Back in Black

The Easter weekend started off on Good Friday with feverish activity in the biting cold to get 2807 and 8274 spruced up and ready to face the public.  In truth both were fairly clean to start off with anyway and soon both were sparkling in the morning sunshine.  Most of us had forgotten what sunshine was and had to go and look it up on the internet.

2807 departs from shed on Good Friday morning

Once again, a long list of outstanding infrastructure tasks awaited those hardy souls who were not off out on either footplate and between us we decided that continuing to clear the trackbed of the parlour road out of ash would be a good idea.

Ed emptying a wheelbarrow full of ash

The start line of the Toddington 2013 wheelbarrow handicap hurdles, Andy Webber applies a handicap shovel full of ash into Nick's wheelbarrow, whilst Ed psych's himself up for the start.

The Toddington handicap hurdles about to commence

For the 3rd trip out of the day for 8274, I joined Andy Beale & Chris Brooks on the footplate.  Andy was keen to point out an omission from this blog last week, not only had Ben Evason been out on the footplate of Kinlet Hall during the Double Headed Halls run last week from Tyseley to Newport and back, but he had too.

Andy driving 8274 on Friday

Chris was on the footplate on a fireman training turn, under the watchful eye of Ade. Firing a steam locomotive is not too dissimilar to playing a piano, anybody can hit a note on a piano keyboard or spot for a signal's aspect/shovel coal into the firebox/ inject water into the boiler/exchange line tokens/watch trains in and out of platforms etc.  The trick with playing a piano is of course to hit all the right notes in the right order at the right time, likewise with firing a steam locomotive, doing the right things at the right time is key. The beaming smile on  Chris' face for most of the journey spoke volumes, although this was his first firing lesson of the year, he was getting it pretty much right. He knew it and was enjoying every minute.

Just handed the token back at Toddington

Chris on the shovel

Finally, as I'm sure that many of you are aware, 7903, Foremarke Hall is now into the last year of her current boiler ticket and will be withdrawn from traffic at the end of the year. Some members of her owning group have been scratching around looking for innovative ideas as to how more funds can be secured to cover the cost of her impending rebuild.  It hasn't escaped their attention that if you want to attract business by photo charters and the like, then you need to have an engine in a desirable livery.  Hitherto she had been painted brunswick green, but the shade of 'brunswick green' on her tender didn't quite match that of the 'brunswick green' on her boiler.  To break into the lucrative steam photo charter market, something needed to be done. Not strictly authentic, but in keeping at least with the period that she was first built would be BR blue.  This livery is currently worn to great effect by the recently restored King class, 6023, King Edward II.  Like Foremarke Hall, King Edward II spent time in Barry Island scrapyard before being rescued and restored to running order. 

6023, King Edward II in BR blue

Apparently the BR blue option was seriously considered, but eventually lined BR black was chosen which is at least an authentic livery for Foremarke Hall and will no doubt please steam photo charter organisers.

Foremarke Hall resplendent in BR black yesterday

This has been something of a well kept secret and few members of the railway were aware of this change except those who were involved in the re-painting and anybody who caught sight of her out on the line yesterday for her first day of running in lined BR black in preservation. Everybody who saw her yesterday commented on how good she looks.