The Davenport: A Statfold American Dream...

"Driving Britain's Only Davenport" (Pic - M.Waldron)

Throughout my years of crewing locomotives for Statfold Barn I've been on most of their ever-growing fleet. However, one engine that remained at the top of my list was the diminutive Davenport: Ryam Sugar Company No1 of 1917. Therefore, when the roster for todays June Enthusiasts Day was published a few weeks ago, I was pleased to see my name penned against No1. The Met Office men had promised persistent pouring rain and, for once, they were sadly correct. When I arrived at Statfold a little after 06:00, the only thing I could see by the dawn's early light was a very wet shed frontage. In the lamp hut, I signed in and read the notices before wandering across to find my steed for the day. The fire had just been lit, with the tell tale plume of wood smoke from the chimney offering a reassuring sight... 

The Davenport Locomotive Company of Iowa were known for building 'switchers', or shunting locomotives in British terms. No1 was built for the Ryam Sugar Company in Bihar, India where she worked alongside younger Statfold shed-mate "Alpha". A rarity on the Indian sugar fields, we can only assume that the Davenport was ordered because British manufacturers would have been busy building locomotives for the war effort at the time. Showing her US pedigree, No1 includes features such as bar frames, ratchet regulator and even a bell. Making my way around the engine with an oil can, the bar frames made it easier to reach the inside Stephenson's valve gear which would be almost inaccessible with plate frames due to the low lying boiler barrel...

Whilst the various crews prepared their colourful steeds on and around the shed frontage, the rain continued to fall. The Safety Briefing took place in the running shed at around 08:00, after which I headed off to grab my free breakfast roll. Though a generally small engine, the Davenport employs probably the best cab of any SBR locomotive and it was most welcome on a foul morning like this one...

Known by some crews as the chicken coop, the cab isn't quite high enough for a driver 6ft tall (like myself) to stand up straight in. Therefore, I opted to make a Gresley out of a Davenport. I found a perfectly sized oil drum and stood it on my side of the cab before adding a block of wood and a cushion I'd brought from home. This created a lovely driving position from which to drive the 102-year old engine. It wasn't long before Fireman Joey noticed my seating arrangements and created his own version!

Despite the Davenport being rostered to run alone, the adverse weather conditions saw us being asked to couple up with 'Lautoka No19'; the ex-Fiji Hudswell. Though I myself was more than willing to brim the sand pots and go it alone, a little assistance wouldn't go a miss on the greasy rails, particularly when trying to stop the freight train! A little after 09:30, the yard master gave us the call to come off shed with our well-travelled duo. After descending the bank and drawing into the headshunt, we came to a stand near "Trangkil" to await our next movement...

With the board off, the pair hissed steadily backwards towards Platform 2 where the ex-Lynton coaches were waiting. Soon we were ready for the off...

With a "Right Away" from the Guard, away we drifted. The Davenport's ratchet regulator is unusual to operate, pulling open towards the rear of the engine. The 0-4-0 is well known for her loud bark but I was surprised at just how little regulator would make her start shouting. Her bark is most definitely worse than her bite! After a break at the balloon loop, we steamed away again towards Statfold. The engine strode easily towards the bank, with No19 hissing away behind our tender. In a way the hardest part of driving this engine is resisting the urge to ease back as you believe you're working her harder than you need to, when in reality she is just a loud little machine. Once back at Statfold we were shunted into the headshunt again before awaiting our next turn: the freight. No19 would lead us for this one...

Due to the poor weather, visitor numbers were noticeably lower than usual and photographers at the lineside were only the bravest, or maybe the silliest in this rain! Our third outing featured the ex-Bredgar coaches and was undertaken when the rain was at its heaviest. The Davenport certainly offered us the perfect machine for these conditions, although I bet it could be quite unpleasant under the baking Indian sun. Most of these sugar engines only had cabs to keep the sun off...

"Fireman Joey Leans Out" (Pic - M.Waldron)

I must apologise by the way for the awful quality of the pictures I took today; it was just so foul all day that I couldn't do any better!... 

The road ahead as seen from a saturated balloon loop...

Our next train was at around 13:40 and featured the Severn Lamb rake. Seven different locomotive consists on the low level railway did allow us to have a different train on each departure which was quite nice...

On the whole I found the little Davenport a very nice engine to drive. It's just very different and there's nothing wrong in that. Restored from a very dilapidated condition and returned to steam in 2015, No1 is now the only Davenport product in the UK and was the first American engine I've had the pleasure of driving. For our fifth and final journey of the day the rain did subside a little. Joey drove this trip with Cleaner Jake having a go at firing under my supervision. It was a nice last round trip with the little American and here we are barking back into Statfold...

"Passing The Tram Shed" (Pic - M.Waldron)

Following our final passenger working we were signalled across to the engine shed via the headshunt. Once stationary we were advised that No19 would be taken off us and used for some shunting whilst No1 was no longer required. Disposal began at around 15:40: the earliest I've ever done that on a Statfold day! Below we can see the cab layout on No1 after disposal. Note the ratchet regulator with the handy pin (to stop it opening on its own should the ratchet fail) as well as the pole handbrake lever next to the reverser. My Gresley seat can be seen on the right...

A final view of the ex-Ryam Davenport after a pleasant but very wet day...

I believe I signed off duty at around 16:15 today which was most pleasant! My thanks must go to Alex for rostering me and to Fireman Joey and Cleaner Jake for their hard work and company on the footplate of No1. I like this engine and would love to try it again on a dry day, maybe even go it alone! It's always nice to drive something a little bit different and No1 certainly is, even if you do feel a little bit like Casey Jones! What a historic little machine from the land of the free and the home of the brave...