Firstly, a Happy New Year to everyone ! Hello again. In this edition, we bring you a closer insight about Chief Mechanical Engineers, footplatemen, and a little railway humour. Thanks for inclusions go to Simon Smalley, Tony Wood, of the Watercress line, and numerous others for information gathered.
A steam loco requires a lot of preparation before it can be effectively used. This should give you, the reader, an insight to what occurred "behind the scenes", and still does on preserved railways; the exception being the call-up.
Raising steam was the job of lower grades in the "shed". This is a job which can't be hurried, as the loco has to expand evenly. Usually, the loco had been left with a full boiler and the fire "dropped" into the ash-pit by the last crew. This practice meant that raising steam was somewhat easier for the improvers, without having to top-up the boiler as required before lighting up. The water level in the boiler could be gauged by means of a level glass mounted in the cab.
As steam pressure increased toward working pressure, callers would be sent to fetch crewmen from their homes or lodgings. The callers would normally be apprentices in their first positions in the shed, and had to be fairly fit as little time could be wasted. Callers weren't always popular, either; resulting in a chase back to the shed and an alternative "Queen's English" being demonstrated.
Once at the shed, the crewmen would sign on, and be allocated a loco. They would collect their tokens for the machine and exchange them for the necessary tools, lubricants, etc. They would then check for alterations of their "road" and then on to checking and oiling the loco. This involved lubricating all bearings, checking the fire for an even burn, coal and water levels, etc., steam leaks, washing down the smokebox platform and footplate and fitting lamps to donate a light engine. The crew would then move the loco to the water tower and coaling stage as appropriate, then to the turntable if required.
When this was completed, the signalman would be 'phoned and the loco manoeuvred to it's required position on the instructions of the signalman.
It wasn't uncommon for crews to spend considerable hours on duty, and the answer to this came in the form of a firing shovel, cleaned in a steam ejector jet, greased, and eggs, bacon and sausages fried and served with thick, crusty bread. Hot drinks were provided by keeping a caddy on the oil-warmer, which does a stirling job of warming anything. The only problem concerning this variety of cooking was that if someone opened the regulator, it went up in smoke ! It seems that preservation crews still carry on this legacy.
The fireman was a crucial part of the team. He shared the responsibilities of the locomotive and train, and a good crew would be elevated to the position of "Top- link". The "Top-link" crews would be selected for crack express duties, Royal trains, and the like. Apart from keeping the fire in good order and keeping an eye on steam pressure, water levels, vacuum pressure, etc., he was also in charge of "taking water". This required a watchful eye, as an overfill would give the crew an early bath.
Sir Nigel Gresley - Was a protege of Ivatt , who became aware of his capabilities, and saw great things coming from the young engineer. Having had experience at the Lancashire & Yorkshire, following 5 years at Crewe and 3 years at Horwich, Mr. H.N. Gresley had eventually been elevated to the position of Carriage & Wagon Superintendent within the works of Doncaster in 1905. Due in part to his progressive thinking, Gresley was subsequently appointed successor to Ivatt in 1911, which made him a C.M.E. at the age of 35 years!
His first designs were 0-6-0's with 68" wheels which lent themselves towards mixed traffic duties, culminating in the "A" series pacifics which became a household legend within their own lifetime, and immortalised in railway history by "Mallard". The only drawback to his three cylindered locos was that the linkage to the centre valve gear was prone to failure. Like all streamliners, the A4's had to lose part of their dressing, but due to the very nature of construction, the loss was minimal, and they retained their sleek appearance.
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Sir William Stannier - Originally of Great Western, produced the "Princess" and later the "Duchess" class locos used for heavy express duties on the L.M.S. routes. The G.W.R. heritage of these machines was evident by the positioning of the cylinders and the design of cross-heads and guides. Various Black Fives bore the Stannier boiler, and the same was later employed on the Jubilee class, which uprated their power output considerably.
The Duchess started life as a somewhat ugly streamliner, in keeping with the L.N.E.R. practice to mark the royal coronation, but this was removed at the outbreak of WW2 to faciliate easier maintenance. This produced a classic outline, which we know today.
O.V.Bullied - Produced some of the most unusual and radical designs ever seen on the British railway network. His pacifics possessed a chain-driven valve gear running in an oil bath, which was prone to major failure ( also raising the habit of engines catching fire). Other features were Boxpoc wheels which were not spoked but cast, and a squared air smoothing lending itself toward a modern diesel appearance. His strangest design must have surely been the 0-6-0 tendered "Q1", which without running boards and a square section boiler with inside valve gear gave them a skeletal look. Even though he'd spent some years under Sir Nigel Gresley, this had no effect on a radical designer, a man of learning, charm and integrity with an extremely keen and original mind. The pacifics eventually lost the streamlining and troublesome valve gear and went on to be quite remarkable machines right up to the end of steam operation on B.R.
Churchward & Collett - Great Western engineers, and traditionalists at that. The designs from these two men came in all manner of shape and size, but with one thing in common - copper capped chimneys and brass steam domes ( reminiscent of their predecessor, Daniel Gooch. This was a hall mark of the Swindon works, the last loco to be adorned this way was 922220 Evening Star. Though being a Riddles design, it was built at Swindon, and emerged in express passenger green with "all the trimmings". This was the only one of it's class so presented. The G.W.R. employees held a tangible pride in their jobs; anything which could be polished was, and stations were a delight to see. The accompanying photo shows why Great Western locos are still a strong preference with photographers.
Not everything concerning the railways was serious. It also has it's lighter moments, as I've included below!
Some years ago, a loco crew came upon a dead sheep on the line. Fearing it may have been hit by a previous train, they got down to investigate, and found the unfortunate animal stiff with rigor mortis (and thus having been dead for some time). Accordingly, they did the obvious thing: took it back to the field and left it standing up with one leg supported by a stone.
The controls of a steam loco are like those of a sports car - tell it to go, and it will. This was proven by a young man trying his hand at the regulator of a 2-10-0 Ruddles 9F, whose enthusiasm with the regulator ended in a spectacular fireworks display and a close inspection of the coal in the tender for all on the footplate, with a panicky dive for the regulator as the 9F went into full gallop from a standing start!
Well, I think that's all for this outing. Next time, it'll be signalling, a guide of where to take the kids ( and the bigger ones ), and a chance to have a few of those questions answered. Hopefully, I've wet your appetites for something different to do with the family during those long holidays, if only to beat the boredom ! If space permits, perhaps something on rolling stock, and a flashback item.
Bye!