Sunday 29 April 2007

The Battlefield Line DMU Group

In the 1950s, British Railways introduced a range of lightweight diesel multiple units to handle suburban and secondary line services. Bit by bit, the DMUs took over from steam-hauled workings. Sad as I was to see a reduction in the number of steam trains, the DMUs offered a new experience in rail travel in that, if you could get a seat right at the front, windows allowed you a view of the driver's compartment and a panoramic view of the line ahead. This was excellent for surveying the route - signals and pointwork in full view - and for studying the driving technique adopted as every move the driver made could be watched.

It was nearly 50 years before I got an opportunity to drive a DMU myself! The Battlefield Line DMU Group (originally called the Shackerstone DMU Group) operates a single-unit DMU, always known as a 'Bubble Car' back then, and a 2-car DMU. I'm fortunate that, in 2007, I was accepted by Ritchie Marcus for training as a DMU driver and I spent a day with driver Stuart Gamble operating the DMU service on Saturday 28th April 2007. After further training with Graham Hudman and Ritchie Marcus, I was passed out for driving.

More photographs

Saturday 14 April 2007

'Planet' locomotive in Operation

'Planet' on a non-rainy day

The 'Planet' class was used on the Liverpool & Manchester Railway in 1830 and represents a significant advance on the 'Rocket'. The Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester operates a modern replica of 'Planet' on weekends and holidays and Sunday 13th May 2007 was one of the days I was rostered to drive.

It's not true that it always rains in Manchester, but it certainly rained most of the day on this Sunday. Fortunately, most of the preparation was completed before the rains came - there's nothing more miserable than getting a locomotive ready for service, examining, oiling round, taking coal and water and shunting when you're wringing wet! Few steam locomotives offer very good weather protection to the enginemen but 'Planet', being a copy of an early locomotive, has no cab at all and I was resigned to being thoroughly soaked by the end of the day and so it proved. But there were plenty of passengers (the museum is currently hosting a 'Doctor Who' exhibition) who seemed to accept the rigours of a journey in our two imitation 1830 carriages. These are actually ex-BR 4-wheel wagon underframes with a custom-built semi-open top offering plenty of scope for getting cold and wet.

The train normally operates from about noon to 4.00pm, with a trip around every 15 minutes. There is a single platform near the main museum buildings where passengers board and alight. 'Planet' draws the two coaches over a demonstration line laid in between the 1830 Warehouse and the Coaching Shed, past the original Stationmaster's House (now Museum offices) and over the Water Street road bridge. The line continues over Stephenson's original Irwell Bridge and the train stops near the Museum railway gates, alongside the Network Rail line, just after the Museum's Pineapple Line converges from the right. When the Pineapple Line is in use, the fireman will go to the Ground Frame with the train staff (the driver's authority to run). Using a key attached to the Train Staff, the fireman reverses the points and secures them, before returning to the footplate. 'Planet' then propels its train onto the Pineapple Line which curves around the back of the 1830 Warehouse, past Granada television studios, coming to a stand quite close to the platform where the passengers boarded. The propelling movement is supervised by the train guard in the rearmost compartment. 'Planet' then draws the train forward to the Ground Frame, the fireman restores the points to the main demonstration line and the coaches are propelled back to the platform where the passengers disembark. On days when it is not possible to use the Pineapple Line, the fireman is saved the exercise of working the Ground Frame: instead, the train will make two or three round trips on the main demonstration line before letting the passengers off.

More photographs of 'Planet'