I’ve been lucky enough to have a stint of alternating weekends between my departments, although it means my ability to get into the shed is rather hindered. Those of you wondering about the general engineering updates, I’m planning on contacting the various owning groups and seeing what they can provide, so bear with us whilst we get that sorted. Updates are coming!
Out on the line, 7820 and 7903 spent the majority of June and July running, whilst 4270 came in for her washout and 35006 waited patiently for her next turn. I’ve been lucky enough to be invited out onto the footplate a few times now, although it doesn’t yet feel like I’m getting the hang of swinging the shovel. Warming fires tend to not have the baffle plate in place, so my swing is currently hitting slightly too high and the coal is landing in the middle rather than the front. Ah well, practice makes perfect!
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| Slightly warm when it's 30+ degrees outside |
We’ve seen more passengers these last few weeks, particularly families who are not very familiar with steam engines and how they work. Ian B gave a quick seminar whilst we were on our lunch break at Toddington a few weeks ago, much to our amusement. I had the benefit of our former blogger as the fireman, who handily pointed out the blog-ability of the situation.
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| No idea what Ian was explaining but he must have been doing a good job! |
I, meanwhile, suffered my first wardrobe malfunction whilst I was firing up to Broadway, when all of a sudden I felt a “ping” at my hip, and the button on my blues decided it wanted to be part of my outfit no more! Turns out safety pins don’t quite work on blues, so I spent the return journey holding the two sides together. Thankfully, I wear leggings underneath my ensemble, so all modesty was protected. It makes the heat a little more difficult to deal with though!
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| Oops! I also got the straps caught in the pipes coupling up |
We picked up some stowaways at Toddington as well, though they appeared to be a little bit distracted… We didn’t ask too many questions.
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Following the lifting of restrictions earlier this month, we are now freely running for the foreseeable. We also have the GWSR 40th anniversary exhibition at Winchcombe that is free to visit, celebrating the work of the stalwart volunteers who got us going back in the 1980s. This, plus the return of the Train 1 bacon sandwich means the GWSR should definitely be on your list of places to visit this summer!
Finally, in training news, things are progressing nicely, and by nicely, I mean we have two new firemen!
Martin passed out at the end of June, and was swiftly followed by Mark last week.
Martin passed out at the end of June, and was swiftly followed by Mark last week.
Congratulations both!
I bet that sound of coal hitting the baffle is horribly familiar... but there's nothing so satisfying as the clatter the lumps make when they hit the front of the box!
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