Michael Delamar Posted July 4, 2010 Author Share Posted July 4, 2010 shot on fotopic of 2 73's heading to East grinstead with wagons... http://alan-hazelden.fotopic.net/p65711650.html Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Delamar Posted July 4, 2010 Author Share Posted July 4, 2010 and shots of the 73's at East Grinstead, running round and on the viaduct http://www.slp.uwclub.net/spoiltrain/spoiltrains.htm Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Delamar Posted July 4, 2010 Author Share Posted July 4, 2010 18 wagons! should get plenty away with those http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbHnO1ihiok Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Delamar Posted July 5, 2010 Author Share Posted July 5, 2010 update on the bluebell site.. http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/ext/extprog.html#july10 Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Delamar Posted July 6, 2010 Author Share Posted July 6, 2010 pics of the first train of spoil leaving yesterday.... http://www.slp.uwclub.net/spoiltrain/spoiltrains.htm Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neal Ball Posted July 6, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 6, 2010 This evening at Imberhorne Viaduct Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Delamar Posted July 6, 2010 Author Share Posted July 6, 2010 footage of the train shunting at East grinstead. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGp7gru83bs Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Delamar Posted July 6, 2010 Author Share Posted July 6, 2010 and photos, not mine, just found on fotopic.... http://ashleysmith355.fotopic.net/c1868998.html Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Delamar Posted July 7, 2010 Author Share Posted July 7, 2010 pics of the tip being excavated. http://bluebell.fotopic.net/c1869133.html Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebell Model Railway Posted July 7, 2010 Share Posted July 7, 2010 Great phots and coverage by everyone, keep them coming! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Chris116 Posted July 7, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 7, 2010 Strangely enough, I asked the chairman of the society if there were plans to double part of the line when I did the 473 bus, and he said it's been seriously considered but they want to get to EG first. I think they were talking about doubling between HK and KC rather than HK to EG, and then just having token equipment for the ends of the line and eventually the Ardingly branch. Long, long time in the future though. I still think a West Hoathly station would be best, due to the presence of platform faces it would be a rebuild not a new build (due to the gradient down from the tunnel a new build station would be impossible under current regulations) so they could probably get away with it. Trouble is the local villagers don't want it. I have spoken to a number of villagers from around the old West Hoathly station and they all said to me that a FEW of the village don't want a station but a larger number would like a station! Now I may have just been speaking to the right (or wrong) people depending on your view point but certainly I found it intresting that all of those I spoke to were in favour. A couple of those i spoke to also said that the people who were against were very vocal whilst those infavour tended to be the silent majority! Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neal Ball Posted July 7, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 7, 2010 .......against were very vocal whilst those infavour tended to be the silent majority! Chris Isn't that always the way? - Guess the silent majority should speak out, or at least find a means of speaking out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neal Ball Posted July 7, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 7, 2010 Great phots and coverage by everyone, keep them coming! I tried to get a 'photo of the excavation, which is near on impossible as at 7pm at night we were chased off Mill House Farm bridge by the locals and there was no-where else to park:-( Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Delamar Posted July 8, 2010 Author Share Posted July 8, 2010 some footage of the digger and tracked dozers in action, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBSChRSrEpw Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Brunel Posted July 8, 2010 Share Posted July 8, 2010 Is it true that during previous excavations, several Mini subframes were found? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neal Ball Posted July 8, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 8, 2010 Is it true that during previous excavations, several Mini subframes were found? Not sure about Mini's - certainly a load of tyres were found. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Emily Posted July 9, 2010 Share Posted July 9, 2010 I've not seen evidence of much more than tyres found in the fill - I'm sure that they would have included a photograph of any weird things found. They did find, in the clay and stone fill at the other end I believe, the hub and spokes off a steam traction engine. There's a photograph of it somewhere. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neal Ball Posted July 10, 2010 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 10, 2010 10% of the tip has now been cleared. The next excavtion is scheduled for October, when another 10% will go. http://www.bluebellrailway.co.uk/bluebell/whats_new.html The Council are due to start work on the road over the North end of the tip, which will last 4 / 5 weeks. I think that is Imberhorne Lane, where the council tip is. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Delamar Posted July 10, 2010 Author Share Posted July 10, 2010 looking forward to seeing pics of the tip and how much theyve got away Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Bus Driver Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 I think the day is approaching very fast when the villagers at Sharpthorne / West Hoathly will be asking the Bluebell to re-instate the station, maybe a couple of years (or less) after EG is reached.... They will soon realise that the Bluebell could open up their village to the outside world, without bringing additional road traffic and that would mean they can get to the outer world easier. You're probably right. Most likely the Bluebell will have included it in their plans, at least in a passive capacity. I think most locals concerns are that hordes of tourists may come and clog up the streets, not wanting to drive to Sheffield Park or Horsted Keynes to park. Perhaps a similar restriction to that at Kingscote could be instituted, where you can't park at the station but can buy a ticket if you're on foot. This would be a great opportunity to rebuild the station as it would have been prior to closure, covered wooden footbridge and all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodnok Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 You're probably right. Most likely the Bluebell will have included it in their plans, at least in a passive capacity. They are certainly aware of, and using the site - construction supplies for the East Grinstead extension were delivered there. Whether they have plans to re-establish the station is another matter. I think most locals concerns are that hordes of tourists may come and clog up the streets, not wanting to drive to Sheffield Park or Horsted Keynes to park. Perhaps a similar restriction to that at Kingscote could be instituted, where you can't park at the station but can buy a ticket if you're on foot. It would be interesting to hear if the restriction at Kingscote works - are there instances of people parking around the corner, out of sight of the station? If there are problems with this, then it is unlikely that Sharpthorne residents could be persuaded to change their view. When viewed as it is at the moment - a destination for tourists (bringing their cars and parking them all day, but then either staying within the confines of the Bluebell all day, or travelling onward on the Bluebell to other locations), it's not a particularly attractive proposition. But with the East Grinstead connection, this view could change. Firstly, some of the tourists will arrive by rail, connecting at East Grinstead. Also, the potential road traffic would likely be attracted to East Grinstead too. With this, and a successfully enforced parking restriction (which would be a lot easier when the East Grinstead site is open), the station could be viewed as a source of potential visitors without cars to the towns and villages along the line. This will obviously depend on the precise location of the stations with respect to anything said visitors would consider interesting (if it's too far to walk, they won't bother), and also what the timetable is like (without enough services, people are unlikely to get off the train to go exploring, as catching a later train could be a problem). I can't see any thoughts of using the Bluebell as a form of transport for local people though - it doesn't run for long enough (nothing outside 11am - 5pm AFAICT, even on the most intensively worked days), or on enough days (transport links need to run outside of school holidays and weekends, and it looks like the Bluebell doesn't). Unfortunately, to operate the kind of service that viewing the railway as transport would dictate wouldn't look anything like a typical Bluebell operating day. Remember, the Bluebell pride themselves on being an all steam railway, including all the shunting and so on, even though there are a few cracks in this image from time to time. The stations and signalling aren't set up in a way that would facilitate this kind of service either, even if a relaxation of the Bluebell "rules" allowed a stray heritage D(E?)MU onto Bluebell metals. I was vaguely hoping that the success of the Wealden Exclusive might have weakened their anti-diesel rhetoric, but as far as I can tell that was rationalised as an interesting one-off fundraiser for the tip clearance, not viewed as potential continuing revenue. Trying to persuade the all-steam heritage tourist railway that it could operate a passenger service with a DMU (even if it's a genuine southern DEMU) isn't going to happen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Delamar Posted July 12, 2010 Author Share Posted July 12, 2010 Ive been very impressed with the bluebells operations and theyre fund raising, such as having open days at east grinstead, even one to watch the first spoil train, anything that brings in cash is great. wonder if it would be a good idea to have brake van rides from east grinstead to the tip when the station is finished with one of the small locos? although logistically it would be hard, coal watering, servicing etc, but may prove popular when the spoil trains arnt runnning. and again more cash towards the tip and I wonder if the spoil trains could manage more than 18 wagons? how many wagons would fit from the buffer stop to the end of the viaduct, 9 in the station area, would just mean some more shunting, but it didnt take them that long to fill a train and also impressed with those small tracked cat vehicles, thought they where great especially the way they can swing round, and I think where unloading straight into the railway wagons Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
micklner Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 A couple of questions without obvious coverage on the Bluebell site? If you are aware of the answers please How much of the tip is to be actually removed? it would appear that 20% is this years target ? What does the Carriage building being built at Sheffield Park actually look like when finished / Hopefully not a steel frame with metal sheets on the outside , this will ruin the look of the Station area ? and turning it into a "Tesco" lookalike next door . thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Ive been very impressed with the bluebells operations and theyre fund raising, such as having open days at east grinstead, even one to watch the first spoil train, anything that brings in cash is great. wonder if it would be a good idea to have brake van rides from east grinstead to the tip when the station is finished with one of the small locos? although logistically it would be hard, coal watering, servicing etc, but may prove popular when the spoil trains arnt runnning. and again more cash towards the tip and I wonder if the spoil trains could manage more than 18 wagons? how many wagons would fit from the buffer stop to the end of the viaduct, 9 in the station area, would just mean some more shunting, but it didnt take them that long to fill a train and also impressed with those small tracked cat vehicles, thought they where great especially the way they can swing round, and I think where unloading straight into the railway wagons Mike I suspect the spoil trains are limited to 18 wagons (near enough 1800 tonnes laden weight)because of constraints with haulage, as this is about as heavy a load that a 66 can haul and still have the acceleration required to run on the busy route from East Grinstead, across London and on to the tipping site. Those small tracked dumpers, and their even smaller bretheren, the tracked wheelbarrows, are amazing- wish they'd existed when I worked on building sites. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Delamar Posted July 12, 2010 Author Share Posted July 12, 2010 well Im pretty sure this is exactly what the trial was for, to evaluate time, cost,loadings etc. I was surprised how quick they got the trains loaded, I think it was 10 minutes for each wagon they could proabably in an ideal world have 2 trains in a day, morning and evening? but then its a case of money and more complications maybe they should have road haulage aswel? Mike Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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