Hi all. This week has been part of my annual Christmas leave and so today allowed me the opportunity to head over to Tyseley to help prepare "Polar Star". This evenings services would be the final Thursday operation, with the final 'Polar Express' trains operating this Sunday. They have been hugely popular so far and bookings are strong into the weekend. I was incredibly impressed by the whole cast during my sneak peak at the performance last Friday. 4965 "Rood Ashton Hall" has been a stalwart performer on all of the Polar workings, covering many miles back and forth on the Goods Line between Tyseley and Moor Street. On this very cold morning, I arrived at the former 84E at around 08:00 and duly unloaded my kit from the car. Walking down through the bustling loco works (they don't break up until tomorrow) I found Phil and Ted alongside 4965. I was instructed to start up the Class 08 diesel shunter to create air prior to dragging the Hall outside for lighting up...
Phil then lit the embryo fire whilst we passed mounds of chopped wood to the footplate. Many jobs have to take place during the morning preparation. The fire has to be lit, the tender watered, the locomotive and tender oiled and the whole thing cleaned. Ted was set to work rubbing down the wheels whilst myself and Phil went underneath to oil the internal components of the Stephenson's motion. It's amazing how much room there is between the frames of the larger GWR 4-6-0s: much nicer than the cramped conditions inside a Pannier! As you slink out from underneath the bufferbeam, the presence of 4965 is pretty imposing above your head...
As the morning wore on, slowly but surely "Rood Ashton" was coming to life. She'd been warmed gently the day before as normal before slowly being brought round into steam this morning. It was unusual weather today: blue skies and a chill breeze but with fairly poor lighting around the yard. The sun just couldn't make its mind up! In the yard amongst the boilers, 4965 shone brightly with steam pressure rising. The boilers below belong to a sister Hall (left) and a Manor (right)...
As usual, the renamed "Polar Star" would be moved across onto the waiting stock at around 13:00. The Class 47 diesel had been refuelled before taking up her place on the tail end of the Mk1 rake of coaches. As 4965's off shed time neared, the 47' shunted through the yard towards Warwick Road's Platform 1 to await the steamer...
When the time came, I enjoyed a short but very pleasant ride on the footplate of 4965 across onto the coaches. The engines always leave Five Road in a cloud of condensate as they attempt to clear their steam circuit during their first moves of the day. Once at the stop board, 4965 was given the road to drop back onto the coaches. The ECS departure for Moor Street was not many minutes after 14:00...
With the biting cold now starting to wear me down, I decided to head for home once the ECS had left Tyseley for the city centre. Right on time, Driver Ray Churchill and Fireman Phil Bates got "Polar Star" gently on the move and she hissed loudly through the yard towards the main line and ultimately her adoring public...
As the 47' ticked past on the rear of the train, it was time to grab my stuff and head home. That's my last Tyseley outing for 2018 complete. It's been a quiet year really for 84E (in terms of trips that is) but very exciting times now lie ahead as, following in the wake of the successful 'Polar Express', the new TOC hopes to see us out and about on other excursions in 2019. I can't wait! Today though was another very pleasant and relaxed morning spending time with good friends on and around a fabulous main line locomotive. Roll on 2019 at 84E! Thanks all and Merry Christmas...
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