"1895-built L & Y 0-6-0 No52322 sits in the dry of Loughborough shed"
I've never been much of a fan of January, or February for that matter. Once the festive Christmas lights are boxed up and back in the loft, everything just feels so miserable until the spring comes around. Dark mornings, dark nights and a tempestuous mixture of frost and rain: yuck! Anyway, enough about the weather! Today I decided to head over to the GCR's base at Loughborough to complete a shed turn. I arrived in chilly conditions at around 09:00, discovering the huge 9F raising steam on No1 shed road in readiness to work the day's passenger services...
I soon spotted the familiar orange overalls of well known TV documentary presenter Batesy, who is perhaps best remembered for his much loved series 'Coal Stages Through The Ages'. Phil was already buffing furiously away on the railway's only Western machine: No6990 "Witherslack Hall". Having signed in and checked for any notices, I made my way across to Phil & Caroline for a natter alongside the Hall. There was a happy coincidence for my shed turn today in that the gala engine I'm booked to for next weekend's Winter Gala event had already arrived, allowing me some time to familiarise. Inside the shed on No1 road, I found next Saturday's rostered machine: 1895-built L & Y Class 27 0-6-0 No52322, known better as the 'A Class'...
The first thing I noticed was the 2B plate adorning the smokebox door, with 2B of course denoting Nuneaton shed. I knew that this engine was based there between 1948 and 1952 and so was pleasantly surprised to see the 2B plate fitted to match the locality of this event in relation to the former 2B. Usually based at the East Lancs but visiting the GCR between an extended stay at the Embsay & Bolton Abbey, 52322 will perform at Loughborough for two weekends, as most gala guests tend to. Having already read the East Lancs instruction book for the engine (a great idea that should be adopted everywhere in my opinion), I began looking around this Victorian machine to familiarise myself with her. Doing this in a quiet engine shed is quite different from having to do it in the pitch dark at 05:00 on a gala day when time isn't on your side!...
"Footplate view of a cold 52322"
You could say it's quirky: pretty, but quirky. Obviously at a mere 128 years old, there aren't many mod cons with it but, with 484 built and 253 still in service when the railways were nationalised in 1948, they must have been good! Certainly in Lancashire & Yorkshire railway days the Class 27 was the chosen standard freight locomotive. I love old stuff and I'm really looking forward to seeing how we get on with her next Saturday. The backhead-mounted lifting injectors and the ratchet firehole door are quite different to anything else at the GCR and so a bit of practise on the first run out will be required. Overall, what a lovely old thing. The chance to get on this L & Y engine is much appreciated, particularly as old mates Batesy, Britt and Eddie have all been on it in the late 1990s when it visited somewhere else nearby. Back outside, I caught up with Phil and the increasingly gleaming Hall for a couple of hours cleaning...
In the early afternoon it was time to head for home after a worthwhile trip out to the shed. The Hall was cleaner and I'd managed to spend some time getting to know the Class 27 ready for next weekend. As I walked back up the yard towards my car, I noticed the other gala visitor: Valley-based Standard 4MT No75069: standing in No3 road behind the slightly larger GCR-based Standard 5. Notice that No75069 is a double chimney variant. These improved their performance...
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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