"Old Batesy back in the Fireman's seat"
The highlight of the enthusiast's calendar at the Great Central Railway is arguably the end of season blowout: the Autumn Steam Gala. This weekend, eight steam locomotives, a diesel loco and a DMU came together to provide an intensive service of passenger and freight workings along the preserved double track main line. Usually the railway runs a reduced service on the Thursday and Friday of the event but, for this year, they had decided to perform the full show on the Friday as well, meaning that extra crews would be required. I therefore found myself booked to fire today aboard none other than 1948-built Modified Hall No6990 "Witherslack Hall", affectionately known in GC circles as 'Slack Alice'. This GCR stalwart is currently masquerading as scrapped sister No6988 "Swithland Hall", an identity it carried during its brief unlined outing at the Railways at Work event back in the summer. Following her short lived summer stint, the engine was returned to Loughborough shed for the completion of her repaint. The completed job is beautiful...
My book on time this morning was 05:45 and I arrived in good time to sign on and read the notices. After lugging my kit up onto the footplate, I began making preparations to bring the engine around. (She had been out yesterday and still had 30psi on the clock so it wouldn't be difficult). The Hall was stabled on No2 shed road, alongside the BR Standard 5 No73156. In front of the five was one of the visiting engines: Pannier Tank No7714. The shed had a distinctly Great Western feel this morning which, as you can guess, was no hardship for me. It's a shame that this one can't stay longer...
I was shortly joined by driver Rob and cleaner (official term only) Batesy. Between us we set about getting No6998 (or 6990!) ready for the booked two trips of our morning shift. My first job, after checking everything over, was to slide into the firebox and clear the grate. The Hall has a fixed grate and so, rather than bashing away for ages with the irons, it's sometimes easier just to admit defeat and get in there to do a good job. Naturally, it's filthy and stinking red hot but the result will be far better than anything you can achieve with irons alone on a fixed grate. Coughing, spluttering and covered head to foot in dust, I climbed back out onto the footplate a sweaty, powdery mess. However, the grate was lovely and more than fit for lighting up. After a chuck around of the Welsh coal, I got the fire lit with the wood passed up by Batesy. The reassuring plume of smoke from the chimney and the singing of boiling water in the boiler duly confirmed that all was well. At this point, Batesy kindly offered to do the four dampered ashpan for me, saving me that hardship. He then set to work cleaning...
Driver Rob was meanwhile flying around the engine with a variety of oil cans. Having topped up the hydrostatic lubricator, he cracked the regulator to warm the cylinders and get some oil into the valve chests. The paintwork was absolutely immaculate on the old girl, as you'd expect I suppose after a very recent repaint. It's a pleasure to see this engine back in steam and looking so well...
With the engine pretty much ready to go, we got washed and changed before rejoining her in readiness for coming off shed. We were in fact called upon 20 minutes before our booked time so it was good that we were ready! GCR galas rely heavily on time keeping (as does anywhere I guess) so we can't afford to lose minutes if we want to keep the show moving apace. Our first move was to leave No2 shed road and proceed via the shed release peg to Loughborough's platform No1. Here we were coupled to a brakevan which we then took over into the down loop to propel onto the back of the waiting 8F No48305. This unusual ensemble then proceeded to Swithland (on a positioning move) where fireman Dave from the 8F duly uncoupled us...
At this point the 8F took the brakevan into Swithland sidings in readiness to collect a freight train. We meanwhile were signalled light engine to Rothley before being shunted back into the carriage sidings to await the 8F with her freight...
Here, double headed sister Standard 2 Moguls Nos78018 and 78019 pass us by on their way to Leicester North with an up passenger train...
With the Moguls now in the block section, the 8F could be brought down inside the up section signal so that we could drop onto the back of her freight train and return it to Loughborough. After a brisk run round at the terminus, we rejoined the front of the freight train. I managed to find time to run to the pop up stall on the platform to grab us each a sausage and bacon roll. These are provided by a small farm business in the Woodthorpe area and are absolutely delicious! Leaving Loughborough on time with our up freight for Swithland, I decided to sit back and let Batesy have a go as he'd joined us for the day. He'd even brought along his 'big shovel' (a proper BR W Lucas) which he decrees as requiring 'big boy pants' to operate correctly...
"The 'big shovel' flings in some Welsh coal"
As long term blog readers will know, Batesy is a long time mate and, after a lifetime of working on countless steam engines, recently held the grade of main line fireman, passed out by Tyseley aboard their fine Castle class engines. So, in short, he knows what he's doing. When time permits he is working cleaning turns at the GCR and it was good to spend the shift with him this morning, particularly aboard a Great Western engine. Naturally this will provide him with another yarn for his well known "Tales of the Rails", so often inflicted upon Statfold crews! Soon enough, we pulled up at our destination: Swithland's up loop. Here, the engine basked in the October sunshine for a few moments whilst we awaited our next path...
After we'd changed the lamps, No6988 is seen awaiting departure from the up loop ready to run light engine to Rothley. At this point the signals for the up main line, both the starter and the distant, are pulled off so we won't be going anywhere soon...
"6988 'Swithland Hall' stands in the Swithland up loop" (A.Williamson)
Once the main line train had cleared we were given the signal to run gently down to Rothley for another short stint in the carriage sidings. We then worked a short local train back to Loughborough, stopping at all stations. Upon our arrival at Loughborough's platform one, the passengers detrained before we dragged the ECS down into No2 road for the Class 08 diesel to shunt release us by taking the coaches across to No3 road. The afternoon crew relieved us at this point and so we climbed down from the footplate ready to wash up and sign out following a great morning shift...
As I washed up I wondered, does that count as firing "Swithland Hall" or not? I guess not but it's nice to dream! I've now been on 6988, 6989 and 6990 if that is the case! Thanks to Rob and Batesy for a great morning and it was really nice to have the Hall again. This was my third time on it according to my records, but the first turn having been passed out. Tomorrow I'm back again on another morning shift, this time with the visiting Saint class No2999 "Lady of Legend". Looking forward to seeing how she behaves. Thanks all for reading this drivel as usual, 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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