21C123 Blackmoor Vale is in traffic after a boiler washout and the fitting of new brake shoes on the engine. 21C123 among the Autumn colours

During Bluebell's 2007 Giants of Steam - Bulleid extravaganza - Blackmoor Vale double-headed with visiting locomotive 34007 Wadebridge.

The Bulleid line-up arranged at Horsted Keynes on the 19th October. From left to right; 34007 Wadebridge, 34028 Eddystone, 21C123 Blackmoor Vale and 34081 92 Squadron.

July 2007

David Shepherd with his painting of Nos. 34002 and 34023 in July 1967 standing next to 21C123 with the driver, Andy Wilkins, at Sheffield Park.

David Shepherd's paintings were on display in the Bessemer Arms at Sheffield Park over the weekend of 14th and 15th July. These included some unseen works produced during the last days of steam at Nine Elms and Guildford. The exhibition was staged to raise funds for David's own charity 'The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation'

It was organised as part of the Bluebell Railway's commemoration of the fortieth anniversary of the end of SR steam on 9 July 1967.

A newly machined Klinger valve has been fitted. This controls the steam supply to the turbo generator.

This is an historic view of 21C123's backhead - as purchased from BR in 1967

June 2007

21C123 Blackmoor Vale is back in traffic after having its steam pipes replaced - see below.

The new main steam pipes for 21C123 were fabricated from schedule 80 pipe and bends by the workshop staff inside the smokebox.

The pipes were then removed and are now being welded by a coded welder before being reinstated. There may be some necessity to heat the pipes with oxy-propane to form the final connections between the superheater header and the cylinder steam pipe connections when fitting.

May 2007

After further work to the firebox - detailed below - Blackmoor Vale was back in traffic for Bluebell's War Weekend, but a cracked steam pipe from the superheater header to the middle engine has been discovered. The pipes will be removed and replaced with new items.

No. 21C123 has had yet another crack welded up in the combustion chamber side of the firebox - the right hand front area. The photograph shows this repair. The right hand section of the grate has been removed to facilitate both this repair and the earlier one in an adjacent position. Two stays had to be removed and have now been replaced with new ones.

April 2007

No.21C123 is now back in traffic after the repairs to the syphons and the renewal of the three flexible stays. However, it was noted that there were some broken valve rings and the engine is now in the workshop for replacement to the valve and piston rings. No.34028 Eddystone will stand in for Blackmoor Vale while this work is being carried out.

The above photograph shows the valve removed and the grooves for the rings visible on the valve head.

March 2007

Blackmoor Vale departing from Sheffield Park, Saturday 10th March.

January 2007

The replacement sections for the syphons arrived in December and Blackmoor Vale has been brought into the workshop to allow the syphons to be prepared and the new sections welded in place. Both syphon elbows will be replaced. Fittings are being removed from the backhead to allow the hydraulic testing of the boiler after this work is complete.