12th July 2026
No. 96 Normandy
The frames have been painted up to top coat and some of the basic pipe work runs have been installed. The new lower sections of the cab are now in place and painted. Preparations are underway for the boring of the cylinders using the ex Eastleigh equipment owned by the Bulleid Society. It is planned to send one of the driving wheel sets to South Devon Railway Engineering so that the journals can be skimmed.
Work has now started to replace the platework on the two side tanks where corrosion has occurred. The junction of the top of the tank with its vertical outside face is covered with beading of unusual profile, which is being carefully removed from the original tanks for reuse. Fittings on the tender tank tops are being removed, cleaned, painted and put into storage for reinstatement on the new tank tops. Much of the 1893 vintage tank platework is of riveted construction – welding was in its infancy when No 96 was built in 1893 – but where not visible replacement materials will be welded.
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Wasted tank section cut out waiting for a replacement plate to be welded in. |
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Cab back paint to top coat. |
No. 21C123 Blackmoor Vale
The overhaul of the back head fittings is progressing with the photograph (below) of the steam reverser valve dismantled, overhauled and awaiting rebuilding. The tender has visited the workshop to remove the leading tender wheel set and its replacement with a spare set. The wheel set removed will join two other spare tender wheel sets to be sent to South Devon Railway for removal of the old tyres and replacement with new tyres.
The retyred wheel sets will replace those under the tender of No 34059, which will allow the tender of No 34059 to ride at the correct height. The current wheel sets from No 34059 will be used under No 21C123's tender possibly after retyring.
We are looking at the possibility of having the interior of the tender tank cleaned and then coated with a synthetic polymer. This will reduce the corrosion of the tank and is a process already carried out on No 35028. It is hoped that the next phase of the overhaul will involve the tender.
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Overhauled steam reverser valve. |
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No. 21C123's tender in Sheffield Park workshop. |
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No. 21C123 Blackmoor Vale being moved 23rd July 2026. |
No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair
There has been a rearrangement of the tender wheel sets with the middle and leading sets changing places. The work was carried out in the workshop using the wheel drop pit to facilitate this work.
The installation of the new ashpan design in 2025 has successfully reduced the fire risk from the engine. In addition, the increase in the steel thickness and the improved water spray in the ashpan has so far eliminated the ashpan distortion. The blast pipe spark arrester has also been modified to reduce still further the ejection of lighted coals from the chimney.
With the engine now using reverse osmosis water there is a notable reduction in the sludge etc observed during boiler washout enabling washout periods to be almost doubled from the previous twenty-eight days.
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one of 34059's tender wheel sets in position on the wheel drop.
One of the tender axleboxes in the foreground. |
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A wheel set in the wheel drop waiting for the tender to be positioned so it can be raised into position. |
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Atlantic Coast Express
The 19th July 2026 was the 100th Anniversary of the Atlantic Coast Express probably the most famous of the Southern's named trains. On the Bluebell, No. 34059 was prepared with the ACE headboard and worked with it through the day.
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No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair leaving Horsted Keynes. |
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No. 34059 with the Atlantic Coast Express headboard fitted. |
15th May 2026
No. 21C123 Blackmoor Vale
50 years ago today, 15th May 1976, No. 21C123 Blackmoor Vale went into traffic on the Bluebell Railway. Below are some pictures taken on the day.
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No. 21C123 Blackmoor Vale at Horsted Keynes - 15th May 1976. |
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No. 21C123 Blackmoor Vale double heading with SECR C Class No. 592 - 15th May 1976. |
29th April 2026
No. 96 Normandy
A couple of pictures showing the reusing of a rear section of the old cab being overhauled to form part of the new full cab rear section together with the lower rear section already in place. The other picture shows progress on the repainting of the frames and the erection of the brake rigging.
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The rear section of cab which is be reused. |
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Brake rigging being erected. |
8th April 2026
No. 96 Normandy
Further pictures of Normandy's overhaul.
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Above & Left.
The lower rear back cab plates being painted. |
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The new steam pipes. The pattern and casting were undertaken by East Coast Castings – an excellent company to deal with and their patterns and castings are also of good quality. |
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Parts laid out in the yard, including the old and new steam pipes. |
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No. 30096 being used as a climbing frame during an open day at Eastleigh Works,
1st August 1962. |
9th March 2026
No. 96 Normandy
The new cab floor is in place and work is underway to renew all the cab sheet metalwork, starting with the rear section. We hope to rebuilt the full cab as on the photograph below to give improved footplate crew protection in the usual British weather.
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The lower rear back cab plate being cut out. |
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The drawings for the enclosed cab. |
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The enclosed cab that No. 96 will have. |
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The open cab it has run with recently. |
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The lower cab plate in place. |
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The right had cylinder block cleaned and painted. |
14th January 2026
No. 96 Normandy
A PDF of the progress report (Autumn 2025) detailing the work carried out on Normandy is available by clicking the link below.
NORMANDY REPORT
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