Statfold: Driving The "Coronation Express"...

"Driver Sam and Fireman Ben with Peckett 2050"

You couldn't move in the UK this weekend without coming across a union jack flag or three as the nation celebrated the coronation of King Charles III. Coincidentally, Statfold were holding the annual miniature do which was lengthened to three days this year in order to take account of the additional bank holiday. I was rostered to drive on the Sunday of the event and was pleased to see my name penned to the powerful Peckett "Harrogate" (No2050 of 1944). Suitably decorated for the occasion, wearing bunting and a specially made headboard, the engine was one of five in steam on the 2ft railway for the weekend. Our book on time this morning was the usual 06:30 and I arrived in good time in order to sign in and read the notices. "Harrogate" was on No3 road at the shed. Alongside her was the Hudswell Clarke "Fiji", of 1912...

My fireman Ben duly arrived and together we set about preparing the Peckett for service. She was still nice and hot from yesterdays efforts and wouldn't take long to come into steam. Ben soon had a blaze going on the fire grate and smoke rose steadily from the chimney up into the hazy morning skies...

Oiling up "Harrogate" is just like oiling most other Pecketts to be honest, just on a different scale. It's no different to Tyseley's W7 No2004 or poor old former friend "Sir Gomer" which rusts away not far from here. Most of the Pecketts have a similar valve gear arrangement with the inside Stephenson's motion so it's fairly simple to find your way around them. "Harrogate" has an additional large Wakefield lubricator mounted on the fireman's side which feeds a variety of points including the axleboxes, cylinders and slide bars. Whilst I fumbled around the engine with the oil cans, Ben was busy giving her a polish between tending to the fire. The headboard for today was specially made by Matt Acton and was a pretty addition to the engine...

Our first move of the day included the usual token working, with three engines being marshalled in Platform 2 at Statfold Junction station with a rake of ECS. Bagnall "Isaac" would be unhooked at the balloon loop before proceeding across onto the high level line ready for a day of driver for a fiver. The Brazil class "Howard" meanwhile would stay with us back to Oak Tree where she would be uncoupled and return light engine with the train staff whilst we took water and had a cuppa'...

By the time we'd reached Oak Tree and had said goodbye to "Howard", the sun had broken through the clouds to reveal some lovely blue skies. I grabbed this sunlit shot of the Peckett as Ben woke the fire up ready for our imminent departure to Statfold. A good day of weather was certainly in promise as we awaited the next down train...

At this point we decided to grab the crew shot which has formed the title image for this post. It's not often that you get to drive on a Coronation weekend so it was nice to record it for the memory box! "Fiji" duly passed us by with a down train, allowing us permission to travel back up to Statfold. Once there, "Harrogate" was turned on the table before coming to rest in Platform 1 whilst "Howard" prepared to haul the next down departure. What a nice morning to be on an engine...

From then on we went into the usual cycle of one engine in, one engine out. Visitor numbers weren't brilliant to be honest so we only needed the two coaching sets, passing at Oak Tree and swapping engines at the top. It's always a gamble doing events on weekends like this as people have so many other things that they could possibly do, from organising a street party to heading off to the seaside! We had a good day though, as did our passengers who joined us...

"Harrogate" was her usual free steaming and powerful self and offered us no trouble throughout the day. It's a lovely thing this and just shows how nice a well restored Peckett can be, much like No2004 that I mentioned earlier on in this post...

I drove a few round trips before swapping with fireman Ben who then did a couple on the regulator whilst I did the firing. With a full working pressure of 160psi, "Harrogate" can be mortgaged easily at around 120-130psi and will do everything you want with ease without the fear of blowing off. She's a great engine...

After seven or eight round trips of the railway, I drove "Harrogate" back up onto the shed for disposal and we were there and parked up on No1 road well before 16:30...which is never a hardship for us! The fire had been run down nicely and the boiler only needed topping up before we left her for the evening after a good day...

With my loco report filled in and us both signed out, it was time to head to the bar for a quick pint before heading for home. I must thank Ben for his firing efforts today and of course Alex for rostering us on a fine engine once again. "Harrogate" is one of those engines that you're never disappointed to get rostered onto! A lovely old gal'. Thanks all for reading this drivel once again. It is appreciated...