BlueBird Returns to The Water
- Thread starter Richard A Thackeray
- Start date
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Nice to see the island of my birth in the news for more positive reasons this time.
What I don't understand though, is why did they go to all the expense and hassle of bringing Bluebird all the way to Bute? Is there anything they can do on Loch Fad that they couldn't do on Coniston Water? Anyway, it's nice to see it up here, and I just happened to be at Wemyss Bay ferry terminal yesterday when it arrived for the ferry crossing. Still under wraps though, so here's a pointless photo!........
What I don't understand though, is why did they go to all the expense and hassle of bringing Bluebird all the way to Bute? Is there anything they can do on Loch Fad that they couldn't do on Coniston Water? Anyway, it's nice to see it up here, and I just happened to be at Wemyss Bay ferry terminal yesterday when it arrived for the ferry crossing. Still under wraps though, so here's a pointless photo!........
Fnaar
Smutmaster General
- Location
- Thumberland
D
Deleted member 26715
Guest
That's a rather puny engine
Beebo
Firm and Fruity
- Location
- Hexleybeef
How much is actually the original boat and how much is just a historic replica.
I presume this is a problem with lots of old things. Cutty Sark is another example. A bit like triggers broom.
I presume this is a problem with lots of old things. Cutty Sark is another example. A bit like triggers broom.
D
Deleted member 26715
Guest
It's based around the original which they recovered from the bottom of Coniston Water (I think) they then took 10 years to dismantle it & 8 years to rebuild it. But whether it is original with new parts or new I don't know.
OP
OP
Richard A Thackeray
Legendary Member
One of the news sites quoted Bill Smith along the lines of almost everything that was recovered, & was safe to re-use, was used
The Sponsons (floats) were scrapped at the time of the incident, so were remade
He went on to state that the unusable parts would have fitted into a few shoeboxes
Granted, it's safety critical, but they're not chasing Water Speed Records with it, just (presumably) demonstration runs?
chriswoody
Legendary Member
- Location
- Northern Germany
They did want to use Coniston and still do. However, the Lake District National park is playing hardball and have put lots of stupid barriers in the way. There's loads of info on this on their forum. It's pretty sad and tragic. Bute on the other hand have been really accomodating and helpful. Their still hoping to run on Coniston one day if the LDNP ever see sense.
Aside from the engine and sponsons most of it is original. All of the engine ancillaries are also original. It's worth delving through their website to see how they've gone about it. There has been some amazing and ground breaking restoration work happening here. They way they have taken crumpled and broken metal, straightened it out and welded it back together, has been truly amazing. Most of what you see is the boat that crashed in Coniston all those years ago.
It's going to be great to see her running again.
Last edited:
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
T'is said that where possible parts that could not be repaired were melted down and the material re-used to make anew, so there's a significant proportion of the original vessel there. It's a remarkable project, and by the standard of such things has been completed quite swiftly too.
Mugshot
Cracking a solo.
Is that Jack Lalanne at the front?
Fnaar
Smutmaster General
- Location
- Thumberland
erm ... dunno (??) (looked him up, appears to have died some years back)
pic spotted on local paper's web pages
chriswoody
Legendary Member
- Location
- Northern Germany
