Statfold: A Soaking Wet Sunday With CSR 19...

"Driver Sam and fireman Chris ready to work the 10:30 train with CSR No19"

Today I was rostered to drive at Statfold Barn but, unusually, it would be a turn that I hadn't worked before. The railway has gone through a lot of change in the past few years, transforming itself from Tamworth's best kept secret to a thriving entertainment's venue with a lot to offer. When I first started crewing at the SBR in 2012 (see picture), the railway opened a mere three Saturdays a year and that was your lot. Now, it's often open three days a week! Today's turn would be the SBR's now standard weekend steam offering, with all of Statfold's regular attractions: the museum, the railway, the soft play etc: open, plus a 45-minutely train service out of Oak Tree. One engine is steamed on these days, with more joining the roster on event weekends or of course for the ever popular enthusiast's days. I arrived at the SBR's base on the Ashby Road a little before our 07:30 booked sign on. Trudging across to the engine shed in pouring rain, I found our loco: CSR No19: standing in the shed doorway, with fireman Chris having just lit up. The shed door was brought down to keep the cab dry for now...

This foul morning was a stark contrast from the fair weather turns I've had of late. The rain was quite obnoxious and seemed determined to soak us through. Whilst Chris got up steam, I went around the engine with the oil cans and gave everything a check over and a top up. Our guard Barry and our duty officer Ian also joined us in the dry of the engine shed, with old Batesy also turning up to collect my freshly completed rules refresher. A little after 09:30, we got the 1914-built Hudswell Clarke on the move and proceeded down to collect the waiting ECS in platform two, via the signalbox. It was still raining well as guard Barry removed the scotches from the stock in readiness to give us the "right away" for Oak Tree. What a crap morning...

Leaving Statfold, we collected the token from Ian in the box and proceeded out into the saturated fields. The engine steamed easily as we trotted around the railway, carrying out the line inspection. Soon enough, we were screwed down at Oak Tree awaiting our first train at 10:30. I don't think any of us were expecting a stampede today...

The timetable on this job is steady but constant, with trains leaving Oak Tree every 45 minutes from 10:30 until 15:00. You depart Oak Tree for Statfold, where the engine runs round upon arrival, via the turntable. This gives the passengers a chance to grab some snaps and see the engine moving without being on the train. The train then departs Statfold for Oak Tree via Cogan Halt, taking in the entirety of the 2ft route. (Should the need dictate, there is also an optional 15:45 train, which works the bottom half of the railway only. Thanks to the weather however, this wouldn't be patronised today so we didn't work it). All three of our first three trains had but three passengers aboard, which was no surprise thanks to the heavy rain. Thankfully the indoor areas seemed busier. Below, Chris readies No19 for departure from Statfold with the 11:15 ex-Oak Tree. At this point the rain was just starting to let up for us...

Here, a slowly drying out CSR No19 stands on the turntable on our 12:00 train as the electric motor spins her around. The premises of Statfold Seed Oil can be seen adjacent to the table as the Hudswell moves around...

The 12:45 was a fair bit busier and No19 is seen here waiting at Oak Tree...

The sun was even out as we prepared to leave Statfold on this one!...

For the 13:30 and the 14:15 trips I decided to swap with Chris, who took over the regulator whilst I did the firing. No19 is a chunky lump with plenty of power on offer, meaning that it's hard to keep the thing quiet if you over-fire. Therefore, I elected to run the pressure at around the 120/130psi mark (full pressure 160psi), giving myself some leeway against the Ramsbottom safety valves fitted in the cab. (You can end up with a sauna if you're not careful!). Running the pressure lower allowed me to keep the engine quiet whilst keeping the grate covered. You need to be careful with this one as she'll let you fire too thin and keep steaming but of course it doesn't do the firebox any good. No19 is of course a Leeds product but worked for Colonial Sugar Refining in Fiji, alongside the larger No11 (also based at Statfold and now wearing the name "Fiji"). It's a nice engine to take out and always does a good job...

"The road ahead on the fireman's side"

For the well patronised 15:00 train I was back on the regulator and, much to our satisfaction, most of the seats aboard our two ex-Tynedale coaches were taken. No19 is seen here waiting to depart for Statfold with what would be our final trip...

Having worked the 15:00, we returned to Oak Tree where the passengers alighted and waved us goodbye. When nobody turned up for the 15:45, we closed the gate and Barry duly gave us a final "right away" with the ECS for Statfold. Having turned on the table one last time, No19 was taken back up to the engine shed for disposal. Chris had thankfully ran the fire down well and the little diesel shunter was soon dragging the Hudswell back into the shed with a quiet fire, a capped chimney and a full pot of water. It was nice to spend the day with Chris. We grew up together in a way, somewhere not far from here. Thankfully these days we're at pastures new, but it's nice to keep in touch at Statfold. I must thank Barry, Chris and Ian for their company today and for a nice, easy day driving. Thanks all for reading as usual...

Ryton: Battery Boxes & Sunshine...

"The 47 lookalike stands at Ryton Halt before services began"

Evening all. A quick post from today, just to document my afternoon out. Today I was rostered for one of the Sunday afternoon passenger workings at Coventry MES' Ryton Pools track. I arrived a little before 12:00, in good time for the 13:00 planned start. Having met up with the rest of the day's crew, we began getting out the two rakes of passenger stock and two of the club's battery electric things to pull them. For me, as I've said before, they do nothing. They're a working tool for doing a job and, I have to say, it's a job that they do very well. Soon enough, the two Compass House electrics were ready at the station for what would be a steady afternoon of work. In the end I think we carried just over 200 people, so the funds for the club were worth coming up for. I did a bit of driving (not so difficult with what is essentially a feed rate switch) and a fair bit of guarding. In between trips it was nice to chat with the rest of the ever growing membership about this and that...

"The oldest of the club electrics: the 37: at the end of play"

At 16:00 the gate was closed and we made our way, with the last rake of ECS, back to the steaming area ready to put everything away. After a swift bit of shunting, the job was done and it was time to wash up and head for home. Short and sweet. Sorry to anyone who loves battery electrics...they're just not for me. Give me a boiler and a firebox any day instead! Thanks all for reading...

Going Great Central: 'DATEX' With 73156...

"A shining 73156 stands ready for action on No1 shed road"

This morning I was rostered to work the A1 turn at the Great Central Railway, alongside driver Dave. This involved a 05:30 sign on at Loughborough shed and, as usual, I arrived a little early to make sure that I wouldn't be late. Walking into the quiet shed yard, I trudged alongside our booked locomotive: Standard 5 No73156 of 1956...

Having signed in and read the notices, I wandered back out to the locomotive and clambered up into the cab. The engine had worked the evening diner last night and so still had 40psi on the clock and a full pot of water. Peering into the hot firebox revealed a nice, even bed of ash and this was quickly cleared with the aid of the rocking grate. Driver Dave passed by the cab at this point and we exchanged our "good morning". Moving forward to the smokebox, there was the usual tiny molehill at the foot of the door: just enough to cover the bottom of a bucket. This is thanks to the engine's effective self cleaning smokebox. (The ease of this morning's prep was a far cry from my morning with 78019 a couple of weekends ago). With everything done and all checks made, I could spread the bed of coal across the fire and replace the baffle plate before lighting up. As soon as the lit rags hit the grate, she sang...

Once the rags were burning atop the layer of coal, I threw in a pallet or two's worth of dry wood and shut the doors, leaving the engine to sort its life out. ("A watched pot never boils" as they say). Soon enough there was a reassuring plume of smoke rising steadily skyward from the chimney. The class 153 units stabled in No3 shed road in the shot below still look out of place to me but, hopefully, their arrival is the start of a potentially lucrative enterprise of main line driver training...

It wasn't long after lighting up that the team of engine reps arrived. The lads from the Bolton Steam Locomotive Company take great pride in their fine machine and keep her looking her best at all times. Their efforts were much appreciated this morning...

After an easy prep (thanks to the Bolton boys), myself and Dave got changed into our smarts before backing 73156 up for coal. We then left shed on time at 08:45, taking water at the column before doing a quick coach slip from platform two to platform one. Once safely stabled at Great Central Road bridge, we awaited our DATEX participants. DATEX is the GCR's version of a Footplate Experience course, dubbed Drive A Train Experience. These courses, like the diners, are very popular and provide a much needed income to the railway. 

Today we would work a Bronze course, involving a round trip to Leicester North light engine with two participants, each driving half of the journey. Right on time, the DATEX host brought our two participants down to the engine and they duly joined us on the footplate of the waiting 4-6-0. We left Loughborough on time at 09:30, swapping the participants at each station stop so that each would get to drive the different sections of the railway. This also adds variety as the line is mostly downhill coming back from the southern end. After a steady run there and back, I'm pleased to say that both of our trainee drivers left the footplate having had a great time. It's always nice to see someone else enjoying something that we perhaps occasionally take for granted. Our next move was to collect our coaches from the up through and take them to platform two in readiness for the 11:10 passenger departure...

For our second (and final) trip we were joined by two of the lads from the engine's group as they rode with us to Leicester and back aboard the mighty class 5. This engine is a fine beast: always free steaming and always very much on top of the job. She's arguably far too powerful for the trains here, particularly when they're only five coaches. She's like a supercharged Black Five and you can imagine that she'd be a fine contender for main line activities. Fair enough she has no bonnet and she wasn't built at Swindon...but you can't have everything! Here, 73156 waits patiently with the returning 11:10 working at Leicester, as right time nears...

The return run to Loughborough was just as enjoyable and 73156 steamed freely as I attempted to keep her quiet ready for handover to the incoming crew. Once at Loughborough I was relieved by fireman Chris and the Standard 5 was soon chuffing away into the distance in readiness to work the 13:00 Sunday lunch diner. I must thank driver Dave and the Bolton lads for a pleasant morning out aboard the mighty 73156: very enjoyable. Thanks all for reading...

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.