The nights are drawing in! Up at 5:00, and it's still a bit dark though it is pretty overcast here in North Norfolk. Cleaner Jacob & I arrive on shed at 06:00 to find we are rostered to the 9F; Fireman Phil is already there. Phil decides that I should light up so we head down to the loco where Jacob sorts out the smokebox before I build the fire and light up. He moves on to the running boards and boiler next, though it's not a very happy place - I can hear him coughing as he works through the belching smoke from the cold fire. Opening the firehole door for a quick look reminds me its best not to attempt to clean the footplate until the blower is working:
For a change, I stay on the footplate to raise steam. The fireman's job amongst other things is to clean the footplate - the backhead, brass, windows & floor while he goes about his duties tending the boiler.
I concentrate firing around the edges of the grate, warming the firebox but keeping the hole in the middle to avoid raising steam too quickly.
Since the 9F was washed out last week, there is no blowdown to do. I test the injectors anyway, and pull the coal forward - if you get the Duty Fitter to drop the new coal as far forward in the tender coal space as possible, you will have less raking to do during the day which saves a lot of effort.
Fireman Phil asked what I want to do. I haven't fired the first trip too often, and this can be tricky as the fire is new and the engine is cold, so I elect to do the first and third trips. We go down to Sheringham on time for our breakfast, giving us 40 minutes to get there, tie on, eat, make up the fire and get off at 10:00. Guard Seb is there to meet us with five coaches and the CCT - 156.5 tonnes of train to haul around all day:
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| Guard Seb, making sure we are hooked on |
The trip up was fine, and we arrived in Weybourne with over 200 on the clock and a full glass. I had fired heavily as we left Sheringham and maintained the pressure at just under 240 while we waited for the 'right away'. At Weybourne, we sat under the bridge with the door open and the fire raging, and me running an injector every 30 seconds to keep from blowing off. I fired again as we went over the points and ran an injector for the last time as we cleared the crossover - and then Driver Graeme started to use the steam as we charged up the hill. By now the door was shut and I sat back relaxing in my seat.
The water went back on halfway up the cutting and stayed on until Aviaries; we arrived in Holt with it in the top quarter and the boiler pressure still over 220, though she was hardly making steam - ideal, for we had a 25 minute layover to run around.
As has become usual, I kept adding to the fire lightly all through our stay at Holt, in the back corners, at the front, and down the sides towards the back leaving the hole to form in the middle and leaving the area immediately under door to thin, so I could see what was going on. On the way down, I kept this up but filled the middle in - you use a fair bit of water on the down trip and you can't put it back with a cold fire.
At Sheringham, we ran around while I made the fire up; Phil jumped off to get some tea and Graeme and I took on water. When I'm Third Man, I try to behave as though the Fireman is not there - so I'll prepare the fire as though I am uncoupling, taking water or fetching tea to prepare for the days when I am on my own. On this trip, I handed over to Phil after watering for him to fire the second trip.
I took over from Phil again at the end of the second trip, before we ran around at Sheringham, and I took on water and fired the third trip. This was a bit disappointing - going up to Weybourne was fine but the pressure had dropped to 180 psi by the time we had got to Holt, though no-one said anything and in many peoples eyes this would be fine. To me though it was an indication that I was not in control and a look in the firehole revealed a big hole in front right, which I had not seen because the back was ablaze. I need to concentrate on the mental picture of fire - I had a notion that I was firing the back & sides and that nothing was going forwards.
No matter, it was recovered by the time we were back in Weybourne on the way down.
Phil fired 4th trip up and asked me if I wanted to fire to dispose - I agreed (of course) and he handed over the fire at Holt, saying he had set me a bit of a challenge. I don't think he meant to really, but there was half a glass and a thin fire. Phil always fires thin, which he has taught me before and in many ways it gives you a very flexible fire; I fire the BR standards by the book - big horseshoe around the back and sides.
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| Graeme, Phil & Me |
Anyhow, I know how to deal with a thin fire and started making it up gradually as soon as he handed over - little bit on the back and sides, let it catch, do it again; a bit more around the edges of the gaping hole in the middle and that will catch and the pressure will come up - then you can get some water in. The fire was blazing by the time we started back to Sheringham and I had the water on whenever Graeme was not using the steam.
By the time we reached Sheringham the boiler was full again, and the pressure was around 220. I used small bits of coal, and the dust to keep it going without adding much to it and Graeme was gentle with the regulator on the way up.
We arrived at Weybourne as planned, with the boiler still full and around 180 on the clock, though she was still making steam slowly. As usual, we had to wait for the down train to arrive and depart before we could get into the yard, and I continued to feed the fire gently - you can get rid of the fire quite easily, but if it's not there you can't add water. By the time we arrived on the pit we had over 200 on the clock and she was still making steam.
As we tidied up the footplate and Driver Graeme made his checks, the pressure was getting close to 240. We were using no steam, so it sat there while Fireman Phil washed down the ash pan and I cleaned the fire; for once, I didn't jump off and clear out the pit but stayed on the loco as we stabled it outside the shed. I added more water to fill the boiler completely knowing that the level would fall as it cooled overnight, and by the time I had finished the pressure had dropped to 180 psi. Graeme & Phil collected their kit as I brushed the last of the coal dust off the footplate.
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| At disposal - picture by Steve Allen |
And best of all? No blowing off all day!
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