Going Great Central: Sunday Afternoon Standard 5...

Evening all. Just nine days after the last time I was on it, today my afternoon firing turn at the Great Central Railway saw me firing the beautiful 1956-built BR Standard 5 once again. My booked sign on was 12:30, ready to work the 14:00 passenger train with driver Alan. Having signed in and read the notices I wandered up to the picnic benches at the north of Loughborough's island platform to have my lunch before the engine turned up. Unsurprisingly, the station cat Onslaught (who was snoozing seconds before my lunch bag opened) appeared on my table and petitioned me for food. She is a persuasive type and is the friendliest of moggies when you've got food in your grasp. For those that don't know, Onslaught is the station mascot and, together with her frenemy Dreadnought, she lives in the ops hut and can often be seen sauntering around the station. She is quite often the subject of photographs...

Right on time at 13:20, 73156 whistled into Loughborough's platform 1 and came to a stand with a five coach train. As the engine ran round via the north points, myself and Alan took over from the morning crew. The engine had 200psi on the clock, a nice quiet fire and 3/4 of a glass of water in the frames so there was nothing to complain about. We still had just over 30 minutes until our departure when we took over so there was no rush. Once coupled on to the waiting stock at the south end I started to pull some coal (or dust) down in the tender. The tender was a mixed bag of all sorts but the majority was Welsh dust from Ffos-Y-Fran. This coal is so soft now that it literally turns to dust before your very eyes. Indeed, most of this single return trip had to be fired on slack but, with a good engine and good dampers, we managed to keep everything under control and had no trouble with steam or clinker whilst on the road.

The engine steamed beautifully throughout our round trip and as always was a joy to be on. Here she is waiting time at Rothley with the up starter signal for the Leicester section in the 'on' position. We were waiting for 9F No92214 to come down the hill from Thurcaston with the returning Elizabethan Sunday diner...

Once at Leicester North we had a few footplate visitors before we ran round. Coupled on, lamps changed and fire remade, off we went back to Loughborough. The run back was pleasant as well and I managed to run the engine down nicely for the approach to the terminus where we would soon be on shed disposing. The 9F would be taking over the stock for the final train of the day at 16:00 and so we had to wait until she had cleared the shed road before we were signalled to set back. Here, the lovely 73156 waits patiently for the huge 9F to clear the road for her (again)...

Back at the shed on no2 road, we came to a stand alongside a cold 78018. The Great Central seems to be alive with Standards at the minute, although the lovely Hall is now waiting in the wings for her return to steam in the coming weeks! Here, the BR 5 stands over no2 pit as I prepared to check/empty the smokebox...

All was well in the front end (the self cleaning gear in there gets rid of 95% of the ash that would usually settle in there). Driver Alan then went underneath to give the engine a quick check over before I soaked and emptied the ashpan. Again, with this superior Riddles machine, ashing out is a doddle. Pan done, fire quietened, baffle plate removed and boiler filled up, the job was done! The 5 was left simmering away to herself with a topped up boiler and 150psi on the clock. We always leave a light covering of fire on the grate to keep them warm as you don't want any thermic shocks in a hot firebox. I must thank Alan for another great turn on the lovely 73156. You can read about our exploit with her last week on the diner by clicking here. Cheers all, Sam...

Please note any views or opinions expressed in this blog are merely personal and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person, group or organisation.

Achilles Report No82: Steaming At Home...

Evening all. On this changeable Friday evening I had plucked up the courage to steam my five inch gauge tank engine at home after some recent running repairs, as documented in "Achilles" post No81. Steaming at home is a total pain if I'm honest. The worst part about it is the mess, not to mention the aftermath of dropping the fire and blowing down. At the track you have facilities at hand that are designed with steam engine use in mind, unlike my garden! Nevertheless, not wanting to be embarrassed by a potential failure at the track, I popped "Achilles" onto its rollers on the tool trolley and took her outside in preparation for steaming up...

The first job was to fill the engine with water, which I decided to do via the recently serviced hand pump in the LH water tank. It filled the boiler at a fair rate for a short travel pump and I was happy with it so far. With water in the boiler I rigged up the electric blower to a battery from an impact driver and lit the fire...

She took a fair while to come round this evening, mainly due to the slow running blower which was suffering from low charge in the battery. Eventually she did raise enough steam to change onto the loco blower and from then on we had no issues...

For the next hour or so "Achilles" ticked over on the rollers whilst I went around checking that all was well. I was impressed with the serviced hand pump which worked well even at full boiler pressure, proving that I'd thankfully done something right with it! The new gauge glass had also bedded in fairly well, although I did need to nip it up once in steam. Apart from a tiny wisp from the threads on the top nut, I managed to seal the gauge glass on the whole. I'll see how it goes on the next run. The whistle and its shortened pipe produced a fairly clear, much louder note when blown so that was another win. I quickly snapped this shot whilst checking the tubes on the engine (a luxury only afforded when in steam whilst the cab is off)...

In the video below, "Achilles" ticks over on the rollers. Notice how the middle one had been removed since I steamed up as for some reason one of the bearings on it seized. There's always something, whether it's the engine or the kit!...

 

After a satisfying hour or so steaming the engine, I moved her onto the old Workmate I have ready to blow her down. The grate was dropped, the tank drained and the blowdown tap opened. The engine was soon an ashy, sweaty mess...

So, that was that. The engine was allowed to cool before being put away and she now awaits a good clean down and the refitting of the cab/bunker. Once that is done we can try to plan in another outing to the track, now that she's confirmed herself to be fit for traffic. Thanks to a joint effort from myself and several mates over the years, "Achilles" is now probably in the best condition she's ever been in since I've had her. I was trying to put together a list of all of the things that have been overhauled or replaced since I've had the engine but it became quite extensive quite quickly! There was nothing wrong with the way that the engine was built the first time around, she'd just done 25 years hard work by the time she became mine. 12 years later, we're at a point where she is in pretty good nick for an engine of 1986 vintage. I hope that Ken is looking down and is pleased with what we've achieved. Cheers all, Sam...

A Battery Box Sunday...

Evening all. A quick post from today. This was my final turn of the season as crew on the public running at Coventry MES' Ryton Pools Miniature Railway. I arrived a touch before the 12:30 book on time to find both trains already out and at the station: somebody must be keen! The majority of my afternoon was spent guarding trains with the occasional break for a cuppa' whilst on station duty. In the finish I drove the last three trips of the day with the battery electric Class 37 lookalike, just so I'd driven a couple. I must admit, these things do nothing for me. It's not really driving as it's just like working a feed rate control on a CNC machine. However, as I always say, the battery electrics are there to do a job and it is a job they do very well, avoiding the hassle that comes with the more charming steam traction. Putting the trains away is now down to around five minutes which you'd never manage with a steam engine so there are some benefits. This afternoon we carried just over 200 passengers so that was worth coming up for. That's all folks, until the next time, ciao for now...

GCR: A "Murder Mystery" Diner With 73156...

Tonight I was rostered as Fireman on the Great Central Railway and so had half a day at work to make sure I was still within hours by the time my firing turn would end. I was booked on the Murder Mystery turn with driver Chris and our sign on time was penned as 17:00. I arrived a little late due to a smash on the M1 causing tailbacks but thankfully our engine for the evening was sat quietly on the shed with little to do before we went off at 18:00. Our steed for the turn was the lovely Doncaster-built Standard 5 No73156 of 1956. She looked quite a picture simmering on shed road No1...

Having signed in, read the notices and climbed aboard the engine, I found that all was well with 160psi on the clock, a quiet fire and 3/4 of a glass in the frames. With around 40 minutes to go until our booked off shed time, I started making the fire back up in readiness. The day crew had left her in fine fettle after an afternoon of Drive a Loco workings and she wouldn't take long to bring herself around. We were in no rush anyway, with the train departure not booked until 19:30. Having devoured my Tesco meal deal, we prepared to leave shed after permission from the signalman. The Standard 5 had a full tender of water and so we passed the column and proceeded to the totem pole at Beeches Road via the down loop. We were then signalled back to our waiting five coach train in Platform 2. Having coupled us up, I snapped 73156 under threatening skies with the Up Platform 2 Starter still set to 'on'...

1956-built 73156 was withdrawn from BR service at Bolton shed in 1967 at a mere 11 years old before being moved to the famous Barry Scrapyard. Rescued in 1985, it was painstakingly restored by its current owners (the Bolton Steam Locomotive Company), returning to steam at Loughborough in 2017. It's a regular and popular performer on the railway and proves to be incredibly capable and versatile. The restoration included a brand new BR1B tender after its original one was sold to other owners whilst at Barry. Even now, six years later, the engine looks fresh out of the box...

Myself and Chris passed the time by chatting to passengers, many of whom visited the footplate prior to their four course meal. The Murder Mystery trains include a pre-departure playlet, setting the scene for the evening ahead. Once the actors had done their bit the passengers hurried to their seats aboard the dining cars...

We departed Loughborough with the five coach train on time at 19:30, setting out with the needle hugging the red line and plenty of water in the glasses. We ran none stop through Quorn (although we still drop to 10mph on the up line due to the foot crossing) before coming to a stand on Swithland reservoir for 30 minutes. From there we steamed onward to Rothley to collect the single line staff for the Birstall section. Here, 73156 steams towards Greengate Lane bridge having just passed under the A46...

At Leicester North we performed a swift run round as passengers peered at us over their delicious looking mains. 73156 is pictured here awaiting departure...

Leaving Leicester North on time we took a steady run back to Rothley where there was another booked 40-minute stop. 73156 simmered quietly at the head of the train with a nice quiet fire in the beautiful gas-lit station which is set in roughly 1912...

The GCR diners all have different formats. Most start at Loughborough but some start at Rothley, some have two trips, others have one. It all depends on the diagram. I think the Murder jobs tend to have one to allow for the dramatised parts to be acted out. During the stop, a few passengers wandered down and visited the footplate prior to their desserts. Talking of dessert, the kind staff of the kitchen car provided myself and Chris with a lovely Biscoff banoffee pie each which was delicious... 

As right time neared, I made up the fire again ready for the departure northbound for Loughborough via Quorn. We would now run none stop back to base, arriving there a little before 22:00. By now I was running mostly on slack as the Welsh coal in the tender was made up of mainly dust as the pile wore down. Nevertheless, the Standard 5 steamed beautifully and we were soon back on the shed after a quick splash was taken at the water column. Chris then went underneath the engine to give her a check over before I ran the iron through the fire to start my disposal...

Disposal of 73156 is very laid back, chiefly because of her BR Standard features. Having run the iron through the quiet fire to check for clinker, I closed the doors and shut the blower. 73156 has a self cleaning smokebox so that doesn't need emptying. We then ran the very effective pan spray via the injector to wash the ash down before dropping it via the hopper doors. With a wash and brush down on the footplate, the boiler topped up and the necessary fittings isolated, the job was done. A little after 22:30 we were washed down, signed out and on our way back to our cars after a very pleasant evening. Grateful thanks to Chris for a cracking turn. I do like the diner jobs: they have a great atmosphere. As for 73156, what's not to like? Cheers, Sam...

Please note any views or opinions expressed in this blog are merely personal and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person, group or organisation.

Achilles Report No81: Tinkering Times...

Evening all. In the last post we saw "Achilles" return to her home track at Ryton Pools for a typical annual steam test which, I'm glad to say, she passed. However, as always with steam engines, there were a few niggles that needed to be addressed to keep everything in fine fettle. This post will discuss the tinkering I've done with the locomotive over the last week or so since the run. The first job was to tackle the loose chimney which was dancing around all over the top of the smokebox during the run. The bolts in the petticoat were well worn (not helped by the fact that they get shot blasted by ash on each run) and so the petticoat was removed and re-bolted...

To aid the new bolts I also added some heatproof sealant to ensure that the petticoat would provide the best possible smokebox vacuum. It was now solid again...

Once the petticoat was sorted the chimney casting (which slides over the top of it) could be replaced. My next job was to look at the snifting valve which sits behind the chimney. The snifting valve screws into the wet header of the superheater and is supposed to aid free running when steam is shut off. The opening of the regulator in theory pushes the ball up against its seat, closing the valve. However, when the regulator closes the ball should drop back, allowing any vacuum created by the pistons during coasting to draw in fresh air from behind the chimney rather than sucking debris down the blastpipe. I have never really messed with this little valve before but it was passing quite well under steam so I had it out and recut the seat to try to help it seal better when the regulator is open, thus saving a bit of steam from being wasted...

This valve has probably not been opened since the engine was completed in around 1986 and so I was amused to find that the suction seat (as it were) was also providing a seal! Therefore, it wouldn't have worked anyway as the ball would be sucked back against the underside seat and would not allow any air in. It might as well have been replaced with a bolt! Therefore, I cut a cross into the bottom seat to prevent it being able to seal in that direction so that it would actually do its job. Once put back together and cleaned, the snifting valve was refitted. Next stop, job number three...

During the last few runs the handpump has become quite weak on the engine, not helped by the fact that it is probably only used during steam tests and dire emergencies. (Since I replaced the double acting axle pump the handpump has been required even less frequently). Though it passed the steam test as it did actually work, I felt it was time to remove it and have a look at what was going on. It was removed during the repaint a few years ago but as it seemed to operate correctly at the time I chose to avoid messing with it. Sometimes it's better to let sleeping dogs lie...

After the handpump was removed I decided to have the feed clack off of the LH side of the boiler to make sure that was okay. Sure enough, it was passing a touch and this was duly rectified. I'm not convinced that it still won't pass a tiny bit but at least I now knew it wasn't blocked or failing. This was then refitted...

The handpump was stripped down and I found that the balls were cloudy and worn, the seats were both quite poor and the rubber O ring on the piston was pretty much none existent. All three of these issues would be addressed and the lift on both sides of the pump reset once the new bits were installed. With the pump out and now waiting for balls and a seal, I moved on to a small cosmetic job that was now accessible to me: putting some fresh paint on the doorplate in the cab to refresh it. As always, I couldn't help but think that whilst the paint was out I might as well redo the smokebox. After careful masking up and painting, the smokebox looked a lot tidier again...

Whilst messing around in the cab I decided to do a completely pointless job: burnish the firebox door handles. Why you ask? For the sake of it really! Past experiences at Tyseley on the beautiful 5043 have made me love burnished firebox door handles. It's not a hard job either, requiring only some grey scotchbrite, autosol polish and elbow grease. It certainly passed a drizzly evening away...

With the cab off it's also much easier to access the cab fittings and I decided to give everything a buff up whilst I could get to it all. The gauge glass blowdown fitting was also removed prior to painting the doorplate as this had leaked slightly against its pad and chalked the boiler. Removed, polished and refitted with a new seal: it looked much better. The polished manifold and firebox door handles also looked a treat...

A few days later the seals for the handpump arrived in the post and I got everything rebuilt ready to test it in the sink with the new seals and balls. The result was a mixed bag, despite being put back together exactly as it was for the previous decades! Some messing around in the sink allowed me to recalculate the lift on both sides of the pump for optimum performance and after some tinkering the pump worked an absolute treat. It was soon refitted and resealed into its tank on the LH side of the engine. In the tank I also made a slight adjustment, standing the pump off the bottom of the tank further to prevent it drawing in any muck. The original height saw the suction side incredibly close to the bottom of the tank where the muck tends to form...

The tank was then rebuilt, with the next job being to cut and fit the new gauge glass and rubbers. The old one (again original) broke when it was removed this time around, with the perished seals no doubt having clung to it and snapped it whilst the top and button nuts were loosened. The new one (5mm glass) was fitted into place and nipped up on its new rubbers. Only a test steaming will let us know for sure if it's okay... 

The final job from this period of maintenance was the refitting of the whistle and its pipe, the latter of which had been removed for shortening. The whistle pipe on the engine has always been too long and was bent into a pigs tail to allow it to fit beneath the cab floor. This meant that it filled with water and produced a dull note when the whistle was blown until the condensation cleared. Not so local alarm clock snoozer Eddie the Late kindly agreed to allow me the services of EJ Steam Engineering Ltd and soldered me a new nipple onto the shortened pipe before posting it back to me. I still need to learn to silver solder but things like that happen years apart for me so the help of a good mate once in a blue moon seems to be all I need! Once the whistle and pipe were back on, the engine was buffed up to her usual standard in readiness for a test steaming...

I'm not a betting man really so I don't think I'm going to be brave enough to take the engine to Ryton for its test steaming...I'll probably throw it on the rollers. If it was just the one job I'd done then maybe I would but with five or six things having been messed around with over the last week or so it's probably best to try it at home first to save any embarrassment at the track. That's not to say I'm not confident it won't work...it might, but then again it might not! You never know with these things. Thanks all for reading and fingers crossed I've solved some of the issues. Cheers, Sam...

Achilles Report No80: Annual Steam Test...

"A pensive audience silently overlooks the steam test"

These days it's rare that I take my miniature steam engines out, mainly due to the ever tightening grip of time constraints. However, in an effort to blow away the cobwebs I thought I'd book "Achilles" in for a steam test today at its home track at Ryton Pools. During the week I had a good look around the engine but stopped short of steaming it at home. To be honest, it's far too much effort to steam at home and it makes such a mess. Here, the hoover gets to work clearing the smokebox char after I'd swept the tubes. The rakes never get the same amount out...

A midweek evening allowed me some time to polish the brass and paintwork. Regular readers will know that I always like the engine to go out looking smart. In some ways a clean engine seems to help shield the embarrassment of subsequent mechanical failures! The brass dome still comes up very well...

The forecast for today was fairly dire. A heavy rain shower was making its way across the Midlands and seemed to be hitting Coventry around about the time I should have been arriving at Ryton. Sure enough, driving over there with the engine in the boot, the rain was hammering down. These days it feels like a curse as it always seems to rain when the engine appears outside! Thankfully the heavy downpour had subsided by the time I reached the track, a little before 13:30. The engine was duly unloaded and the test kit soon appeared with Derek & Eric. The first task, as always, was to check the pressure gauge to ensure it was reading the same as the test gauge...

With the gauge having passed the test, it was time to connect up the electric blower and steam the engine up. I'd already filled her with water at home to save some time, though my back didn't thank me for it whilst loading it into the car!...

Once steam is sufficiently raised the safety valves are tested to ensure that they can hold the engine within 10% of full working pressure with the blower at full chat. The handpump is then tested before finally the double acting axle pump. The only way to test the latter (unless you're up on blocks) is to get the engine onto the track and so I duly marshalled up a train of four empty cars and we had a run round. (Taking the four empty cars saved splitting them). The first 1/2 a lap was a bit of a pain as the pumps refused to do anything. They must have been airlocked or something. Soon enough however, some fiddling about beneath the engine got them back into operation and they were faultless for the rest of the run. Here, "Achilles" sits at Ryton Halt with the empty four car train on this dismal afternoon. Though not at all prototypical, the freshly painted BR (M) lamps certainly brighten up the front end...

After 7 or 8 laps had been completed to blow away the cobwebs, I decided it was time to come off and get the engine disposed. She'd run well. I always gauge the running by how far we can get in one go. On this occasion we managed 2-3 laps without stopping and we only really had to stop to refill the water tanks. Ryton isn't the easiest track in the world to get around, particularly with a load behind, so I'm happy with that performance from the old engine. She does well...

What doesn't do so well these days is the coal. This stuff is from Signal Fuels I think. I've had "Achilles" since 2011 and have never changed my firing technique with it, whether on light duties or public running somewhere. Up until the last bag or two we've not really had any issues but just lately the fire clinkers entirely underneath after an hour or so. Due to the deep box on "Achilles" it's hard to get to the bars properly with the poker, but in past years it was never really required. On the last few runs the grate has come out of the engine completely clean, with the fire kept inside by the clinker...

Clinkered fire removed, it was time to blow the engine down...

And just like that, we're back in the workshop with a fresh boiler ticket...

Thank you to Derek for getting us booked in and sorted so quickly. At least we have a ticket now if we want to go anywhere. The engine is now back home and I have a small list of jobs I want to get sorted on it in the near future, as you always do with steam engines! I'm sure that there will be a post on those as they happen too. I think my next outing to Ryton is on Sunday 23rd July for my final crew turn of the season. It won't be a steamer though, it'll be one or two of those electric thingies. Thanks all, Sam...

Going Great Central: One Trip Wonder...

Evening all. This afternoon saw me complete my first rostered firing turn on the Great Central Railway, having now passed out following my final practical exam on May 27th. The roster today had me penned to LMS 8F No48305 on one of the locally known 'one trip wonder' turns. This is exactly what it says: you come in and work one trip. Myself and Alan took over the 8F after its third round trip of the day. It was around 14:50 by the time we climbed aboard the engine. She had just rolled in on the returning Sunday diner and we would have a layover of roughly an hour or so before we took out the 16:00 passenger train. All was well with 1943-built 48305...

The morning crew soon disappeared along the pathway towards the engine shed whilst myself and Alan watered the 8F. We then steamed around to the head of the train in platform 1 via the up loop. By the time we departed at 16:00 I'd brought my fire around nicely and we steamed away on our round trip to Leicester North and back. The engine steamed very well, despite quite a lot of slack being shovelled from the tender as the pile wore down. The tender held quite an assortment of fuel: ovoids, Russian, Welsh, you name it! The mixture certainly got the fire burning well but the abundance of slack ensured that the bed was fairly clinkered by the time we rolled back on shed, not that it had affected us. After a pleasant single trip we uncoupled and dropped back down via the shunt signal to begin the disposal procedure. I emptied the smokebox before Alan set the 8F back over the pit so that we could empty the ashpan...

Once Alan had completed his driver checks beneath the engine, I gave the pan a final spray down on the pan wash before heading underneath with the irons. Anyone who knows steam engines will understand just how horrid emptying smokeboxes and ashpans can be. In the case of today I had to get the pan screens out before I could ash out. These are fitted to (quite rightly) protect against lineside fires but they also ensure that you're covered in ash and water before you even start ashing out! Screens out, I did both sides of the pan before putting the screens back and shutting the dampers. With the boiler topped up and fire quiet, the job was done. Thank you to Alan for a great first 'proper' turn and I look forward to the next one! Cheers, Sam...

Please note any views or opinions expressed in this blog are merely personal and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person, group or organisation.