Driving a Steam Engine
Discussion
I consider myself rather lucky to have been invited to spend a day playing with trains. More specifically a good friend of mine who is involved with the West Somerset Railway has asked me to spend a day with him on the footplate driving their ex GWR 2-8-0 2884 Class loco number 3850. It's 20 miles each way and we'll be pulling a freight train up and down about 4 times each way during the day. Sounds like being fun, I'll need to dig out my 1/2 pint white enamel tea mug and red spotted neck scarf 
West Somerset Railway 2-8-0 number 3850 lifts an excursion from London out of Watchet on its way to Minehead.
Author Geoff Sheppard
West Somerset Railway 2-8-0 number 3850 lifts an excursion from London out of Watchet on its way to Minehead.
Author Geoff Sheppard
Edited by RichB on Sunday 18th January 12:05
RichB said:
I'll need to dig out my 1/2 pint white enamel tea mug and red spotted neck scarf
You've been watching too many 1950s "westerns" on TV 
No footplateman in his right mind in the UK would wear a red spotted neck scarf. They only wear those when they're trying to escape Indian ambushes, and you won't be getting many of those in Bishop's Lydeard or Watchet or Williton (best be careful in Blue Anchor though - that's bandit country...)
The white enamel billy can will, of course, be fine, warming the tea up nicely above the firehole door. Don't forget to take a knife and fork to drink it with, though
... And don't forget the obligatory Ginsters Pastie which will heat up nicely in the wrapper on any hot pipework in the cab
If you're feeling more adventurous you could have a fry up on the shovel (not with the regulator open for obvious reasons) or even open the smokebox door for jacket potatoes in foil. A joint of pork is nice too
If you're feeling more adventurous you could have a fry up on the shovel (not with the regulator open for obvious reasons) or even open the smokebox door for jacket potatoes in foil. A joint of pork is nice too
WelshChris said:
You'll have a whale of a time - just don't be a poof and wear gloves whilst firing - you'll get coal dust and oil all over the controls and piss the driver off - enjoy!
Wouldn't dream of it. I'll tell my mate too 'cos he's sharing the driving and firing apparently. Mind you I don't know about shovelling coal, we're not so young any more, last time we did this was Clun Castle and that was over 20 years ago. He thought I'd like to try again! - enjoy!
I`ve been on that line numerous times and it`s a great day out, I wish I could spend the day on the loco` have a great time and post lots of pics.mrmaggit said:
I got a footplate read at the Great Central a few years back, on a Gala day. Rode from Loughborough to Rothley on the 04 63601 on a goods train, returned with the Post Office mail train. Made my birthday, although it was bloody cold when running tender first.
That's a handsome looking engine... 
"63601 Great Central Railway (19)" by Duncan Harris - IMG_8601Uploaded by oxyman. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:63601_Great...
I've been lucky enough to work with drivers old enough to drive steam, we still have one at my depot who's stayed on abit. It still fills me with admiration for the job they did as it was bloody hard, dirty and dangerous. The correct way to cook on the shuffle is to get it very hot in the firebox then take it out, good dose of lard and then cook on the residue heat. Another favourite of some crews was an onion wrapped in tinfoil resting on a hot pipe, leave to cook for an hour or so then serve with butter and salt.
W124Bob said:
I've been lucky enough to work with drivers old enough to drive steam, we still have one at my depot who's stayed on a bit.
There's not many of them left now. In my neck of the woods (Bristol and West Country) our last remaining steam man Bruce Parkin retired a couple of years ago at 67 after 52 years service - 26 as a fireman/ second man and 26 as a driver (that was Bristol for you - there was always somebody more senior to get the next driving job...)He started in 1961 and Bristol's last steam shed, Barrow Road, closed towards the end of 1965, so even he wasn't much more than a teenager when he last put the shovel down.
I was speaking to him only a few weeks ago and asked if he had put himself forward for any steam work in more recent years. The answer was yes - he had put his name down. He went on a course at the Severn Valley Railway, but the only main line steam driving he ever got to do was to take Union of South Africa light engine from Didcot to Worcester - behind a class 47...
mrmaggit said:
I was surprised just how small the firebox door was. My other halfs Dad was a fireman at Colwick, but left when steam was finished.
None of them were particularly big and for a good reason - when they are open for firing they let a lot of unwanted cold air into the firebox - but some were smaller than others.A friend of mine who was a fireman at Bristol Barrow Road in the late 50s and early 60s tells of how it was more of an art to get the coal in through the door of a B1 when they had one of those to take somewhere, rather than the Midland/ LMS engines they were more used to, which had a larger opening.
By the way - Colwick closed in December 1966 linky, which therefore gives us a clue as to the age of your FIL and your other half
RichB said:
As I'll be doing some shovelling I wonder if Chruchward's masterpieces had good sized firebox doors
They are of the larger variety. The only complaints I ever heard from ex-GWR men was about the "ovoids" (essentially coal dust bonded together with cement) that they were using in the 50s and 60s, that used to slip off the shovel before they got the bleedin' things in the box!The heritage railways don't use ovoids (they have no desire to be that authentic
) so you should be OK - when I did my driving training stint on the SVR on an Ivatt 2-6-0, we had real coal to shovel Gassing Station | Boats, Planes & Trains | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff