Turn 107 - Second Man on the 20 & 25

 Tuesday this week and we are still in the middle of the heatwave; apparently Norfolk Fire & Rescue had over 700 calls, and our neighbours barley is not yet harvested so we are morally bound to keep the diesel-only service running. Driver Stuart and I expected to be rostered to the Class 25, but showed up at Weybourne to find that we were down for the 20 and the 25 was already being prepped by the other crew...

She's a fine machine, with a good view out of the back; less so from the front, as I mentioned last time. Apparently, when these are run in multiple (which they often are, since they are only 1000 bhp (Type 1) locos) they are run nose to nose, so you can see out of both ends.

Here's both of the locos waiting for the day's service to begin. At this point, the RO appeared asking why us crews were on the wrong locos - apparently we were supposed to have the 25 after all, to do with one of the driver's needing to get his competency ticket signed off...

We agreed to swap part way through the day, on the second down trip.

When the time came to swap, we jumped off at Weybourne and went to claim our new loco in platform 1, for the third up trip. Driver Tony, from the 25, told us all was well but there was a bit of a diesel leak.

We stopped for a look at Holt.

And boy was there a diesel leak. With the injector covers off, two of the feed hoses had a total of five pin holes which were busily spraying diesel between them - something we found when we re-started the engine to pressurise the fuel header.

I called the duty fitter, spoke to guard to warn him we had a problem and we made our way to Weybourne. You can switch the injectors off individually, but there was no point - the feed hoses would still be pressurised and would still leak...

Duty Fitter Alex was well prepared, with three new hoses in his locker:

It took him five minutes to change out the hoses - he was ready waiting for us with the parts and the spanners:

And we were on our merry way again, less than five minutes late. Better than a Formula 1 pit crew!

The 25 has a sumptuous cabin compared to the 20, which I made use of when I drove it, Light Engine, back to shed after our service was finished.

Another cracking day out on the North Norfolk Railway.

Turn 106 - Second Man on the Class 20

 Still in the heat wave and we have another Second Man turn with Driver Peter and Observer Andy, this time on the Class 20.

Here's a new experience - fuelling a diesel - we take on 500 litres for the 48 miles we will be doing today; judging by the 1 mpg we did on the Class 31, that will be plenty.

We did four round trips today, sharing the Second Man role with Observer Andy. I started the day doing observing, signals and the tablet exchange on my side while Andy did hooking on and tablet on his side - the Class 20 cab is not so spacious, and we swapped for the third and fourth trips, with me supervising. This was good training for dealing with a Third Man on steam.

Unfortunately, a problem with the braking system - rising vacuum when either driver valve was in the full service position prevented Driver Peter and I swapping sides during the day...

The driver's view shows you why you need a second man on this loco:

At the end of the day, Peter offered me a drive, Light Engine, from Sheringham to Weybourne Yard. I could get used to this!

Turn 105 - Second Man on the Class 31

 We're in the middle of a heatwave, over 35°C in the middle of the country and in the low 30's here in Sheringham and in deference to the fire risks and the discomfort steam crews endure in the heat, the railway is running diesel-only services for a few days. Those of us lucky enough to be rostered firing turns are therefore moved into the Second Man's seat on the diesel replacement services.

Today, it's a red services and I am on the 'B' loco crew. On this diagram, the steam loco does the first three trips and the diesel loco or DMU does two more trips after the steam service is finished; today, we are doing all five round trips.

Driver Tony and I are rostered to the M&GN JRS Class 31 number D5631, built by Brush Traction at Loughborough and delivered to Norwich Shed (32a) in 1960.

The day starts with loco prep, but this is very different from the cleaning and lighting up that we would do on a steam loco - it's limited to level checks of the engine, exhausters, compressors and turbochargers by torchlight (put one in your pocket next time) followed by brake testing and fuelling.

Here's the Drivers desk

And here's why you can drive these things solo - the field of view is enormous.

We did five round trips, with me, the Second Man, doing all the hooking off & on, tablet exchange & tea runs.

The running around procedure is a bit different from a steam engine - whilst the Driver can change ends to go in either direction, he doesn't want to do that three times to run around, so the Second Man takes the rear cab when pulling away from the train, switches the points in the head shunt, acts as the Shunter on the run around, signalling the Driver to move forward until the Driver is past the crossover at the end of the run around, when he is at the correct end again to go onto the train. He only has to change ends once, when you are tied on to go back.

The Second Man has the clear view, but there's no driver!

Coming onto the train, the driver is at the front and the Second Man is at the back again:

Back in Sheringham at the end of service, Train A is already in Platform 1 so we leave our train outside the box. The station pilot pulls it in to let the passengers off:

Now it's my turn to drive, but first I set the head code for the last time using the banners:

I take the loco up to Weybourne and into the yard. My first drive of a Diesel Electric!

Turn 104 - Cleaning the Y14, YDC, and yet more trimmings

Saturday dawns and its up at 05:00 for a cleaning turn and NNRYDC day. We've a full crew on shed today with Duty Fitter Alex, me and Cleaner Oliver alongside Third Man Brad, and joining us later, Driver Andy and Fireman Carl. I enjoy cleaning turns, and try to do one per month and make it coincide wit Youth Development Club day, which is always fun. 

My plan today is to make some more trimmings for stock after the loco has gone out, as I know that the Y14 axle box trimmings are needing regular replacement for some reason - they are coming out with their tails missing.

Third Man Brad lights up, and after I have put the hose in the tender I start polishing; Cleaner Oliver starts on the boiler.

With four of us working, the loco looks excellent when there is enough steam for her to go on the pit. Fireman Carl releases the handbrake:

On the pit, Carl and Brad attend to the tender axle boxes:

It's a hot day, and the Y14 is getting two buckets of bituminous coal, Oliver and I gat out of the way while coal dust settles on our lovely polished paint:

A second bucket goes in. The Y14 will do four trips on the red service, plus two more on the evening dining train.

The heap needs trimming to make sure none of it falls off and causes an injury:

The Class 37 is hauling the second set today - the DMU is in the shop with a damaged head gasket.

Breakfast comes up on the first train. There's bacon, sausage and egg, with tomatoes, mushrooms and a cup of coffee from the station buffet - the shed mess room is out of milk...

IT's about 10:45, the YDC are here but they are busy cleaning the Class 08, painting the Low-Mac and chopping wood. I start my trimmings by making some 3-strand, 6 leg tail type trimmings. The wires that have been in use are are much too long - I take 1/2" out of most of them and make up more than two sets for the Y14:

It's almost 14:00 by the time I am done:

My next turn is on a few days time, and it will be my first turn on a diesel - Second Man on the Class 25. A new adventure!

Turn 103 - Fireman on the Y14

Wednesday comes again at last - it's been ten days or so since my last turn, which was a Saturday evening diner. I make the (bad) decision to rock up in time for my booked sign-on time of 07:00, actually arriving at 06:40 to find Driver Christian lighting up with three fitters and new cleaner Michael - nothing wrong in that technically, but what if we had had a more difficult loco and there was only the Duty Fitter about, and there had been a second loco to light up? I resume my normal duties and take over the fire, which has been lit up on the pile of ovoids left in the tender and needs some more wood.

I go and collect the lamp and discs:

New cleaner Michael makes a lovely job of the paintwork, and we are on the pit just after 08:00. There's not much ash.

It's going to be a good day. Duty Fitter Alan treats us to two scoops of real, bituminous coal - the only ovoids are in a slowly decreasing heap I have moved to the side of the tender where I can dip into them when I want.

We make four round trips: I'm doing most of the hooking on & off, Driver Christian does all the tea runs which makes life much easier for me as I hardly have to leave the footplate. We have a dining train running in the 'third path' in the latter part of the day, so I am careful to 'go between' from the platform:

On the fourth up, Driver Chris motions me into his seat above Weybourne to take the train into Holt - he's already got it in second valve and all I need to do is notch up until we get to Wind Pump, where I shut off and go into full forward gear as we coast down the other side. The Y14 is a slide valve engine and coasting is done in full gear. I open up again as we negotiate Averies, shutting off to pass the crossover going into Holt Platform 1. I stop about 10 yards short, and Chris unhooks.

I run the loco around and back onto the water crane, which I overshoot by several feet and have to go back. Coming forward again, I overshoot by about two feet which is workable...

The problem with being two feet from the stopping point is that it's hard to hold the bag in the tender - and I end up with a wet leg.

Later in the day, when the lunch service started, the importance of having a bucket of water on the footplate became apparent. On the third up, we had two sleeper fires to put out; on the fourth, there were five! There's been no rain around here for weeks and the ground is tinder dry. When sleepers reach the end of their life and start to disintegrate, there is a lot of dry rotting wood around which catches tiny bits of hot ash...

Because of this risk, we are encouraged to keep the dampers closed as much as possible to prevent sleeper fires and to avoid firing with the regulator open, which encourages sparks and hot ash to fly up from the fire and pass out of the chimney resulting, if you are unlucky, with lineside fires.

Back in Sheringham after the fourth down trip, we waited for the 4MT to head back to Weybourne after the conclusion of the lunch service. While we waited, I ran the loco around to Platform 2 to wait for the platform starter signal.

With the starter cleared I drove back to Weybourne Light Engine, to wait again at Weybourne Platform 1 for the down diesel to clear platform 2; we were then signalled up to Bridge 301 and back down into the yard, where we waited a while for the 4MT to finish on the pit.

I think I must have been pretty excited about all the driving I'd been doing, because I forgot to clean fire before ashing out and had to do it again!

Next time it's a cleaning turn with the Youth Development Club, then a new experience, a Second Man turn on the Class 25 - the current plan is that to reduce the fire risk during this hot spell, the summer red service will be supported by a steam loco and a diesel loco, in place of two steam locos.

Turn 102 - Fireman on the 9F: Evening Dining Train

 Another evening turn, this time a dining train. This is actually my tenth firing turn, so I am no longer considered the new boy and I can actually swap sides on my next turn which will be interesting!

Arriving on a Saturday afternoon at 16:25 there is predictably no one about. Pete Waterman's Class 25 is here though, and very smart she is too:

The 7f is in the shop for washout, and the B12 is slowly coming apart for her 10 year overhaul:

On my way to the mess room, we see the WC 'Sidmouth' boiler which is progressing nicely; the foundation ring has been repaired with new sections:

Next stop, fill the tea can. As we are on an evening service, there is no buffet and no tea!

Chatting to the platform staff, I learn that apparently the 9f has been back on shed for much of the day, and the 37 has been used for the second and third trip - the 9F brakes have been sticking on, though they appear to have been fixed. Third Man and Shed Fitter Tom later complains that his day job has caught up with his weekend job as he has spent most of the day fixing the brake valve...

I divert to the loo before I join the loco. It's the original, restored station toilet:

The 9F arrives with the boiler sitting at 220 psig, a full tender water tank and very few ovoids in the coal space. I take the bent dart and clean the fire - there is quite a lot of clinker at the back.

Sitting in the headshunt having dropped the ash pan, we wait for the 4MT to come in to the yard before we can leave.

Our train is waiting in Sheringham Platform 1. I build up the fire and fill the boiler, and leaving at 19:00 manage a good trip all the way up arriving with 3/4 of a glass and the boiler at 210 psig. I remembered to go heavy on back corners and lighter in the middle. A very successful trip.

Dinner is served.

We arrived back in Sheringham in good time after a delay at Holt, related to the generator in the dining set, and took on water. The second up is a bit too light on the front, running up at just over 200 all the way but making more steam after Wind Pump - I added some extra coal around the middle and front going in to Averies, and when we got in to Holt I could see that the very front of the box was a bit thin.

We lit the lamps for the run down as it was getting dark.

Back in Sheringham it was time to say our goodbyes and get ready to return to shed for disposal. The pilot, which had been waiting in Platform 1 ran on to our train to pull off the stock and as he pulled away I built the fire up a bit while waiting for the platform starter. Building it up some more as we went up, and filling the boiler, we arrived 190 psig with a full glass and Driver Fozz set me down at Platform 2 so I could go back to the ground frame to let us in. 

Running over the bars with the irons, it was clear there was no clinker - we had been running predominantly with fossil coal, with very little Wildfire. The boiler was still at 160 psi after disposal and filling boiler.

A very good turn, with no problems on my side nor for the loco brakes -  I think we had the best of the day.