Bluebell Railway news

[Colin]

A few pics: we went to the Bluebell yesterday, for my much-delayed 60th birthday treat (I'm 61 in a couple of weeks!), which was afternoon tea on the "Wealden Rambler".

Train engine was the H 0-4-4T, others in service were Stepney, C 0-6-0 592 and the S15.

Got to say the locos all looked superb, especially the S15 which I've never seen running before.

As for the H and C, I'd very much like to see either/both in either BR black or SR olive green for a change - just an observation, NOT a complaint!

Both vintage coach sets were also in use alongside the Bulleids and Mk1s - fantastic restoration effort, hopefully some more of the Maunsell coaches might appear in similar condition soon!

 

[10800]

Happy belated birthday Colin, I've just done the same today (same birthday too) but on the Pullman diner in Fingall, sorry not to have seen the Birdcage sort-of set though! Some pics later when I get home.

[Colin]

Looking forward to seeing them, Rod!

[phil-b259]

As for the H and C, I'd very much like to see either/both in either BR black or SR olive green for a change - just an observation, NOT a complaint!

 

The C class cannot be in olive - Freight only engines were black (with some green lining up until the early 30s when it was done away with). Personally it would be an interesting thing to see, because the only other engines that could carry that livery are the P tanks - the Q class didn't come out until after the green lining had been dropped. In model terms though both Hornby with their SR liveried black motor, and Bachmann forthcoming C class release both feature this livery style

 

(note while the S15 was initially a freight design, they quickly became used on stopping, semi-fast and holiday relief trains which meant they got Olive fairly quickly)

 

As for the H tank - that would have indeed carried lined olive green until WW2 followed by lined black in BR days. One argument against repainting the H tank of course is the fact that 'Birch Grove' is running in olive as B473.

 

Liveries are an interesting one though and in some ways, given the wide variety of stock locos on the Bluebell have to work with, it is actually pretty hard to get engines and coaches looking like they 'belong' together if you get my drift. To my mind the Chatham liveried locos just look 'wrong' with green liveried stock. They work well with the Mets, and I can see the SECRs maroon coaching stock livery working well to. Olive green locos look good with olive, teak or pullman stock but look 'wrong' when matched with BR or even malachite green. Black tends to work well with pretty much everything but without lining looks a bit too plain. LBSCR umber to my mind is far to dull and depressing really and I think the E4 looks much better in olive than it did when it was brown. Brown locos also don't really 'work' with most coach colours either.

[cornelius]

We went on the Bluebell Santa Special last Christmas, and were sent complimentary tickets for a return family visit along with the feedback survey. Now that's good value!

[Colin]

The C class cannot be in olive - Freight only engines were black (with some green lining up until the early 30s when it was done away with). Personally it would be an interesting thing to see, because the only other engines that could carry that livery are the P tanks - the Q class didn't come out until after the green lining had been dropped. In model terms though both Hornby with their SR liveried black motor, and Bachmann forthcoming C class release both feature this livery style

 

(note while the S15 was initially a freight design, they quickly became used on stopping, semi-fast and holiday relief trains which meant they got Olive fairly quickly)

 

As for the H tank - that would have indeed carried lined olive green until WW2 followed by lined black in BR days. One argument against repainting the H tank of course is the fact that 'Birch Grove' is running in olive as B473.

 

Liveries are an interesting one though and in some ways, given the wide variety of stock locos on the Bluebell have to work with, it is actually pretty hard to get engines and coaches looking like they 'belong' together if you get my drift. To my mind the Chatham liveried locos just look 'wrong' with green liveried stock. They work well with the Mets, and I can see the SECRs maroon coaching stock livery working well to. Olive green locos look good with olive, teak or pullman stock but look 'wrong' when matched with BR or even malachite green. Black tends to work well with pretty much everything but without lining looks a bit too plain. LBSCR umber to my mind is far to dull and depressing really and I think the E4 looks much better in olive than it did when it was brown. Brown locos also don't really 'work' with most coach colours either.

Thanks Phil - I'd forgotten that the C's never went green! Black it is then (best freight livery IMHO!)

I rather like unlined black - an elegant loco like the C would still look good in its final BR livery (but without the habitual filth they all seemed to carry as the '50s became the '60s).

I definitely agree about the E4 - it's a picture in olive, much nicer than umber!

[Oldddudders]

 

I definitely agree about the E4 - it's a picture in olive, much nicer than umber!

Dead right - it looks smashing. It also comes closer to a real livery than it did in umber with the name, which it would never have carried in that livery. OTOH, Bluebell - and every other society - needs to please punters, and having obtained a very 'local' loco, since Birch Grove is just up the road, the temptation was too great to resist. After all, few other companies had names for their most humble tank locos - but the Brighton bestowed names on them all until about 1905.

 

If we want to be purists, then we'd each better buy our own loco and paint it accordingly. Sorted!

[brushman47544]

If we want to be purists, then we'd each better buy our own loco and paint it accordingly. Sorted!

 

34023 in a "what if" BR Blue anyone?

[Guest 47107]

34023 in a "what if" BR Blue anyone?

 

 

Put me down for a Terrier:   http://www.fictitiousliveries.co.uk/photo.php?S32662_sthn.jpg

[The Evil Bus Driver]

Wasn't umber Col. Billinton's choice?

[Oldddudders]

Wasn't umber Col. Billinton's choice?

Douglas Earle Marsh, I think.

[The Evil Bus Driver]

Douglas Earle Marsh, I think.

Ah ok. I know Billinton was less than impressed when someone suggested he modify his engines to allow clearance for the edges of station canopies. I think he said something like "Why should I modify my designs for the frill around a lady's petticoat?"

[Neal Ball]

A reminder that this Friday is the first Real Ale and Jazz at the Railway.

 

£32.50 includes your first pint & bangers and mash - plus a trip on the railway.

 

A few seats are still available.

[Anglian]

I paid a flying visit today as I was in the area. Great news to hear how busy the railway has been and also to see 847 in steam.

Edited May 21, 2014 by Anglian

[Mallard60022]

My favourite railway. I do miss working at Kingscote.

Thanks for the pics, especially the S15. May I copy that please?

Phil

Edited June 2, 2014 by Mallard60022

[David32424]

For those interested here's a link to my web gallery from the very last photo charter we had whilst the E4 was in BR lined black back on the 28/4/08.

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/105454327852537837128/PhotoCharterWith3247328408

 

With regard to the C & H being repainted, there's many of us that would love to see both locos outshopped in BR livery but whether that actually happens is another matter I'm afraid. The C would have to have it's chimney cut down in half as these locos had much smaller "squat" versions during the SR and BR era. So I can't really see the owning group being willing to cast another chimney or putting a blow torch to the one it currently carries. The H class is perhaps the best chance of a repaint and there is a willing with a number of members to see it in another livery as during it's time at the Bluebell it's only ever carried lined SECR livery. I'm sure the Commercial Dept. are well aware that a lined black H class would be seriously popular within the photo charter community and would gain a great deal of publicity and income from the steaming fees just as the repaints of the E4, 32655 & 9017 did. Unfortunately there is still a great reluctance and stubboness from some of the more senior members of the Bluebell to have any of the more vintage locos painted in BR livery, yes it really was a massive job to pursuade these guys to put the E4 in BR livery, and so a repaint of the H may never happen. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

[Express Blue]

For those interested here's a link to my web gallery from the very last photo charter we had whilst the E4 was in BR lined black back on the 28/4/08.

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/105454327852537837128/PhotoCharterWith3247328408

 

With regard to the C & H being repainted, there's many of us that would love to see both locos outshopped in BR livery but whether that actually happens is another matter I'm afraid. The C would have to have it's chimney cut down in half as these locos had much smaller "squat" versions during the SR and BR era. So I can't really see the owning group being willing to cast another chimney or putting a blow torch to the one it currently carries. The H class is perhaps the best chance of a repaint and there is a willing with a number of members to see it in another livery as during it's time at the Bluebell it's only ever carried lined SECR livery. I'm sure the Commercial Dept. are well aware that a lined black H class would be seriously popular within the photo charter community and would gain a great deal of publicity and income from the steaming fees just as the repaints of the E4, 32655 & 9017 did. Unfortunately there is still a great reluctance and stubboness from some of the more senior members of the Bluebell to have any of the more vintage locos painted in BR livery, yes it really was a massive job to pursuade these guys to put the E4 in BR livery, and so a repaint of the H may never happen. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

 

 

I would suspect that the income raised by filming work for Victorian/Edwardian period pieces could also have something to do with it.

 

I must confess that one of the attractions of the Bluebell for me is these and the locos in Southern livery. 

[Torn-on-the-platform]

Entirely my own opinion, but I wouldn't like to see the C class (or O1 for that matter) in any other livery. They are so ornate and look fantastic with the Mets and 4 wheelers. They also suit the more modern carriages quite nicely, particularly the crimson/cream set. Currently, there is nowhere else in the country where you can see engines in this livery in action. To see them in plain black would be a bit of a shame, especially for those talented individuals who applied the livery.

 

However, I do see the appeal of a H class in lined black, as I believe they were reasonably common in the area in BR days. At least it would be lined, whereas the 0-6-0s would be plain black.

[Torn-on-the-platform]

 

 

I'll add that I miss seeing Stepney in improved engine green, even if it was a nice touch to repaint it black for the 50th anniversary celebrations, and rather nice to see the results of the charters in BR black with the birdcage.

 

Edited June 2, 2014 by Torn-on-the-platform

[phil-b259]

The best chance anyone has got of persuading the Bluebell let the H tank go BR lined black is to offer a large amount of cash during the final year or so of its ticket. this is the tactic the supporters of a BR liveried E4 used successfully before its last overhaul (IIRC it spent most of its ticket in Umber with the non authentic "Birch Grove" on the thanks where LBSCR should have gone).

 

However in general stock terms the Bluebell is in the fortunate position of being one of a few select railways able to offer a true pre grouping experience. As nice as they are, lines like the Mid Hants, the Great Central and the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire are a 99% MK1 operation and sticking a ornately liveried pre grouping design on the front of such a train looks plain wrong to my eyes (Yes I know Joe public won't care but then if they don't worry about that then they are unlikely to be the same folk wanting the H or the C class go BR black in the first place). Paint the same loco in BR colours (or a late big 4 scheme) and generally speaking it looks much more attractive to the eye when sitting at the head of a MK1 rake.

 

Thus I can understand the resistance to painting non BR built engines (and coaches) into BR colour schemes as the pre-grouping experience is a definite "selling point" when it comes to marketing the line to visitors and film companies. However fans of BR black can at least be consoled by the fact that when the Atlantic appears, it will definitely be BR lined black for the first half if not the entire length of its first 10 year ticket.

Edited June 2, 2014 by phil-b259

[Neal Ball]

My photos from the Real Ale & Jazz event on 23rd May are now on-line at: http://www.nealball.co.uk/Trains/Bluebell-Railway/Real-Ale-Jazz-May-2014/

 

[Colin]

Made another visit to the Bluebell last Friday - couldn't resist taking yet more pics of the S15 - terrific restoration job. Snapped a few others in the shed yard (where's the 56xx from BTW? Bit of a surprise seeing that at Sheffield Park!)
The mixed Mark 1 & Bulleid BR green rake looked great too!

[Torn-on-the-platform]

The 56xx is from the Furness Railway trust. Previously based at the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, their locos now seem to lead a somewhat nomadic existence.

 

Their Furness No.20 visited a couple of years back too.

[Torn-on-the-platform]

This week, and for the next three weeks, the two P classes will be operating a two train timetable for the 'Autumn Tints Specials'. One train is 2 Bulleids, the other 2 Maunsells, this is presumably being done to make up for the fact that the more appropriate observation car is currently under maintenance.

 

The P classes rarely work alone, and this operation shows some parallel with the early Bluebell days, so a good opportunity to take something a little different from the current norm!

 

Braunton has visited today on a railtour from Arlesford.

[surfsup]

The 4VEP is on the move. As announced by the Bluebell on Facebook today, It is to move to Bombardier's Ilford Works to allow restoration to commence.

 

Our 4 Vep unit No.3417 left Clapham Yard at 8.11am this morning and was hauled over to Bombardier's Ilford Depot where she will undergo the start of her restoration as she will be used by Bombardier to train apprentices. The training of engineering apprentices is something very important to the Bluebell, so this a very positive opportunity.

 

Bombardier have been exceptionally generous with their offer for which "we" - Bluebell and SETG - are very grateful, and will ensure this unique survivor from the 1960s will return to full operational condition.

 

The SETG - formed of SWT personnel have been very proactive in seeking assistance and an article will appear in the forthcoming Bluebell News, and updates will continue on a regular basis as this programme evolves.

https://www.facebook.com/bluebellrailway?fref=ts