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NEWS FROM THE BLUEBELL RAILWAY | 24 NOV., 2019

Stop Press: Track Re-Laying Complete

The Autumn re-lay was completed on 21 November with a final tamp. The photo, taken by Clive Whitcroft on the 20 November, shows the completed line and the L&W track brush.

The initial ballasting and tamping process involves an excess of ballast which then needs to be removed. The L&W device uses a revolving brush to dump excess ballast on the shoulder of the formation.

Infrastructure Update: Autumn Track Re-Laying

The autumn track re-laying involves 13 panels of track beyond Leamland Junction at the north end of the Horsted Keynes station area. 

During the history of the line, this section has suffered numerous slips and the northern end (Fire Slip) has recently been showing signs of instability. Both Southern Railway and British Railways had repaired the embankment with ash and cinders which is hardly the most stable building material.

The embankment had a lot of work done on it back in 1991, and this month's attention is to deal with some minor residual problems.

The track also has been realigned, moving by around a foot to the west, in preparation for which the adjacent signal post was replaced earlier in the year. The wooden sleepers, laid more than 30 years ago, are now being replaced with concrete, and the second-hand rail installed at that time replaced with new.

Eleven panels were initially re-laid from the end of Leamland Junction. The last two panels required excavating a metre down and stabilising the embankment. Work started on 4 Nov., 2019, and by lunchtime on 13 November the line was reconnected, ready for ballasting and tamping.

By Bruce Healey

The photo from 13 November shows there is only the flat-bottomed-to-bullhead transition panel to re-lay. This view looks north from the first panel. The recently replaced signal can be seen in the middle distance.

Car 54: A Top Job on the Toplights

When Car 54’s previous owners started restoration work at Carnforth, one of the tasks they embarked upon was the toplights. They were stripped into component parts, and glass, handles, and rain strips were removed from some of the fixed sections.

When we acquired the Pullman, one of the first jobs was to make sure we had a complete set of toplights. This was important because we do not have any suitable spares. These toplights are bigger than on any of the other cars for which we do have spares.

The first job was to remove the green scale that had built up as a result of them being exposed following stripping of paint and lacquer by the previous owners. Next, we polished the inner brass frames. They took a lot of work as we found some bad areas of corrosion that required removal before proceeding further. We then re-tapped the screw holes. As the screws were the same size as those found on the other cars, we still had some left following previous restorations.  

After this work, we had to make wooden patterns for the new glass. Once we had the glass and acquired the putty, the long job of reassembly started, as well as making sure the screwheads line up, which is a challenge in itself. 

We are repolishing the inner brass sides, which will then be waxed instead of lacquered. A coat of etching primer is being applied to the exterior side, which will then have undercoat and topcoat applied before fitting. As part of the restoration of the toplights, we are also remaking the missing handles, catches, and rain strips.

By Derrick Warner

SCENE ON TWITTER

@WillReeves71 Nov 16

Childhood dream to drive a Steam Train completed with Footplate Taster @bluebellrailway

Halloween Was Spook-Tacular!

Well, Halloween at the Bluebell Railway was a fantastic nine-day event!

It was a delight to meet so many of our visitors, many dressed in costumes and taking pictures for our fancy dress competition. Face painters were busy most of the day producing ghosts, witches, and other creepy characters.

Our transformation spell was a huge hit, as well as an icebreaker after alighting the train on to the spooky platform. Children searched for all the hidden ingredients around the platform to complete the spell to earn a special treat!

Despite a few cold and wet days, our coal fires kept everyone warm while they spent time making, painting, sticking, and creating hats, masks, and artworks. The adults certainly enjoyed the event too, especially getting their hands dirty in the crazy custard!

We look forward to seeing everyone again at our next Halloween event, from 28-31 Oct., 2020.

By Charlotte Archer, Marketing & Events Coordinator

Christmas Joy at the Bluebell Railway

A host of magical events are planned for the Bluebell Railway during the festive season. Learn more and book tickets at bluebell-railway.com for:

Snapshot on “Invincible”

Tony Davies provides another of his "snapshots", this one evoked by a short Movietone film of little "Invincible" ... 

It was the British Movietone archive film—on “Invincible,” in E-Newsletter No.188—that inspired this Snapshot! 

There was also a report—in the November 2019 Railway Magazine (p.76)—that this Hawthorn Leslie 0 4 0ST was currently under overhaul. This little engine normally lives on the Isle of Wight system and sometimes operates trains there. 

I will not go into too much detail of how I happened to be at Bluebell Railway on 16 June, 2002. It was a Thomas event, and I was at Horsted Keynes all day with my younger son and elder grandchildren! And—see Bluebell News Autumn 2002, p.17—“Invincible” had been borrowed for the occasion. It was a real pleasure to watch the shunting! The Movietone film gives some of the background, and there are other references to this engine’s previous home at Farnborough ... MORE

C&W in Pictures: Car 54 & the Hastings Brake

Pullman Car No. 54 is pictured in the Carriage & Wagon Works on 26 Oct., 2019. In addition to the toplights (see above), recent work includes fitting the southern gangway faceplate and buffers, with help given by the Alf Brown Group.

The east flank of the Hastings Line Maunsell brake No. 3687 is shown, with old paint stripped off and the lower panel removed to inspect the structure beneath.

Bluebell Railway 2019: "Camelot" storming out of Horsted Keynes, by Heritage Railway Productions.

By "Littlewood Junction": "On a cold November day we took to the Bluebell Railway for a ride and a look at the engine sheds, and it was worth the two-hour journey!"

Opportunities at the Bluebell Railway

The Railway currently has openings for the following positions:

In a Good Frame

Laurie Anderson's photo from 6 Nov., 2019, shows the underframe for No. 12058, a Southern Railway Bulleid 5-plank open wagon. 

This frame has changed colour many times this year but it is now a lot better looking than it was at the beginning of the year! It is currently waiting to be lifted back on to its wheelsets so further restoration can be carried out. Many thanks to the Bulleid Society, which has funded material costs.

The Wagon Gang has been rekindled over the past year, and it is looking for new volunteers to help restore and look after the wagon fleet. The gang wants to bring back goods trains in 2020, and hopefully No. 12058 will be joining the set. If you are interested in joining the gang, please contact David Rhydderch at [email protected]. 

Tight Squeeze

Phil Hamerton submitted this snapshot of a carriage on the move ...

On 29 Oct., 2019, the East Somerset Railway Permanent Way Gang (both of us!) had just unloaded materials for the re-lay later in the week, when the BRPS Buffet Coach S1838 arrived on its way to Cranmore Traincare & Maintenance Services. The driver had to pull into the Tanker Sidings behind Lawsons Haulage to let traffic through for the Halloween Steam Specials! Hence, he then had to reverse out into the lane, to allow Lawsons to leave. Note how tight the clearances are down in Cranmore compared with the Bluebell Railway.

Click the photo below for a high resolution version. The video is hosted at Dropbox .

John Sandys (7 Nov., 2019): A lovely, sunny day and a stop by the Bluebell Railway shop.

John Sandys (16 Nov., 2019). A Footplate Taster with No. 178, plus Christmas preparations, a look around the shop, and the 09 shunting in the Loco Yard.

Thank you for reading our eNewsletter. It's because of our members, volunteers, visitors, and supporters that the Railway continues its success.

Please continue to support us by passing this issue on to your friends, family, and/or colleagues by forwarding using the social media links above, or encourage others to sign up for the eNewsletter  at this link . 

If you ever have a question, comment, or contribution, don't hesitate to get in touch with me at  [email protected] .

Sincerely, 

 

John Walls

Editor-in-Chief, eNewsletter

Bluebell Railway

© Bluebell Railway Preservation Society 2019