Turn 75 - Cleaner on the 9F

 Every so often, I get rostered a cleaning turn which I rather enjoy. It's a lot less stressful than a footplate turn, mainly because I'm fully confident by now in all the things a cleaning turn entails. Secondly it's very sociable, because you get to reconnect with all the folk in the shed.

Cleaning turns on NLE days are a bit short though. You sign on at 12:00, and the loco goes at 15:18 or so which means that by the time you have cleared up it's almost dark and the shed guys are getting ready to go home. I decided to go a bit early - so after I had walked Max on the beach I headed down to Weybourne, arriving just before 11:00.

Max, chilling on our bed

Cleaner Jacob was rostered to do his third Third Man turn today, and I was wondering how to give him some experience he would get value from, rather than shadow what I was doing. I decided to clean the smokebox and the grate, so he could come straight in and light up - hopefully gaining 45 minutes or so, so he could go at his own pace and we would still be on time to get off - this is not the quickest engine to get into steam!

I had a look a the brick arch and showed it to fitter Alan. It's falling to bits, and she will need a new one before next season. While Jacob lit the fire, I put the hose in the tender and raked a load of coal forward.

With Fireman Alan (Fitter Alan in a different hat) and Driver Bryan on board, I was becoming a bit of a spare part, so I went to make some tea. Time was getting away so Driver Bryan (who is also a diesel driver) fired up the Class 08 D3940 to move the 9F onto the pit, so that we could complete the oiling up. I followed along to revise my knowledge of these fabulous little beasts. This one will give you 35,000 lbf tractive effort, which is almost as much as the 9F - but it is half the weight.

By the time we had the shunter ready, there was about 40 psi on the clock - almost enough to go under it's own steam. Driver Bryan had used the bent dart to push the fire around the box and bring it on a bit faster, followed by a round of coal. 

With oiling up complete and the ash pan washed out, there was about 45 minutes to go with 160 on the clock and 1/4 glass in the boiler. Since I wasn't going anywhere, I stayed on the footplate whilst the crew went to change, putting another round on the very hot fire which served to bring it up to 200. By the time they were back I had the boiler up to 3/4 and had shut the dampers to calm the fire down - she's a big loco - she takes a while to get going but when she goes, she goes.

And that was it for me - a bit of pit cleaning and yard work, another tea and a chat, and it was time to head home.