Dust off the alarm clock

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being rostered to do Friday warming fires and then a rostered cleaner shift on the Saturday morning. The Roster Clerk had seen fit to give a me 0630 start on Loco 1, instead of the 0800 start on Loco 2, so for the first time in a very long time, the alarm had to be set!

Walking back to my pod from the pub on Friday night, with a belly full of dinner (I really can recommend the Pheasant Inn), it was lovely to be able to smell the burning coal from the warming fires drifting over the car park.

Two locos were out over that weekend, 7820, Dinmore Manor and 7903, Foremarke Hall. Both were looking resplendent in the early morning sun.

The view makes the early morning worth it

One of the jobs that the driver has to do is oiling the inside motion. At this point on some of our smaller locos, this is where the driver has to become a contortionist to get into the motion. However, on larger locos like 7820 and 7903 there is considerably more room.

Driver Evason showing how spacious the larger locos are!

With the new Risk assessments now in place, volunteering in the Steam Loco department has had to become much more of a planned event than a spur of the moment decision. Currently, volunteers have to say which days they would like to come in advance, so that their names can be entered on to a work party register. Each Loco group has a separate day in the week, where they are allowed 6 volunteers to work on their loco. There are also “yard” days too, where there is a working party working in and around the yard, instead of a specific loco.

New ‘more fitting’ security lights decorating the operations office (Peter Gutteridge)

 As the locos left the shed and took their excited passengers along the line, I (Tom W) unintentionally made life difficult for the department and teamed up with the other Tom W to start cleaning all the carbon deposits off the valve heads off 4270 in preparation of being sent to Tyesley loco works to have new liners fitted. You can imagine how interesting it was getting either of our attentions. 4270 is hoped to be fit for traffic in the next few weeks, so her fans will get to see her in action this Autumn.

Tom W (the other one) cleans off carbon deposits off 4270’s valve heads

One of our good friends, Eddie, from Carriage & Wagon has made the Loco department a wonderful timber signing on desk, to go in “The Goods Shed” welfare building. I think you will agree, Eddie has done a superb job on the desk, which will be used for many years to come! Speaking of the new mess building, at the moment “The Goods Shed” is still not yet in use as final finishing touches, such as the external access stairs, are yet to be completed. Few people have had a chance to have a sneaky/cheeky (you decide) look round, and reports from them are that it looks brilliant. Fingers crossed we’ll have a full report to provide you with soon.

The new Signing On desk, built by Eddie in Carriage & Wagon

Whilst the return to running beds in, work in the shed continues on. Despite an incident where the keys for their container ended up locked inside it, the CSPL have picked up where they left off in March with their heavy general overhaul. The boiler remains at Riley’s, however there are plenty of jobs to be getting on with in the meantime! The size limitation of working parties has changed many an owning groups schedule, particularly as social distancing (everyone’s favourite phrase) still needs to be adhered to. More pieces have been cleaned, primed, labelled and stored in the siphon to await being returned to their rightful place on the engine as and when, the vacuum and steam heat pipes are getting some much needed tlc and the crossheads have been split from the pistons. 

Four 2-8-0s and a Peckett (Ian Crowder)

The focus for 35006 and her working group has been continuing to fettle with her brakes. Having discovered founding sand in the linkage between the engine and tender back before lockdown, believed to be the cause of some dragging, the owning group have been making minor tweaks to see if they can continue to improve performance. As always, more fettling is usually needed once a loco starts working regularly again. 35006 has been out running during September, and will be retreating to the shed imminently once 4270 is ready, so act quickly if you'd like to see her.

Looking resplendent in the September sun

As Dinmore Manor spent a lot of time out running most days since the shakedown trains back in August, DMLL’s attention has therefore been focussed on 3850 and 2874. August saw delivery of 2874’s wheels back from being re-tyred down in South Devon, which were promptly set upon with primer and rust-resistant paint the next day. The timing meant they were out in the car park on the first day back of public running, and many passengers were seen to wander over and have a look at what was going on. The buffer beams and cylinder covers are also being removed, although not without a fight as usual. 

Sam gives a piston a sledgehammer-based “impact shock” (Roger Tipton)

3850 has been the cause of some consternation due to some angle brackets needing creating from scratch. After a lot of time spent bending bits of steel to (their will) get the right angle, the issue has seemingly been resolved and another job ticked off the list. Progress, and a happy DMLL group.

A bare looking 3850

9466 is being prepped for departure and passed its steam test last week, before being pressed into shunting duties; might as well make the most of the steam once its there!

Snapped! (Peter Gutteridge)

Moving 7903 (Peter Gutteridge)

As the weather turns colder, no doubt we'll soon be missing that nice enclosed cab. There's a queue for turns on 4270 once she's back in traffic already!

Tom and Bryony