Good morning all! I’ll keep this short and sweet, since every time I start one of these updates I seem to lose my thread half-way through and things don’t get published…
First of all, you’ll all be aware by now that 3417 will be making its long-awaited return to traffic at the Bluebell Railway’s 2024 Diesel Gala: you can book your tickets HERE. We look forward to working with our friends from the Bluebell Railway, as well as old mates from Swanage and hope that the weather behaves itself – if it doesn’t we’re just going to hide in Sharpthorne Tunnel until the rain stops. Among other attractions including beer, food, live music, tours of resident rolling stock and engineering projects and of course visiting diesel locomotives, our Chief Engineer will be available for photographs and autographs (bring you own crayons; don’t let him eat them) and I will be available to allow parents to show their children what Bad Dietary Choices mean in real life.
As those of you who follow us on Facebook and Twitter will know, we’ve been working extremely hard to bring the unit up to spec for this prestigious event. Briefly, the works carried out/remaining are (by vehicle):
76262:
Driving cab: refurbished, cleaned and painted – COMPLETE
Open Saloon: various quarter panels replaced or recovered with fresh trim as required – COMPLETE
First Class Compartments: clean, dust and moth proof – TO BE COMPLETED.
Toilet: clean, respray. Water tanks treated with chlorine. Toilet pan disinfected and cleaned – TO BE COMPLETED
Doors: all passenger doors with double-acting door locks to be fitted with Window Restrictors to limit droplight action to 6 inches only. Passengers doors with single-acting locks to be fitted with external door bars – COMPLETE
70797:
Heating Rewire: COMPLETE – several heating elements to replace but coach now serviceable.
Doors: all passenger doors with double-acting door locks to be fitted with Window Restrictors to limit droplight action to 6 inches only. Passengers doors with single-acting locks to be fitted with external door bars – COMPLETE
62236:
G seating bay in process of being refitted after rectification of long-term water damage to floor and surrounding fittings.
Toilet: clean, respray. Water tanks treated with chlorine. Toilet pan disinfected and cleaned – TO BE COMPLETED
Parcel cage: bars fitted to single-acting double doors. Mods being considered to improve internal conditions for less-able passengers. Note: this will form part of a longer-term plan to improve facilities and enhance the passenger experience for those unable to make use of the rest of the unit.
76263:
B/C Bay refitted after further work to rectify water-damage. New components fitted/ original fittings restored.
Toilet: clean, respray. Water tanks treated with chlorine. Toilet pan disinfected and cleaned – TO BE COMPLETED
Doors: all passenger doors with double-acting door locks to be fitted with Window Restrictors to limit droplight action to 6 inches only. Passengers doors with single-acting locks to be fitted with external door bars – COMPLETE
If this feels like a slightly rushed entry, my apologies, but we wanted to let those of you who don’t use Twitter and Facebook know exactly what has been going on over the past few months. There has been a massive amount of back office stuff going on as well to make sure that all the boxes are ticked for the unit’s Grand Return to the gala circuit in September – Buckie has even been heard to mutter “I’m nearly on top of the paperwork, love” a couple of times – but we still have things to do. Things like draft welts and painting and splashing and brake tests and planning ECS moves and a hell of a lot else. Simply put, we’re busy. For those of you who have followed and supported this project for so many years, we are doing our utmost to provide you with something to enjoy. For ourselves, we know this event is something we’re going to be judged on; we’re hoping that you’ll not only be pleased with what you see but let the team know. Passenger experience is key to keeping the unit appreciated; we have a few surprises on that front which will become clear at the Bluebell!
In the meantime, stay tuned and we will do our best to keep you all informed!