SR Bulleid Light Pacific, "Blackmoor Vale"Bulleid's Light Pacifics were revolutionary in many respects, and brought a great enhancement of available power to lightly laid West Country lines which hitherto had been unable to accept the more modern Southern Railway express locos. Many Bulleid Pacifics are preserved thanks to Barry scrapyard, but "Blackmoor Vale" came to the Bluebell via initial preservation at Longmoor, having been one of the last Bulleid Pacifics running on BR. Unlike many of its classmates, it was not rebuilt, retaining Bulleid's "Air-smoothed" casing and oil-bath-enclosed valve gear. The changes to the loco's name are explained elsewhere.
Having operated for a decade following restoration in 1976, the locomotive returned to steam for a second time, following a comprehensive overhaul, being recommissioned on 19th August 2000.
LBSCR Stroudley Terrier, No.55 "Stepney"
Web page.
Stroudley's famous Terriers survived for decades after more modern
designs had been scrapped, working on lightly laid Branch lines. Here
these diminutive engines were often the only engines light enough to cross
some particular bridge. In later years "Stepney" was particularly
associated with the Hayling Island branch, until sold to the Bluebell
Railway in May 1960 as our first locomotive.
Repainted into Stroudley's famous "Improved Engine Green" gamboge livery, it has been a favourite of many children, and some of those children are now introducing their own children to "Stepney the Bluebell Engine". In spite of its fame, "Stepney" has spent considerable periods out of traffic in its forty years on the Bluebell, but its popularity always causes it to bounce back to the top of the railway's priorities. At its next overhaul it will require new cylinders, the castings for which are already to hand.
BR Standard, No.75027
Web page.
The Standard 4 tender engines were designed as a modern branch-line engine,
capable of hauling both freight and passenger services on the country's
secondary routes. Some, with larger tenders, were allocated to the
Southern Region; however No.75027 is a foreigner to the south.
On its withdrawal from service it was one of the very last steam locos operating on British Railways. It was bought from BR by Charlie Pyne, one of our members, and donated by him to the railway. The locomotive appeared to be far larger than was necessary on the Bluebell of the late 1960s, but it soon proved its worth though as we entered the seventies. A relatively modern loco, capable of hauling heavier trains up our 1-in-75 gradients, it was very much appreciated. It remains to this day the ideal locomotive for many of our trains, powerful yet economical, attractive and easy to prepare and maintain.
LSWR Adams dock tank, No.96 "Normandy"
Web Page.
A deceptively powerful shunting locomotive, it spent most of its working
days at Southampton Docks. After disposal by BR it was used, again at
Southampton, shunting a private wharf, from where it was purchased by members of the
Bulleid Society who later moved their stock to the Bluebell.
Remaining out of use for many years, only after it received an overhaul was it realised just how useful an engine it was. "Normandy" has been called "the reason we don't need a diesel", and has put in sterling service on our works trains for the construction of the northwards extension. When its ten-year boiler certificate expired in 1995 it was given a very rapid overhaul to put it straight back into service.
It has been used most weeks for our Monday and Thursday shunts, the only regular steam shunting turn in the country. It is not suited to high speed, and was only rarely to be found on passenger trains.
With the end of its boiler certificate on 6 July 2006, we must now wait and see whether the steam-shunt mantle passes to this loco or the North London Tank, and to cover the interim until one of these locos is overhauled, D3023 has been hired.
North London Railway Goods TankThis powerful goods locomotive was built for shunting in the docks served by the North London Railway, and for the goods traffic emanating from the docks, and carried on the NLR's 14-mile main line, probably frequently venturing out onto other companies lines with exchange traffic. The NLR subsequently became part of the LNWR and, at the grouping in 1923, the LMS. Several locos from this class became celebrities thanks to their use on the LMS's very steeply graded Cromford and High Peak line in Derbyshire.
When this, the last one of the class, was withdrawn from traffic in 1960 it was kept at Derby until coming to the Bluebell in 1962. Used by contractors for the demolition of the line from East Grinstead to Ardingly, it has since been used in the rebuilding of the same line, on the Bluebell's northwards extension. Requiring very major boiler work before it can again be steamed, in the interim it was placed on loan to other locations, and so both relieve space at Sheffield Park and act as an ambassador for the Bluebell in foreign parts, but has now returned. It is hoped to be able to commence its overhaul in the near future.
BR Standard, No.92240
Web page
The renowned 9Fs were the final steam design of British Railways,
and a total of 251 of this most successful heavy-freight design were built.
92240 was one of the last steam locomotives
constructed at Crewe. In the rush to abolish steam they were scrapped decades before their
originally planned withdrawal dates. 92240 was also the very first of the ex-Barry scrapyard
9Fs to be restored to traffic, and we also built a replacement body
for the tender in our own workshops, something rather more common now than it was then.
A few years after its initial return to traffic a number of boiler stays were found to need replacement, and the opportunity was taken to re-certificate the boiler for a new ten-year period at that time. In spite of its size and power, it is an economical locomotive to run, and is much better suited to our 25mph speed limit than an express locomotive. It was withdrawn from service before the end of its boiler certificate due to the deteriorating condition of its tubes, with work also likely to be required on the firebox and front tubeplate.
South Eastern & Chatham Railway No.263
Built as the standard loco for the SECR's suburban services, the H-class
were a popular loco in later years for services on rural branch lines in
Sussex, especially after the withdrawal of the LBSCR D3 tanks. This
particular locomotive ended up working the line between East Grinstead and
Three Bridges and was withdrawn when that line was closed in January 1964.
Purchased from BR by the H-Class Trust, it was initially located at
Robertsbridge, but soon found a home at the South Eastern Steam Centre at
Ashford, where the engine appeared at various open days. However, in 1975
the Trustees decided that the locomotive would have much more scope for
running if based on the Bluebell. Since then it has had two periods in
steam, and is now awaiting its turn in the queue for an overhaul, which
will involve substantial boiler work. In 2008 ownership was transferred to the Bluebell Railway Trust.
LSWR Adams Radial Tank No.488
Designed for the LSWR's inner suburban network, these locomotives were
displaced by electrification, and the entire class were scrapped by 1927
with the exception of two which were retained to operate the Lyme Regis
branch, where sharp curvature made the use of anything other than this
class of loco impossible. Many other classes were tried, but they either
couldn't cope with the heavy loaded holiday trains, or were too inflexible
for the many curves. This particular loco though had been sold to the
military during the first World War, and in 1919 was sold on to the
privately run East Kent Railway. In 1946 it was bought by the Southern and
overhauled to provide relief for the other two Lyme Regis engines, and the
three operated the branch until 1960.
No.488 was chosen by the Bluebell since, out of the three, it was closest to original condition at the time of withdrawal, having an original Adams boiler. Following several spells in traffic over the next 30 years on the Bluebell it is the boiler which is now preventing this fine Victorian engine from steaming. It will probably require a complete new boiler barrel before it can work again.
SR Schools-class, "Stowe"
Web Page
The final development of the classic express 4-4-0, the Schools
class were designed originally for the Hastings line with its restricted
loading gauge, but proved themselves capable of hauling the Southern's top
expresses along side larger engines on the railway's other main lines, and
"Stowe" was built for the London-Portsmouth run. Bought from British Rail
by Lord Montague, it was for a time displayed at his motor museum at
Beaulieu, before moving to the East Somerset Railway in 1973 and the
Bluebell in 1980 where it was rapidly restored to working order. Following
expiry of its boiler certificate, it has been stored awaiting its turn in
the workshop.
In September 2000 it was bought by the Maunsell Locomotive Society, so securing its future on the Bluebell. The team that rebuilt the tender for No.1638 have now completed the major rebuild of Stowe's tender, and it is hoped the locomotive may be overhauled in the next few years. In the interim it has been repainted into Southern Railway Bulleid-period Malachite Green livery.
SR Maunsell U-Class, No.1618
The Sevenoaks accident of 1927 resulted in the rebuilding of the K-Class
tank locomotives, known as the Rivers, as U-class tender engines, in
which form they were much more successful, being very useful mixed traffic
locomotives. 1618 was part of a batch which were to have been built as
Rivers but the order was changed, and they came out as U-Class
locos. On withdrawal from Guildford in 1964 it went to Barry Scrapyard in
South Wales, and was the second of the many locomotives to leave the yard
for preservation.
Restored to working order, it steamed initially at the Kent & East Sussex Railway. However it was too heavy to be used on that line and so its owners relocated it to the Bluebell in 1977, and it has subsequently had two spells of activity. The U-class is an ideal locomotive for the size of trains we run on the Bluebell, and its sister locomotive, No.1638, has been restored to working order, again by the Maunsell Locomotive Society, entering service for the first time in 42 years in 2006.
SR Maunsell Q-class No.541
Built as a basic goods engine to replace life-expired pre-grouping
locomotives, this was Maunsell's final design as Chief Mechanical Engineer
of the Southern Railway. It could be described as a competent though not
outstanding engine. Bulleid, Maunsell's successor, improved the draughting
arrangements with a multiple blast-pipe arrangement and new chimney, and it
was in this condition that 541 was withdrawn from service in 1964. Sent to
Barry scrapyard, like many other locos there it escaped the cutter's torch
and was bought by preservationists.
In 1973 it was moved to Ashchurch in Gloucestershire and moved on in 1978 to the Bluebell, where its owning group merged with those of U-class No.1618 and S15 No.847 to form the Maunsell Locomotive Society. The blast pipe and chimney arrangement have been further modified using BR Class 4 components, in the same way as BR had done to some of the class. This has the advantage of returning the locomotive visually to very close to its original form. Major restoration work saw it return to steam in 1983, operating for the following decade. Following a period out of use it would now be near the top of the queue of locomotives to enter the works for an overhaul, but two other Maunsell Locomotive Society engines have been given higher priority, so it must wait a while yet. It is however displayed in prime position in the locomotive shed.
SR "USA" class Dock Tank No.WD 1959 (BR 30064)
Built to the designs of the US Army for wartime shunting requirements, it
was sold off as surplus to the SR who required replacements for the B4s
which were used to shunt Southampton Docks. Modified for British usage
these were very successful, and following the introduction of diesel
shunters at Southampton most found use elsewhere in departmental service or as
loco-shed shunters.
30064 ended its days as Eastleigh Works shunter, and on withdrawal in 1967 was sold to the Southern Loco Preservation Co. Ltd, and after several years in Hampshire came to the Bluebell along with the other SLP Co. stock, which is now owned by the Bluebell. Following a number of years in use on the Bluebell, it now awaits major boiler work. In 2003 it was repainted into wartime livery as WD 1959.
BR Standard Class 4 Tank No.80064
Wheels: 2-6-4T
The last in a long line of large tank locomotives to have been built at
Brighton Works, the Standard 4 tanks were closely associated with the last
years of the Bluebell Line under British Railways. This locomotive worked
initially from Watford, and then from 1959 on the Southern Region, before
transfer to the Western Region along with the lines it worked. It was one
of over 200 locos sent to Barry scrapyard that were subsequently rescued
for preservation, in this case by a group based on the Dart Valley Railway
where it was restored to working order in 1981. In 1984 its owners decided
to transfer it to the Bluebell, and it worked out the remainder of its
boiler certificate in fine style in Sussex. Since then it has been back to
Devon and has now returned again to the Bluebell.
BR Standard Class 4 Tank No.80100
One of three Standard 4 Tanks on the Bluebell, this particular locomotive was not a Southern based
engine in its BR days, working from Tilbury and later Shrewsbury until
withdrawn for scrapping. As with the others it survived at Barry scrapyard
long enough to be saved for preservation, arriving at the Bluebell in 1978.
It is retained because it is the only one of the three to belong to the railway, and the strong links between the class and the line, but relegated to a long-term restoration objective, thanks to the presence on the line of restored 80064 and 80151.
SECR Wainwright P-tank, No.323
Long the flagship of the Bluebell's fleet, painted blue (Photo:
Right) and named "Bluebell" between 1961 and 1998, this loco was
repainted into SE&CR wartime plain green livery, for the 1999 centenary
of the SE&CR (Photo: above).
The P-class tank locomotives were, in design terms, an updated copy of the LBSCR Terriers, but, with only eight of them built, made rather less of a name for themselves. However, with four of the eight surviving into preservation, they have blossomed, and are now much more favourably regarded as highly capable little locomotives. Their greater water capacity and larger cabs give them a slight advantage over the considerably older Terriers.
There is a web page for the P-Class Fund:
an appeal to raise the funds for the overhaul which started towards the end of 2003. The locomotive is partially dismantled, but the overhaul is currently suspended whilst the workshops concentrates on larger locomotives.
SECR Wainwright P-tank, No.27
Web Page
The P-class tank locomotives were, in design terms, an updated copy
of the LBSCR Terriers. Coming to the Bluebell in 1961, for two
years it carried the name "Primrose". In 1963 it was repainted into full
SECR passenger livery, and, with No.323, was a mainstay of the Bluebell's
operational fleet for much of that decade.
Dismantled many years ago for overhaul, this is planned to recommence under the ausipcies of the "Fenchurch Fund" and the "Villa Team", once the overhaul of "Baxter" is complete. Major work is required on the boiler, as well as some significant mechanical renewal.
Contractor's Locomotive "Sharpthorn"
Web
Page
This typical Victorian contractors' loco is instantly recognisable as a
Manning Wardle product. What makes this one special was that it was owned
by Joseph Firbank, the contractor who built the Lewes and East Grinstead
Railway, of which the Bluebell is a part. Delivered to West Hoathly (just
north of our tunnel) it was employed throughout the construction of the
line, taking its name (albeit mis-spelt) from the neighbouring village of
Sharpthorne. From 1888 until 1982 it was the property of Samuel Williams
and used on their coal dock in Dagenham until withdrawn from service in
1958. It was subsequently placed on loan to Bressingham Steam Museum, and
moved to the Bluebell in 1981 for the line's centenary celebrations in
1982, during which it took part in a locomotive cavalcade at Horsted Keynes.
The above photograph shows it during this event. Since then it has remained on the Bluebell, having been purchased by the Bluebell from the receivers after Samuel Williams went out of business. Being considerably smaller than "Baxter", it is not a large enough locomotive to haul passengers (although the Selsey Tramway used one of this class for their trains of 3 4-wheelers, albeit without the steep gradients of the Bluebell line). As such can be given no priority in our works schedule for overhaul. However a volunteer group on the railway have it in mind as a project for about 15 years' time, several other locomotives having higher priority for their efforts as well! In the mean-time it remains on static display, now at Horsted Keynes.
The locomotives listed on this page are generally accessible to the visitor in our loco shed at Sheffield Park, although a few may, at times, be stored away from areas with public access.
Last update 23 June 2008 by Richard
Salmon.