Turn 87 - Third Man on the WD

 This time next week, I shall be on the railway for my Firing Test, so I'm hoping in these next couple of turns to remind myself what to do!

It's a red service today, with two steam hauled trains rostered to provide seven round trips between them, plus two trips by DMU at the end of the day. We are rostered to the second loco, which goes out a half hour later and provides three round trips.

Fireman Steve is here early, and when I have finished cleaning the rather damp WD smokebox he lights up. Fireman Paul has the Y14, which is replacing the 7F which has sprung a leak in the tender water tank. The BR Standard 4MT is being lit up as well - it will haul the Ivatt 2MT down to Sheringham for it's return trip to the KWVR, and it's mainline equipment is being refitted and commissioned for the Cromer dining trains to start.

As I stand here on the tender, wiping down the dusty paint I see the day is rather overcast.

Fitter Bob provided a loader full of coal for us, delivered to the front of the tender such that we didn't have to do too much shovelling. I climbed up to trim it off before heading back to the changing room to get out of my filthy boiler suit.

Fireman Steve fired the first two trips, and I climbed around hooking on, handling the token and the water crane. The boiler didn't get much over 160 on the first trip, but by the end of the second it was over 200 psi and ready to play.

I took over the shovel on the second down trip, at Weybourne with a full boiler and a lot of fire - I didn't need to do much until we were back at Sheringham where I laid a bit on to keep the fire hot while we ran around and took on water.

By the time we came to leave for the third trip, Fireman Steve was in the driving seat and I had the boiler full and sitting at around 220 psi; driver Graeme was predicting that she would blow off. The valves weren't even feathering, and we set off out of the station and over the crossing with no drama. I decided not to fire again until we were at the top of Dead Man's, and she was still sitting above 200 by the time we got to Weybourne. I fired again when the down service arrived, and we set off up the hill.

By this time, I had put my forged Bulldog shovel aside and I was using the company shovel. The thing is with these wide firebox locos, you have to get the coal into the back corners if you are to avoid getting holes there. My Bulldog forged shovel is very flat, and it's very difficult to get the coal into the corners - you need a shovel with more of an angle to it. I've now repaired my cranked pressed shovel and I'll use that next time I fire the WD or the 9F.

The fourth round trip wasn't quite so good as the third - we were running at between 180 and 200 as Driver Graeme is a bit more enthusiastic with the regulator than Fireman Steve. Fireman Steve was in the tender during this trip, whenever we were stationary - he had the loco the next day, and wanted to pull the coal forward to prepare for that - and it helped me out as well.

It all went wrong on the way to dispose though. I was convinced I had enough fire when I left Sheringham, and the water was in the top of the glass as we romped up the hill - but of course by the time we were on the pit it was just over half full and the boiler was at 160 psi, recovering very slowly with a hole in the front left. I attempted to fill this and failed; and I left it alone while Driver Graeme checked underneath. It had risen to 180 when he was out again, and I managed to get it above 3/4 full; we stabled the loco and I cleaned the pit.

By the time we were done with disposal, the boiler was over the top nut and the injectors were dropping out - a bit close for comfort. I always say it's much easier to get rid of too much fire than re-heat a cool boiler, and I will be following that adage next time.