Bluebell Railway and Sheffield Park Gardens

Visit
Thursday 11th May 2017 – Bluebell Railway and Sheffield Park Gardens.

In the morning, David Jones RCEA (who is also a volunteer with the Bluebell Railway) met us and showed us the ‘restoration’ of a Brighton Atlantic locomotive currently underway by the Bluebell Railway in the dedicated shed and workshop. The name is Beachy Head.
David talked us through the various stages of the construction which apart from one item, the regulator handle, is a reproduction of the original Brighton locomotive. The boiler was recovered from a site where it was being used as a stationary boiler. Although originally from a GN locomotive, it was entirely appropriate to be used as a Brighton Atlantic. The work was approaching the stage when the boiler tubes will be installed. The boiler can then be pressure and steam tested before being placed on the already completed frames, motion and wheels. This is expected to be in 2018.
The project is slowly nearing its end

Members then had the opportunity to visit the locomotive sheds and museum.