Stewarding for Santa 2012...

Hi guys. A very short post from today, just to say that I stewarded on Shackerstone's three "Santa Special" departures of the day. I was working 'Coach 3': one of the BR Mk1 TSO's. The trains were fairly well loaded for the 2nd weekend of Santa's and so the three stewards on board were kept busy. I was involved in seating my passengers to their allocated tables, serving the adults drinks, giving the children juice and sweets, serving mince pies and many other fetching & carrying jobs. It was a most enjoyable day and the passengers seemed to go away happy, which is the main thing of course. However, tomorrow I'll be glad to get back to my home...on the footplate! Cheers guys. Sam.

NRM Post 3: Reunion with "Union"...

Hi everyone. Well here is post 3 of 3 from our visit to the NRM. Having found out earlier in the week that "Sir Nigel Gresley"; the blue A4; would be visiting York on a railtour from the North, I decided that I would make the effort to try and seek her out. Even as we stood in the chilly south yard at the NRM, I heard the familiar note of an A4 chime whistle on the wind, as the graceful 4-6-2 came in through the suburbs with her lengthy train. The engine dropped off the passengers and stock in the historic York station before drawing out with her support coach towards the NRM service area, directly in front of the Great Hall entrance, off Leemans Road. As we stood inside the Great Hall I saw plumes of steam on the horizon before a green tender - not a blue one - appeared pushing a support coach. The green livery could only mean one thing: it was 60009 "Union of South Africa". Asking around in the yard I managed to find out that the sister engine: "Gresley": had failed the week before on a similar tour and so "Union" was deputising. Last time I saw this engine she was just beginning her overhaul at LNWR's in Crewe, back in November 2009. She looked to be in a sorry state then...see here. Since then the engine has been fully restored and returned to the mainline this summer. She was built in 1937 at Doncaster and based at Haymarket shed in Edinburgh from new, retiring from Aberdeen in 1966, after only 4 years with her 'new' shed.

Today the engine looked graceful in the winter sun, as she took coal from the NRM's JCB, in the shadow of the Great Hall. She is now owned by John Cameron, who also owns the lovely 3-cylinder Gresley K4 "The Great Marquess" which, coincidentally, was sat just a stones throw from the A4, hiding in the paint store at the NRM, only just visible through a very small window. The JCB quickly loaded the A4 with her all important fuel whilst the support crew checked her over.

Having spotted the A4 in her shining green we walked back into the warmth of the NRM. It was freezing outside today.

Thanks very much for reading folks. It was very nice to see the A4 again today, in much better condition than the last time. Thanks guys. Sam.

NRM Post 2: A Rant About "Flying Scotsman"...

Hi guys. As part of our visit to the NRM at York; as mentioned in the previous post; we passed through The Works. The Works is exactly what it sounds like; the main engineering workshop of the NRM. It houses a wheel drop, milling machines, lathes, fitting benches, cranes and everything else you would expect from a railway workshop. The project stood in the centre is none other than the famous Gresley A3 Pacific No4472 "Flying Scotsman", built in 1923. Often billed (even in my book) as the most famous locomotive in the world, 4472 has had more owners than one cares to mention and has hardly experienced plain sailing during her preservation career. Now for my rant. Everybody else seems to be giving their unadulterated opinion about this locomotive and its restoration with the NRM and now, justified or not, heres mine.

 

Firstly, we must look at what this locomotive is. She is a 3-cylinder pacific, she is unique, she is big and powerful and indeed she is no stranger to main line running, with speeds of up to 75mph allowed when certified. All of these qualities make her a must for the enthusiast. What better than travelling behind a unique Gresley pacific on the main line at 75mph? A nice treat ay? Her power will also make her attractive to train operating companies as she can haul large loads, carrying many passengers at once. However, we must also look at the fact that she is famous...very famous. This quality is perhaps "Flying Scotsman"s nail in the coffin. This fame has bought her a massive army of followers; the young, the old, the enthusiasts, the families. She has fans worldwide, of all ages and they all want a piece of her. Before ownership by the NRM you may have found "Flying Scotsman" on the odd railtour, the odd preserved railway visit and even on the British Pullman from time to time. When the NRM purchased her for the nation for that pricely sum of £2.3 million in April 2004, the loco was 'treated' to running countless railtours to Scarborough, with leaflets I saw at the time seeing her doing that job a few times a week, with two round trips per day, despite the poor mechanical condition of the engine. Reports in various railway tabloids at the time reported that the loco failed on most of these journeys with a variety of ailments.



Are we surprised? No. Later, in October 2005, the locomotive was briefly loaned to Tyseley Loco Works where it hauled (to my memory) five railtours. As far as I know, under the care of the experienced staff at Tyseley, it successfully managed to complete all five trips. Indeed, I travelled on the 2nd of the 5 runs. The A3 took us from Solihull to Didcot, via Oxford. The poorly A3 tore along the main line, apparently achieving 82mph at one point, according to one on board enthusiast with his speedometer. Indeed it clanked and banged like an engine needing overhaul but it did do the job. On return to the NRM the loco entered the workshops for overhaul...an overhaul that has been ongoing for the past 6 years. Over £2.7 million (400k more than the purchase cost of the loco!) has been spent so far, with the overhaul not complete as yet! One of the debacles with the A3 has been its boiler. The NRM purchased the loco with an A4 boiler, along with a spare A3 boiler. The plan was to patch up one of the boilers, and then sell off the other to perhaps an A4 owner as a spare.

However, with all that money spent, why patch up a boiler of that age? The argument I heard was for originality purposes. Originality? Ha! "Flying Scotsman" is no more original with an A3 boiler than with an A4 one. No doubt almost everything on this iconic engine has been patched up or replaced over its long, hard life and therefore a brand new boiler would be nothing more than an improvement. If they think running this locomotive in LNER Apple Green with German Smoke Deflectors and a chime whistle is original then in my mind they are incorrect. The locomotive would have never ran in that condition. The only time the smoke deflectors would have been right is when Pete Waterman owned the engine and ran it as 60103 in BR Green. Though attractive in the same state in LNER Green, it is about as original as "Tornado" is. A recent debate with this locomotive has seen Tyseley supremo Bob Meanley; a much respected engineer; get involved and release a damning report about the state of the engine when the NRM purchased it and continued to run it: and rightly so. I can't think of anyone who would not trust Mr Meanleys opinion, particularly with his track record and the condition of the Tyseley stable of engines. A prime example is 5043: the double-chimney Castle. She won Engine of the Year and was restored entirely at Tyseley to a beautiful standard, with enthusiasts saying she is the 'one to watch' in the performance stakes. It would be my honest opinion that 4472 should be owned by the NRM, but not restored or operated by them. Somewhere like Tyseley would seem the ideal choice, giving 4472 mainline access to preserved railways and various mainline destinations, whilst also preventing her from being abused. One could speculate that, as before, the locomotive will be expected to complete mile after mile of mainline performances with minimal maintainence and resting periods whilst under the control of the NRM. I appreciate that the public want to see the engine, experience her and ride behind her but, in honesty, sometimes you need to sit back and appreciate the health of the engine. Currently, yes, she is safe in the fact that she is non operational. However, I do worry that the engine will be thrust straight into alot of hard work once complete: which would not be fair at all. I understand that the NRM probably do have the best interests of the engine at heart but in the past it has been proved that 4472, unless properly looked after, is no more reliable than any other engine, despite being the most famous locomotive in the world.

The overhaul has been a long and painstaking one, costing a massive amount of money for what seems very little gain. Though I do think 4472 should be ticketed and indeed main line certified (under the right operator/care taker) the locomotive is no longer owned by/run by steam railwaymen - it is owned by a public museum. The previous owners like Marchington, Waterman, Pegler, McAlpine etc all had backgrounds in steam engineering and maintainence and were fully aware of what the locomotive could do, how it should be treated and what maintainence should be carried out. The damning report sent out by Tyseley can only highlight the poor mechanical condition at the time and the fact that it continued in service with those ailments can only be classed as abuse in my book. Indeed, this is the "peoples engine". It is without a doubt the most famous locomotive in the world and without it, British railway preservation would be nothing. The one household steam locomotive name, if there is one, is "Flying Scotsman". I do feel however that unless she is going to be properly looked after then she may as well remain stuffed and mounted inside the NRM. At least there the sight and grace of her could be enjoyed. The unveiling of the loco at Railfest 2004 where it ended up being pushed through its banner by a diesel due to it failing was nothing less than undiginifed. I am by no means small minded with my opinions on "Scotsman". She is a true gem of railway preservation. I simply feel that, judging by what has happened with her condition in the past, she should be a sort of 'high days' and holidays locomotive. Daily running can do little to help an elderly engine, let alone one that is expected so much of. It would be brilliant to see "Scotsman" travel around to various preserved railways so that people could enjoy the sight of her again once completed, perhaps undertaking a few railtours as well. The worlds most famous locomotive deserves much more than this. Sam.

NRM Post 1: On The Walkabout...

Hi everyone. Today, in freezing weather, we were off to York. The medieval city of York is home to the famous National Railway Museum. From the city centre you can make your way on foot to Leemans Road where the Museum entrance sits close by the East Coast Main line, in the shadow of the arches of York Railway Station, which were famously caved in during the World War II air raids. In fact, the roof was not the only thing to suffer: A4 pacific No4469 "Sir Ralph Wedgwood" was damaged beyond repair during the raids, after a bomb struck York North Shed (now part of the NRM) where she was stabled. Walking into the NRM your entry is FREE, with the exhibits being split into two main halls: the Great Hall, and Station Hall. We began in Station Hall where we saw the usual exhibits including the luxury 'Royal Train' stock and the TPO coach. Station Hall has recently received a bit of a revamp and is looking very smart. At the back of Station Hall we stepped out into the South Yard, where a familiar little engine stood simmering away...

"Teddy" With Her Coach & Brakevan

This little Peckett is "Teddy". I remembered her well but this is the first time I'd ever seen her in steam. The locomotive used to be owned by Teddy Boston and, after a brief spell steaming at Shackerstone in the 1970s, the engine ended up stored on Teddy's front garden, as part of the Cadeby Light Railway collection. Visitors to Cadeby will remember her imposing presence on the front lawn there, where she stood for many years. When the Cadeby railway unfortunately closed in 2005, the collection was sold off and "Teddy" (then nameless) was purchased and restored. Back on the rails, she makes for a very small engine with tiny driving wheels. Built in 1941, she is currently providing the NRM with a useful and powerful addition to its fleet and takes turns with "City of Truro" giving train rides up the yard. I was really pleased that I saw her. Whilst outside I also heard a familiar sound on the wind; the lengthy cry of an A4 chime. (That was "Union" on her way into York).

As well as "Teddy", I particularly enjoyed seeing the 0-4-2 "Gladstone", which carries a beautiful LBSC livery. From Station Hall we continued through the subway under Leemans Road to the Great Hall. The impressive size of this building is the first thing to hit you as you enter. The engines stand proudly around the working turntable, with others stored to one side on other spur sidings. The A4 "Mallard" (recently repainted) stands proudly on her road, looking as impressive as the day she was built. This beautiful pacific reached the highest speed yet achieved by any steam locomotive in the world: 126mph, back in July 1938. The A4s were a 35-strong class of 3-cylinder pacifics designed by Sir Nigel Gresley of the LNER. Of the 35 sisters, 6 remain in preservation. "Bittern", "Union", "Mallard" and "Sir Nigel Gresley" remained on home soil, whilst the other two (60008 & 60010) went to the USA. However, happily, in 2012, the pair have returned to their UK roots, in a massive movement organised by the NRM. 60010 "Dominion of Canada" is currently at the NRM Shildon whilst a dusty 60008 "Dwight D Eisenhower" stood not far from "Mallard" in the Great Hall today. Her tender has been repainted but her streamlined casing still carries the livery applied by BR before she left for the US. I am glad they were brought back, if only for a photograph. However, it does seem a shame that with all that money spent the two A4s will still be going back to the US again, within 2 years.

60008 With Its Rods Painted A Horrid Grey

From the Great Hall we passed through into the Warehouse section, which houses everything from railway cutlery to signals, 5" locomotives and the V2 "Green Arrow". You could spend hours in this place alone!

From the Warehouse we climbed the ramp through th Flying Scotsman Story, reading about her tragic trip to the USA and the slightly better trip to Australia. Leaving this exhibition we took the stairs up to the York Station viewing platform and through the signalling display area. We then passed through the Works where we spotted the ill-fated "Flying Scotsman" (see next post) and "Olton Hall" before reaching the Great Hall again.

We did seem to whip around the NRM very quickly but then again we have visited many times. It is huge, and the locomotives on display are immaculately kept. The museum is a real gem, and is worth a visit from anybody. I love it here, I really do. If you haven't been up there then get up to York and have a look around...its FREE...what more do you want?! Cheers guys. Sam.

Tree Cutting at Flooded Shackerstone...

Hi guys. Today was a visit to the Steam Department at Shackerstone. However, rather than working on the locomotives we were out on the line today, doing a bit of the old Permanent Way. The plan of attack was to get to Shackerstone and pick up some kit before heading 2 miles south to Carlton bridge which crosses the Market Bosworth to Carlton road between Hedleys Crossing and the Airfield. I left home at just before 10am on this chilly morning and roared down into Nuneaton in the Saxo. It had been raining heavily the night before and the tell-tale signs of flooding were already starting to appear. The Weddington road was flooded by a few inches near the 60mph pick-up towards Caldecote. Houses and cars were sodden, with wastebins floating out into the road. The speed here was more like 6mph than 60! The road then dried as I reached the Royal Red Gate (the A5) and picked up the A444 towards Fenny Drayton. Sibson village had just about escaped the floods as it hadn't reached road level...only lower by a couple of inches...though the fields nearby were submurged. As I crested the hill near Sheepy Magna the fields ahead were like the ocean...no joke. The water was not draining away and lay across the fields like a huge blanket, completely covering fences and grasslands. The Gibbet Lane turn off was clear and so I took it as normal, though the water was deep alongside the road. I knew that as soon as the road drew level with the fields I was done for...and there we had it...a flood! The same section had been flooded this summer and so I tried my luck on the shallower section. The Saxo moaned as it creeped through the drift at about 4 or 5 inches deep. Just as I cleared the drift and was beginning to accelerate I was flagged down by Andy coming the other way who insisted that the next drift was much deeper and that we would not make it through. So, I turned around and headed back through the first drift, this time dropping down a pothole which brought water up into the grill...a narrow escape!

Shackerstone was completely cut off with accesses from Gibbet Lane, Twycross, Bilstone, Congerstone and Newton Burgoland all badly flooded. The Derby lane section was OK but to get there you had to brave Snarestone. We decided to head straight to Carlton but the crossroads was over 2ft deep and so we had to go all the way around Market Bosworth village and down to Carlton village before coming back down the same road to the other side of the flood waters at the bridge. The bridge was also flooded, with its deepest at about 2.5ft...far too deep for a Saxo! We unloaded our cars here as it was clear that there were going to be no passers by (apart from a completely mad runner!) going through it.

Having clambered up the embankment the team started the job. The DMU was running today with trains leaving Shackerstone at 11am, 1pm and 3pm so we only had to watch out for that...rather than the roaring beast that is 3803! Every member of the gang was equipped with a hi-viz jacket and the driver of the DMU was made fully aware of our intent and position and so all was taken care of in the safety stakes. At the lineside, well clear of the track, we started two fires in order to burn away the cut-down foliage.

The floods at the crossroads ahead and under the bridge itself continued to present a problem for most drivers. Countless cars either turned away immediately or tried their luck before giving up. Only the odd, tall 4 x 4 and a stupid Subaru managed to amble their way through. The Subaru in particular was a highlight, with the exhaust and numberplates completely submurged with only light bubbles rising to the surface! Below, a Motorist in an elder 4 x 4 tries his luck...

The lads cut down alot of stuff today, whilst myself and Dave burnt it on the fires. Not only will this open up new views from both the train and from the road, but it will also prevent us from nearly losing an eye everytime we come past on 3803!

Though most of the stuff was getting burnt I did decide to take quite a few of the normal sized logs home with me for our new woodburner. I chopped up some of it when we got back and managed to fill two large baskets with 10" cut-offs, and still having probably 50% of the logs left to cut up too! Free heat ay?!

After a good day at Carlton we decided to give in at about 4pm, a little while after the last DMU run had past us homeward bound. Passenger numbers on the train seemed impressive for the time of year and alot of good work had been completed at the chopping site so a successful day overall. Thanks to all who helped...we had a good day. Cheers guys. Sam.

Steaming The SW1...

Hi everyone. Tonight I gave the SW1 a bit of a steaming around the Dining Room. This blue Steam Wagon has been in my ownership for a couple of years now and is run on the odd occasion. When not running, it spends its time keeping the 00 gauge collection company in the garden railway stores. The engine has been running much better lately, now that the bands which provide the power to the driving axle, from the flywheel, have loosened up a bit. It is still in very good condition in my opinion, with good paintwork all round and a shiney cladding on the firebox. After a few laps around the dining room I cleaned down the engine ready for storage. It requires a few bits and pieces to be done on it to get it into a supreme running condition but it'll get there this winter. Its a lovely model and I really like it. Best Regards, Sam.

The Warley Way...

Hi guys. Today we visited the 2012 Warley National Model Railway Exhibition, held in its traditional home of 'Hall 5' at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre. The show generally attracts approximately 18000 people, 12000 of which visit are said to visit on the Saturday. We've visited Warley every year since 2003, and have been lucky enough to exhibit three times: 2006, 2008 and 2010. Our layout is the 'LEGO Railway'; a colourful O Gauge display which includes moving LEGO train models. The layout will make a hopefully welcome return to Warley for exhibition in November 2013. Today we were just the general visitor, and arrived in Hall 5 just after the 'Advanced Tickets' opening time of 9:15am. There was, as usual, a wide variety of displays including at least 75 layouts in various scales and gauges. There were also countless trade stands, demonstrators and society displays.

The centrepiece locomotive this year, well locomotives I should say, were "Alfred" & "Judy". These two diminutive Bagnall 0-4-0STs were built to standard gauge but to a very small loading gauge. They needed to be able to traverse very tight curves and steam under an extremely low bridge. "Judy" was the first, built in 1937 to a height of only 90 inches on 33" driving wheels. She cost £1200 to built and weighed in at 16 tons. The bridge under the Cornish Mainline on the railway at Port of Par was 8ft high, with "Judy" being designed to fit through by just shy of 4 inches! "Alfred" was built to the same design (with subtle differences) in 1953 and worked at Port of Par alongside "Judy".
 "Alfred" has spent most of his preservation life in the Cornwall area: mostly at Bodmin & Wenford. "Judy" was eventually reunited with "Alfred" and steamed for the first time in preservation in April 2009. If you think you can see a certain similarity with two TV show characters you would be right. "Alfred" & "Judy" ended up being written into the Thomas the Tank stories as "Bill" & "Ben" the China Clay engines, sealing their place in the hearts of children forever. The green pair sat shining on two short lengths of track with staff from the B & WR on their footplates answering questions and talking to the public. At the back of the hall was "Lyd"; the Ffestiniogs big L & B replica...part of the Narrow Gauge display. It was nice to see these loco's a long way from home, in the warm in Birmingham.

All in all a very good visit to Warley 2012. We will, as I say, be there in 2013 with the LEGO Railway so please look out for us if you are a regular visitor to the show ;) Best regards, Sam.

Post 100: Shackerstone Works...

Hi guys. Well, here we are again...one year on...Post No100. Naturally, as one will often find, Post No100 was a day out to Shackerstone. We were working in the loco shed today, performing various tasks from cleaning to changing gaskets on 3803's injectors. At present, there are five steam locomotives in Shackerstone shed, with two more stabled outside. The running area of the shed is taken up by the huge bulk of 3803; the GWR Heavy Freight. She is the only one of the operational fleet that has any work left to do this year: she'll be on Santa train duty from December 1st up until Christmas Eve. Behind 3803 in the storage area: closed off during winter to stop the draft: is 5521. 5521 came in September (see posts) as Gala Guest No2 and yet, having fulfilled all of its operating days at Shackerstone, never left! The owners of the loco (the Flour Mill) have yet to collect her and at present she has shown no signs of leaving.

Welding On Dunlop No7 and The Cold Bulk of 3803

Further down the shed the Peckett duo of "Sir Gomer" and "Dunlop No7" stand side by side. "Dunlop" is still minus her boiler which stands in unrestored condition down the North End. This little 0-4-0 worked at Shackerstone in the early 80s but only spent 3 months in operational traffic before being retired with a condemned firebox. Her loving owners, having restored a Class 04 and Class 08 diesel of late, have now turned their attention to her and there is always some progress to see. Today they were welding the cab floor as part of its repair. The frames have also received stripping and priming. Overall, the babby Peckett looks alot better than she did a few months back. Bigger sister "Sir Gomer" (the railways own locomotive) has had quite a fortunate season and has proved popular with both crews and the public. The loco took part in Halloween weekend and has since been winterised to protect her from the frost. She will see no use prior to the early season of 2013 as of now.



The Aveling "Blue Circle" is also winterised and sits happily in her stabling area at the back of the shed. It is unlikely that she will see any steaming over winter but never say never.

All in all a pleasant but very cold day. The rear end of the shed (the 2-road section) is particularly cold as the guys mostly keep the rear doors open to allow the Class 02 (currently being repainted) in and out when required. The other two steamers (pile of bits "Richard III" and out-of-ticket "Lamport No3") are currently outside but will probably find their way back into the works for dry storage once 5521 has left us. Despite only being a Small Prairie tank engine, 5521 still makes quite an imposing presence inside the shed.

Right, now to post 100. Last year it was the very end of October...this year it comes 3 weeks later meaning that, in theory, we've done less posts this year so far: thats a first! I can only put it down to less use on the Garden Railway due to work and the weather. Ahh well, we'll have to see how many more posts I can squeeze in before the end of the year! Cheers guys. Sam.

Quiet Shed Day at Shackerstone...

Hi guys. Today we were working in the loco shed at Shackerstone as the winter sun shone outside. Work was ongoing with Class 02 Shunter "Diane" whilst other jobs included repairing some damage to the shed itself before the deep winter sets in. There were four trips down the line operating today, all with the DMU duo. Jan was at the helm of the railcar and I caught the 2nd departure down to Market Bosworth so that I could have a look around the site and sort out a few issues regarding my Miniature Traction Engine Weekend. The site itself seemed fairly good and alot of my quarms were resolved. Following my lengthy tour of the large site I joined the DMU again for a ride in the cab back up to Shackerstone. Though I will never turn away from steam, the DMU does have its advantages: its cheap to run, its warm, its comfortable and it does the job easily. It was a pleasant little run back to Shackerstone and the line certainly did look its winter best.

Driver Jan with the DMU

On arrival back at Shackerstone the DMU prepared for one last trip whilst I cleared up some issues in the shed. It was then time for home as the sun started to set and the cold evening began to set in. It had been a short but successful day and the issues resolved regarding M.T.E.W had made me feel alot better about it all. I know the event isn't until April but there is just so much to sort in every department! Best Regards, Sam.

Miniature Traction Engine Weekend April 27th-28th 2013...

Right guys, this has taken up alot of my time over the last few weeks so definitely deserves a quick post! This is the first plug for Miniature Traction Engine Weekend 2013; a brand new event to be held at Market Bosworth Station on the Battlefield Line. The event is being organised by myself and should see 20 miniature traction engines in steam at Market Bosworth on both days. The engines will be roaming free on the old Goods Yard. The centrepiece engine for the steamy weekend will be 10-ton Aveling Porter Roller "Louise", kindly provided by a friend. "Louise" will be playing the 'big sister' and will be in steam alongside the miniatures throughout the weekend. Also on offer on the Goods Yard will be a 5" gauge miniature railway (GEC MES) which will be offering rides: small extra charge applies. The miniature centrepiece will be the beautiful 3" Showmans "The Griffin", coupled up to her Pell Organ (playing) via dynamo. Inside the Goods Shed we will be showcasing displays which include even the smallest of traction engines: the Toy Steamers. Many Mamod and Wilesco engines will be in action as well as a large 16mm Live Steam Railway and select local Model Engineering displays. All of this will be happening alongside full size train operations on the Battlefield Line, upon which the public will be welcome to take a ride during the weekend. Obviously this event is still in the early stages with me being on and off the phone every five minutes and emailing countless people. However, I am very keen to get it off the ground, as is the railway and so please come along and support us for what promises to be an exciting weekend with miniature steam at Market Bosworth Station.

Thanks guys! Sam.