  BLUEBELL BATTLE OF BRITAIN LOCOMOTIVE GROUP 500+ CLUB 2023  The 500+ Club is NOW OPEN for membership. Help with the finance to pay for the repairing of No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair by joining. Click here for details Membership closes 28th February 2023 |
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25th January 2023
No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair
Below are some more photos showing the progress on 34059. Most of the work on the chassis has been done with the overhaul of the remaining backhead fittings nearly completed.
The boiler has been rolled over to give access to the interior of he firebox and syphons to allow for more stays to be finished. The flue and smoke tubes are awaiting fitting with the ends of the tubes being cleaned prior to insertion into the tubeplates. The superheater elements are also on site.
There will be trial fitting of the boiler onto the frames so the nameplate holders have now been removed from the chassis to ease the trial fitting. The cab will also be removed.
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| Turned boiler and tubes. | |
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| Cleaned tube ends. | Flexible stays fitted to the thermic syphons. | |||
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| Boiler backhead. | |
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| The chassis awaiting the trial fitting of the boiler. The boiler clothing sheets are stacked on pallets resting on the smokebox saddle | |
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| Rubbed down surface of the tender side and dome cover, plus two of the main steam pipes. | |
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The painted front of the tender. |
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A Race Against Time by Don Mackinnon and Alan Kreppel
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This superb volume by Don Mackinnon (a sadly deceased member of the Bulleid Society) and Alan Kreppel is a heavy tome. The price is £60 but there are 440 pages of excellent photographs covering the last years of steam from 1962-1971. Don worked on the first overhaul of 21C123 Blackmoor Vale.
Below is a photograph taken by Don Mackinnon of No. 34059 at Southampton Central in 1966. |
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| No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair at Southampton Central, January 1966 by Don Mackinnon | |
The Last Spark by Malcolm Root FGRA – LAST TWO LEFT!
Malcolm Root's latest painting has been produced as a low print run and Malcolm has offered a contribution from the prints sold towards the overhaul of No. 96 Normandy and No. 21C123 Blackmoor Vale – full details below.
On the 17th October 1950 Bulleid’s revolutionary “Leader” passes through Winchester on the up main line with a 430 ton test train to Guildford. Nearing the end of its very short life this was perhaps the last glimmer of hope that development of the locomotive would continue. Amongst a shower of sparks and on a heavy train Leader is going well on one of its more successful trips.
Print image size: 15” x 20” with a 2” border all round.
Price: £65 inc p&p.
If you want to purchase a copy please let
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18th January 2023
The Bluebell Battle of Britain Locomotive Group 2023/24 500+ Club
The 2023/24 500+ Club is now open for membership – closes 28th February 2023. Full details and application form here.
26th October 2022
No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair
The Stones turbo generator is under refurbishment in the workshop, Sheffield Park.
The steam supply to the generator is via a cab control with the final steam pressure reduction being via the Auld valve sited to the left of the generator bracket on the driver's side of the footplate. The steam then enters the generator at the front, right, (this part is not fitted in the picture below) before being taken to the rear turbine via an external pipe, providing rotational power to the AC alternator. The exhaust steam leaves through the large top brass fitting, left. There is a simple mechanical governor fitted to the right end of the shaft to prevent overrunning of the turbine.
Similar electrical generators found wide use throughout the railway world, with the large Tonum headlights, often a feature on continental locomotives, powered by the generator.
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| Stones turbo generator. | Auld valve and bracket for the generator. | |||
No. 96 Normandy
Normandy safely undercover in the engine shed at Sheffield Park and attracting visitors at the recent Giants of Steam event on the Bluebell.
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17th October 2022
No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair
The boiler cladding had been sent to a commercial company for shot blasting and painting with the inside painted in epoxy paint to prevent corrosion. It arrived back at Sheffield Park on a pallet and the sections where corrosion has occurred are now under repair with new steel sheet. We have been fortunate in being able to store the cladding inside with painting of the primed outside areas requiring further work by the painters.
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Above & left: |
The tender tank has now received one gloss coat, which has now been rubbed down and awaits the next top coat. The coal space has a fresh coat of bitumastic paint which is more resilient to damage by the coal. On the front of the tender the lockers and remainder of this area have been rubbed down, undercoated and are now awaiting the first gloss coat. Examination of the tender wheel journals showed that the wheel sets did not require removal and the wheels have now received black gloss, completing the final painting of the area below the tank.
The Stone's turbo generator, which supplies power to the cab and route lights, is receiving minor maintenance and the route lights themselves await painting.
30th August 2022
No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair
Below are a few more photographs showing progress on No. 34059. The tender repaint is underway after the rubbing down of the tender and the rewiring of the engine and cab is progressing.
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| Painted tender buffer beam and brake gear. | |
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| Tender back. | |
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| Tender left-hand side. | |
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| The cab being rewired. | Close-up of the AWS fittings & speedo. | |||
20th June 2022
No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair
The chassis is now in the running shed with the motion oiled to prevent material surface degradation ....ie rust! The tender is in the works for general cleaning and repainting as the mechanical overhaul has been already been completed. The cab has been repositioned in front of the tender.
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| The chassis and tender alongside the maintenance shed. | |
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| The chassis being shunted into the running shed. | |
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| The tender back inside the works. | |
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The cab in front of the tender. |
Sean Day-Lewis
Sean Day-Lewis, the author of Bulleid, Last Giant of Steam, died on Wednesday 8th June aged 90. He was the Vice President of the Bulleid Society.
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He was born in 1931 the son of poet Cecil Day-Lewis, and half-brother of actor Daniel Day-Lewis. His career was in newspapers and television, which including working for the Daily Telegraph 1960-86. Sean also had books published, including Bulleid, Last Giant of Steam. |
10th May 2022
No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair
The tender of No 34059 is now in the workshop. The Armstrong oiler pads in the tender axle boxes have all been replaced.
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The centre axle box. |
The vacuum cylinders were dismantled and have had all the rings and joints renewed before refitting.
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| Vacuum piston with rolling ring awaiting fitting to vacuum cylinder. | |
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| Reassembled and fitted vacuum cylinder. | |
On the tender's braking system, adjustment for wear on the brake blocks is automatically made with the Weslack adjusters which have been removed from the tender for overhaul.
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| Above – The Weslack adjusters. | |
The water supply from the tender to the engine is piped to the flexible 'bags' at the front of the tender which attach to pipework on the engine connected to the injectors. Before disconnecting the engine and tender, the tender water supply must be isolated. Saunders valves, which consist of a hand wheel controlling a screw thread on a bronze 'spider' connected to a rubber diaphragm which closes on the body of the valve, are used to shut off the water supply. There are two such valves on the tender, which have been removed, cleaned, painted and have had replacement rubber diaphragms fitted.
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| Saunders valve | |
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| The Saunders valve in situ with the flexible bag from the pipework to connect to the injector water input pipe on the engine. | |
Brighton Tram 53 – Invite to an Open day
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The Brighton Tram 53 Society who are restoring the last Brighton passenger tram car, number 53, are having an open day on Sunday 29th May and Bulleid Society members are cordially invited to see our work and progress. They are open from 11:00 – 15:00. Tea and biscuits provided. The location is at the bottom of Chanctonbury Ring, off the A283 near Wiston. Park in the Chanctonbury Ring car park and you are five minutes away. |
4th May 2022
Mike Lee
It is with great sadness that we announce the death, on 27th April, of Mike Lee. Mike was a Bulleid Society member, the Society's secretary and a Bluebell driver. He was married to Ruth Groome, one of the daughters of Clive Groome.
Details of Mike's funeral will be announced in due course.
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| Mike (leaning out of the window) was the fireman when 21C123 Blackmoor Vale hauled the Royal Train, 17th July 2002. The driver was David Foale, also in the picture are Keith Sturt and Roger Cruse. | |
1st March 2022
SR Bulleid Open Wagon No.12058
SR Bulleid Open Wagon 12058 has been progressing rapidly with the floor being fitted. A full report with further pictures can be viewed here.
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| The chassis with the floor fitted. | |
7th February 2022
KR Models
KR Models are producing a model of Bulleid's Leader Class in 00 Gauge. It will be available in many might-have-been liveries. Delivery is expected to be the 3rd quarter of 2022.
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A variety of liveries is being offered. |
KR Models are also working on models of the Bulleid 4DD EMU. The CAD drawings are almost complete and if you are interested you can register interest here.
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6th January 2022
No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair
Progress on No. 34059 is now concentrated at the back of the engine with the injector pipework and the injectors themselves being erected. Work will start soon on the cab.
The motion on the LHS is now completed with the connecting rod in place and the RHS awaiting its turn now that the bronze for the bush has arrived and has been machined by Steve Czech.
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| One of the painted brackets which hold the nameplate and plaque. Also seen are the two water feed pipes to the injectors in place. | |
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| The cab back with injector and pipework being fitted. | Close-up of one of the two live steam injectors. | |||
1st January 2022
The left-hand connecting rod has now been fitted, so at the end of 2021, there has been very positive progress in the overhaul.
In 2021, the pony truck and bissel truck have been overhauled and the engine has been re-wheeled; pistons and valves have been overhauled with new valve rods fitted; the lubrication pipework has been cleaned, annealed and is now in place with the Wakefield lubricators overhauled and connected to the pipework; new pins and bushes have been made and the regulator has been overhauled with replacement items machined; the boiler staying is virtually complete and the knocking over of the stays is in progress.
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