Turn 16 - Third Man on the 9F - the last NLE turn for 2019

Another Winter's day, another NLE turn. That will be a grand total of four Third Man NLE turns this year, all of which usefully show in my training schedule as night turns. They are quite easy, made more so by the fact that it has been pretty wet and railway policy is that you don't clean the loco in the wet, and there is not much point as no-one sees it in the dark.

This short sighted view was not shared by Ian, a regular visitor from Suffolk who was cleaning the 9F's wheels when I showed up; as usual, the loco was lit up so I set about cleaning the cab roof and chatting to the Duty Fitter Alan, about his Steam Roller among other things.

I made the fireman's checks:

• oil bottles - present and full, and the steam oil bottle on the warming plate
• two red flags in the locker
• burns kit on board
• two gauge glasses and seals
• water bucket filled
• tender tank full
• lamps fitted and working

Having completed the cab roof windows and the brass, I moved on to those visible items outside - the buffer beams. Amazing what kerosene and oil will do:

There was plenty of coal on board, but it was all at one end of the tender. I climbed up and shoveled it all forward - probably a tonne or so. This must be good for my fitness???:

I really could have done more cleaning. Fireman Joe washed over the backhead with kerosene and steam oil, painted on with a brush; much better than I had left it:

We backed up to the pit to top up the axle boxes; I was bent double pumping oil while Driver Bryan topped up, and we chatted about Christmas plans. Following a full glass blow down (another demand for steam which the fireman must prepare for) we ashed out and I went beneath to wash down the brake rigging. I assisted Fireman Joe with the steam heat test, which involves opening the valves on the steam heat pipes at each end of the loco while the steam heat valve is opened to blow out the condensed water.

With Driver Bryan back and Fireman Joe off to get changed, we set back into the headshunt and headed off into Platform 2.

The service started slightly later than usual, as we did not have to go up the line to switch on the generators. I have no idea what I was thinking, but I managed to leave getting changed until very late  - 3 minutes before departure, in fact. My usual watch was playing up, racing ahead gaining 15 - 20 minutes, probably from the vigorous shaking it got when shoveling coal. I'd also been playing close attention to the fire. Fortunately we had more than an hour to wait, warming the train before departure and it was a rather warm day for December anyway.

I fired down to Sheringham, building the fire gently - we needed steam for heating, but we didn't want to be blowing off. We arrived safe and sound, with the fire building. I added some water on the rise up Dead man's which was a mistake, as Driver Brian needed the steam for the hill. Better to use the injectors as we crested the hill, when you can see what is in the boiler and there is little demand for steam.

Next stop, Sheringham buffet. Another good lunch from Chef Nathan and a round of tea. At this point we have a few visitors to the footplate - it is great to get people on board taking pictures to remember their visit. The visitors are really one of the best bits of life on the railway.

As usual, Joe fired the first trip up to Holt building up a good fire - especially the horseshoe around the back & sides, which you must protect on these locos; I did the run around and fired back down to Sheringham.

There were masses of people arriving at Sheringham for the second train - it has been a really popular event:

I maintained my Fireman's role while Joe unhooked & we ran round. We took on 1000 gallons of water from the Sheringham crane; and we made our next and last round trip to Holt - Joe firing up, me firing back.

Back in Sheringham we waved our goodbyes and made our thank yous to the passengers, and went back to the water crane after run around. This time we were light engine and I fired from Sheringham up to Bridge 299 on Kelling Heath where we stopped to switch off the three generators. Keeping the fire as light as possible, I topped up the boiler on the way back to Weybourne. This time, I left it a bit light and while nothing went wrong it was low enough to warrant a prompt from Joe for me to do something about it before we ran out of steam too early. I guess as you are going to clean the fire anyway you can afford to arrive with plenty of fire - just not raging and building pressure when you want to go home.

My concentration shows in this picture - I'm waiting for the pressure to come around after laying on another round - and hoping it comes around enough for me to arrive on-shed with a full boiler!

On night turns, I've decided that I have a decent set of lights to guide the way. I use the Bardic when off the loco or when signalling, and this rechargeable LED torch when on the footplate:

It's got a magnet in the foot, which is strong enough to stay on the cab roof when moving - the arm has a single LED in the end which is bright enough to see the main pressure gauge the steam heat pressure gauges and the fireman's side water gauge yet it's not so bright as to ruin the driver's night vision:

It's got a very large LED array that I can use when I am tying on. You can place it on the end of the tender or on the loco buffer beam and shine it above the couplings & bags.

This turn is almost the last one of the 2019 season, and what a great start to my railway career it has been. I've one more turn on a Mince Pie Special on the 2nd January, and that will be it until next season.

Turn 15 - Third Man on the 4MT again

Another day, another Norfolk Lights Express - but on a Wednesday this time. A pretty gentle day for me.

The loco was lit up when I arrived on shed at 10:30 thanks to Fitter Alan, and all I had to do was raise steam whilst cleaning the footplate and attending to the fireman's preparation duties. In the previous few turns I'd seen the water gauges on the 9F spring a leak while on the road - today, I made sure the glands were good and tight. It's easier to do that during prep when you have dry gloves and the gauges haven't had time to get too hot, since you have to do the nuts up with your gloved hand alone.

By the time Fireman Paul arrived, I had over 80 psi on the clock, the tank was full and the brass was clean. We went for tea.

Driver Dave arrived, and in no time we had 160 psi on the clock and it was time to test the injectors and push back. The tender was virtually empty, so we took on two buckets from the loader; Fitter Alan is a dab hand at getting the coal right where you want it with no spillage, and pretty soon I was up on the tender raking it level & pulling it forward. We ashed out; the 4MT had had a warming fire in it the previous day, which mean that the back of the ashpan was brim full - that soon fell prey to the pit hose.

We pulled forward again, and as I'd just done all the heavy jobs Fireman Paul cleaned out the pit while I looked after the fire; I had a few hurried sandwiches from my lunch box before getting changed and signing out the Long Section staff ready to let us out of the yard.

Then it was time to go - up the road with Fitter Mark to switch on the generators, then down to Sheringham to pick up the train, followed by two round trips to Holt. All pretty uneventful; the last Light Engine trip up the line is great on these turns - it's moonlight, the train lights are all gone, and you can run up non-stop at normal line speed to switch off the generators.

We arrived back at Weybourne and I jumped off to let us into the yard - this time, Driver Dave signed off the ground frame on my training schedule so I'm now certified competent for that. During disposal, we had a graphic lesson on why you need to be careful with fire irons - by the time we had finished cleaning out the fire, the picker was glowing red hot - Driver Dave quenched it in the injector overflow.

And that was it - I stayed by the pit to put the lamps away and shovel the ash onto the heap while Dave and Paul stabled the engine and loaded on some firewood for the morning.

Another Norfolk Lights Express turn next week, and then a two week rest for Christmas.

Turn 14 - Third Man on the 9F

On the Norfolks Lights Express, the 4MT and the 9F alternate every 10 days. After my turn on the 4MT last week, the 9F was now in service (it started yesterday). When I arrived on shed at 10:30 it had already been alight for an hour, the boiler was full and the hose was in the tender so there was little prep for me to do.

Climbing into the cab, my first job was to get the grime off the roof with some paraffin and rags:

I kept an eye on the fire as I worked.

We only need one paraffin lamp from the store on the NLE, it was already on board from yesterday; the train has two special white lamps that are in the shed on charge:

There was a fair bit of coal too. I closed the doors and pulled this forward. You don't need a coat for long even in the winter:

When you clean the cab roof it may not look like you are achieving much - unless you only do half of it...

Our first trip was to drive up to Bridge 299 (taking the Holt Road over the railway on Kelling Heath) to switch on the generators for the various woodland displays. This is a Light Engine movement starting with a turn in the Ground Frame, then a ride up the line to Averies Curve where we do a lot of climbing about to start the generators.

Next, it's down to Sheringham to hook on and warm the train, and have a late lunch. A lady came along with a film camera to have a chat with us today - I wonder if we will see ourselves on the telly?

Awful picture, sorry...

Our first trip was all about filling that huge firebox and getting the engine warm - it's a lesson for the next turns to get the engine hot during prep, especially on the bigger locos. On the second trip she was raring to go, even blowing off at one point.

As usual, I was on observation duty, calling out signals, coupling/uncoupling and operating the points at run around. We also fill the tender before leaving Sheringham for the second train and before disposal. I've got to find a better way of doing this in the dark as it takes both hands to hold the hose and leaves you holding the torch in your mouth...

I fired the Light Engine trip from Sheringham up to Bridge 299 & back to Weybourne for disposal. I shoveled enthusiastically (and dare I say quite accurately) on the way up and I was pleased that there was no loss of power, no low pressures and that I could top up boiler for most of the trip. I fired sparingly on way down and we arrived on shed with the boiler full, 200 on the clock and the fire very low - perfect. You want to turn up on shed with the boiler full, plenty of steam to do your disposal movements without touching the fire, and a low fire so that it doesn't make steam when you have left it alone. I had the dampers closed on the way back to keep it calm.

Watching Tony today and Phil the week before, I think my shovelling technique is improving - there is less clattering around the firehole, and more more coal in the right places.

Roll on next week.

Turn 13 - Third Man on the 4MT

Turn 13 was another new experience - a turn mostly conducted at night. This year for the first time the railway is running its Norfolk Lights Express, a train of lights which runs up to Holt & back, non-stop through a Norfolk countryside enhanced with Christmas lights and illuminated woodland scenes.

The service was to start on the 20th November and run until Christmas - it has been so popular, that the railway has timetabled an extra week in January.

The train includes the buffet car, three second class open coaches, a brake coach and the CCT. The CCT is a van originally designed to carry cars (it has opening doors at each end with a drop down ramp) which today holds two 30 kVA generators for the lights on the train. The train has been decorated with miles of coloured light ropes attached to nets draped over the vehicles, and with coloured lights slung under the chassis to illuminate the landscape.

The designated loco is the BR Standard 4MT, which is also bedecked with light ropes, powered from the train.

Since the service starts at 16:30, we are signing on at 11:00 - not much point having a train of lights in daylight. Cleaner Paul already has the fire well going when I arrive, so there is no hurry. He has been on shed since 10 and it's raining which means there will be little cleaning today.

In the shed, Wissington's wheels have arrived complete with new tyres and a new axle:

The B12 is in for some winter maintenance:

And the 7F's pony truck is back on!

I busy myself with the cab roof and the buffer beams, and fetch the lamps - these are Fireman's jobs, and as I'm Third Man today I will do them. I check that our flags are on board and that we have spare gauge glasses and seals. As it happens, one of the gauge glasses is weeping - it's a simple job to tighten the seals with your hands only.

Paul has topped the tender tank up, and I put the yard hose away. It's an easy morning so far.

We ash out, and all of a sudden it gets less easy. Whilst the 4MT has a hopper ash pan, which allows you to drop the ash straight in the pit without raking it out, it has spark screens which are very awkward to fit and an arch in the ashpan over the rear axle. What this means is that you are poking the pit hose awkwardly into the pan to try and clean it out, and then you have to dash under the dripping pan to the rear of the loco to struggle with the screen at the back. This is the third time I have done this and it doesn't get any easier. At least Paul clears out the pit while I attempt to dry myself.

We went off shed at 14:50 or thereabouts, Paul handled the ground frame as there was no-one in the signal box. We would be operating Single Train on Line that day, and once Paul had helped us onto the running line we would carry the Long Section staff down to the signalman at Sheringham.

We had 90 minutes to wait, warming the train and learning about the electrical connections for the lights - and the two way radio we were to use to talk to the RO during the trip, to slow us down or speed us up. We decided that I would handle the radio and call out the signals - we weren't at all sure what demands the slow trip would have on the fire - whilst Driver Fozz had done two NLE trains, Fireman Phil and I had not done any so it was a bit of a new experience for us.

While we were at Sheringham, Phil taught me that the optimal way to fire was to keep the fire thin and make sure that your were aware of it's condition at all times. That way you can react and create heat when you need it but you will always have the option of allowing it to cool to prevent blowing off. However, he also said that when you don't have the energy in the fire a boilerful of steam will deplete very quickly when there is a demand. We sat at Sheringham warming the train and eating our lunch for a while. Just before 4 o'clock, with 35 minutes to go, we started to build the fire whilst trying to avoid creating too much smoke.

The run up to Holt was uneventful, with the trains lights coming on as programmed by the Mac living in the BSK. The night time aspect of the trip didn't present the problems I had imagined - a green light is just as visible as a green flag, but you have to remember to acknowledge the guard's signal with a white light held steady.

Returning to Sheringham the wind had picked up to a 25 mph Northerly which was whipping through the cab - I felt my cap lift and before I realised what was going on it was gone, off onto the golf course, the road, or the allotments somewhere. I made a note of where we were in case I could find it on a dog walk or something.

When we reached the station we had about 40 minutes to run around and take on water before the next train. Today I was the man on the tender, grappling with a torch (in my teeth) and the giant water hose from the crane at the end of platform 2. The hose is a bit tired and leaky and coupled with my inexperience I finished the job with leather gloves wet through and one leg soaked. Back on the footplate on the way up to Holt, nothing stayed wet very long.

We left the last train back at Sheringham just before 8, and ran around stopping once again to refill the tender. It's much, much faster to fill the tender from the water crane than using the yard hose, so tomorrow's crew would have less to do. While Fireman Phil was building the fire for the run, a mystery object appeared in the shovel - my cap! It must have blown into the tender, for it had come down on the coal.

Next job was to run up the line again, light engine this time, stopping to switch off all the generators. Without the lights from the train the run up was pitch dark and we were able to go at normal line speed of 25 mph. We took a couple of pictures on the way back:

Then it was back down to Weybourne; we stopped at platform 2 to let me off to operate the ground frame to let the engine into the yard. I used a white light signal, waving the light from side to side, to signal the driver to come forward into the yard. I walked over to the pit which would be their next stop, to switch on the yard and pit lights so we could see what we were doing.

While Driver Fozz made his inspection, I got the pit hose ready to wash out the ash pan. We pulled off the front spark screen and washed the pan out; Fireman Phil cleaned the fire with the fire irons and then we dropped the ash into the pit.

And that was it, my first night turn. All that was left was to empty the pit, get changed and go home.

Turn 12 - Third Man on the B12

A bit of an unusual turn this one - a Saturday and a private lunch train. I don't do Saturdays as a rule and a lunch train is a bit unusual - especially this one, where the passengers were to board the train at Holt and take one round trip to Sheringham and back to Holt; nothing odd in that but the dining set was at Sheringham, so we would make a couple of trips with empty stock. I'd been in touch with Fitter Mark during the week as there was some doubt about the sign-on time (it wasn't shown on the diagram) and late on Friday Mark told me we would have the B12.

Driver Nigel had been in all Friday getting it ready and there had been a warming fire in it all day, which was still hot when I checked it at 06:45 Saturday morning. I cleaned it with the bent dart and lit up:

Lighting up went OK, but the loco was pretty dirty. I spent the next couple of hours cleaning the paintwork:

The tender had been coaled and watered on Friday, which was handy as there was only me to clean. Fortunately, Fireman Ralph was there to look after the fire; we ashed out quite early, and took the engine back to the shed road to finish cleaning.

Driver Nigel is an ex-BR fireman, fountain of all knowledge and a thoroughly nice chap. Here he is getting ready to ash out, having reminded me that on this loco you do the back first, followed by the front if you don't want to get soaked:

Our first trip was light engine back to Sheringham to pick up our set. Nigel asked me what the two methods of working the railway are (meaning signalling). I was pleased to get this right; I've done several turns using both methods. They are:

• electric token block
• one train on line

Having checked the traffic roster, as has become my habit I was able to tell him that all boxes were open and so today we would be using Electric Token Block for the whole day; he was happy with that and asked if I had operated the Weybourne ground frame, which I have. In the event, the Weybourne signalman signed on on-time, which allowed us out of the yard under his control.

Time to get changed. On the way to the changing room, I passed the wheel lathe which had this coach wheelset set up on it. It looks like the near wheel is almost ready for another turn:

On the way to Sheringham, I assumed my usual role, calling out signals and hazards until Nigel told me that he preferred that unless it was an emergency, I was to leave calling out to the fireman - to save him being bombarded by folk calling out the same thing. Drivers are people and have different preferences! Later in the day, when I was firing, I realized this is quite a good approach and prepares you for when you are firing on your own, with out the assistance of a third man.

The train in the background is the Norfolk Lights Express, being fitted with its lights

Having arrived at Sheringham, we coupled up. We were here 90 minutes before we were due out, mainly to get the heating on in the dining train which had sat idle for days and was apparently damp and cold.

I learned that the headboards are kept in the dining set. For this trip we are carrying white discs on the bottom middle & right lamp irons (as you look from the drivers seat) which denote the head code for a Class 5 Empty Coaching Stock train.

Fireman Ralph looked after the fire for most of the day, with us sharing the watering, coupling & run around duties. Watching Ralph's technique, I noticed that he crouched very low to look at the place where he wanted the coal - I took over for the empty trip down from Holt to Sheringham and the light engine trip back to Weybourne, and found that using the same technique I could get the coal much further towards the front of the box.

On the way down, I took over the fireman's duties entirely, keeping the fire ticking over and adding water to the boiler as much as I could - the objective was to make sure that we could arrive at Weybourne with the boiler full and the fire very low. In the event, we needed more fire to get back from Sheringham so build it up a bit more in the station but I was pleased to arrive on shed with the boiler full.

Despite several Third Man turns, this was the first time I had disposed the locomotive; on arrival the signal box was still open so we were able to get into the yard without using the ground frame - the Signalman kindly stayed on for an extra 30 minutes to let us in. We stabled the loco over the ash pit and Driver Nigel & I went underneath - him with the rake and me with the hose and whilst Fireman Ralph cleaned the fire, I soaked the ash and Nigel raked it out.

Nigel moved it to a road outside the shed - there was still about 160 psig on the clock and the boiler was full. I cleared out the pit.

Until next year, that's the last of the rostered services for the B12. My next four turns are on the new Norfolk Lights Express, which will give me four days on the Standard 4MT, two round trips plus prep and disposal each day - most of which will be in the dark!

Turn 11 - Third Man on the 9F - again - and some Route Knowledge

I've learned recently that the kindly NNR Roster Clerk has made sure that cleaners are generally rostered Third Man as the season draws to a close, as a Christmas present - which is why I believe I have five Third Man turns on the trot. Rather a nice Christmas present!

This time, it's a green timetable which means we have four round trips at slightly different times, with no diesel service - we have the line to ourselves today. Both the signal boxes at Weybourne and Holt are closed, which means we have to work the ground frames to get out of the yard and to run around at Holt.

The clocks have now gone back and it is a bit lighter when I arrive on shed at 05:45. Fitter Bob is on the early turn this week, and he is nursing a sore head. We have the 9F again and it's great to be on a familiar loco; we have no cleaner today so we will have to see how it goes as it is all down to me until the rest of the crew arrive at 07:30.

The smokebox needs a clean but all is well in there; I have half a glass in both water gauges and the firebox has had a warming fire in it which still has a bit of life in it so I can just shake it through the grate on the rocking levers. Bob has taken out the baffle plate when he lit the warming fire the night before and there is wood, rags and paraffin already on board.

I set about laying the fire, covering the whole grate with a layer of coal, a layer of wood and then a few rags - it lights up easily as usual, and I open the main steam valve at the manifold and test the blower.

Next, I climb up the ladder on the tender and have a look at the water level - it's way down and I need to get the hose in there. I'm Third Man again today, so I'm keen to make sure I have all the equipment the Fireman brings on board - the flags and spare glasses are there, but I need a bucket of cold water and to sort out the lamps.

We are going to be running into dusk on the green service and there is a dining train this evening, so a crew will relieve us at 16:30 and do another two round trips starting at 18:30 - we will need lamps, and working lamps at that. There needs to be a white one on the leading end of the loco and a red one on the trailing end when we are light engine, though this will be replaced by a red lamp on the end of the train when we have a rake on the back.

The lamps are kept in a locked store in the yard, so I head down there with my keys selecting two matching black lamps. I open them both and take out the burners.

The burner has a windshield around it with the wick adjusting wheel outside, so you can adjust the flame without it blowing about:

You fold this back and you can see the lamp:

Undo the wick and check that there is paraffin in the lamp and the wick is in good shape:

This lamp is currently set up for the white aspect - to show a white light at the leading end of the locomotive. The red filter lives in a parking slot on the side.

You move the red aspect to the slot in the front of the lamp to use at the trailing end of the locomotive:

Once you've sorted out the filters you can light the lamp if it is still dark or leave it for later; then you hang them on the lamp irons in the appropriate position for the class of train you are hauling. For now, we hang them on the centre bottom bracket to show the signalman we are travelling Light Engine.

Then it's back to cleaning duties; first a bit of oil and 120 grit emery tape to clean the rust spots off the coupling rods:

While you are there, notice the centre driving wheels on this long 2-10-0 locomotive have no flanges - this is to allow it to negotiate tighter radius curves.

Cleaning done, ash pan emptied and coaled up, it is time for us to get changed and leave the yard for the day. Today is slightly unusual at least for me, since both Holt and Weybourne signal boxes are closed and there is no-one to let us out of the yard. I've been shown how to do this a couple of times, so it's time I did it on my own.

The ground frame is operated by the Long Section Staff, and contains four levers and a illuminated diagram of the yard and associated running lines:

The numbers on the levers correspond to the numbers on the diagram. First, the loco moves up to the headshunt - it is still in the yard, so can move freely. The first lever operates a signal on the road into the yard and tells anyone on that road to stop; the second operates a pair of points, which direct the running line to Sheringham into platform 1 and connect section 18A to platform 2. There is no danger of any other trains being present on the line because we have the Long Section Staff. The points are set to connect the headshunt (part of section 23) to section 18A using lever 3. The loco is signalled to move with lever 4, which operates the shunting signal 4. The loco moves out of the headshunt progressively moving into sections 23 and 18A, lighting the lamps as it goes; when it has cleared section 18A and the lamp goes out, you can set signal 4 to danger, set point 3 to connect the headshunt to the yard and set points 2 to allow the loco onto the running line. Finally, signal 1 is set to clear to allow loco movements out of the yard and into the headshunt.

You next switch out the ground frame by removing the Long Section Staff from the switch box and take it back to the loco in its holder. Next, order breakfast from the buffet.

On this trip, I noticed that Fireman Henry was careful with the coal, using it very sparingly. We arrived Light Engine at Sheringham with the fire like this:

See the firebars?

We had about 50 minutes before we had to leave, plenty of time to build the fire up and of course we did not want it either smoking in the station or blowing off. Fireman Henry knew that to go from Weybourne down to Sheringham used very little steam; while we were in the station he added coal (and so did I, later in the day while firing under his instruction) to the back and sides of the fire; he used the air coming through the middle to keep the smoke down while the fresh coal caught and he did not fill the middle until we were just past the Golf Club crossing, getting ready for Dead Man's hill.

One of the key elements of the training that you only achieve by practical experience is the application of your route knowledge - especially around changes to gradients - to the loco and how you manage it. The railway has a gradient profile which looks like this:

I've added some extra notes to the published drawing to help associate the gradients with particular features. These pictures illustrate those features and are taken from the NNR Route Knowledge training video, and run in the up direction from Sheringham to Holt.

You should note that these pictures are screengrabs from a video whose copyright is owned by the NNR and are shown here as an additional, personal aid to enable better understanding of the route, for volunteer crew on the NNR. They cannot be used for any commercial purpose.

It's important, even vital, to use this information to know when the driver will need steam and when he can coast and secondly when the coverage of water over the top of the firebox will rise and fall with gradient, acceleration and braking. Water is consumed as steam is used, and the use of the regulator raises the level in the glass masking the true level, so you need to get this information in your head.

Here goes:

The line from Sheringham Station rises at 1 in 330 until you get to the petrol station before Golf Club crossing, when it starts to fall at 1 in 333:

There's a few buildings on the landward side at the foot of the embankment, past the allotments. Here the line starts to rise at 1 in 97 - the is the beginning of Dead Man's Hill:

There's an occupation crossing at the top. Just past this, the line levels out:

Then at Dead Man's bridge, which takes the footpath up into Sheringham Park, the line starts to fall again at 1 in 100:

It falls into a cutting and curves inland towards Weybourne. When you emerge from the cutting the line levels out for a couple of track panels before it starts to rise at 1 in 80:

It continues to rise until you get to Weybourne station. For a short distance, from the beginning of the up platform ramp to ust the other side of Bridge 302, it rises at 1 in 264:

Then, when you leave the station it starts to rise up Kelling Bank at 1 in 80 again:

The hill continues up past Kelling Heath Halt, up through the cutting to Windpump Crossing:

After Windpump Crossing it falls at 1 in 214 until you are about half way around Averies Curve, when it starts to rise again at 1 in 104:

It rises at 1 in 104 for a short distance until you get to Bridge 299:

Then, it's level until you get to the Bridge Road Carriage Sheds when it starts to rise again at 1 in 451:

This gentle slope carries on until you reach Holt, when it gets a little steeper rising through the station at 1 in 279:

The headshunt at the end of platform 2 is level.

Here endeth the lesson.

We did four round trips on this turn; I fired up on two trips and down on one, which was great experience. I tried to carry on observing, sitting in the fireman's seat to do so and to perform the other duties, washing the floor with the slacker pipe which fortunately was not leaking today.

Come the end of the day, we took on water at Sheringham for the evening crew and drove the loco back to Weybourne to meet the relief crew. We cleaned the fire and ashed out before signing off.

As it was Hallowe'en, the loco wore a carved pumpkin on the lamp bracket that evening:

I hope you enjoyed reading about my latest adventure on the North Norfolk Railway. Here's a link to some of my past railway turns:

• Railway adventures with the wannabe retired engineer