This summer's heat wave brought about the cancelation of the usual NNR Steam Gala, and the plan was to run the gala in conjunction with the October M&GNJRS Member's Day, when the risk of lineside fires had receded. In the event, no suitable visiting locos were available to add to the home fleet, so the Member's Day was extended to become the NNR 'Autumn Showcase' with the M&GNJRS owned Y14, WD and EE Class 31 supplemented by the 7F.
For me, the day promised another Grand Day Out with a full 12 hour shift firing the Y14, with the vintage set on the back - with some warm sunny weather to top it off. I signed on at 06:30, as the diagram had us booking off at 18:30 - we can't do more than 12 hours. Fitter Bob had lit up the Y14.
She'd been out the day before, so all I had to do was raise steam, get some water in the tender and clean her up a bit.
Driver Ed and I made our way down to Sheringham, waiting in platform 1 whilst the 7F hauled the Quad-Arts out of platform 2. Our set was waiting behind them, so we had to move back over the points and into platform 2 to tie on. The great thing about the vintage set is that there's a lot of space to stand while you are hooking on, even if you have an audience from the veranda of the Wisbech & Upwell Tramcar!
We made four uneventful round trips; I was pleased to arrive at Holt on the first up with 150 psi on the clock and a full boiler. After the second trip, I had the irons in the fire breaking up clinker. I wasn't going to have a repeat performance of the last time I was out on this loco, and as suspected it was building a nice thick layer at both the front and back of the grate.
That's ovoids for you.
On the second down trip, Driver Ed requested that I aim for 1/2 to 3/4 of a glass, rather than the full glass that I normally end up with. I decided with his agreement to let the engine blow off some steam to bring the level down, and we spent the rest of the day at a lower level - it's tricky though, I found the pressure yo-yoing on the down trips as I fed it lightly to avoid having to use the injectors to control the pressure - I used the blower, the door and the damper to keep the fire under control, using the injectors only when I was sure he would use the steam.
As is usual for a gala weekend, or call it what you will, there were lots of people about to chat and ask questions, lots of people taking pictures, and two little chaps with their Nan who asked if I remembered them when they came last time when I was Second Man on the Class 37. As it happened I did - they were both very engaging and delightfully bowled bits of coal into the firebox for me as we waited for the goods train to come up.
I cleaned the fire again on the 3rd trip, whilst waiting in Holt, and again after the fourth while waiting in Sheringham for the set to be pulled off. Both times it was worth doing, and all I had to do at disposal was break up some of the biggest lumps.
We'd arrived with a full boiler and 140 psi on the clock, which easily replaced the water lost while we cleaned the fire for the last time.
A great turn.
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