It’s Thursday. A quiet, sunny Thursday. The gusty wind that’s blowing hints at the approaching autumn and as I look out of the office window the trees that line the Fulwell Curve are just starting to loose their vibrant greens. Lynn is in Holland doing clever IT things with her other job (she doesn’t just do Trim Shop Minioning, folks) and Buckie is ploughing through post-Bluebell paperwork whilst muttering to himself (as usual). Everything is calm (for a given value of calm), and after the last few weeks I can say with definite authority that calm is something that is underrated in railway preservation. 3417 is sitting demurely in the shed, doors open while she dries out after 3 days of being intermittently rained on, as if to say “What was all the fuss about?” British Airways & Chums are doing their best Red Baron impressions as they thunder over the shed but everything is oddly relaxed….
So then; lets have a wee chat about the Bluebell Diesel Gala, shall we? Firstly, congratulations to the teams involved – to Roy Watts, Mike Hawkins and the Bluebell Railway staff and volunteers, thank you. To the team at Locomotive Services, in particular to Driver Oscar Martin, Driver Chris Page, thanks folks; good to have the Wombles On Loan involved! To Christian Lamb and his staff at Strawberry Hill – brilliant work; you’re all Honorary Minions! And then there are the SETG team themselves, at which point I run out of superlatives. To commit to a project that has lasted a decade (so far), to maintain the standards of work of the mainline railway as volunteers, to support the vision that Buckie, Gwil and I hatched in a pub 15 years ago… You’re all bloody brilliant and I happily admit to having a tear in my eye as I write this. Each and everyone one of you should be proud of what you have achieved. And for everyone else who came along for the ride – either inside or outside the industry – thank you for your trust and support. I hope you’ve all been watching and thinking “I helped to do that.”
It wouldn’t be a lie to say that we were all somewhat nervous before 3417 left the shed on the 5th September. The team had done everything required to make sure the unit was safe to transit over Network Rail metals, but we have to remember that not only is the unit approaching 60 years of age but it has only covered 22 miles in the last 10 years; now we were expecting it to cover 450 miles over 3 days, in service. It’s a big ask and Buckie was, in his words, wound “a little bit tight.” As well he should be; it’s his name on all those documents that say ‘this unit is safe to go.’ Everything had been done to spec or above. All the little details that we had worked on, the careful restoration, the mechanical work, the trim pieces… All of that work was about to be put to the test; yes, we were nervous. We needn’t have worried…
The trip down to East Grinstead was without incident, although that didn’t stop Buckie and Darren pacing up and down like mother hens listening for knocks and bangs! Unusually we were able to share the journey with anyone who happened to be interested thanks to a live on-board camera feed from a First Class compartment in 76262. The idea, one of several spawned by our friend Nick Collier of High Viz Media Group, allowed everyone to enjoy the journey from the comfort of their own homes. As far as we know this is the first time anyone has tried anything like this in the UK. If you missed it, you can find the whole 3 hour video on our YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/YE3U9JPCzaA?si=2V2KQGt80zPiMMQU
By the close of play on Thursday, 3417 was tucked in safely on the Pump House siding at Sheffield Park station and ready for its first day in traffic.
The Friday morning began with apocalyptic rain. And 3417, true to form and in kinship with every other 4VEP ever built did exactly what would be expected of it; it leaked. Minions spent 45 minutes before the first move into Sheffield Park galloping up and down the unit using Blue Roll tissue paper to soak up the water from brimming window frames. Fortunately all the work we had put in to make sure that the window drains were clear proved to be time well spent. Despite the leaks, the seats stayed dry. The Friday was spent working back and forth, in push-pull mode, with guest locomotive 33 111 – normally based at the Swanage Railway. Unsurprisingly from our perspective, the loco performed faultlessly. 3417 has worked with this locomotive during our visits to the Swanage and we were delighted to renew the association! Friday also offered us a chance to test a modification only recently designed and fitted; that of a 5kW/Hour battery pack installed to energise the emergency lighting circuit on the unit. This meant that not only could we run through Sharpthorne Tunnel safely, but that we could also use the unit outside of daylight hours. In the past, when a 4VEP (or any other 3rd-rail only unit) was “off the juice”, even the most basic amenities such as passenger lighting were available for only 30 minutes at most. In co-operation with High Viz Media Group and NXTGENbps, the SETG designed and installed a method for energising the emergency lighting circuit for not minutes but hours. This is a first for the unit, and the system proved to be able to provide a full day of on/off lighting as required and (especially in Friday’s gloom) it significantly improved the feel of the coaches for passengers and crews. The system, with significant upgrades planned over the winter, is a step change in what the unit is capable of offering to the railways it will visit in the future and we are delighted to be working with NXTGENbps and High Viz Media to showcase what is possible. The press release regarding this enhancement is available here.
Despite Friday’s rain, all three running days were an absolute blast from start to finish. Amongst other things passengers were treated to the novelty of orange curtains (thanks to ‘Project Tango’, completed in secret by Lynn and Gemma in the Trim Shop over the past few months), the non-stop antics of Buckie running up and down the unit with a screwdriver, tightening screws constantly whilst complaining “she’s flexing about, love”, New Bloke Dave resorting to tactics just short of physical force to get donations out of innocent bystanders and more besides. “Most of it is a bit of a blur”, says Buckie. “Walking up and down the unit at 6am doing an inspection and prep is not one of my favourite ways to start a day. But it was worth it. Doing 400 miles up and down the Bluebell over the weekend was a very safe and controlled way to shake the unit down and work out what tasks we need to carry out over the winter.” The work spent fettling the unit was evident to everyone who visited the railway over the weekend. James Cummins of the Bluebell Railway said “The praise for those who have been responsible for maintaining and operating 3417 was hugely evident from many who specifically made their way to admire and travel behind the 4-VEP. We are hugely grateful for the efforts of those who have worked to keep this piece of Southern Electric motive power alive, but also to those who worked tirelessly behind the scenes across the board to make this all possible.”
© James Cummins
The best thing is to leave the comments about the three day to the Minions themselves: they say more with fewer words than I could ever manage!
Darren Franklin, Senior Fitter
“It was a fantastic weekend. From enjoying the railway from a perspective that most passengers never see – from the back cab – during our transit moves to getting my fix of Crompton thrash, all while catching up with old friends and meeting new people.”
John ‘Billy’ Smart, Senior Fitter
“Speaking to passengers and enjoying their thoughts and genuine joy at being able to travel once again on a 4VEP once again after so many years. I also enjoyed being with members of our team throughout the weekend, team building.”
Berwyn Thomas, Minion
“What a wonderful experience. The memories of the Old Girl from my teenage years and to see the joy it brought to people’s faces, along with them sharing their memories of being on the VEPs when they were in service. It was great to be a part of the SETG team and I felt proud to walk through the carriages while we were rolling.”
Jeff Smart, Fitter
“I spoke to a couple who wanted to have the number of years they had been married (it was their anniversary) displayed on the headcode blinds of 3417 and have their picture taken with the unit. It made their day! It makes all the hard work everybody did worthwhile when we can help to make memories. Well done!”
Nick Collier, Minion & GOAT Herder.
“It was a pleasure to see the group’s work being acknowledged and celebrated by the public. It was hugely gratifying to see 3417 at the Bluebell railway. It validated all the hard work that’s taken place to date.”
And for me?
When I spoke to our friend Tim Dunn a few years back, I said that I wanted not just to drive the unit again (I did, although not nearly as well as some other people did. But in my defence it’s been a while since I last used the Auto Brake). More than that, though, I wanted to walk through the unit while it was in service and watch the public enjoying what the SETG had achieved. I wanted to see the unit being used as it was meant to be and to see it being enjoyed not as a static exhibit but brought back to life – complete with lights (well done, Buckie & Nick). Those three days provided me with that in spades. It was a deeply satisfying feeling, and every bit as pleasurable as I had hoped it would be. But there was an extra layer which I hadn’t considered; it was watching the rest of the SETG team gelling and basking in the collective praise for their work. Every compliment they received was richly deserved.
And as an aside, I think we all agree that Gwil and Maggie would have been proud.
So there we are – the return to traffic has been achieved. The trouble is, of course, that the work still is far from done. 3417 is now tucked in for the winter, and Buckie has already churned out a list of work that needs to be completed to further enhance the unit for 2025. 2025 is the year in which the railway industry celebrates it’s 200th anniversary. Who know where the last surviving 4VEP will crop up?! And we still have masses to do to achieve our ultimate aim of running on the mainline. Your help is still vital; the VEP will always need it’s old friends and will always be ready to welcome new ones.
Here’s to the next chapter!
