Turn 45 - Preparing the B12, disposing the WD and Brake Blocks

There is something rather splendid about early mornings at the railway. The sun rises over Sheringham and you leave the shed to be greeted by your local waiting patiently in the yard, still warm from the previous day and maybe bubbling just a little. Today, Fitter Rudy and Third Man Paul are here today, and since Third Man Paul will be with the loco all day I take the firebox when he has cleaned the smokebox. While he clears it, I busy myself collecting a hand brush and a bucket of paraffin soaked rags for lighting up. I check over the controls and find half a glass, and checking the gauges reveals that one of the drains is quite blocked - the glass won't clear. The loco has a 20 psi left in the boiler and I use this to blow the blockage clear.

Next, I climb in the firebox with my jemmy and torch, protected with a dust mask and a hat and pull up a few firebars to brush the remains of yesterdays fire into the ashpan. It's pretty warm in there and there are some glowing coals near the front.

A little while later I am on the shovel, laying the fire over the grate and making sure I have it well covered at the front. I have a look with my torch when my back feels that I am almost finished and find some holes near the back, so I take pains to fill those in. Next, I wrap a rag around a piece of long, thin timber - a bit of fence panel, set fire to it and throw it to the front left, followed by one to the front right and several more pieces of thin wood, before coming backward to the middle and rear corners. I leave it for a while, adding more burning rags to areas that have not lit well, more wood, and soon I have a blazing fire all over the grate:

I'm very pleased with this, though writing up these notes I realise I neglected to look at the position of the dampers!

Next, it's on to cleaning the boiler wrapper and frames with oil & paraffin. She comes up well like this:

Fireman Dan has arrived by now and takes over the fire, and Driver Mark has set about his oiling up duties. He brings his own lamps:

She's come around well and we are on the pit by 07:30, though Mark has driven down there on the handbrake.

Weybourne and Holt boxes are both closed today so the railway operates Single Train On Line. I head down to the SoP to sign out the Long Section Staff, and let them out of the yard using the ground frame.

Next, it's rag chopping time. It's hopeless cleaning with synthetic rags and most of these go in the lighting up bin - likewise, socks and other tiny items. I leave the rag bin full of chopped cotton sheets and towels and go and meet the 10:00 from Sheringham to collect my breakfast:

Next job, dispose the WD. Someone has rocked the grate but since I have time I climb in and brush all the ash around the edges clear.

Then, it's into the shop. The 9F needs it's brake blocks changed, so I assist Fitter Alex with the job. First task is to disconnect the rear brake cylinder (there are two on this locomotive and the front one is already disconnected) and use a chain puller to haul the hangers away from the wheels:

I attach the puller to one of the frame stretchers. The blocks are cast iron, huge and very heavy. Alex, who is outside does most of the lifting assisted with a trolley jack and it's my job to guide them into place an fit the pins, which go from the inside out:

I make sure the pins are coated in Copperslip as I push them in, aided by a hammer where persuasion is in order:

Done. There are ten of these, and that takes the rest of the shift:

Outside, the Gronk has been cleaned and it looks better than it has in years: