Sometimes things don't go according to plan and this was certainly the case with today's A4 turn at the Great Central Railway. A phone call yesterday evening informed me that our booked steam locomotive: Standard 5 No73156: had failed in service and would not be available for traffic today. With no spare steam engine available, I was asked if I'd be prepared to secondman the covering diesel. Of course the answer is "yes" as any other answer just isn't cricket. The DTM had been frantically rearranging diagrams to best suit the timetable, making best use of the one remaining available steam locomotive: Standard 2 No78019. My booked turn had changed slightly and I was asked to start earlier but finish earlier, working the 12:20 and 14:20 trains alongside diesel driver Mick. I arrived at the GCR's Loughborough base at around 11:00, in good time for our 12:20 passenger train. Station cat Onslaught was snoozing in the ops office, taking a break on this muggy afternoon...
Outside, at the head of the line of diesels stabled on the up through, stood our waiting steed: 1961-built Class 37 714 "Cardiff Canton", in Trainload Metals livery...
Driver Mick duly prepared the 1750hp diesel for service, starting the engine and making up the air for the braking system. As a steam lover through and through, I can still see why these things ended up replacing our beloved coal fired locomotives. These huge beasts are ready within minutes: no hassle, no stress. I'd imagine that if you were crew on British Rail in the early 60s and you weren't too much of a steam fan, you'd have loved to transfer into the cab of one of these...especially in the winter! We were confined to the up through until a shunt with the Class 08 had taken place. Shunt complete, we came out of our siding in order to move around to the head of our waiting train in platform one. Changing ends during a run round can be a tad tedious but it is good exercise! Soon enough, we were on the move with the six-coach train and enjoyed a pleasant run to Leicester North. Below, 37 714 climbs away from Rothley Brook with the up section signal in the 'off' position as we approach...
Driver Mick is pictured effortlessly bringing 37 714 up to line speed...
This beast really is caged here, it wants to be out on the main line doing 70mph+. I meanwhile couldn't believe how easy my afternoon had become. All I had to do was call the signals out and then do the coupling/uncoupling each time we ran round our train. The life of a secondman is quite a leisurely one in comparison to a fireman...the diesel does it all for you! At Leicester, 37 714 has run round the stock...
It was interesting chatting to Mick about diesels as we growled along the line. They're not my thing I'll admit, but a change is as good as a rest as they say. As well as being involved in the GCR-based Heavy Tractor Group (owners of 37 714), Mick is also part of the Deltic Preservation Society at Barrow Hill. I am very much in admiration of the historic significance of the Class 55's and so it was interesting to chat about them. Below, No78019 descends into Rothley from Loughborough with the up Sunday lunch diner, whilst we await departure from Rothley's down platform...
It's amazing what a different view you get from the cab of a diesel, without a boiler in your way. Below, we growl into Swithland on the down line with the down home signal showing a green at the time of passing...
Once back at Loughborough, a brisk run round brought us back to the southern end of the train. At this point the rumbling diesel was shut down for a while to reduce the noise. 37 714 could therefore take a breather...
On time at 14:20, we departed Loughborough's platform one, bound for Leicester North. I enjoyed a cup of tea and my meal deal in my padded seat...
This train was the mixed afternoon tea and chippy special (one at each end of the stock with standard class passengers in the intermediate coaches). At Leicester there was the usual extra time allocated for footplate visits. With no footplate as such, we opted to do some cab visits instead, which proved pretty popular...
The final run home was equally stress free and we rolled into Loughborough right on time. The diesel was duly uncoupled and rolled forward into No2 shed road before crossing back over into the up through for stabling. No ashpan to do, no smokebox to do...I was at a loss! The diesel quietly settled down for the evening without so much as a clinkered fire! Again, you can see why these things took over. It seemed fairly economical too, with the fuel gauge having hardly moved. Mick explained that this example has extended range fuel tanks meaning that they only tend to fill it once a season and it does the job! An impressive machine indeed...
I must thank Mick for his company aboard the Class 37 today: it was more interesting than you'd first think. It's a shame it wasn't the booked steamer but that can't be helped...we're dealing with heritage equipment that is bound to fail every now and again. The Standard 5 in particular has done a lot of miles and has been a very trusty machine since its painstaking restoration so who can complain really? Whilst walking to the wash room, I passed the Standard 5 (awaiting superheater repairs) and the 8F (part way through spring hanger changes) basking in the afternoon sun on the shed frontage. With these two sidelined, No78018 out for a valve and piston exam and the Hall still working hard at the West Somerset, that left no spare steam traction...
Overall, that wasn't bad. It was interesting to have the change in a way and I hope it helped the railway out. After we retired, No78019 took over again to work the final passenger train of the day. You can find out more information on the Heavy Tractor Group and their locomotives by clicking here. That was my first turn on one of the once 309-strong Class 37s. Over the years I've crewed many a diesel in an emergency (25, 31, 33, 47, 73) but not a 37, until now. Many thanks for reading all...
Please note any views or opinions expressed in this blog are merely personal and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person, group or organisation.
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