No. 21C123 New Inner Firebox Appeal |
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 To enable No. 21C123 Blackmoor Vale to be overhauled and returned to traffic it requires a new inner firebox costing £200,000  Further Details Donation Form |
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26th July 2024
No. 21C123 Blackmoor Vale
A start has been made in removing the superheater elements from the boiler with twelve of the thirty two elements now removed.
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| The superheater elements already removed. | |
No. 96 Normandy
The side tanks have now been removed with work progressing towards a boiler lift
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| No. 96's works plate. | |
10th July 2024
No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair
No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair is now in service with just a few adjustments required here and there!
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| No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair about to leave Sheffield Park. | |
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| The reflection in the tender of the onlookers emphasises the quality of the paintwork. | |
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Waiting by the Greenwich Meridian sign at Sheffield Park. |
No. 21C123 Blackmoor Vale
The casing around the smokebox has been removed, including the cowling and surrounding area. The top boiler casing and the remaining framework for the casing will be removed next. Most of the pipework from the cab forward has been freed and the cab will be lifted.
The belly casing will be removed and the insulation there will also be removed. Also injector and lubrication pipe work has been removed or detached from framework.
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| The right side casing removed. | |
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| The left side. | |
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| View of the top with No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair behind. | |
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The front with the cowling removed. |
No. 96 Normandy
The dismantling of No. 96 Normandy continues with the right hand tank removed – note the coal from the bunker is still present! The next action will be to remove the driving wheels for retyring and to lift the boiler.
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| The removed tank. | |
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| The build-up of coal and muck from behind the tank! | |
18th June 2024
No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair
No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair was rededicated on Saturday 16th June by railway historian Tim Dunn who made a short speech after being introduced by Bluebell Society Chairman Roy Watts. Roger and Sally Cruse were asked to unveil the nameplate and plaque.
The engine looked immaculate – with much effort put into wheel and pipework cleaning. There was a good turnout to witness the event with the rain stopping just in time.
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| Tim Dunn making a speech (left) with Roy Watts (right). | Roger and Sally Cruse unveiling the nameplate. | |||
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| No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair in Sheffield Park yard. | |
No. 21C123 Blackmoor Vale
All the side casing has now been removed together with the smoke deflectors. The casing on the top of the boiler will be tackled next.
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| No. 21C123 Blackmoor Vale in the yard at Sheffield Park with the right side casing removed. | |
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| The left side casing removed. | |
No. 96 Normandy
No. 96 Normandy has had the chimney, cab and some fittings removed.
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| The chimney removed. | |
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| The cab has been lifted off. | |
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The backhead with some of the fittings removed. |
21st May 2024
No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair
No. 34059 was pulled out of the paint shop at Horsted Keynes so that a few mechanical items could be attend to. There are also some small items still in undercoat and the smokebox needs to be painted.
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| Bathed in sunshine outside the shed at Horsted Keynes. | |
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The cab area fully lined. |
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| Two coats of varnish are applied after the final top coat and lining out to give additional protection and the gloss finish now seen | |
No. 21C123 Blackmoor Vale
Attention has now turned to the driver's side with some of the casing removed exposing the mass of pipes etc. The casing is being stored upright on pallets adjacent to one of he Bulleid Society's containers and will be covered with a tarpaulin once all the sections have been removed.
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| The casing removed from around the firebox on the drivers side. | |
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| With the casing removed the drain cock lever can be viewed. | |
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| The casing on pallets beside one of the Society's containers. | |
16th May 2024
No. 21C123 Blackmoor Vale
No. 21C123 Blackmoor Vale is now down at Sheffield Park and the removal of the air smoothed casing on the fireman's side is being undertaken. To remove the casing, some of which is bolted on, all the rivets must be drilled out before the casing sections can be removed from the ribbed frame. A similar procedure has started on the driver's side of the engine.
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| No. 21C123 in the running shed at Sheffield Park. | |
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| Removal of the admisionary boxes for the axlebox lubrication. The firehole doors have also been removed. | |
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| The casing removed from around the firebox. | |
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| The casing removed from next to the smokebox. | |
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| The far front section of the casing has been left in place as the smokebox may be cut off. | |
No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair
All areas except the tender rear have had two coats of gloss and lining out and cab lettering are in progress.
The painter is Ralph Timmins and the sign writer is Ian Adams – both experts in their own fields. The lining is carried out in the classic way with a chalk line to give the basis of the paint line and in a similar way a chalk outline is put onto the cab side for the number and the 7P 5FA power classification.
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| Ian Adams lettering the power classification with the numbers marked out on the right. | ||||
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The painted sign written number. |
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| The tender marked out for lining. | |
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| The tender lined and the BR crest in position. | |
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| The smokebox front. | |
19th April 2024
No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair
Painting progress is slow but sure! Ralph is using a 50% paint and 50% PPA brushing additive for the first gloss coat, giving a good basic colour.
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8th April 2024
No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair
Below are photographs of No. 34059's painting progress at Horsted Keynes. The painting has now reached the undercoat stage after much work in producing a good basic finish on which to paint. Areas where the surface finish was poor have been filled and then sanded before the first undercoat has been applied. The window frames are from the fireman's side of the cab and have been removed to assist the painting.
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6th March 2024
Normandy Landing!
No. 96 Normandy has been moved into Atlantic House for her overhaul. No. 32424's tender was first removed and then No. 96 was pushed onto the low loader which was then repositioned so that No. 96 could be off-loaded into Atlantic House.
No. 32424 Beachy Head will be reunited with her tender and they will then go into the maintenance shed.
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| No. 96 Normandy with LSWR Adams Radial Tank No. 30583 in bright sunshine (4th March). | |
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| Class 09 Shunter D4106 pushing No. 96 onto the low loader using SR Queen Mary Brake Van as a barrier. | |
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| No. 96 tied down ready for the move. | |
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| Repositioned for the final move into Atlantic House. | |
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| No 96 Normandy out of the rain inside Atlantic House. | |
22nd February 2024
No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair
Below are some photos taken last week of No. 34059 in the paint shop at Horsted Keynes plus, at the bottom, one showing it moved outside whilst Pullman Car 54 has more varnish added!
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