A phrase that I have heard so often just recently is "we live in uncertain times" and, to be honest, I can't think of a better way of describing our current world. Who would have thought, with life seemingly normal just a couple of short months ago, that we'd be spending the coming weeks in lockdown? Not me, that's for sure. Anyway, we must follow the rules and make do as normal life will return and, I'm of no doubt, that how quickly it returns is down to us. In recent days I've finally got round to clearing the workshop and getting it into a workable state. We moved into this house in August last year but, with everything else going on, there hasn't been a chance to get the workshop straight yet....until now! Now that I can actually get at things, the prospect of great weather on this Easter weekend led me to resurrect my two miniature steamers: "Achilles" and the Maisie. Neither have steamed since 2016, mainly due to time and other life constraints. However, with nothing else to concentrate on during the lockdown, I had no excuse not to steam them.
It's been so long since either engine has seen any use that I had to sit for a while and remember what had to be done to get them useable. It's never good to take your eye off the ball for too long! The biggest effort with steaming at home is dragging the kit into position as most of it is pretty heavy. My trusty table was moved to the workshop doorway and the two engines slowly followed suit. Thankfully, the Maisie benefitted from two 3.5" roller sets that I have on an extended loan from Norfolk's very own dawn misser 'Eddie the Late'. "Achilles" on the other hand had to be manhandled onto a variety of blocks which is always an operation which provides an ideal finger trap! However, eventually I was set up and, not long after 10am, I lit the first fire in the tank engine for 4 years. Then came the smoke nuisance...
The smoke with these small engines is fairly momentary. It's the paraffin soaked wood burning away in the firebox, ready for the coal to be added. On this fairly breezeless day the smoke did linger for a while until the fire took hold. As I don't have a proper 24v power source at home, I'd connected the blower up to a battery from a drill: it was a little sluggish, but it did the job, gradually pulling the heat through the engine...
Eventually the little needle left the stop and the controls began to free up as the heat got around them. With the fire now burning well, I removed the electric blower to save the little battery for further use steaming the Atlantic. The tank engine's own blower was sufficient for the rest of steam raising, carefully bringing the pressure needle up towards the red line. With the valves now feathering, I decided to try and turn the engine over. I'd already oiled up and filled the mechanical lubricator, as well as checking that there was sufficient clearance for the wheels to spin. With the reverser set to full-forward, a touch of regulator had the drain cocks hissing loudly. After some hesitation, the wheels did eventually move. The tank engine has auto drains but I'm not a fan of them, particularly when they've been stood for a while. Most of the condensation was still ejected skyward from the chimney, covering both engines in smut marks. With "Achilles" now turning over well, it was time to fire up the Atlantic...
I'd forgotten how stressful the small engines can be. Obviously they are more manageable because of their size, but the amount of time you have to do anything is of course greatly reduced. Fires die quicker and water levels fall faster: it's just the way they are. Certainly with the two engines in steam together it was a busy couple of hours keeping an eye on them both. "Achilles" in particular was having problems with water. Not long before her last couple of steamings, the double acting water pumps between the frames were replaced for new ones and worked perfectly. The old ones were totally life expired. However, today, the axle pumps didn't work at all. Chances are it's either an air lock or the balls are stuck on their seats by some scale or muck. Not a particularly difficult fix but pretty much impossible with the engine sitting scalding hot on a pile of blocks. I managed to keep the tank engine in steam by continuously refilling the boiler on the trusty handpump. After all, I only needed to keep her going long enough to say that the shed-mate pair had steamed together...
With "Achilles" proving to be hard work with no working axle pump, I decided to let the fire die. I kept the Maisie going for a bit longer but the steaming just wasn't improving. She'd tick over just fine but I have found when running it at Ryton in the past that you do need to let the blast pipe do the work. Sun burnt, dehydrated and covered in oil and coal smuts, I reflected on a fairly unrewarding few hours. I can now however say that both engines have been in steam together, which had never happened before and is very unlikely to again! Looking at their two filthy boiler barrels which were gleaming only hours before, I couldn't help but think it wasn't really worth it! The Maisie was soon uncoupled from her tender and placed on the workmate for cleaning out. She has a grate which unlocks and tilts at around 45 degrees to allow the ash to be raked out from underneath. It makes a right mess of the back truck...
The main saving grace with the Atlantic is its lighter weight. "Achilles" on the other hand can be a real lump, particularly with the tanks and boiler full. Having manhandled her onto the ground and removed the grate, I blew the boiler down and drained the tanks. Soon enough, both engines were back in the workshop, with the tank engine ready to have the pump briefly looked at. It's a bit easier when straddling two tables...
The pumps are screwed through a frame stretcher just forward of the centre axle. You can access the water delivery from the tanks and the two associated ball bearings from here, but the delivery side is up against the underside of the boiler barrel...
Having removed the delivery feed and the two ball bearings, it was clear that they may have been stuck by some accumulated muck as they were a little chalky. Looking up through the pump bodies, the delivery side seems the same and so, with all four bearings now dislodged, the pump should work fine again. Before I next run the engine, whenever that may be, I'll make sure they're free again before rebuilding the bottom part of the pump. The bits and pieces can be seen here...
As for the rest of us, who knows? Covid-19 is proving to be a merciless virus which doesn't discriminate. As the government says, wherever possible "stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives". I think that is definitely the safest thing to do. In a years time this will all hopefully be a distant bad memory and we'll be back doing what we love and spending time with friends and relatives. For now, stay safe and thank you for reading. Until next time folks, take care, Sam...
