A Really Useful Engine

Another piece of excellent news to start this post with is that Martin Ryan passed out during the last week as a fireman.  I'm afraid that requests for photos from the day have drawn a blank, but congratulations to Martin anyway.

The last weekend was one of our two Thomas events scheduled for this year.  An intensive mixed traffic timetable of locos mostly wearing cheerful faces springs into effect for the benefit of the younger generation.... and the of course for the benefit of many of the dads of the younger generation who get to earn brownie points with their wives by entertaining the kids for the day and at the same time getting to play with trains.  

I was booked down to clean Thomas on Sunday morning  I was more than happy to discover upon entering the mess coach to check up on the Thomas' report card, that not only had my fireman (Chris) turned up 5 minutes before me, but he had most usefully employed those 5 minutes in making me a cup of tea.  Cracking start to the day:

Thanks Chris

2807 was big and green, which in Thomas parlance means that his name was Henry.  Pictures that I've trawled up on the web, typically show Henry as being an LNER 4-6-0 of some sort or occasionally an LMS 4-6-0 (Black 5 or Jubilee).  So far I've not seen a 'Henry' that looked like a GWR 2-8-0, but what the hell, 5 year old kids don't tend to ask too many serious questions based on wheel arrangements or the big four companies.  Besides, I was scheduled to be out on Thomas, so the dubious nature of Henry's identity was somebody else's problem.   Another problem with 'Henry' was for trainee fireman Ed, who had to work out how to access the smoke box to check that there was nothing amiss:

Steve and Ed looking to access Henry's smoke box

Henry really should be numbered 3, not 2807 too, but nobody was too fussed about that.

The owner's instructions for Thomas stipulated that his smoke box should be left unchecked, to prevent possible damage to his face.  Chris needed no second bidding.

Thomas with a fixed face as well as smile.

You'll note that Dan has appeared to clean Thomas, his A levels are now over and done with, so he can now concentrate on the more important things in life like learning to fire steam locos.  Accompanying him is Tom, who has just joined the steam loco dept having graduated from the GWSR's young people's group..

Tom, getting to grips with 2807's wheels and motion.

 The forecast was for a very hot day indeed, damping down the coal with a hose pipe before setting off to minimise dust was a good idea.  The usual idea is to damp down the coal in the tender/bunker before shoveling it into the firebox, rather than spraying the hose on it once it's in the firebox

Not entirely sure from this photo that Ed had that last bit right

Regardless, Thomas was determined to prove that he was a "really useful engine" and he fetched us all a brew:

A really useful pot of tea.

Chris wasn't so sure about Thomas being "really useful" as he'd found the grate was so heavily covered with ash that he'd needed to get in the firebox to clean it. 

Nobody emerges from a firebox as clean as when they went in.

Thomas only has a small boiler, which Chris soon brought up to pressure, we had plenty of time to sit around before we were off:

Driver, Andy relaxes before we get going

The first train of the day was 2807 Henry setting off for Cheltenham with a train load of over-excited kids.  Thomas briefly ran alongside to cheer Henry off on his way:

The day gets off to a really useful start

Once we were in the platform at Toddington, the Fat Controller announced that it was Thomas' birthday and that he had baked him a special "coal cake".  I'd have preferred a bit of black forest gateau myself, but Thomas seemed to enjoy the coal cake when Chris fed it to him:

Chris feeds Thomas the coal cake

Soon enough we were off down to Winchcombe to take part in some activities in platform 2.  We'd have been off even sooner if one young lad on the platform had had his way, he was busy blowing a whistle and waving a flag in the hope that I would see it and tell Andy that we were cleared to go. His whistle looked and sounded real enough, but his green flag let the side down by having a picture of Thomas on it.

Daisy was already there waiting for us when we pulled into the platform at Winchcombe:

Daisy waiting for us at Winchcombe.

According to Daisy's crew, they had drawn the short straw.  Those hordes of over-excited kids were sat right behind them, as they drove along, whereas we had the luxury of having them out of sight and out of earshot in the carriages. 

After the first of many spells of having the cab invaded by sometimes reluctant kids, we set about the first of the activities.  Chris only took one step back, when Andy and I took two,  so he had to explain to the Fat Controller that we had stopped for water from a stream and that the fish swimming around in Thomas' side tank was the cause of his "boiler ache".

Chris with fishing rod having just caught the fish

Afterwards, we kept the fish safe and sound in the water bucket on the footplate, no fish were harmed in the making of this blog!

Fish in bucket

A quick look around at Winchcombe turned up a Punch and Judy show keeping some of the kids entertained:

That's the way to do it!

 Peter is normally to be seen in the steam loco dept on a Wednesday, togged up in overalls and getting mucky along with everybody else.  Not on Sunday though:

Even members of the steam loco dept can scrub up nicely you know

Jonathan had been around to help clean locos first thing and was down for car park duties in the afternoon.  In between those times, he rode the trains, took photos etc:

That included recording the sound of Thomas for posterity

There is an old saying that you should "never pass a water crane in a tank engine".  As Thomas really usefully doesn't have a water level indicator, we took water at every opportunity:

Running out of water is not and option

During periods in the timetable when there were no other locos at Toddington, an 03 shunter, D2182 Mavis was on hand with the "troublesome trucks".

Ian, Dan and Mavis keeping the trucks out of trouble.

Once more back to Winchcombe, and it was Andy's turn to participate in the activities.  We were apparently low on water, so the kids were formed into an orderly line to fetch up buckets of water for Andy to pour into Thomas' water tank:

Andy topping up the water tank the hard way!

Periodically we bumped into Thomas' friends:

Henry, trying to avoid being bricked up in the tunnel again

37215, no face, long story, don't ask.

On the third round trip, we found both Matt and Ian waiting on platform two to record the activities.

Ian (left) and Matt

This time, I couldn't wriggle out of it, it was my turn to be the sacrificial victim from the footplate.  Once again, it was to be a taking water from the stream offence leading to a fish in the side tank scenario.  It's not a great deal of fun being given the hair dryer treatment by the fat Controller for once again stopping and taking water "illegally" from the stream.  When I found another fish in his tank, both Thomas and I were told that this evening we were to "go straight to bed without any supper."  Being a bit of a rebel, I ignored the Fat Controller and pigged out on pizza when I got home. Thomas was last seen looking hungrily at the coal dock.  As a result of Ian and Matt being on hand to record this event and some others too, my ugly mug is now plastered all over the GWSR website and most known forms of social media.  You'd be very unwise to try and track them down.

Matt joined us on the footplate when we disappeared off into the sidings at Winchcombe to clear the platform for the other services.  That nice white shirt he is wearing didn't stay nice and white for long:

Oops!

Later on, back at Toddington, when all the kids had gone home, it was time to dispose of Thomas:

Emptying the ash pan the hard way

George decided to go fishing.  The only body of water around was his cup of tea, miraculously he managed to catch a whopper of a fish in it:

You should have seen the one that got away!

There were doughnuts skulking in the mess coach.  With the words "Don't tell the wife", Chris wolfed one down in seconds flat:

I wonder if Chris' wife reads this blog?

Ed finally returned on Henry, looking exhausted after a full day firing in what had turned out to be an extremely hot day.  Being a keen trainee fireman, he insisted on doing the smoke box and ash pan all by himself.

Ed, smiling, but cream crackered!

And finally, to counter balance Martin Ryan successfully passing out as a fireman, Paul Stratford has retired to darkest Wales.  As he left, Paul sent an email to the steam loco dept describing the highlights of his career at the GWSR, which with his permission I have included here.  He also provided me with a couple of photos of himself,  one of 1450 and another of him with George and Katie Knapman during a filming session for BBC1's Country File programme on 23rd March 2010.

"It is with much regret that due to relocation to mid Wales that I will no longer be a regular or active volunteer in the steam loco department, although many may have noticed my volunteer absence over the last twelve months due to health problems. It is ten years since I joined the steam loco department as a volunteer cleaner and active working member of the 4270 gang. Since then I have, with the help of my many friends and colleagues some of whom have also left the department, achieved more than I could have ever have dreamed. Firing, trainee driver, the culmination of ten years work on and off site on the restoration of 4270, the first picture of this loco hauling the freight in the pouring rain on the first day of the recent Gala. All of these achievements would not have been possible without the friendship, skills and assistance of I have to say, not only the steam loco department volunteers, but also of the volunteers in all departments of the GWSR. The GWSR has a proud tradition as a volunteer Heritage Railway and without the skills and in many cases years of unselfish dedication, the GWSR would not be what it is today and I am proud to be associated with the railway over the past ten years.
 
I will not lose touch and will of course be calling in on occasions and no doubt been seen along the line side with camera and hi-viz.
 
Thank you all
 
Paul Stratford"

L-R, Paul, Katie, George and City of Truro

Paul on 1450

Best wishes for a very happy retirement Paul.