Both Kinds of Fireman

This week's blog is a joint effort between your usual blogger who took photos & and acted as editor and deputy blogger Eleanor who put together the text.

To start this edition of the blog, is the news that for the gala at the end of the month, we finally have the footplate rides listed for sale on the main GWSR website.  All the information that you will need can be found by clicking on this link. Two have been reserved for competition winners, leaving just 16 available and a number of those have already been sold prior to the ticket sale being advertised. You'd best be quick. 

 On Wednesday, a task for some of our volunteers was to oil up the axle boxes of the steam crane that has lived for some while now in the north siding.  It is now off to spend some time in the siding at the north end of Broadway station.

Steam crane before going on its holiday to Broadway (photo courtesy of Peter Gutteridge)

There are several newsworthy items regarding work contributing to our locomotives that is happening off-site. Many of you will be awaiting the return of 4270 which suffered a cracked balance weight on one of its driving wheels at the end of last season. 4270 is currently at Crew undergoing repairs and the work is progressing. The photo below courtesy of Mark Young shows the offending wheel set ready for the lead to be inserted into the newly cast & fitted balance weights.

4270 wheel set with newly fitted balance weights

4270 is not anticipated to return to us until July which unfortunately means that it will not take part in our gala.  The good news for the crews of course is that she will now more than likely feature prominently on the roster for the Santa/winter season when the fully enclosed and nice warm cab will be most appreciated.

Two items of note have been progressed in the overhaul of 3850. The boiler which will be used for its next ticket is at Ian Riley and Son and the following photos courtesy of Martin Ginger show work on it underway. This is the boiler that until recently was on 3845

Boiler in the workshop

A lower side sheet has already been removed

Not a view you usually get of a foundation ring

Cutting off the lower portion of the side sheet, not only brought the usual scale to light, but also several broken stays and a chisel.  Not all of 3845's previous owners could be described as "careful" it seems.

The list of work on the boiler is extensive, though mercifully not as extensive as the work required on 3850's original boiler.

You may also recall that 3850's cylinder block was found to be cracked and the decision was taken to cast a new one. The castings - two of them, as the block is formed from two symmetrical halves have been cast and are ready to be machined. The castings were made at Shakespeare's Foundry (I hadn't realised that the Bard was into metal work, but just it just shows you what a talented fellow he was.....) and the foundry supplied the photos below.   

A chip off the old (cylinder) block

Next stop, the machine shop

Saturday was another running day and the first time we had operated to our "green" timetable (the colour coding scheme, rather than any reference to its environmental credentials). This runs three trains, two steam hauled and one diesel. With the extension of the line to Broadway, the length of working day to prepare, crew and then dispose a steam loco would be excessive so we now work split shifts, a prep crew being rostered to prepare the two steam locos and work one of the trains for part of the day and two additional crews who cover the rest of the timetable. Your usual blog writer was rostered as crew 3, who took over 35006 at lunch time to complete the timetable for train 1, deputy blogger collected 2807 at 09:00 to run as train 2 departing for Broadway at 10:30. So while I headed north, some blog material could be collected (and I assume some useful work done too).

35006 sets of at the start of the day with crew 1

You will probably recall that work has started on the restoration of 76077 and a company is currently in the process of being formed to oversee this. The boiler is still on site and Andy took the opportunity to remove the smoke box ring.

Now you see it...

...and at the end of the day, now you don't!

A small team were working on the axle boxes of tender T1761, which was previously run behind Dinmore Manor, but is now destined to run behind 3850.

Martin cleaned up a box that had been shot-blasted as it contained cracks that needed welding.

Martin, wielding a wire brush

Plenty more to be getting on with

David was working on cleaning the nuts bolts that hold the two halves of the axle boxes together. Some needed more fettling than others with the threads being cleaned up using the appropriate taps & dies.

David grappling with the nuts & bolts

Richard was also part of the team getting on with the daily grind, well daily wire brushing anyway.

Richard at work

The cylinders currently on 3850's frames also came in for some therapy from Matthew as measurements of the alignment will need to be taken to allow the correct positioning of the new cylinder block.

Matthew preparing the ol cylinders for measuring

For the measuring process to take place the frames will need to be mounted on a firm base, rather than the accommodation bogies which have allowed them to be moved around when required while the previous work has been carried out. The firm base is to be provided by a set of stands which are ready and waiting.

The stands that 3850's frames will soon rest on

At this point I was at Cheltenham and had just built up my fire ready for departure when the message came through that the diesel (the Peak) had failed in the loop at Gotherington and it was unclear when would be departing. Keeping 2807 quiet for an unspecified length of time once it had been prepared to haul eight coaches was going to be a bit of a tall order. Happily for us, as the diesel was safely in the loop at Gotherington, we would be able to pass it on the running line and it was decided we should depart and set off scarcely more that 5 minutes late with 2807 just about keeping quiet.

As we passed through Gotherington many of the passengers on the temporarily stranded train took the opportunity to photograph and film us.....our 10 seconds of fame for the day.

Meanwhile back at Toddington, 35006 was also ready to depart with a fully prepared fire when it was decided a diesel to rescue the stranded train would be coupled in front and drag 35006 and the eight coaches. Your trusty regular blogger politely requested that the diesel should be coupled on the back of the train and dragged in order to make appropriate use of the steam that 35006 was now merrily generating.

35006... arriving for the regular blogger to take over

47376 heading off to take its position at the tail of the train

Setting off from Toddington, the crew of 35006 were unaware that 2807 had departed Cheltenham and so were under the impression that they would briefly stop at Winchcombe to pick up and drop off passengers and then proceed to Gotherington. Of course on arriving at Winchcombe they discovered we had already set off and they would have to await out arrival before going any further. They could wait, the steam generating properties of 35006's fire would not. With a full glass of water there was nothing for it but to let the safety valves do their job.

And do their job they did. The red line on 35006 is at 250psi and once the valves lift they stay lifted until the pressure has fallen to 230psi, which when you are underneath them seem to take an age. Stopped under the bridge at Winchcombe, the underside of the bridge was thoroughly steam cleaned and the crew were treated to an unexpected sauna in the cab. 

Emerging from the north end of the tunnel, those of us on 2807 were at first puzzled to see a large cloud of condensed steam underneath the bridge as we approached Winchcombe station. On closer inspection we were able to work out that the cloud did in fact contain our fellow crew and their locomotive who had been hoping we wouldn't arrive just then.

At Winchcombe, Jeff contacts the signal box and discovers that 35006 will have to wait for 2807

35006 with a good fire in her belly...

No water space and on the red line...

Dropped to 230 PSI

Deputy blogger arrives

Cliff (35006's driver) wishing the safety valves were rather quieter

With the line the Gotherington now vacated, 35006 was now able to proceed and supply the additional diesel to tow the stranded train on to Toddington and carry on its own journey the Cheltenham.

The failed Peak, 45149

The failure was traced to an electrical fault, a crimp had come off the end of a wire somewhere and it was soon fixed once 47376 had towed it back to Toddington.

The day for your normal blogger held more of interest, for instance this chap who had worked for the GWR and later BR for 50 years who regularly crewed trains along our line

More used to a Western loco than a Southern one, but never mind

Arriving at Winchcombe was out of the ordinary too, as the bobby on the platform misjudged the token exchange and clouted the cab with the token that he was holding out.  The bobby displayed a surprising turn of speed as he pelted down the platform to eventually successfully pass over the token.

Token stashed safely in the cab of 35006

35006's fire raising capabilities were also applied outside the locomotive. At both Cheltenham and Gotherington there are a number of large conifer trees which liberally scatter cones over the running line. After a period of dry weather these cones make remarkably good fire lighters and any odd hot cinders that manage to make their way onto the track are enough to ignite them. On stopping at both of these stations your principal blogger was called upon to act in the capacity of the other sort of fireman and extinguish a couple of minor conflagrations with a well-aimed bucket of water. 

As the main running day drew to a close 35006 & 2807 arrived back on shed at about the same time and it was a race to get the best rake and best hose pipe attachment to get on with ashing out.....both of which I secured. 35006 was out again in the evening to haul a fish & chip train so after disposal was handed over to the evening crew. Those of us that remained cleaned the pits of ash and tidied away the wheelbarrows before retiring to the mess coach for a well-earned up of tea. Happily the rather cheeky subtle hint on last week's blog had borne fruit and a fresh supply of peppermint tea bags had appeared for those who prefer.

Jamie(l), Cliff and deputy blogger emptying the pit on road 8

Also received from Saturday was the photo below of Anthony (l) and Sam putting a "Red Dragon" headboard on the 04 shunter prior to fetching the class 45 and its stock into siding 1.

Not often you see a shunter sporting a headboard, photo courtesy of Luke Hudman

And finally, there are regular working parties on 3850 now on Sundays, with on this occasion, more work taking place on the frames.  All photos from her on courtesy of Matthew Harris

Wire brushing the running plate

Running plate nicely taken back to bare metal...

...and coated with rust inhibiting primer