Going Great Central: An Easter Saturday Standard...

Some days are good, some days are bad and some days start bad but get better: today was one of the latter days! This morning I was booked for a 05:15 sign on at Loughborough shed, ready to work the E1 turn with driver Alan. Early but certainly not bright, I arrived a little after 05:00, discovering the rostered S1 locomotive: BR Standard 2 No78019: simmering on No1 shed road under a clear morning sky...

Having signed in and read the notices, I clambered up into the cab of the Standard 2 in order to check everything out. The 2-6-0 was still stinking red hot, having not really been long on shed as she had worked the night diner the previous evening. The crew therefore wouldn't have got back onto shed before 22:00, explaining the full pot of water and steam still on the gauge. All seemed well up to now...

This is where things started to go a little south for me. Opening up the fire hole door, I had a look across the fire bed and it looked pretty much ready to drop. It wasn't thick by any means to look at but, alas, upon opening the catches for the rocking grate, I went to push forward and hit a solid mass. With no luck pushing forwards, I pulled back...solid. The grate was locked up. I put the catches back in and began working the top of the bars with an iron, breaking up the remaining embers. Fire bed loosened, I tried again (in vain I might add) to free the grate. Nope...solid! At this point I was faced with the inevitable: I had to go in. It's never a nice job this one, but especially not before 05:30 of a morning! If you want to go out though, you have no choice really.

Clambering into the hot firebox with my torch and brush, I found that the grate was solid with clinker. It was nothing to do with the way the engine was left (or in fact the crew on it), more down to the poor quality of coal we've had in recent months. (You can't even blame the coal quality on anybody as you need to take what you can get these days as coal isn't exactly easy to come by anymore!). The fire bed was thin and well run down but it seemed that what was left had melted itself across the bars, fusing the grate into its locked position. The Standard 2s don't have a carrier at the front either, so the rocking grate opens against the front tubeplate. This means that if ash or clinker congregates there and prevents the grate from opening, you're stuck really. A good bash with the brush followed by a thorough sweeping soon revealed the fire bars and the grate was freed up. I then clambered back out of the firebox, falling onto the footplate as an ash-covered, sweaty mess. The grate was then rocked, leaving a lovely clean finish fit for lighting up. The footplate would later be swept up.

Whilst I continued preparing for our new fire, driver Alan was making his way around the mogul with the oil cans. Firebox sorted, I turned my attention to the smokebox. Usually this is a fairly quick affair with a Standard, particularly with one fitted with a full self cleaner (as 78019 is). However, today had other ideas. In the end, a full wheelbarrow of ash was removed from the smokebox, with the accumulated char revealed to have climbed its way up several inches of the smokebox door when I opened it. That's unheard of with a self cleaner in my limited experience. Again, I put it down to the coal. Smokebox done, I had a sweep around the door ring and closed it up in readiness for lighting. Just as I prepared to light up, I grabbed the rushed snap below. The clinker removed from the bars via the firebox doors is seen at the bottom of the cab steps, topping the wheelbarrow full of smokebox char removed. "Phew!"...

"A good morning's work"

Over an hour after climbing onto the footplate, I finally had a fire bed fit for lighting up on. The first lit rag, wrapped around a piece of pallet wood, was soon being tossed into the firebox to start our embryo fire. We could now breathe a sigh of relief...

Finally, under promising blue skies, a plume of encouraging smoke was seen rising steadily upwards from 78019's chimney...

It was at this point (just when I needed it) that Alan suggested that we grabbed a very welcome cuppa'. (I didn't take any persuading let me tell you). Brew supped, the rest of the morning was spent finishing the preparation of the engine by doing things like emptying the ashpan. The final job, once washed and changed, was to grab some coal via the loader. Here, Tom skillfully puts a few buckets into the tender...

Once coaled, Alan checked in with the signalman to get permission for us to leave shed in readiness to work our first train: the 09:15. (The timetable saw an earlier train than usual due to the Bank Holiday weekend). Having left shed and taken water, 78019 is seen simmering at the head of the five-coach train...

With more than 15 minutes to go until departure, I could make up the fire steadily, watching the smoke all of the time. This coal, though it burns away quickly, is good in almost every regard except for the smoke. However, with the loss of Ffos-y-fran, preserved lines are finding that they are having to burn smokier foreign imports in order to survive. The far less smoky (and on the doorstep) Welsh coal is now impossible to get hold of. Leaving Loughborough on time, a still 'cold' (they're still cold even at full pressure on the first run) 78019 took a little bit of warming up but, by Kinchley Lane on the first outward trip, she was back in fettle and steaming nicely. At Leicester North (on both of our two rostered trips today) we were booked the extra time for footplate visits. 78019 is seen offering cab visits during our first run round...

Checking back through my blog records confirmed that this was only the second time I'd been on 78019, having spent more time on the sister 78018. The last time I crewed her was as a third man, whilst the Kylchap was still fitted in the smokebox. This has since been removed and, as far as I remember, its removal hasn't affected the steaming capabilities of the engine. In fact, she sounds far healthier at the exhaust. Our second trip was much like the first, although we were joined by GCR cleaner (and SBR apprentice) Stephen on our second trip. Once back at Loughborough after our second outing, we handed over the engine to incoming crew Matt and Dave...

Well, that's another turn complete at the GCR. I must thank Alan for his company this morning aboard 1954-built No78019: it was a pleasure to spend the morning with him. This was definitely a day that started badly and then got better. I know we joke and we moan but we wouldn't do these things if we didn't enjoy it. The hard work and early starts are all part and parcel of this hobby and you can only get out what you put in. Thanks all for reading. Roll on the next turn...

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.

Statfold: Return To The Pioneer Garratt...

"Late morning and K1 rests on the shed apron" (M.Waldron)

And just like that, there goes the first big Statfold event of the year: the spring Spectacle of Steam. This morning I was up early and out the door, on my way to Statfold's Tamworth base ready for a 06:30 book on. Of the eleven steam locomotives rostered to the 2ft railway for this event, I wasn't expecting my name to be once again penned to the pioneer Garratt K1, of 1909. This would be my second go on the big 0-4-4-0, having driven it a couple of years ago along with footplate chum Eddie the Late. Today I was joined by fireman Nigel (also an SBR driver) and third man/cleaner Isaac. Having signed in and double checked the increasing number of notices, I wandered out onto the apron where the Garratt was standing silent on the middle road. Hudswell Clarke "Fiji" was sitting quietly just behind us, under promising blue skies...

I clambered up into the cab of the big Garratt, remembering that the steps are not in line with the doorway (they'd foul the movement of the high pressure bogie if they were!). Opening the water gauges, I discovered 3/4 of a glass and the warmth emanating from the doorplate gave me some encouragement. All around us, the other ten engines out today were being prepared for lighting up. Nigel soon had a blaze on in the firebox, ably assisted by Isaac. A reassuring plume of grey smoke was soon lifting skyward towards the sunrise as I prepared to start with the oiling...

Oiling K1, compared to a Quarry or most other Statfold engines, is a bit like oiling up a Lizzie. There are four sets of individual Walschaerts valve gear, eight axleboxes and two mechanical lubricators. You know you've done it once you've gone around this thing...you might as well be on a big one! Nevertheless, with a multitude of oil cans and some old rag, I went around the two power bogies and put plenty of oil in plenty of places, starting with the driver's side of the high pressure engine...

Meanwhile, Nigel continued to build the fire whilst Isaac did some polishing of the paintwork. By now, with the other engines all turning onto coal, the atmosphere on shed was completed by the typical Statfold morning smog...

As I've already done a post on K1 that contained the engine's history, I thought I'd just do the old copy and paste for this part to save covering old ground. Here we go:

"As I said it was the pioneer Garratt locomotive, built by Beyer Peacock in 1909 (along with its sister K2) for the North East Dundas Tramway in Tasmania. Herbert William Garratt had patented his design in 1907, leading to the building of these engines. K1 and K2 hauled silver-lead ore trains in Tasmania until their withdrawal in 1929. The engines differed from later Garratts in that their cylinders faced inward towards the boiler rather than outward, as on later designs. K1 and K2 were also compound locomotives, with steam used first in the high pressure rear engine before being transferred via a long pipe beneath the boiler to be used in the low pressure front engine prior to exhaust. The success of this aspect of the design has been the subject of long running debate, though only one further compound Garratt was ever built after this first pair, perhaps suggesting the answer. Following retirement in Tasmania, Beyer Peacock purchased K1 back in 1947 and it became a museum exhibit before eventually being sold to the Ffestiniog Railway in 1966. Having spent time on display at the NRM in York, K1 was returned to steam in 2004. 

Although the engine is almost too big for Statfold operations, she was deemed underpowered for the Welsh Highland Railway for which she was restored. Therefore, when her boiler ticket expired in 2014, she was placed into storage at Dinas. Following a move to Statfold for display in November 2019, the engine was assessed for overhaul and returned to steam in around 70 days following a re-tube and light repair".

There we are then: that was easy! Once I'd finished my oiling, I gave the motion and the fly cranks a good wipe down with some paraffin-oil mix, complementing Isaac's polishing efforts on the paintwork above. Following the usual 08:30 safety briefing on the lawn (we've been doing that since day dot), we devoured our bacon cobs before returning to our respective engines. The final job this morning was to perform a full vacuum brake test, not only because K1 is vac braked but also because we'd be pulling some vac stock today, in the form of the model Darj coaches. Once washed up and changed, we awaited the call to arms aboard the footplate of K1. Eventually, with a wave from the yard master, we were called down to the signalbox ready to take over the little blue carriages in platform two at around 10:30...

Once connected to the stock, we performed a continuity test with the two carriages, ensuring that they'd stop themselves should we split. With all well, we awaited the next 'up' train and, latterly, the road. After a steady run down to the balloon loop, during which the whistle chain came off in my hand (a good start), we awaited "Howard" with the next 'down' train as we attempted a temporary repair... 

Hissing easily back to Oak Tree, we came to a stand in the platform and gave K1's tank a top up. We ourselves enjoyed some tea and cake from the volunteers' mess on the platform as we awaited our next path with our short train...

We ended up pulling the Darj coaches for four of our five trips today, chiefly because there were only three vacuum braked engines out: us, "Fiji" and "Harrogate". Once back at Statfold, we were shunt released via the signalbox before being put on shed briefly. Once the Darj coaches had completed another trip, we were called down again to take them over. Below, K1 blows up the train whilst awaiting the road...

Max (who has kindly provided two of the images used in this post) joined us on the footplate for the second trip. Max is a regular at Statfold enthusiast's events and we always end up having a chat. (His Flickr account can be found here). For our third trip we managed to get a quick run out on the high level. Recent changes at Statfold have meant that the old high level platform (platform three) is now out of gauge for most traffic and so high level trains use the low level platforms via the crossover. A call to the signalbox (and a few kind words) saw us put on the next departing high level train and so we went for a quick spin down the locally known 'concrete road'. It was nice to get K1's big wheels spinning a bit faster for a change. As we were the only ones on the high line (and we had priority at the balloon loop), we whizzed around and were soon waiting at Statfold's S2 signal for a platform. I grabbed this rushed shot as I walked back to the engine, having just phoned in from S2's signal post telephone...

Once back in Statfold's platform two, we were shunt released again by the next departing locomotive. It was only a few minutes before we were called to takeover the adjacent train in platform one as Peckett "Harrogate" was struggling to maintain vacuum on the Darj coaches. Therefore, K1 (with a larger ejector too) was drafted in to takeover. Max caught us at Oak Tree with our fourth round trip...

"God only knows what I'm doing" (M.Waldron)

The fourth trip was followed by a short period on shed, during which we kind of hoped that we'd been retired for the day, with the clock having ticked past 16:00. However, following a final wave from the yard master, we were called out one last time to take the Darj coaches again, departing Statfold as the last passenger train at around 16:40. At Oak Tree, with the train having terminated and passengers having alighted, the Garratt was uncoupled from the stock and drawn forward to meet token carrier "Fiji". The two engines then ran back up to Statfold together, with K1 hissing along behind the Hudswell. Once back on shed on the middle road, we disposed of the K1 after a long but pleasant day out. We were just in time to miss the rain...

I must thank Nigel and Isaac for their help and company today aboard K1: cheers lads. Thanks also to Max for letting me use two of the pictures from your outing today. Well folks, that's two goes on K1 safely completed. I must admit, although last time was a novelty as it was the first time out for me with this locomotive, this time I felt more in control with it. The brake adjustments that were completed since my last go have also helped it massively, with the engine's own steam brake being far more effective than the last time I drove it. (It was likened to a handbrake on a canoe last time!). Overall, another pleasant outing with the pioneer Garratt. Thanks to all who made this weekend's event happen and thanks to whoever reads this muck. Ciao...

5M43: A Black Five Scurries Northward...

This one nearly caught me by surprise: Black Five No44871 working back from Southall to Carnforth. I only happened to see the info online a few hours before this one passed us. I did wonder if it was a mistake for a moment due to the last minute nature but, sure enough, the Black Five appeared with her support coach around 15 minutes early. Due to her early running she was stuck behind a Class 350 stopper and so was held at the peg before the climb to Northampton's Mill Lane. The slow speed of the engine as she slinked by helped me to get two pictures for a change, rather than just one...

Having watched the 4-6-0 feathering loudly on one valve at the peg for a few moments, I wandered back into the office just as the signal changed its aspect to yellow. 44871 then continued her lightly loaded journey northward, quietly slinking away into the distance. Cheers all and thanks for reading as always, Sam...

Please note that the above images were taken from land outside of the NR boundary fence.

Going Great Central: Back Out With The Standard 5...

"73156 in the down loop alongside the 11:10 DMU departure"

Evening all. Today I was rostered to once again work the B2 turn at the Great Central Railway. I worked a B2 during February (my last go on retiring 9F No92214) and today would see the same format taking place but with a different engine. I had heard during the week that myself and driver Charlie were rostered aboard the ever popular Standard 5 No73156 of 1956, an engine that I haven't been out on since October. This morning's 08:00 book on was once again very gentlemanly, though I arrived a little early as usual. Dragging my mound of kit from the car, I wandered past the crew for the B1 turn and their steed: No6990 "Witherslack Hall". Old Batesy was shining up the cab as I sauntered by, heading for the signing in room...

Signed in and notices read, I headed out to the waiting Standard 5 on a damp No1 road. The rain had been pretty persistent overnight and it would do its best to continue this trend throughout our prep. Karl (a member of 73156's support team) was already busy polishing up the rods and wheels on the fireman's side...

Though the engine had had a fair warming fire the night before, it had been a very cold (and wet) night so it was best to get the fresh fire going as soon as possible. Overalls on, I quickly headed into the firebox to give the grate a brush down prior to throwing in some coal. Efforts made in the morning will always serve you well later on in the day, or at least you'd hope that they would! I always try to start with as clean a grate as possible, with this mantra in mind. Karl kindly collected me two barrows of wood to top my freshly added coal. It was then time to light up some rags and get a blaze going. The resulting smoke was soon blowing westward on the keen wind...

With the weather not brilliant outside and Karl doing a great job on the bottom end, I decided to give the cab roof a polish. The smoky coal we've been burning lately had taken its toll on 73156's usually very clean cab roof and so a spruce up wouldn't hurt. Driver Charlie meanwhile was going around the engine with the oil cans. Between the three of us, we prepared 73156 for our two booked round trips...

As our off shed time neared, we prepared to pull forward in order to empty the ash pan. There was only one fly in the ointment: a diesel had taken the Hall's place over No1 road pit and so we were stuck until a repair job on it was complete. Soon enough however, 73156 was ready to drop forwards to ash out...

Pan done, shed fitter Tom joined us to complete 73156's FTR (fitness to run) exam. With a clean bill of health, we were given permission from the signalman to leave shed and top up the tender on our way to the starting signals at Great Central Road bridge. Here, the 4-6-0 was held until the 11:10 DMU had cleared platform two. Our first train wasn't until 12:00 and so we had plenty of time to shoot the breeze...

With the DMU having departed and disappeared along the up line, the down loop starter moved to the 'off' position, allowing us to run out to the totem pole at Beeches Road bridge. There we waited for No6990 to return with the 10:15 departure, the stock from which would become our 12:00 train. A little behind time, the Hall rolled in from Leicester North before we were given the road to set back onto the waiting stock. Once in the platform and coupled up, we were joined on the footplate by one of our two footplate riders for the day (we had two booked footplate passes today). Amazingly, I knew the family in question, back from my days organising the old miniature do at Statfold...small world! Departing Loughborough on time, 73156 steamed easily on the run to Leicester North. Here there was the (now common) extra 15 minutes added for footplate visits, which Charlie facilitated whilst I took a breather...

The run back to Loughborough was equally as free steaming, as 9/10 runs with this engine are (unless you've got an issue!). Due to a points failure at Loughborough we had to run into platform two, briskly run round and then prepare to depart as ECS for the totem pole. The empty train would then be propelled back into platform one in order to clear platform two for the approaching DMU. Below, an impatient 73156 waits for the train to be declared empty before we complete the shunt move...

And as if by magic, we were soon stood waiting time in platform one! Both of today's trips were partly 'Fish and Chip' jobs, with the food served following arrival at Leicester North, hence the headboard adorning the smokebox...

Due to the gentlemanly nature of the B2 turn, we still had 25 minutes to ourselves after completing the shunt move. This gave me time to gradually rebuild my fire in preparation for our 14:15 departure. Below, 73156 barks southward along the Leicester section, on the approach to the A46 bridge near Thurcaston...

After a normal run round at Leicester (without the extra time) we returned to Loughborough and arrived bang on time. Once uncoupled, we topped up the tender at the column before dropping back down to our morning location on No1 road. With the smokebox checked and the fire cleaned, it was time to fill the boiler and leave 73156 for the evening, stood alongside the rather unsightly but very useful Class 153...

"Day's end for 73156"

And that, as they say, was that! I must thank Charlie and Karl for a pleasant day out with 73156: good company on a good engine is always worth having. 73156 herself never disappoints...we just need a few more coaches behind her! Cheers...

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.

"Sir Nigel Gresley": The Blue Streak Runs Again...

Though when anyone talks about a famous steam engine they always land on either Thomas the Tank or "Flying Scotsman", really the household name should be "Mallard". "Mallard" of course was one of Sir Nigel Gresley's A4 pacifics, built between 1935 & 1938, eventually numbering 35 examples. "Mallard" herself of course still holds the world speed record for steam traction, having achieved 126mph on July 3rd 1938. However, though "Mallard" holds the overall record, it's interesting to note that sister "Sir Nigel Gresley" (of course named after her builder) is the post war record holder for steam, having achieved 112mph on May 23rd 1959, ironically working a passenger special rather than a dyno train! Where am I going with this? Well, today we were graced with the brief presence of 1937-built No4498 "Sir Nigel Gresley" (BR number 60007) as she passed by our depot with a Southall-bound ECS working.

Running on time, the A4 looked a picture as she coasted through Northampton's north junction with a shining rake of freshly painted blood & custard coaches. On the tail of the long train was the trusty Class 47, no doubt providing some insurance. I last saw this A4 in 2022, when she worked through the same location as train engine for Black Five No45231. Back then she was wearing wartime black but has since been repainted into the more familiar BR express blue. Apart from the irritating lineside bush that seems to find its way into all of my pictures, it was pleasant to briefly snap the A4 as she sauntered by us, bound for London. She'll be working a York job tomorrow before returning to her base at Crewe on Sunday. A very colourful and historic old engine. Cheers all and thanks for reading as always, Sam...

Please note that the above image was taken from land outside of the NR boundary fence.