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1956-built 73156 was withdrawn from BR service at Bolton shed in 1967 at a mere 11 years old before being moved to the famous Barry Scrapyard.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.
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