A Bank Holiday Standard 2...

The unexpected footplate turns can often be the best footplate turns and today was one such day! This morning I arrived at the GCRs Loughborough base at around 05:30 in readiness for a shed turn. I was planning to complete my usual cleaning duties and then do the pits but when the crew for 78018 (Martyn and Jack) arrived they kindly invited me out as 'third man' for their shift. It would be incredibly rude (and silly) to refuse such an offer, so I never have up to now! Myself and Jack began the fireman's prep for 78018 which, compared to last weeks 48305, is quite leisurely. Having checked and emptied the smokebox, I turned my attention to the fire grate. 78018 has a very nice rocking grate which deposits the majority of the spent ashes. I did however decide to quickly nip in with the hand brush to get the remaining bits out, ensuring the cleanest possible grate. It was soon time to light the fire, which is seen here giving off some dark smoke just minutes after lighting up. Don't worry, it soon dies down...

The current coal is Welsh stuff from the open cast at Ffos-y-Fran and doesn't give off much smoke at all. However, you always get a small build up of smoke with a freshly lit fire due to the paraffin rags and wood getting started. The 1953-built Standard class 2 immediately started singing away to herself as she was still very warm from yesterdays efforts. Up the yard, the fireman of 48305 had just lit the first rags and smoke began to rise steadily from her chimney. She is seen adjacent to the boiler for 45491...

Across the morning the three of us busied ourselves around the engine and we ended up being ready for traffic well before our off-shed time. This gave a few moments for a cab snap as the engine simmered happily to herself on No1 road...

As it was Bank Holiday Monday the railway was running a mixed traffic timetable, with our two trips this morning being split by a Loughborough layover. Here, 78018 prepares for our first departure, awaiting the Up Main Starter at Platform 2...

Jack fired the first trip and said that I should fire the second: happy days! Having run round at Leicester North, 78018 prepares for a northbound departure...

Our six coach train certainly made the Standard 2 work a bit on the departure from Leicester. Though they seem quite large in stature, it is worth remembering that the smaller looking Class 3F 0-6-0 is rated more powerful, with over 2000lbs extra tractive effort than a class 2! It's deceiving. They are however willing and free steaming little engines, perfectly suited to the needs of most preserved railways. She is seen here marching out into the trees whilst fireman Jack watches the road...

Back at Loughborough, our train was taken over by a diesel and we were signalled into the down loop for our layover. The skyline around the station has changed a lot in recent years, with the adjacent apartment building being a fairly recent addition to the horizon. Here, 78018 simmers in the down loop, passing the time...

When our second departure came myself and Jack swapped roles as planned, with me firing 78018 to Leicester and back. Jack drove us back from Leicester under Martyn's guidance and a great morning was had by all! On arrival back at Loughborough we uncoupled the engine before running forward on the shunter head to cross-over to No1 road. Here we handed over to the incoming afternoon crew...

I must thank Martyn and Jack very much for a lovely unexpected turn aboard the little Standard. I'm really enjoying my time at the GCR and it's great to be back on a standard gauge footplate regularly again. Cheers all, Sam...

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.

GCR: Another Go On The Eight Freight...

Good evening all. Today heralded another brilliant 'third man' turn at the Great Central. It was a third time outing for me aboard the lovely 8F No48305 which is seen here on No1 road at Loughborough shed just as the sun began to rise...

As I wandered across to sign on, I noticed this shot of the two Standards (78018 and 73156) standing quietly behind older 48305 on the same road...

Today I was out with Driver Dave and Fireman Arran, both of which were happy for me to perform the majority of the fireman's duties, which was very kind of them. The first job was to check the water level and the state of play in the cab, before emptying the smokebox and checking around in there. Smokebox done, it was time to clear the fire grate which proved to be a bit of a pain as the iron managed to wedge itself between the tight fitting bars. Arran kindly volunteered to go in and release the end of the iron, much to my grateful delight! Arran then swept down the rest of the grate and left me ready to light up, which was very kind and much appreciated! With a bed of coal spread around the firebox, it was time to add the flaming rags and pallet wood to get us underway. The engine started singing as soon as the rags were lit...

With a good fire burning away on the grate, it was time to prep the lamps and then have a much needed cuppa'. As steam pressure gently rose, more coal was added to the fire to produce a light and bright bed. It was then time to perform one of the worst duties that comes with a steam engine: the dreaded ashpan. 48305 has the manual style pan with damper doors front and rear. To stop lineside fires caused by the pans, the engines also have mesh screens fitted which are good fun (term used loosely) to remove when the pan is full of hot ash. This is a view of the rear damper door open after I'd removed the screen, with the grate visible above. I've just given the ash a liberal soaking with the hose in an attempt to lessen the oncoming dust storm...

I have always been a massive fan of pre-nationalisation designs, mainly due to the history and charm surrounding them. However, I will say on record that the Standard engines really do spoil you when it comes to the preparation and disposal. Taking 73156 as an example, the rocking grate and rocking pan makes life a dream in comparison to prepping something like the 8F. You can see why Riddles made his improvements in these departments and they really do help!...

Arran kindly allowed me to fire both of our two trips this morning, which again was very nice of him. Here, 48305 waits for the Up Main Starter at Platform 2...

Our two trips this morning were very pleasant indeed, spent in good company under good weather and aboard a good engine. I really like the 8F...especially once the prep is done! Here, the mighty 8F blows up the train brakes at Leicester North in readiness for a northbound departure back towards Loughborough...

Rolling into Loughborough on our second returning trip, we came to a stand and duly handed over to the oncoming afternoon crew after a great morning with the 1943-built 48305. I really like this old Midland engine: it's probably my none-Great Western favourite! Thank you Dave and Arran for a great morning; I really enjoyed it.

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.

The Bates Wedding at the Bass...

Only a few weeks after our own wedding, today we were out celebrating the wedding of our good friends Phil and Caroline at the Bass Museum in Burton. I'd never been to the National Brewery Centre before and so I was interested to visit the venue as a wedding guest. Between the service and the reception, we had time for drinks and mingling. I took the opportunity to creep behind the marquee for a look at Bass No9: a sweet little saddle tank tucked away under a canopy minding its own business...

This lovely little engine was built in 1901 by Neilson, Reid and Co of Glasgow for the railway system at the Bass Brewery. Following her service life with Bass she was withdrawn in 1964 and has been on display in pretty much the same location for decades since. I don't believe it has ever steamed in preservation and it remains on silent display, peering out through the fence onto the main road...

Leaving the plinthed No9 behind, we wandered across to look at some of the other exhibits on display. There was a variety of vintage vehicles in and around the various buildings. This pretty lorry felt worthy of a picture...

In a nearby stable were the two brewery museum shire horses: Jed and JD. Jed is pictured looking on, not remotely bothered by my boring presence...

Out in the yard, the newly married couples Aveling & Porter steam roller "Louise" stood immaculately alongside Caroline's dad's 1882 McLaren...

After our lovely reception meal, the vintage McLaren was prepared to head back to its home at Klondyke Mill by driver Chris. What a lovely old thing...

The roller meanwhile remained for the whole evening and is pictured here with lamps burning brightly as the sun sets after a wonderful day...

A little after 11pm it was time for us to head back to our hotel, with special thanks for a kind lift from Mick and Julia. What a lovely day it had been but what a hot one: it was a scorching hot day throughout thanks to the recent heatwave! 

Congratulations to the new Mr and Mrs Bates and thank you so much for inviting us to be a part of your special day. It was a grand day out chatting, eating and drinking with friends! Cheers all and goodnight.

Update: Since writing this post we have learnt that the Bass Museum site is sadly to close at the end of October. Let's hope the exhibits find good homes!

Ryton: Electrics In The Sun...

Two weeks ago I did a Sunday at Ryton and this week I was back again, volunteering on another rostered public running turn. In action once again were a pair of the trio of battery boxes: this time the 37 lookalike was out alongside its 31 counterpart. I met up with member in charge Eric at around 12:00 at the clubhouse, slightly before the rest of the crew arrived. Once the gang had gathered we made our way up to the track and performed the shunting ritual to marshal the two trains ready for service. Today I did a lot of guarding and a lot of station crewing, getting a go on the joy stick (there's an ironic name in this context if ever you saw one) of the electric 37 for the final passenger trip of the day which departed just as the clock struck 16:00...

It was a lovely sunny afternoon and our 200 or so passengers seemed to enjoy their respective rides around the railway. I was just glad to be feeling slightly more normal as I'd had my wisdom tooth out the week before and had been in crippling pain ever since. Thankfully a course of antibiotics had finally got hold of it by this point! So, just like that my two turns at Ryton for 2022 are complete. Cheers all, Sam...

A Battery Box Sunday...

After a wonderful outing to Carters Steam Fair yesterday, today involved something a little more sedate. This afternoon heralded the first of two 2022 crew turns for myself at Coventry Model Engineering Society's Ryton Pools track for public running sessions. I arrived at around 12:00 and found member in charge Stuart opening up the clubhouse. Soon enough, the rest of the crew arrived and by 12:30 we were up at the track marshalling the two trains that would provide the 1pm - 4pm service. In days gone by it was an all steam affair at Ryton, occasionally substituted by the trusty petrol hydraulic "Alacrity". However, these days the roost is ruled by three battery electric locomotives which share passenger hauling duties. All three are dressed up quite nicely, imitating a 31, 37 and 47 respectively. In reality of course they are banks of batteries and motors under a plastic body. You may detect from my words that I am not a fan of these things: they have no heart, you can't talk to them. What they lack in character though they more than make up for in usability. Switch it on and off it goes...

Today the 37 and 47 wannabes were in action and provided our steady flow of passengers with faultless service under the sunny skies. I myself undertook all manner of duties today from guarding to queue line to ticket office and of course, some driving. Driving isn't half as much fun without a boiler to attend to, that's for sure! All in all it was a stress free and pleasant afternoon with just over 200 passengers carried across the session. Not bad for a July Sunday. Cheers all, Sam...

Carters Steam Fair...

This afternoon, after many years of nearly making it, we finally made a visit to the wonderful Carters Steam Fair at Beacon Park, Lichfield. Founded in 1977 by John and Anna Carter following their acquisition of the Jubilee Steam Gallopers, the fair has grown considerably over the years and its reputation for sympathetic preservation has cemented its place in history as a true fairground institution. It is a very well known setup and has travelled the UK annually since its founding. However, after 45 years on the road with their fabulous fairground, the Carter family announced earlier this year that 2022 would be their last ever tour, making it especially important that we made our visit to see them before the end. Beacon Park is the nearest Carters usually come to us so it had to be there. We arrived a little after midday and the unmistakable sight of classic fairground rides drew us in across the playing field...

Carters has always appealed to me due to its vintage setup. Pretty much everything we saw was a classic exhibit in its own right. From the rides themselves to the side stalls, the lorries and even some of the catering vans. Our first impressions were that everything was beautifully kept and immaculately clean...

Having collected our ride token bundle from the ticket booth, we began looking around the rides. The first one we chose to go on were the unbelievably unique Excelsior Steam Yachts. These were, believe it or not, the original Edwardian thrill ride and, as we would soon confirm to ourselves, are not for the faint hearted!...

The ride itself dates from 1921, having been built by Savages for showman Joe Ling. The two yachts (named "Britannia" and "Columbia") swing from side to side, much like a modern day pirate ship but arguably more forceful. The rider, particularly if at the back of either yacht, is taken up to a position just above vertical in either direction. The two rows furthest back in each yacht are sign written "Brave" or "Very Brave" and how right they are. We boarded the yacht "Columbia" and took our seat on the "Brave" bench. Centre engine "Yorky" (built for some older yachts in 1901) was being fired up by its driver(?) as we prepared for the ride. Note the lack of a typical reverser here. The individual regulators are the two brass wheels and steam provision to the cylinder is provided by the red lever at the side of the firebox...

With a pip on the small hooter, "Yorky" hissed into life and began rocking us in the yacht. By the time we reached full momentum I think it was quite clear to all three of us that it was enough for us! Maisie in particular has always been good with theme park rides (much better than myself) but even she was surprised at the force of this elderly thing. I enjoyed it and I wouldn't have missed it as I've always wanted to ride them but my god, talk about turning your stomach over! As built there are no restraints or anything of the sort so you put your arms behind your bench seat to hold you in, adding to the trepidation! Here, "Yorky" is operating "Columbia" at full tilt...

As much as I felt like I was about to experience my untimely demise, I loved the overall experience of the yachts and spent quite a while studying them (off ride of course!). I believe there are only two sets of steam yachts left and this one is the only one currently operating. There are electric versions on the circuit but of course, steam is the true propulsion for something like this. I think it's truly wonderful that "Yorky", at 121 years old, is still earning her keep doing what she was built for. Amazing. Below is a short video I took of the yachts to show them in action. Standing near to the engine you can here her chuffing away as steam is applied in either direction...

After being scared half to death by the yachts, we wandered over to our next ride: the Lightning Skid, of 1965 vintage. There aren't many skids around these days so it was a pleasure to ride on one. They're great fun and surprisingly nippy...

Whilst we waited in the queue line I couldn't help but continue to be impressed by the preservation and craftsmanship of the various rides and stalls. The upkeep of this setup must be absolutely massive. The time and effort put in to keeping these old rides in this condition must be impossible to calculate...

As much as I was happy to finally visit and experience Carters Steam Fair, it was sad to remember that this is their final tour. All around were various posters advertising this fact. I can understand the decision entirely and the family have created something truly wonderful which has no doubt given countless hours of enjoyment to millions. However, I can't help thinking it's a shame it's finishing later this year...

After a great ride on the skid, the three of us wandered over to the Jubilee Steam Gallopers for an experience a little bit more sedate. I always enjoy the sight of steam gallopers and it was indeed a pleasure to have the Ashley set with us for three years of my old event at Statfold. This set forms the oldest ride in the Carters collection, having been built in 1895 by Robert Tidman and Sons of Norwich. The Tidman engine in the centre is named "Anna", after the founding lady of the fair...

Brother Ben and my wife Maisie with horses "Polly" and "Henry"...

An off ride shot of the beautiful gallopers showing the level of decoration...

The vintage trucks were just as impressive as the rides. These still pull the fair around the country. Scammell No3 poses for me among the line up...

Myself and Ben then tried out the recently returned to service Giant Octopus. I remember seeing one of these at the end of Grease in the fairground scenes and never thought I'd get on one. It was great fun, although a little unnerving when spinning like mad. Another ride you definitely don't see everywhere...

After the Octopus we took in some piping hot donuts followed by some candy floss (a must when at the fair!). We even had a go on a shooting range which was a great laugh. After a spin on the lovely 1970s-built dodgem track we had a final ride on the skid before calling it a day. We'd been there over three hours and it felt like two minutes. I grabbed this snap of one of the sign written trailers as we made our exit...

We didn't leave empty handed either as we made sure we purchased some souvenir posters of some of the rides as a memento of the day. What a fantastic experience and a pleasure to have finally visited and supported Carters Steam Fair. The Carters should be immensely proud of what they have achieved with this lovely setup and it's such a shame it's finishing after the 2022 tour. It was really wonderful and the terrifying yachts were a particular highlight. Well done to all involved in this fabulous institution. If you haven't visited then you definitely should before the end of the tour in October. Check out the Carters website for details. Cheers all, Sam...

"Sherwood Forester": A Passing Five...

This afternoon we were treated to the sight of another steamer passing by work. This time it was Jeremy Hoskings' LMS Black Five No45231 "Sherwood Forester", working ECS towards Southall ready for some Saphos jobs in the coming weeks. In persistent drizzle the Black Five slipped gracefully past us with her not so typical coaching stock, some of which was made up of Intercity-liveried Mk3s. An unusual consist but no doubt necessary. I hadn't seen 45231 for quite some years up to now, having ridden behind her a decade or two ago when she was still at the GCR. It was nice to see her again and on the main line too. Until next time then...

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

Going Great Central: A Baby Standard...

In the second of two unexpected days on the footplate at the Great Central Railway, today I enjoyed three trips on Standard 2 No78018. I arrived just slightly before the 05:45 sign on time, expecting to do another cleaning/shed turn. However, driver Martyn and fireman Tony kindly invited me out with them for their morning turn. After less than a second I gratefully accepted and, between us, we prepared 78018 for service. Tony kindly let me light her up and having been out last night, she was soon singing away to herself with a plume of smoke rising steadily from the chimney...

A Standard class 2 is Riddles' take on the Ivatt LMS 2MTs and a total of 65 were produced. As a class they were the smallest in stature of the BR Standard range. With two 16.5" cylinders plumbed up to a 200psi boiler and driving 5ft wheels, they put out a tractive effort of 18,515lb. Four members of the class survive in preservation: one at the Worth Valley (which I rode behind last year), two at the Central and a fourth at the Bluebell. The first three have steamed in preservation, the latter has not. 78018 was built in 1954 and was initially preserved at Shackerstone of all places, though it never steamed there. She is also known for her part in the 1955 British Transport Film 'Snowdrift at Bleath Gill' where she is rescued by workmen having been caught in a deep snowdrift. That short film is well worth a watch...

Throughout the next few hours the three of us busied ourselves around the engine. Yesterday evening had seen persistent rain and so the class 2 was looking rather dirty when the day began. After a good wash and clean down, she was looking far smarter and a pleasant day was in promise as the sun climbed higher in the sky...

Behind us, fellow cleaner Dave was giving the bigger Standard 5 a wash down too. Note shed cat 'Jumble' chilling in a care free manner in the foreground...

Just before we left shed there was time to grab some coal. This was another different load and we left shed with a tender full of fresh Welsh...

Our morning turn would consist of three round trips to Leicester North and back with seven coaches on the hook. The Standard 5 meanwhile would be trotting around light engine on Drive-a-Loco before doing the shorter diner! Though more than capable of the job, seven coaches would certainly make 78018 bark. For the first trip, Tony fired whilst I got my head around the class 2. I hadn't been on one before (save for spooning a few around 78019 many years back) and although the controls are pretty much the same as the class 5 or the class 9 (just as Riddles intended), the firing technique would be different. Here, 78018 prepares to depart from Leicester North... 

The 5mph slack in both directions at Quorn didn't seem to slow us up much today, as long as station departures were kept to time. For the second trip, Tony was driving and I was firing, with Martyn keeping a watchful eye on us both. It was a pleasant morning all round really and it's always a nice atmosphere whilst awaiting departure from Loughborough. Here, 78018 awaits the road and departure time...

A quick capture of 78018 as the pressure needle nears the red line...

Once on the move, despite getting to know both the engine and this different batch of coal, everything seemed to go pretty well. Tony even kindly let me fire the third trip and here is the engine awaiting departure from Leicester on our last run...

What a lovely little thing this is. With seven coaches on she was having to work and you were having to think about your water and coal to prevent either going down the nick or blowing off all the time. Despite working hard the engine steamed an absolute treat and I really enjoyed my two trips firing her. All too soon however I was running the engine down ready for the layover and crew change. Job done...

Well folks, another great turn at Loughborough! Thanks to Martyn and Tony for their kind invitation and it was lovely to finally tick off 78018. What a lovely thing and another class to tick off the "I've crewed it" list. Cheers all, Sam...

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.