"Mayflower"s Coming Home...

Hey everyone. Welcome to the second post of today (too busy I am!). Here we go then...Well, after spotting the beautiful Stanier Pacific ("Lizzie") on the mainline, I headed back out onto the A444 and then up onto the M6 North. Destination?: Birmingham. The reason for this trip was to lend a hand on a certain Eastern Lady; the gorgeous LNER B1 No1306 "Mayflower". Regular readers will remember that the B1, usually based at our railway at Shackerstone, has been away in Birmingham for a few months undergoing a bottom-end overhaul. Last time I went to work on her was back in February, when we took off all of her under-keep's and prepared her for a lift (see seperate post). Throughout the bottom-end overhaul, many items have received attention. Jobs have included ashpan repairs, fitment of an ashpan washer, bogie wheel turning, driving wheel turning, rod repairs, replacement of seals and many other things. 1306 spent the January - March period without her tender, allowing essential repairs to be done without her '2nd half' in the way, as it were. However, the tender has been reunited with her for a few weeks now and has allowed a few test steamings on site; the last of which was undertaken yesterday. Arriving at 10:30am, I met up with the team before starting my first job; clearing out the smokebox. Below, the beautiful B1 dwarfs a couple of the support vans...
Parking certainly wasn't an issue in "Mayflower"s shop...its a shame we can't park this close to our engines at Shackerstone!...
Smokebox done, I was sent underneath the loco & tender to undo the various connections. These include the vacuum pipe, steam heat pipe, injector water feeds and another feed (maybe the steam brake?). There is then of course a strong pin which connects the drawbar to the loco, but you can't remove that without 'squeezing' the loco. This job done, if a little wet(!), I was shown my next task. This was right underneath the loco herself and, with the brake rigging and sand-pipes now refitted, the areas for entrance were a little, shall we say, small! This job was to fit new axlebox seals. The B1 axleboxes are fitted with seals, which circle the axle, and are clamped against the face of the axlebox. This stops the oil escaping around the edge of the axlebox, through the gap against the axle. This of course aids lubrication. Any oil that falls from the bottom of the axlebox lands in a tray; fitted below. Therefore, the seals just 'finish the job' as it were. As well as fitting the seals, I had to cut new ones to fit the dimension of the axles. For example, the bogie axles are much smaller than the driving axles. Anyhow, in between fitting, I managed to capture a frontal shot of "Mayflower"; isn't she beautiful?...By 3pm, I had fitted all 10 of the seals. Other jobs going on included the cleaning of the cab and the fitting of the final part; the last sand-pipe. With my job done and all of my tools removed from underneath the engine, we prepared her for the 'split'. The loco had to be 'split' so that she could travel 'home' to Shackerstone on Wednesday. After all, the loco and tender have to travel on two seperate lorries; she's far too big for one! To split the engine, tension has to be taken off the drawbar so the pin can be removed. This was done by chocking 1306 on a few wheels and then buffering a diesel up to the tender. The diesel then squeezed the loco together whilst another member of the team 'pulled the pin' out. The tender then easily dropped away from the engine. "Easy"! Below, 1306 is split and is now, pretty much, ready for 'home'...
At 3:35pm, I left for home as I had a few jobs to do. I thanked the team and wished them well with the return of 1306 and of course her proving runs on Good Friday. I shall be acting as part of her 'support crew' at Shackerstone next Sunday & Monday. Guess What?: I'm looking forward to that! Thanks for reading everyone. I suppose I'd better catch an 'early night' tonight, I've gotta' be up to fire a certain green engine in the morning...Evening all...

A Date With Royalty...

Hi all. Today, out on the mainline near Nuneaton, I had a date with Royalty; well, LMS 4-6-2 Stanier Princess Royal Pacific No6201 "Princess Elizabeth" to be exact! "Lizzie" was working a railtour between Euston and Chester. I caught up with her at Marston Jabbett, near Nuneaton, on her outward trip. I must admit, she was in fine form, steaming along in the morning sunshine with a good load on the drawbar. For this shot, as I was 'in a rush', I decided just to go 'hand-held'. However, it doesn't give very good results compared to a tri-pod (sorry about that!). Anyhow, in the shot, "Lizzie" steams by and rushes over Marston Lane, across the bridge. I have spotted 6201 a few times before, in particular last July at Coventry & Nuneaton (see seperate post). Click 'Play' below to see the video...

Well, I hope you enjoyed that. It was a pleasure to see "Lizzie" again, as always. Well, now I'm off to see another lady of the more Eastern variety...

Whats Along The Line?...

Hi All. Just a brief post to let those who are interested know whats coming up on the blog in the coming weeks. Hope some bits are of interest!...

• Sat April 16th - "Princess Elizabeth" On The Mainline (Morning)


• Sat April 16th - Cleaning LNER B1 "Mayflower" at W.Heath


• Sun April 17th - Firing GWR 2-8-0 No3803 at Shackerstone


• Sat April 23rd - CMES Work Party


• Sun April 24th - Turn on LNER B1 "Mayflower" at Shack


• Mon April 25th - Turn on LNER B1 "Mayflower" at Shack
• Sat April 30th - Turn on GWR 2-8-0 No3803 at Shackerstone
  
• Sun May 8th - Operating Day at CMES (Turn)


• Sat May 21st - Firing on Bala Lake Railway


• Sun May 22nd - Firing on Bala Lake Railway


• Thurs Jul 14th - Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway (visit)


• Sat Jul 16th - Nene Valley Railway (visit)


• Sun Jul 17th - Operating Day at CMES (Turn)


• Tues August 2nd - Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway (visit)


• Fri August 12th - Talyllyn & Fairbourne Railway Visits


• Sat August 13th - Firing on Bala Lake Railway


• Sun August 14th - Firing on Bala Lake Railway


• Mon August 15th - Firing on Bala Lake Railway


• Tues August 16th - Trip on "Cambrian Coast Express" (steam)

As you can see, there is much to do...and so little time! As well as these events, there will be various other visits which have not been planned yet as well as Mamod steamings, Shackerstone days, CMES days and of course Garden Railway days. Who knows what else will come up?! Thanks all. Sam

Sunny Steam On The Garden Railway...

Hi everyone. Well, after a fabulous day yesterday on the Jinty at Shackerstone, I decided to take it easier today. In the morning, as the warm sun rose higher in the sky, I washed a couple of our cars. Later on in the morning, I decided to start running some trains on the garden railway. Though today was a little cooler than yesterday, it was very warm in the sun and so, not just myself, but the family also spent the day in the garden. Many trains ran up and down the line during the day, with a brief appearance from the Wilesco D405 traction engine as well; can't beat a little bit of real steam afterall. The garden is now beginning to flourish, the tree's for example are turning green again after a very brown-ish winter. I must admit, this "train-set" has given me many, many hours of enjoyment in the past, as it did today and hopefully will continue to do so in the future. I have included a few pictures of today's running for your interest. Any comments welcome. Below, we see a third of the railway. The line leaves the shed and climbs behind the Rockery before descending towards the house on a long straight, returning to the shed behind the Flowerbeds. The D405 can be seen below, as can my Tail-Lamp...We ran various loco's today, hauling 3 different sets of coaches and 3 different freight trains (we have 5 coach sets in total, and countless rakes of freight wagons too). Though I am generally not too attracted to Rolling Stock, my favourite coach has to be my Hornby model of the "Devon Belle" Saloon. Internally illuminated, the "Devon Belle" is an attractive but heavy coach which I generally use as either part of the Dining Train or as part of the GWR Rake; today she ran as part of the latter. The coach is spotted at Sutherland between turns...
Half way down the line, Ashford Junction offers a lengthy siding in which alot of rolling stock can be stored. This siding also leads to the electrically-operated turntable. Below, the 1:30pm service from Sutherland, behind "Derwent Grange", passes the Junction whilst Pannier Tank No5775 awaits departure northbound...Up at Sutherland, any trains stopping in the platform tend to end up with their locomotive outside the nearby "Dew Drop Inn" pub. This position allows easy access to both the main line to Chilvers and the dock road into the loco shed. "Derwent Grange" waits at Sutherland for departure...
After leaving Sutherland, trains call at Grantham and Ashford 'on request' before arriving at the final station; Chilvers Coton. Leaving Chilvers, trains pass through the tunnel, over an access path and then back into the shed again. In the image below, Small Prairie Tank No4560 has just arrived at Chilvers, from the shed, with a Sutherland-bound train. She is hauling the 4-coach LMS Rake. The empty Passing Loop can be seen on the right...
Later in the afternoon, "Derwent Grange" rattles along the straight section towards Ashford whilst the D405 ticks-over with her Living Van...
As the tea and cake continued to flow, more loco's found their way out of storage and onto the line. My restored Tri-Ang model of the famous Gresley A3 Pacific "Flying Scotsman" is seen below approaching Sutherland. The loco is just about to top the bank and descend into the platform. When I say 'restored', this model had a new motor, new front bogie, replacement valve gear, extra wiring and a full repaint to boot, with traditional LNER transfers applied to the tender and new red-back nameplates. I love this engine; she has alot of character and the paint job is fantastic (thanks to an old friend)...
As you can see, it isn't just new models that find their way out onto the line. Below, a rare sight at Sutherland as my LMS Streamlined Duchess No6221 "Queen Elizabeth" awaits departure with our 4-coach LMS Rake. She is a very rare sight on the line; another beautiful Tri-Ang relic...
Trains eventually ended up running from 11am until 5:30pm. The final train of the day consisted of ECS behind No4560 from Ashford Jnc to the Shed, via Chilvers. The black Prairie is spotted arriving in the southern portal of the shed with the LNER rake...
Below, see a quick video clip of "Derwent Grange" in action on the line; just to give you an idea!...

After a very successful day in the garden I returned home happy. What a nice afternoon. Evening All...

A Fabulous Day Out With "Thomas"...

Hello everybody. Well, what a day! Wasn't it hot?; or at least it was where I was! Today, following preparations last night, I was to be crewing LMS 'Jinty' No47298 at Shackerstone, with Mr Eddie Jones and Miss Jan Ford. 7298 was playing her usual role as 'Thomas' The Tank Engine; a role that she does well yet, I can't help thinking that she should be LMS Black! Anyhow, I got to Shackerstone at 6:30am and discovered my Driver & Fireman already there. Eddie was just lighting the loco up whilst Jan broke more wood. Throughout the morning, I cleaned whilst Jan & Eddie oiled the engine up. We also did continuous checks on the engine, checking for any leaks or pieces falling off (you can never be too sure!). Having been lit at around 6:50am, "Thomas" was ready and in steam by 8:50am, remarkable really; must have been a great warming fire last night! Oiled up, cleaned and feathering at the valves, "Thomas" made his way outside, carefully driven by Jan. The 3F then waited outside the shed for the call at 9:45am for the 'Grant Opening'; not before 3803 had got out of the way though!...
Behind the 'Jinty' was the newcomer; I still can't believe we've got this(!); 3803, the GWR 38xx 2-8-0 'Heavy Freight'. 3803 was playing "Henry" today, though I did manage to get the shot below before they put the horrid plastic face on the smokebox! What a beautiful machine. She had 4 trips today; one alone and three with the Class 25, 'Rat', on the back...
Back on the Jinty, the fire was going well. The ashpan had been emptied (by me) and the damper now shut to slow down excess steam creation. The doors were left open for a while to let the fire cool a little. Meanwhile, myself, Jan and Eddie were soon changed into our Smart Overalls ready for the call...
With 3803 out of the way, "Thomas" briskly moved up the side of the loco shed, out of sight of the anticipating public. 3803 then moved back on shed. Up on "Thomas", the call came; "3, 2, 1 - GO". With alot of whistling and steam pouring from the chimney and the drain cocks, we took the Jinty down into Platform 1 where we broke a ribbon to declare the day's event OPEN! After even more whistling, we stopped to await orders. The first run, at 10am, was to be hauled by the Rat ("Bo-Co"), with "Thomas" tailing, ready to haul the return trip. Orders received, we moved through the North End and chugged forward again, onto the rear of the 6-coach train. After coupling up and changing the lamps, we were ready. The morning sun was very warm, just perfect really. But, even so, as the sun rose more and more, the day got hotter and hotter; "Oh no"! Anyway, at 10am, the Guard blew his whistle and the '25' took us to Shenton. 7298 rattled along behind the train whilst Eddie; who fired the first trip; prepared his fire. After a 5-minute stop at tranquil Shenton, we departed on the 10:25am for Shackerstone; no time for delays today! Below, see the clip I filmed of us departing Shenton up the bank towards Far Coton and Market Bosworth. Click "Play" to view. If you can't view it properly, double-click to see it bigger... "Thomas" had a really good first run, funny when your engine livery matches the sky though!...
Below, we steam towards the 2nd bridge at Far Coton. There are three bridges here; two occupation and one country road. The middle one is the road. This is a lovely cutting, one of my favourite bits of the line in fact, second to Shenton Bank of course; thats beautiful on a day like today!...
Back at Shackerstone, "Thomas" was uncoupled and 'parked' in the North End whilst 3803 took up her place at the back of the stock...
Below, Driver Jan Ford takes us through Far Coton Cutting on route to Market Bosworth on the first run of the day. I'm sure Jan won't mind me saying that she has many years experience on many locomotives from the historic "Lion" 0-4-2 to the world-famous A3 Pacific No4472 "Flying Scotsman". Other engine's that have come under Jan's control have been Pannier No7752, 8F No8624, the 5XP Jubilee's, Castle Class "Defiant" and many more. Jan now drives at Shackerstone and Peak Rail, though she has also spent time at Tyseley...
Throughout the day, we performed many activities, from the famous Water-Game (where I got soaked: again!), to Engine Races, Sing-A-Longs and two "Dining" Trains; "Lunch on Thomas" & "Tea on Thomas". Passenger numbers seemed very strong and the weather certainly must have helped this come about. However, it was blisteringly hot; especially on the footplate. We were boiling, but after all, "its all in a days work". Some things did not go to plan however. "Thomas" was suffering from a warped firebar which was allowing far too much ash into his asphan at once, and in too large a commodity. This meant the ashpan filled in the front right corner very quickly. By mid-afternoon, the loco was setting fire to many sleepers, and the weather didn't help. After a Shuttle-Run with the DMU to Carlton and back proved very flammable indeed, we decided to take action. It was the final 'performance' section of the day so, after informing the right people, we raced "Thomas" two more times before taking water and taking 'him' to the shed. Inside the shed, we ashed the loco out AGAIN and checked 'him over'. Meanwhile, the diesels were keeping the public busy outside. After 10 minutes or so, the pan was clear again and we got the star of the show back outside as quickly as possible. Following one more Sing-A-Long, we got "Thomas" onto the front of the days final train; the 5pm "Tea on Thomas". Driver Eddie is seen in the cab as we await departure from Shackerstone; what a gorgeous day it was...
Leaving at 5pm, the last train of any "Thomas" day is always challenging but, nevertheless, we soldier on. I was firing this run too, whilst Jan and Eddie shared the driving. 7298 steamed very well and, if she didn't, one good shovelfull in each corner seemed to rectify any problem at all. Great stuff. However, the return run gave us a little more than we bargained for. Basically, the warped firebar cracked and failed. It fell into the ashpan and then ended up blocking the damper fully open. On return to Shack, still unaware of the firebar problem, I reached for the rake ready to 'clean' and thin the fire. Looking closely through the flames, I could see a 5-inch gap; "Oh My God!". So, we got the Jinty on shed and removed the bar from the ashpan asap. We then disposed of her accordingly. The problem was then resolved ready for the next day when, after her duties, the Jinty will be leaving us. Shame really; she's a proper Midland machine! (Shame about the colour though!). Eventually, we signed off at 6:30pm. Thanks to Carl for the turn, and great thanks to Jan and Eddie for a great day on "Thomas" The Tank Engine; another great experience. Thanks for reading folks. Sorry for the length of this post but it was a fantastic day. For visitor information, "Thomas" will be back at Shack in June and October! Come and see him at Shackerstone; you won't be dissapointed! Evening All...

Prepping a Jinty...

Evening all. Well, a tiring afternoon to say the least! I left work at 1:30pm as usual and headed straight for Shackerstone, arriving there at around 2:10pm. After receiving my orders from Carl on the platform I headed straight for the shed; overalls in hand. There, simmering outside, was the beautiful 2-8-0 No3803. Unfortunately, 5542 left last Sunday night so is no longer a regular sight at the shed. Still, 3803 should keep us flying the Western flag for some time yet! Behind 3803 was my charge for tomorrow; "Thomas" the Tank Engine, better known as the Llangollen Railway's Class 3F 'Jinty' No47298. My job this afternoon was to get the engine prepared for tomorrow's operations. First, I had to get the heavy and rather awkward face off the front, with some welcome help from Mr Simmons! I then got some spanners and opened the smokebox door. This had to be checked internally for any leaks in the tubes as well as generally checking for anything that didn't quite look right. However, everything seemed in order so I cleaned out the ash from the week before and proceeded to lock up the door again. As you may know, the Fowler Smokebox Door's are on bolted 'Lugs' rather than the more typical 'Clock-Hands'. Smokebox done, it was up into the cab. The Firehole Ring Protector had to come out, as did the Baffle. I then had to clamber into the gloom of the Firebox...
Checks in the firebox involve the Stays, Fusible Plugs, Brick-Arch, Tubeplate, Tubes and of course the Firehole Ring in general. Anything weaping has to be reported and investigated. However, today, everything looked just fine. Checks done, I could then sweep out the ash from the fire of last Sunday. One would think that this would be a hard task, involving a shovel at least, but not so on the Jinty. The Firebars had enough clearance between to allow me to lift one out and push all of the ash down the created gap. (As I did on "Holy War" last year at Bala, if only on a slightly smaller scale!). Fire Grate clear, I could check it. There was one warped bar which we all agreed we would keep an eye on over the weekend. Apart from that, all was well, so I clambered back out of the gloom. Honestly, it is horrible in there! This done, I could light a Warming fire. We do this by only occupying the front half of the grate, with a bed of coal 1-lump thick and plenty of wood. The fire is then left for around 2-3 hours before being raked through and thinned. There should then be a thin bed which can burn overnight to 'warm' the engine. After all, heating an engine too quickly (from cold) can create too much thermal expansion at once. This creates the risk of leaking tubes and stays which should be avoided at all costs. Fire lit, I sat with the Jinty as she warmed up. Back up at the station, a newly-repainted BR Mk1 Coach stands gleaming in the hot sunshine...
Behind 47298, 3803 stands warming. This is a real beast to warm up! The only difference between her warming fire and the Jinty's, though a little larger of course, was that the one for the 38xx was placed on the back half of the grate rather than the front...
The Jinty is now wearing her face again. Now, I don't tend to like these faces but this particular one is a great improvement on some of the ones we've had in the past!...
By 6pm, both engines were warming nicely and were back in the shed, 'screwed-down' and chocked. The shed was then locked and we headed for home. 47298 should now be nice and warm when myself, Jan and Eddie arrive to crew her in the morning. Goodnight Jinty! Evening All...

Day Of (/On) The Diesel...

Hi all. Well, what an unusual day! First of all, it was "Day Out with Thomas" so I arrived at Shack at 6am ready to help get the beloved 5542 ready for service, as well as the not so beloved "Thomas" the Tank Engine! However, once the engines were in steam and just about ready to go, the call came; there was no Second-Man for the Class 25 diesel (the "Rat"). "What are you up to today?" was asked, to which I accidently replied; "Not alot". That was it, I was to Second-Man the "Rat", playing "Bo-Co" for the day, though I did wear traditional steam locomotive overalls! The job of the Second-Man is to keep a look out, couple and uncouple the loco and, in a worst-case scenario, stop the train should the driver be unable to. Now, I won't pretend I know alot about diesels (steam engines are my thing!) but, once you get used to the idea of how they work, they are pretty simple. The Driver and Owner; Martin; showed me round the loco, paying particular attention on pre-start checks, before showing me how to start her. I tell you, the noise in that engine room when that Sulzer engine started up was way more than loud! Back in the cab, the Second-Man has a comfortable seat, as does the Driver. There is also an Oven and a Hot-Ring for the Kettle on the 25'! Fantastic! The first five trains today were to be top & tailed with the 'Rat', and either "Thomas" or 5542. I however was to leave early (due to Mothers Day commitments!) so only did the first 4 trips, but that is 40 miles afterall! Below, the "Rat" rounds the scenic bend onto Shenton Bank...
Back at Shack, 5542 is spotted, sporting a smiling face. Unfortunately, 5542 will be leaving us this evening. We're all very sad to see her go but, thats life! The Small Prairie is off to the GCR for their 'Gr8 Escape' Gala, in support of the GWSR at Toddington. 5542 is seen waiting at the North End of the stock for the next departure with the "Rat"...
"Thomas" (Jinty No47298 from Llangollen) exchanges greetings with "Diesel" (the Class 08)...
Up at the shed, 3803 spent most of the day staring quietly up into the sky (I hate those faces!)...
47298 simmers in Shackerstone's Platform 2 with Mick Smith in Charge...
Our first three runs were very successful and the day was rather enjoyable as a whole. I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed it actually! What a nice loco the Sulzer 25' is. Mr Dave Hanks was also about today, catching us all with his swift picture-taking. He caught me! Below, I lean from the Second-Man's window on the 25' as we depart Shackerstone's Platform 1 with 6 coaches and 5542 on the rear (C = D.Hanks)...
After my last run on the 25', Pockets took over as Second-Man for its last trip. I meanwhile headed off to the shed. Then, the heavens opened! Heavy rain came pouring down! Luckily, 3803 had just been shunted back inside! Myself and Dave took the oppotunity to check out her footplate again. Unfortunately, Dave caught me posing (and dreaming, I will admit)...
(Above, C = D.Hanks). I eventually left Shackerstone at about 3:20pm. Thank you all for reading folks and special thanks to Dave for sending in the two images you see above. Also thanks to Martin for a nice, tea-fuelled day on his Class 25. Evening all...

Replacing The Tracks...

Hi all. Just a simple day today, replacing a few points on the Garden Railway. This winter, like the previous one, caused major damage to our points. We just about managed to 'scrape' through 2010 with a few repairs here and there but, by January this year the electrical conduction was so bad that trains often slowed and sped up when they felt like it! Therefore, I decided to take action. However, points are so expensive now! Hornby wanted around £70 for three Express Points and one Standard Point; horrid! The prices have gone mad lately. Eventually, I bought the same four points from Hatton's (a model shop up north) for just over £50. Any saving is a saving afterall! As of today, the new points are fitted and the conduction is fantastic again. Trains again run the entire circuit without problem! Evening All...

2 Western's and A Jinty...

Hi all. Today, at 5:45am (well, actually 4:45am; stupid summer-time!), I pulled into Shackerstone and parked up ready for the day. Walking through the cold darkness, I could see the shed lights illuminating a resting 3803. As I walked into the shed, I passed the 38xx and then arrived at the 55xx (5542), which was due to be in steam today. The loco was already lit and was then prepared by myself, Andy, Carl and Trainee Danny. We all did various jobs but my main task was to go underneath, with the help of Carl, and oil up. Now, GWR designers were very clever, they created fantastic engines for exacting purposes and there were many very successful prototypes. However, the comfort and working conditions of the Enginemen and those who had to prepare them were completely overlooked. Many oiling points are underneath the engine and are very hard to get at, especially with heavy oil-pumping equipment. I clambered up inside the Valve Gear and managed to oil the Eccentrics and Reversing Shaft with the Feeder. There are then points on the Expansion Links and Lifting Links to do, as well as the Lever-system for the Piston Valves. This isn't forgetting the Axleboxes, 6 of which the engine has and four more which the two Pony-trucks possess. Many of these have to be drained off too, to protect against excess water that has built up in one fashion or another. Anyway, another good experience but, a day to day task nevertheless. 5542 was soon ready to go and, by 8am, she was ready to perform the two Driver Experience trips. Meanwhile, we had to use the 04 Shunter to get 3803 out of the way...
We took 3803 into Platform 1 and left her there whilst the 'Foot Ex' took place. She really is beautiful. She was built at Swindon in January 1939 at a cost of £4285. The 2884's, like the 28xx before them, were capable of pulling 2000 tons; a remarkable effort. 3803 herself spent alot of time around Tyseley in her early days, before plodding around various sheds on the GWR system; mainly hauling heavy freight. Severn Tunnel Junction was her last base before being withdrawn in July 1963 and sent to Barry. Leaving the yard in 1983, the loco resteamed in 2005 after an overhaul costing £350k! The beautiful '8F' 2-8-0 is visiting us from the SDR at Buckfastleigh. She will be at Shackerstone for the season so why not come along and see her? She is a beautiful Western relic. Below, the 'Eight-Legs' of 3803 can be seen...
Up on the footplate, there is plenty of room. We can see the Regulator and huge Pole Reverser clearly. We can also see the Vacuum (right), Pressure (TL) and Steam Heat (CL) gauges. The loco has a Vacuum-only brake system with seperate Ejector valve as well as, of course, the natural GWR Vac-Pump. The loco also includes a Hydrostatic Lubricator and a 27ft-square grate area. Lovely cab and bags of space for swinging a shovel!...
Meanwhile, whilst I took pictures of 3803 at Shack, the Prairie was working her way back. Clad in a hi-viz (yes, even I have to wear one sometimes!), I walked up the cutting and onto the embankment. Soon, 5542 arrived back, driven by the Foot.Ex participant; an RR Apprentice would you believe? Below, the loco coasts into the Shack Cutting under Barton Bridge; the Outer Home (No2) has already been pulled off...
5542 passes my location, with Driver John Britt hanging from the cab...
Following the Foot.Ex, 5542 was ran round and readied for the day's 5 public services; the first departing at 11:15am. The crew was Driver Andy, Driver John, Fireman Carl and Trainee Danny. However, Pockets also did some driving during the day, and Eddie did some firing too. Throughout the day, we did various jobs. Myself, Eddie and Dave made a team effort of putting the 'guards' on the Grinnin' Idiot (TTTE); the Jinty in the shed. That engine always has something to smile about! Talking of which, we is out next weekend and the one after, with more of his friends from Sodor. Why not join us? Click HERE for details. Later, on the last trip, I got a footplate ride on the 55; nothing I haven't done before but still lots of fun (never turn a footplate ride down; ever!!). 5542 really is a beautiful machine and I'll be sad to see her leave for the 2nd time in a few weeks. Good luck to her and her support crew though; lovely machine. After the last trip we took 42' to bed and disposed of her, leaving all the engines together in slumber. Time for home now; we've bin here for 12 hours!! Evening All...

The Garden Awakes...

Hi all. Well, hasn't it been a nice day? "At last" I hear you cry! Well, admittedly, Spring has been a long time coming this year but, hopefully it has now arrived. With such a pleasant afternoon on my hands, I couldn't resist getting the trains out for a run in the garden. In fact, due to the cold and my own lack of time, this was the railway's first operating day since before Christmas! However, with warmer weather hopefully on the horizon, I plan to use the line alot more again this year, after I've done a few repairs here and there that is. (A few bits of the track are now experiencing 'drop joints' as some bits have been laid around 5-6 years now!). Today's train was the usual Mixed Freight which is often used simply due to the fact that it is already marshalled and ready to go all the time! Black 5 No45156 "Ayrshire Yeomanry" did the honours and made many laps of the line. Below, a Black 5 amongst the flowers...Even though some bits are a tad rough now, the line still runs pretty well with few derailments. Below, 45156 has just topped the gradient away from the house and is now accelerating along the straight towards the tight curve which crosses the Flowerbeds...
As well as the '5' doing the honours on the freight, I also took the oppotunity to get the little Wilesco D405 tractor out for a run. Hauling her Living Van, the D405 made a good few laps of the garden with a good head of steam...feathering at the valves in fact!...
All in all, a very nice little afternoon in the garden. Thanks for reading folks. Comment if you wish. Good Evening...