Sheffield Park Loco Works News

Considering we've raised £51k just from folks giving change and the odd 'Tenner for the Tip' on the trains during August alone I'm not sure you can say the fundraising is 'deeply in the mire'.. It's just that there is rather a lot of rubbish needs shifting at Imberhorne, and unfortunatly it'll cost the rather absurd sum of £3m (of which we have currently have £1.5m). I will admit that the optimistic outlook of getting the thing done 'next year' is something that's probably going to need revising unless we can find a few rich benefactors. As I understand it the problem is that it costs such a lot to do even a day or two's digging at the tip, we need to raise enough money to make it worth the while of the railway and the contractor (Ideal world - £3m raised - we can do it all in one go). The infrastructure and everything for doing the job are in place.

On a more positive note, the future does look brighter for the loco department, and perhaps the line is starting to beat the 'loco crisis'. Having read the news from one or two other lines at the moment, I think the Bluebell should consider itself lucky in terms of having 6 steamable locos currently when a few other 'premier' lines are having trouble running any..

 

Come come, Gordon, surely everyone knows it's better to shout loudly from behind a pseudonym. Isn't it..?

 

Wheres a moderator when you want one!!! I thought this was a thread about the loco works and politics was banned from this forum? Please stick to the subject and grind your axes somewhere else.
Most of the railways at sometime or other go through a loco crisis, ELR had no steam available for August bank hol weekend, NVR has put back its gala weekend and not many years ago I visited the NYMR and they had no steam available,the Mid-Hants also struggled a couple of years ago when they were very dependent on 73096, these things happen, personally I think the guys at Sheffield Park have worked very hard not to get into the difficulties some other railways have suffered and are now looking a lot healthier, so hopefully they can now look forward to better times.

 

While this should possibly be in the photography thread, I have to say the job done by the Loco works on 34059 is superb, as illustrated by this couple of shots.

http://crjennings.com/preserved steam bluebell/page 5/bluebell Images 15.html

http://crjennings.com/preserved steam bluebell/page 5/bluebell Images 13.html

 

Great shots. 34059 is indeed a credit to all the guys in the works and the Bulleid society. I remember when it was just a rolling chassis stuck at the back of the shed without even the motion restored!

Getting back to news from 'the works', I managed to speak to a member of the loco dept on Saturday, and he said theres still a lot of interest in getting the Q class 541 into the works when space allows.

 

Also going back to Works news I think 541 is next in after 847 because I think it's supposed to be in better condition than Stowe. Be good to see 541 back in steam but the same for Stowe.

 

Will be good to hear and see 541 running again. The Q's I dont think were particularly popular in the real days but 541 seemed to run ok on the Bluebell and on paper at least is an ideal engine for the line, would be interested to hear of anyone with experience of when she ran Bluebell trains, she is certainly a nice sounding loco.
Have a listen here.

http://crjennings.com/preserved steam bluebell/page 1/bluebell Images 9.html

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKzFVmYKR7Q