Bala Holiday Day Two: Examining and Firing A "Quarry Hunslet"...
Hello everyone. Well, day two dawned and, at 7:30am sharp I turned on the TV in the accomodation to check out the latest on GMTV (a "must" on weekdays!). After enjoying my breakfast and getting myself ready I headed off down to the engine shed ready for the 8:30am start. Eddie arrived just after me, with a key to the padlock for starters! Once inside, "Holy War" (our charge for the weekend), was sandwiched between the diesel shunter "Bob Davis" and the railway's other cabbed Hunslet, "Maid Marian" (more on her in Sunday's post). Manager Roger soon arrived and started up "Bob Davis" and dragged "Holy War" out into the bright morning sunshine. Once uncoupled, Roger took the diesel off towards the carraige shed (further down the yard) before bringing out the 4-coach rake for the day's four service trains. Eddie meanwhile was talking me through the jobs I had to do as fireman (that were different to the usual practise anyway). First thing, sweep the tubes with the long brush...a suprisingly strenuous task on a warm day would you belive?! (Especially with a brand new, unworn tube brush head!). Myself and Eddie had to use the brush together to get the desired effect on the 30 boiler tubes! Once this was done I had to clean out the fire from the day before. In this case, there wasn't much at all. However, instead of using the rake, on 2ft gauge you can, using a glove/rag, pull out 2 firebars and push all the ash across the grate and down the created hole! Within about 20 seconds you have cleared the whole grate of the 2ft x 1ft firebox! Fantastic... 
Once the grate is cleared you put back the two firebars before opening the Damper and cleaning out the Ashpan with a rake provided. Then, after checking that there is enough water in the boiler (1/3 of a glass or more) then you can light up. Bala Lake Railway uses a rag with bits of sawn/chopped parrafin wood thrown on top. Dry wood is then added before a few shovelful's of coal as well. Smoke bellows out everywhere but, once the door is shut alot less comes out...though you still get enough to make your eyes water! Above you will see "Holy War"s cab. The two sizeable gauge glasses can be clearly seen as well as the red regulator handle. The firehole door can be seen in the bottom-centre of the firebox; the handle to the left being for the damper. Up on the manifold, the two black valves are the steam feed's for the injectors. The little screw-handle next to the Ramsbottom safety valves is the pressure-gauge 'shut-off' and the red handle to the left of that operates the Blower. The two red handles on the back of the firebox are the clack 'shut-off's for the injectors. Out of sight are the two injector water valves, the handle for the shrill whistle, the chain for the deep whistle and the pole reverser & drain cock operating valve. The whistle 'shut-off' is also out of sight. All in all, this is a simple, robust cab that, when containing two people maximum, is easy to fire for mile after mile (wouldn't want three in there!). "Holy War", being a Quarry Hunslet of the 'Alice Class', is out-side framed, allowing the power to administered by the connecting rods to the crank axle which the wheels are then on, inside the frames, as seen below... 
Interestingly, "Holy War" also has two whistles, "Just for fun" as one member described! One is a Stanier style Hooter whilst the other is a shrill, high-pitched one. (Very nice they are too!). Lubrication? Well, "Holy War" carries a Mechanical Lubricator, operated from the main connecting rod, on the Fireman's side. However, these, as far as I know, are not original fittings as Quarry Hunslets carried Hydrostatic Lubricators. "Holy War" and "Maid Marian" both carry their original Hydrostatic's on the drivers-side as built, though they are no longer connected and are simply for show (nice bit of Brass you see!). Below, you can see "Holy War"s mechanical lubricator which oils her cylinders... 
Back to us on the engine. After lighting at 9am it was time to clean. Eddie said the Driver's oil up and clean the outside whilst the Fireman looks after the fire and cleans the internal Cab Brasses. Therefore, I set too and cleaned the cab using Brasso and rags. After an hour the engine had 25psi 'on the clock', a roaring fire and a clean cab as well as shining outside paintwork and brass! In all, all that was left was to get more steam up which of course takes time if you value your boiler! 10am at Llanuwchllyn means "Tea Time" and so, off we went for a cuppa'; Great Stuff! After tea we returned to the engine which now had 45-50psi 'on the clock'. Therefore, we put the tools away, got ourselves cleaned up and changed into our smart overalls. When ready, with the 'Board' (signal) already given to go through the station and up onto the Coal/Water road, we set off with just over 60psi of the total 110psi (blowing off pressure). After coaling and watering we ran round the stock before buffering up and 'shackelling up'. The air pipe is also connected for emergency "air braking", though all regulator braking is done on the Hunslet's handbrake. At 11:15am, with a good fire and 1/2 a glass of water we departed with the first train on time. I was a little nervous I must admit but all went well, thanks to the advice from Eddie whilst I settled into the engine a bit and experienced the journey to Bala via Llangower for the first time ever! (More on the journey in tomorrow's post). The weather however was beautiful and we made Bala in good time. Below, we see the fire when examined at Bala whilst running round for the return run...
After four successful trips on our first day we felt that we had done well. We hadn't ran out of steam or water and we had not become too late or too early...everything seemed to have worked. (Not even in the taxing 1/2 mile '1 in 70' bank from the lakeside back up to Llanuwchllyn couldn't defeat us! The engine was a fantastic steamer with two good injectors to boot. In tomorrow's post, I will describe the line in a little more detail, offering pictures for your interest. I'm trying to keep different area's seperate between the three main posts of the weekend so that none of them become "TOO long"; this one, as you will have read, was all about "Holy War". After putting the loco away it was time for another cuppa' before retiring for a shower. The railway also provides two "cobs" per member at lunchtime and, even better, the loco crew do not have to queue...they have their own serving hatch! Fantastic! Finally, "Holy War" was built in 1902 to the 'Alice' design, and supplied in brand new condition to the infamous Dinorwic Slate Quarrie's. Some engines at Dinorwic worked at heights up to 1860ft above sea level! Famously, "Holy War" was the last steam loco in any British slate quarry, ending 120 years of quarry steam when she left service in November 1967. After many moves she was brought to Bala Lake by a previous owner and was purchased by the railway in 1989. All in all, a very nice day on a very nice engine! More on the railway tomorrow, for now, it's off to Bala for another 'pub meal'!...
Hello everyone. Well, day two dawned and, at 7:30am sharp I turned on the TV in the accomodation to check out the latest on GMTV (a "must" on weekdays!). After enjoying my breakfast and getting myself ready I headed off down to the engine shed ready for the 8:30am start. Eddie arrived just after me, with a key to the padlock for starters! Once inside, "Holy War" (our charge for the weekend), was sandwiched between the diesel shunter "Bob Davis" and the railway's other cabbed Hunslet, "Maid Marian" (more on her in Sunday's post). Manager Roger soon arrived and started up "Bob Davis" and dragged "Holy War" out into the bright morning sunshine. Once uncoupled, Roger took the diesel off towards the carraige shed (further down the yard) before bringing out the 4-coach rake for the day's four service trains. Eddie meanwhile was talking me through the jobs I had to do as fireman (that were different to the usual practise anyway). First thing, sweep the tubes with the long brush...a suprisingly strenuous task on a warm day would you belive?! (Especially with a brand new, unworn tube brush head!). Myself and Eddie had to use the brush together to get the desired effect on the 30 boiler tubes! Once this was done I had to clean out the fire from the day before. In this case, there wasn't much at all. However, instead of using the rake, on 2ft gauge you can, using a glove/rag, pull out 2 firebars and push all the ash across the grate and down the created hole! Within about 20 seconds you have cleared the whole grate of the 2ft x 1ft firebox! Fantastic... 
Once the grate is cleared you put back the two firebars before opening the Damper and cleaning out the Ashpan with a rake provided. Then, after checking that there is enough water in the boiler (1/3 of a glass or more) then you can light up. Bala Lake Railway uses a rag with bits of sawn/chopped parrafin wood thrown on top. Dry wood is then added before a few shovelful's of coal as well. Smoke bellows out everywhere but, once the door is shut alot less comes out...though you still get enough to make your eyes water! Above you will see "Holy War"s cab. The two sizeable gauge glasses can be clearly seen as well as the red regulator handle. The firehole door can be seen in the bottom-centre of the firebox; the handle to the left being for the damper. Up on the manifold, the two black valves are the steam feed's for the injectors. The little screw-handle next to the Ramsbottom safety valves is the pressure-gauge 'shut-off' and the red handle to the left of that operates the Blower. The two red handles on the back of the firebox are the clack 'shut-off's for the injectors. Out of sight are the two injector water valves, the handle for the shrill whistle, the chain for the deep whistle and the pole reverser & drain cock operating valve. The whistle 'shut-off' is also out of sight. All in all, this is a simple, robust cab that, when containing two people maximum, is easy to fire for mile after mile (wouldn't want three in there!). "Holy War", being a Quarry Hunslet of the 'Alice Class', is out-side framed, allowing the power to administered by the connecting rods to the crank axle which the wheels are then on, inside the frames, as seen below... 
Interestingly, "Holy War" also has two whistles, "Just for fun" as one member described! One is a Stanier style Hooter whilst the other is a shrill, high-pitched one. (Very nice they are too!). Lubrication? Well, "Holy War" carries a Mechanical Lubricator, operated from the main connecting rod, on the Fireman's side. However, these, as far as I know, are not original fittings as Quarry Hunslets carried Hydrostatic Lubricators. "Holy War" and "Maid Marian" both carry their original Hydrostatic's on the drivers-side as built, though they are no longer connected and are simply for show (nice bit of Brass you see!). Below, you can see "Holy War"s mechanical lubricator which oils her cylinders... 
Back to us on the engine. After lighting at 9am it was time to clean. Eddie said the Driver's oil up and clean the outside whilst the Fireman looks after the fire and cleans the internal Cab Brasses. Therefore, I set too and cleaned the cab using Brasso and rags. After an hour the engine had 25psi 'on the clock', a roaring fire and a clean cab as well as shining outside paintwork and brass! In all, all that was left was to get more steam up which of course takes time if you value your boiler! 10am at Llanuwchllyn means "Tea Time" and so, off we went for a cuppa'; Great Stuff! After tea we returned to the engine which now had 45-50psi 'on the clock'. Therefore, we put the tools away, got ourselves cleaned up and changed into our smart overalls. When ready, with the 'Board' (signal) already given to go through the station and up onto the Coal/Water road, we set off with just over 60psi of the total 110psi (blowing off pressure). After coaling and watering we ran round the stock before buffering up and 'shackelling up'. The air pipe is also connected for emergency "air braking", though all regulator braking is done on the Hunslet's handbrake. At 11:15am, with a good fire and 1/2 a glass of water we departed with the first train on time. I was a little nervous I must admit but all went well, thanks to the advice from Eddie whilst I settled into the engine a bit and experienced the journey to Bala via Llangower for the first time ever! (More on the journey in tomorrow's post). The weather however was beautiful and we made Bala in good time. Below, we see the fire when examined at Bala whilst running round for the return run...
After four successful trips on our first day we felt that we had done well. We hadn't ran out of steam or water and we had not become too late or too early...everything seemed to have worked. (Not even in the taxing 1/2 mile '1 in 70' bank from the lakeside back up to Llanuwchllyn couldn't defeat us! The engine was a fantastic steamer with two good injectors to boot. In tomorrow's post, I will describe the line in a little more detail, offering pictures for your interest. I'm trying to keep different area's seperate between the three main posts of the weekend so that none of them become "TOO long"; this one, as you will have read, was all about "Holy War". After putting the loco away it was time for another cuppa' before retiring for a shower. The railway also provides two "cobs" per member at lunchtime and, even better, the loco crew do not have to queue...they have their own serving hatch! Fantastic! Finally, "Holy War" was built in 1902 to the 'Alice' design, and supplied in brand new condition to the infamous Dinorwic Slate Quarrie's. Some engines at Dinorwic worked at heights up to 1860ft above sea level! Famously, "Holy War" was the last steam loco in any British slate quarry, ending 120 years of quarry steam when she left service in November 1967. After many moves she was brought to Bala Lake by a previous owner and was purchased by the railway in 1989. All in all, a very nice day on a very nice engine! More on the railway tomorrow, for now, it's off to Bala for another 'pub meal'!... 
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