Grasshopper Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Being a recently qualified fireman at the Bluebell railway, I got a couple of trips firing freshly overhauled ex-BR Standard 5 73802 Camelot on Sunday gone during the Giants of Steam event. She only has a couple of hundred miles on the clock from running in, so effectively in as good condition as she ever will be! Its a real privilege to be allowed to operate a machine like this, especially when the owning group have spent so much time (and money) getting her into as fine a condition as this. On my way to the railway for my 0515 sign on time (alarm set for 0400!), the fog was very, very dense and didn't clear much until around 1030am, meaning the steam really hung about making visibility even worse. The chime whistle certainly got a lot of use! Carriage load on the day was 6 bogie coaches and a 6 wheel van - 275 tons, shifted with ease even on the 1:55 gradient with a couple of slips expertly controlled by my driver. This following video (about 12 minutes in) shows us departing Horstead Keynes in dense fog, and has a lovely blast from the chime whistle- After shifting nearly a couple of tons of coal, a pint of Harveys IPA (after signing off) was most welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toner Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 A truly amazing experience Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Finmere for you then mate! :cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rog8811 Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Ah, wonderful music, I was just expecting the black 5, but the first one looked and sounded wrong, the second one sounding 5 beats to the bar (you never hear the sixth )I was expecting a Bullied light pacific not an A4... having read your info with the video I see why Very nice video, thanks for posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Comber Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Well done Vince , Sunday's activities sounded good from home, were two fields east of the southern tunnel entrance, and I do like a LOUD chime whistle :clap: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Never been on a steam train, sounds like fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rampant rivet Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Brilliant !! how lucky are you !!! thanks for posting something different from mil vehicles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin craig Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Even though I live over here in Canada I grew up within hearing distance of the Bluebell Railway and recall going on the Santa specials at Christmas. Must be a wonderful place now. Envious! R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiomike7 Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Well done, my wife organised a training morning for me on the Swanage line some years ago driving a BR class 4 tank and 4 coaches to Corfe Castle and firing on the way back. Biggest problem was that I forgot BR locos are lhd and I had never shoveled left handed, with 4 of us in the cab it was somewhat hit and miss. What with looking after the fire, adjusting the dampers, working the injectors and helping the driver spot signals on right hand bends the fireman has a greater workload than the driver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted November 4, 2015 Author Share Posted November 4, 2015 (edited) I know that the crew on the A4 had a tough time with the drain cocks being stuck open on the first trip; they are steam operated and they weren't operating. Apparently they used 3000 Gallons of water on the first 11 miles from Sheffield Park to East Grinstead, then they discovered something had been isolated and not re-instated. Whoops! A BR Standard is easy to use, as close as it gets to having a steam locomotive with an on/off button. Add coal at station, set off, adjust fire door/dampers to maintain pressure and use injectors to maintain water level. Get to next station. Repeat. Very little need to fire on the move (on our line) if you get it right with a Standard. I spent large parts of the journey sitting down on the firemans seat (another "luxury" the Standards have. The rocking grate is another, which means you don't have to shovel the old fire out at the start of the day). The larger engines are fairly easy to use on our line, get the fire going and off you go. They're not taxed too hard at all so not so much of an issue if the pressure is a bit low. The smaller "vintage" pre-grouping (ie pre 1940s) tank engines are easier to get it wrong with; they have a very small margin to get things right. Easy to run out of steam, have too much steam or have the boiler water level too high or low with a tank engine! That's why they're more fun. Saying that, 40sq ft grate (about 10ft long) on a big engine does take some effort to fully cover (accurately) with coal when you're a rookie like me. Still aching a bit... I don't seem to have any issues firing left or right handed, in fact I seem a bit better left handed (despite being right handed) than right handed. You have to get used to both (good to practice when shovelling tons of ash out of pits as a cleaner) and on some days you can change engines so switch from one to the other. Edited November 4, 2015 by Grasshopper Added more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted November 5, 2015 Author Share Posted November 5, 2015 Here are some pictures of the locomotives I have fired this year. A particular favorite was my test day on "Baxter" (the little red engine). She was built in 1877 and the first (and only) time I fired her (so far) was on my test day. The fireman has to do all the braking as the locomotive only has a hand brake (on the firemans side) when running light engine. She is basically a standard gauge version of a narrow gauge engine, and spent her whole life at Dorking Greystone lime works at Betchworth station in Surrey. Dolgoch on the Talyllyn railway is a close relative, being from the same manufacturer and similar age. The picture with the particularly black smoke(!) was on a goods train training turn I did a couple of years ago. We took over the engine with the fire almost out, and departure time was suddenly moved forward. The fire was "cold", so produced a spectacular amount of smoke. The large green locomotive is an S15 (or "Goods Arthur") and the pictures were taken on my (successful) test day back in January. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 BAXTER is a favourite of mine too :thumbsup: (not that I've had the opportunity to use the coal scuttle and trowel on him!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEMIMA Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Do you know a friend of mine?....Nigel Buck? - hes a gaurd on the Bluebell...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted November 5, 2015 Author Share Posted November 5, 2015 BAXTER is a favourite of mine too :thumbsup: (not that I've had the opportunity to use the coal scuttle and trowel on him!). As we were only shunting the yard, I was firing by hand- one lump at a time! She is fitted with a vacuum ejector, so can (and is) gainfully employed on yard pilot duties. Less so at this time of year as she isn't fitted with steam heat (yet...). She has also hauled a couple of "fund raising" trains to East Grinstead when the normal service has finished; not being designed for that sort of work does add an interesting element of "will it make it or not?"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted November 5, 2015 Author Share Posted November 5, 2015 Do you know a friend of mine?....Nigel Buck? - hes a gaurd on the Bluebell...... Unfortunately I don't know the names of most of the guards, but I do recognize the name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploughman Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 While not Trains in the way most people think, this is what I get to play with now. http://www.yorkareagroup.co.uk/videos/ Since I can't get my hands on the Green Machinery I used to play with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w896andy Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I’ve just passed out as a Fireman (Passed Cleaner) on the West Somerset Railway in the last couple of weeks so know the joy of being on the footplate. I’ve just got the rules and regs exam to go in the next few days but have spent many turns over the line this summer getting ready. It sounds as if you have it easy firing in stations and sitting watching the world go by !! We have all big engines mostly GWR stuff, Odney Manor, Kinlet Hall, Ravingham Hall, 3850 and 4160 this summer running 6-8 coaches over 20 miles of some tough gradients with virtually nothing flat including 6 miles of constant 1 in 80/100. For us we don’t fire in stations, always on the move and spend the rest of the time calling signals and the 20 odd crossings on the line for the driver as being Western engines the Fireman is on the wrong side (or the right side as most of the GWR boys say). Still the Western engines are better than the 7F 53808 and 4F 44422 both due back in traffic with us next year, I’ve already heard many, many tales of steam pressure and water levels on the hills. I have fired Standards in the past so I know what you mean when you say they are nice and easy with everything easily to hand and comfortable to work on, unlike a GWR Hall working backward over 20 miles in the rain with 8 heavily loaded coaches on, so come and try some real engines on a tough line with us one day !! In all seriousness well done for passing, I know it’s a difficult and tough thing to get to that level and be let loose with a million quid’s worth of train. As MV collectors we all think we are mad, committed, bonkers and unusual but trust me working on these things takes all of that to another level. For those out there who have never been on the footplate of a working steam engine (and I mean working hard on a service train, not chugging up and down a siding) make it a life goal to do it at least once, there is nothing quite like it, it makes riding in a Sherman seem very tame (sorry to all Sherman owners) and for me it meant riding in the coaches now just doesn’t do it. :-D:-D:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted November 6, 2015 Author Share Posted November 6, 2015 I will come down for a couple of days some time Andy, probably with our mutual friend "Mr Wright" (who was my inspector for both tests). He's a nice enough chap as long as you can put up with his jokes...(we did meet at W&P when you camped with us B.T.W) Technically I am a Passed Cleaner, 4 years probation before I'll be getting a Fireman's grade card. A trip "on the cushions" does seem to be very tame now, especially when you've witnessed all the drama that can occur on the footplate! All the passengers know is that they've arrived at a station; there are times when the crew knows it was a close run thing to not making it at all...so many variables to manage does make every trip different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted November 6, 2015 Author Share Posted November 6, 2015 While not Trains in the way most people think, this is what I get to play with now. http://www.yorkareagroup.co.uk/videos/ Since I can't get my hands on the Green Machinery I used to play with. Some nice countryside you have up there! Also some tough conditions to deal with, but all you P-way boys are roughty-toughty types and take it in your stride (unlike signalmen who like a nice clean, warm box). What is the difference between God and a Signaler? God doesn't think he's a Signaler... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w896andy Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 (edited) Of course, sorry didn’t make the connection with your Grasshopper handle, I remember our conversation at W&P. Yes I have had Mr Wright as my driver on training turns, great engine man, agree with you re the jokes !! So now the HMVF has its own Steam Engine crew we just need to pop over to Europe and drive that Polish Nazi Gold train back once they have dug it out, I’m sure it just needs a warming fire and some fresh coal and it will be fine, now must go and feed those flying pigs.:rotfl: Edited November 6, 2015 by w896andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Flying pigs? Reminds me HMVF has had a diesel for some time, but it will be a while before any footplate training can take place….. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w896andy Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 (edited) Flying pigs? Reminds me HMVF has had a diesel for some time, but it will be a while before any footplate training can take place….. [ATTACH=CONFIG]109523[/ATTACH] "For the last time you are supposed to be shunting wagons around the yard so stop pretending to be a Spitfire and come down from there at once" :-D Edited November 6, 2015 by w896andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted November 6, 2015 Author Share Posted November 6, 2015 Linking to a military theme, we have a locomotive which is a WW1 veteran, having been shipped to France and used by the ROD in Boulogne. She is currently undergoing a volunteer led and funded restoration. Link to blog site: http://wainrightsfinestsecr27.blogspot.co.uk/ Link to history of 27: http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/pics/27.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Fascinating! Interesting use of 3D printed polystyrene patterns to be used in the sand casting process for the new cylinders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted November 6, 2015 Author Share Posted November 6, 2015 We have 3x P class locomotives in the collection; 2 are currently operational, but one of the pair requires a new cylinder block (and has done since it arrived about 40 years ago) so has had operational limitations imposed on it following a worsening of the cylinder block damage. For this reason they are looking to have at least 2 blocks cast, perhaps 3. There are 4x P class in preservation, not bad for a class totaling 8! They are a pseudo-copy of a Terrier, with a slightly lower haulage capacity but allegedly (as I haven't yet been on a Terrier) much easier to fire and drive then that on which they are based. The cab is also more spacious than the Terriers, and the P class has a steam reverser which makes for a very driver-friendly shunting locomotive. I have done a fair few turns on the Ps, and you need to be on top of your game when firing them up the line. The only downside of them is the gert-big brass dome cover that needs polishing on a regular basis! It is becoming more common (in the railway world) to have limited-run patterns made in polystyrene. Things like wheel patterns continue to be made in wood, as they will generally be required in multiple quantities; some wheel patterns I have read about have been cleverly designed to suit several types of locomotive by the fitting or removing sections. Cylinders are more often made using polystyrene patterns, and some cylinder blocks are now fabricated instead of being cast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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