up.

 

Lewisb06, it is not an excuse but a reason why the MHR galas always work. It is an excellent idea, it means that people dont come down expecting one thing, and seeing another.
Bob Deeth is an excellent railwayman and knows what he is doing and makes MHR the success it is operationally.

 

I think (nay, know) 'Lewisb06' has also played a part in organising a few galas as well, all of which have had loco diagrams published well in advance and all of which have been regarded pretty well by those who visited. My personal experience of Mid Hants galas is that they have mainly featured short days and trains getting later through the day. But lets not get all 'my railway's better than yours' about it...

 

your right, what i meant to imply by FTRs on thursdays is that that is when the bluebell will probably do theirs and finalise the WTT.

 

Its poor management. Producing a gala timetable and diagrams can and should be produced in advance as possible...say 7-10 days.
Every paying guest has no problem if a loco is withdrawn due to whatever failure.
Advertising the loco diagrams is good for the business and also good for making the event profitable.

Or could it be an excuse to charge extra £'s for the working timetable.......

I suggest you read other forum threads on the MHR galas then over the last few years....You will find plenty of critism.....
Late running does not mean a gala works!