An Indian Summer: Driving Statfold's "Alpha"...

"Driving 'Alpha' Towards The Bank" (Pic - Ken of Bonkser - Flickr)

Statfold Open Day's have forever provided me with much enjoyment whilst driving and firing the various members of the impressive fleet of locomotives and today was no exception. My first booked turn on board 0-6-0 Hudswell Clarke "Alpha" was a cracking experience and here is the story of our day. After a blustery drive through the darkness of the A444, I arrived at the SBR at just before 06:00. Having parked in the field and unloaded my kit, I made my way to the shed frontage where I'd left "Alpha" the night before. The Hayling lads were just starting to put lighters to the engines as I turned up and so it was my job to light up our Hudswell. With a smaller engine we don't tend to bother with a coal bed, just light your paraffin soaked rags and get the wood going and follow with coal later. It wasn't long before I had a blaze on...

Fireman Ben soon arrived and began adding coal to the crackling wood fire. The darkened exhaust from "Alpha"s chimney confirmed that all was well as the dim light slowly gave way to sunrise. All around, the rest of the colourful Statfold fleet were coming to life. By 07:00 "Alpha" was warming through nicely with a good draw from the tall chimney. I've never quite known a freshly lit up cold engine draw like this one did this morning: no smoke came back at us at all...

Whilst Ben continued to keep an eye on the fire, I made my way around the engine with the oil can. The Walschaerts valve gear adds relative ease to the process and there was nothing particularly out of reach. It was a very relaxed preparation this morning as with a clean engine you have little to do but raise steam, oil up and go. Behind us, our American partner for the day: the Davenport crewed by Karl & Elspeth: was also brewing up. The only waiting time was the usual queue for the long nosed feeder which can reach the axleboxes. As you rarely need a feeder for anything else on the smaller engines, the one is generally passed around between the locomotives...

There was just enough time to grab our free Sausage & Bacon cob from the van before the usual 08:30 Safety Briefing on the lawn... 

With the briefing complete, the assembled hoards of bib and brace clad drivers and firemen returned to their various steeds to await the off. One or two consists left the shed before us but when the time came it was up to the Davenport to lead us down to the headshunt. With a pip on both whistles and a hiss of steam, away we went. Both engines have steam brakes but the one on the American engine is about as useful as a handbrake on a canoe and so "Alpha" was employed for stopping purposes on the steep gradient. Coming to rest outside the signalbox, we awaited the next inbound train hauled by "Howard". Today's pairing was quite fitting as the duo worked together at the Ryam Sugar Company in India; just one of many pairings kept together by Statfold. One could get quite poetic about things like this...

Here is a view from the other side as "Alpha" prepares to haul her American cousin up into the platform once the freight train had arrived...

"Howard": driven by Batesy: could be heard clearly on the breeze as she attacked the climb through the Jurassic Park gates from Oak Tree with a freight. Batesy was being put to the test with a heavy train and "Howard" sounded like an 8F on the Lickey as she barked past the Tram Shed and into view, firing a 40ft column of smoke vigorously skyward. It was later found that a wagon brake was dragging on him as they went past, much to Phil's annoyance as we gesticulated in humorous jest. With the freight safely inside, the next passenger train departed before the road was set for our short climb into the old bay platform. "Alpha" hissed into life, expelling reams of condensate onto the ballast before her. Despite both the cylinder drains and valve chest taps being open (and providing a dense fog to drive into) "Alpha" still persisted in coughing up plenty of black muck which was duly thrown over her clean boiler barrel. Oh well, we buffed it off once coupled up. We then awaited the road...

With the next up passenger train clear, our consist was given the road to depart. Both engines were rubbing their steam brakes as we collected the token at the signalbox and proceeded into the section. We were stopped briefly at Oak Tree before departing into the next section towards the balloon loop. Once stationary, two American engines met as the Buzzard Baldwin marched past on the High Level train...

It was a changeable morning weather wise: the early drizzle gave way to bouts of dryness with a chilly breeze but the sun never really came out. After a successful first return trip behind the surprisingly loud and punchy Davenport, we arrived back at Statfold and awaited shunt release. Too long for the turntable, our consist rolled gently down into the headshunt to await the next move.

For the second trip of the day: this time on the ex-Lynton coaches: "Alpha" was on the front. There was a short delay at Statfold whilst a problem with the Mallet was rectified at the balloon loop, causing all operations to be stopped. Eventually we were given the road to proceed "Under Caution" to Oak Tree. You don't really get a feel for an engine until she's at the head of the train and as we hissed out of Statfold "Alpha" began to come into her own. Having closed the drain cocks the engine accelerated out past the Tram Shed and down through the Jurassic Park gates. She absolutely glided along the track with a fantastic ride quality for a fairly short wheelbase 0-6-0. Arriving at Oak Tree we were given a Green Flag to proceed into the station area and were brought to a stand in the loop. With the next section soon cleared, we awaited the Guard's "Right Away". He must have fallen asleep as a good 5 minutes of gesturing and raising of arms elapsed from our end of the train before the flag and an apologetic wave appeared. Frustrated, we departed for the balloon loop...

After a brief stop at Cogan Halt we continued our merry journey. Fireman Ben had the job well in hand and the steam was hugging the red line as we approached the bank; as seen in the title shot of this post. As we steamed along the bottom straight it was clear that "Alpha" was another engine of deception with strength far outweighing her stature. As the Hudswell marched along with barely a murmur, I turned to Karl on the Davenport (shut-off) and said "stick another coach on chaps!". I think Ben may have gotten bored by the end of the day with my constant remarks of "aren't you a lovely old thing'" to "Alpha"! (I'm afraid I talk to engines, as do most of my locomotive colleagues!). Anyway, after a slip at the foot of the bank the Hudswell dug in and pulled the train up with ease. After watering at Oak Tree we returned to Statfold once more, marching up into the platform with an audible chuff at the chimney...

After shunt release, our Ryam duo are seen simmering in the headshunt...

The third trip saw the Davenport in the lead again, with "Alpha" helping where necessary. That trip, for some reason, was plagued with small issues, almost as if some gremlins had boarded the train! Despite this though we still had a good run and soon found ourselves back in the damp headshunt once more. Karl & Elspeth then set to cooking lunch on the shovel and we were both very pleased when they supplied us with some too! Karl rustled up some American style burgers (a mark of respect to his USA-built locomotive) and they came with all the trimmings and even potato chips as a side! Thank you both for the burgers: we literally lived the American dream! For our fourth and final trip (our second on the front), myself and Ben swapped roles...

"Ryam Partners" (Pic - M.Waldron)

I found "Alpha" to be just as lovely on the fireman's side and she is definitely up near the top of my list now. What a lovely old thing. After a great last trip: with Ben showing me up completely with his much neater and slip free driving I might add: we were shunt released before returning to the shed...

"Back to Shed" (Pic - M.Waldron)

Back on shed, we began preparing the engine to be bedded down for the night as we only required enough steam for the steam brake to stop our ensemble running away down the bank as we dropped into the headshunt for the cavalcade and that was it. The fire was thinned and the engine cleaned. I then had a good nattering session with John whilst the final shunts took place out on the railway...

"On Shed with the Hudswell" (Pic - M.Waldron)

Finally, our pairing dropped down to the headshunt to join the rest of the fleet for the big whistle up. The Davenport was ready for bed even before we got there and Karl & Elspeth stepped off as soon as we were stationary! After filling our boiler we isolated the necessaries and left the engine for the night as the final visitors made their way towards the car park. A beer and a potato was now in order after another very enjoyable day driving on the Statfold Barn Railway. My thanks as always must go to the SBR for continuing to let me loose with their fine engines and to Fireman Ben for putting up with me. Thank you also to Ken & Max for sending in some of the images used in this post. Thanks all, until next time, Sam...