Turn 155 - Firing the 4MT: Fish & Chips

 It's Wednesday evening, and we are on shed at 16:30 for the Fish & Chip service with Driver Fozz, a nice easy one-trip turn where you get fed!

Fitter Alan coals the 4MT for the next day - the loader is going for service and won't be available in the morning, so we are coaling today. The day crew have ashed out, and amongst to merry banter on the footplate I keep the fire hot while we wait for the Signalman to lock out the box for us to travel One Train On Line.

It's come to that time of year, at least for the chipper - the lamps are lit for a non-stop Class 1 service, though we don't need steam heat yet.

The chipper has a 30 minute non-stop trip time to Holt, which gives the driver time to eat his dinner as we chuff slowly along. The slow pace takes it out of the fire though and I'm on the shovel out of Sheringham, down Dead Man's, into Weybourne and down into Aviaries. I'm very pleased to arrive in Holt with 3/4 of a glass though.

Going down, I keep the fire hot with little & often around the box and we have more than 3/4 in the glass when we arrive in Sheringham. I fire lightly before we run around and the pressure is coming up as we take water; I fire a bit more heavily to take us up as I want to make sure I have a virtually full boiler by the time we get on the pit.

She doesn't drop below 200 psi all the way up and I'm pleased to find very little water space in the glass as I clean the fire.

Next turn, as Driver Fozz reminds me, is my assessment - in two weeks time.

Gulp.