Atlantic Report No10: A Spectacular Return to Form...
Hi everyone. Today was a very brief outing for my 3.5" gauge C1 Atlantic No4436. The engine didn't attend the last Third Wednesday CMES steam up due to the adverse weather encountered on that evening and has sat quietly in the workshop ever since. This afternoon, with 'Eddie the Late' having said that he was free, we decided to go up to Ryton for an impromptu steam up. Having unloaded and raised steam, the Atlantic immediately started acting up. The safety valve was refusing to go off or shut down when required and the handpump simply wouldn't work. Having messed around with the engine for a while at various boiler pressures, I decided to kill the fire and blow her down as I had no means of putting water in without going around the track. The handpump will have to come out to be looked at but that isn't a particularly hard job, and the safety valve needs a new central spigot I think. Meanwhile, over at the bay of the late, Eddie's Don Young designed Midland 2P had raised steam and duly hissed out onto the track...
Eddie enjoyed a few laps of the track with the 2P steaming and pulling well: it looked a picture going round. Meanwhile I was shouting and swearing at my Atlantic, and congratulating her on the spectacular return to form after a spate of successful outings. The all too familiar feeling of failure had returned and in a way it felt like coming home! My spirits were raised slightly when Ed offered me a drive of the 2P; an engine I hadn't driven before. My god it goes like stink: drive it like you stole it for best results! Honestly, it steams well and watching the inside Joy valve gear flying around at speed is quite mesmerizing. The Atlantic will get fixed over the next couple of weeks and is due to appear at the annual Midlands Show up on the Fosseway later next month. It'll have to be polished within an inch of its life before that and will probably receive some more derogatory nick-names too! All the best guys and thanks, Sam...
3 comments:
Hi Sam, Oh No! The fickle finger of fate is once again pointing at you. Oh dear, but at least you got to drive Eddie the Late's 2P, sounds like a nice engine, I have a soft spot for Midland engines.
You are still having better luck than I do with my engines though. On the first run of my Juliet, the handpump failed, the exhaust blast would not draw the fire, and when I finally got it going, and important bit unbolted itself and flew off never to be seen again, all in one lap! Then on the first run of my Caribou, a cylinder drain cock failed, the handpump jammed, the axle pump was insufficient to keep up with water use, and the safety valves lifted at 30psi, which was too low for the injector to work. I got half a lap before giving up, and that was on an engine with supposedly a new steam and hydraulic ticket! (Not a CMES ticket I might add...) So you're not doing too badly with your Atlantic. I bet there isn't a polishing dept at your new job, to shine up the brass though?
Might see you at the Midlands show, I'll be steaming the "Golden Slipper" on Friday afternoon,
Kind regards,
Emma-Claire.
Hi there Emma. The loco is now on the Cov MES stand at the show and, as I've written this today, you may well have spotted it by now. The safety valve has been repaired and the handpump is next on the list. The fickle finger of fate shall not defeat us! Hard luck with your two engines - I'm sure it will all come good in the end. The Caribou in particular is something I don't think you see everyday so will be nice to see it in action. Good luck with the 'Golden Slipper'. Best Regards, Sam
Ha ha! You won't be surprised to know that the Golden Slipper is up to it's usual tricks again this year!
One of the traction engine chaps asked if you were attending the show? I said I don't know, but I did say you wouldn't be driving the Golden Slipper this year.
He did say he'd be attending next year's MTEW though ;)
We also suffered the indignity of the Jet Powered Train again this year :(
I spotted your Atlantic on the club stand, very nice!
It's a great show again this year, I'm really enjoying it.
Catch you soon, Emma-claire.
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