"The road ahead from Quorn aboard No48305"
It's been a while since I was last on the Great Central-based 8F No48305: November in fact, when I did a morning turn on it as part of the "Last Hurrah" job. This afternoon, whilst working the A4 turn with driver Alan and cleaner Callum, I was lucky enough to be reacquainted with this charming Stanier 2-8-0. Signing in once again at 13:00 (much like my A4 turn the other week on No78019), I duly met up with the rest of the crew before we awaited the return of our rostered locomotive. Right on time, the eight freight came drifting across from platform one road to stand behind the ground discs...
Having relieved driver Dave and fireman Pete, we moved forward for a top up at the water column. Tender tank full, we hissed around to the front of the waiting stock on platform one road. Once coupled up, with the lamp on the top bracket denoting a local passenger service, we had around 20 minutes before our booked departure...
As with all things, you always find yourself having to readjust to something when you've had a few months off of it. I've done a good few turns so far this year, but none until today on this 8F. Once I'd got my bearings again, I made up a nice, level fire in preparation for departure. On time at 14:20, the guard gave us the "right away" and off we went for Leicester North, calling at all stations. The 8F was as free steaming as I remembered, jogging along nicely with the six-coach train. At Leicester, the engine sat quietly whilst we engaged in the booked slot for footplate visits...
I fired back to Loughborough where we briskly ran round the train again before another 20 minutes or so of break, prior to our final working at 16:15. Cleaner Callum fired this trip and made a grand job of it. Here, the 8F saunters around the bend at Swithland, approaching the up outer home, which in this case is showing a green...
At Leicester we just had the usual 15-minute run round, which we completed in good time. By now the 'Fish & Chip' headboard had been fitted in readiness for the 8F's next working: the chippy train. In the summer months Saturday nights can often see a two-trip chippy working alongside the usual two-trip night diner...
The run back was equally as enjoyable as the outbound trip and Callum kept up a good head of steam whilst also running the fire down for the longer layover at Loughborough. Below shows a rushed action snap of Callum flinging a few rounds of coal into the firebox, whilst driver Alan checks the speed on the vacuum brake...
Once back at Loughborough, with a quiet fire and 2/3 of a glass of water, No48305 was signalled from platform one back across to shed road one. Once back on shed, we completed the cleaning of the smokebox and ashpan before I spooned a few fresh shovelfuls around the fire, in readiness for incoming crew Steve and Aaron. At the GCR this is known as a partial disposal, allowing the lion's share of the job to be done now rather than at say 22:00 when the engines tend to return from their evening duties. The night diner crew then took over from us and we could breathe a sigh of relief after a pleasant two trips out on the 1943-built 2-8-0...
"No48305 ready to leave shed for the chippy train"
I must thank Alan and Callum for a pleasant afternoon out with No48305. I'm next on on Friday, with the roster penning me to Standard Five No73156. Thanks all...
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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