The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester (MOSI) normally operates a steam train on Saturdays and Sundays. But, during school holidays, it attempts to run more frequently. Over Easter 2013, volunteers were arranged to work on 17 consecutive days.
I was the driver on Friday, 5th April 2013. Earlier in the week, the service had been operated by the 'Planet' replica with the two blue coaches. However, on the Friday we used 'Agecroft Number 1' so that 'Planet' could be readied for its imminent visit to Beamish, The Living Museum of the North, as part of their 'Great North Steam Fair'.
The previous week, I'd been Operating Officer when we'd also used 'Agecroft Number 1', paired with a restored, elderly 4-wheel North London Railway 2nd Class Coach currently on loan from the Furness Railway Trust. On that occasion, we'd completed the train with a 20-ton Brake Van.
On the 5th April, we again used the North London Railway coach but, this time, with one of MOSI's 'semi-open' blue coaches which gave us extra seats for passengers. Vince was fireman, David was Guard and Peter carried out the Operating Officer duty. The weather was dry but cold. I was surprised at how many visitors were keen to ride the train, despite the cold, and we were kept busy all day.
My Pictures
Easter 2013 Trains at MOSI.
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
Easter Week at the Museum of Science and Industry
Easter at Shackerstone, 2013
Over the Easter holiday in 2013, the Battlefield Line operated both the visiting locomotives - the 'T9' on the main train alternating with the Beattie Well Tank 30585 on a 2-coach train with a 4-wheel van.
Events of Monday, 1st April 2013
On Easter Monday, I was driver on the Beattie Well Tank and Carl was on the 'T9'. Both locomotives were lit-up in the shed. The 'T9', 30120, was nearest the door so, once in steam, Carl was able to move her outside. There was not going to be time for us to fill the coal bunker before we entered traffic, so we hand-coaled until Danny was happy we'd enough for the first trip. We had to wait inside the shed until the 'T9' came off shed, picked up our train (which had been stabled on the long siding next to the shed) and drew it into platform 1. We could then come onto the head of our train and couple up.
Although steam heating has been added to the locomotive in preservation, the box van at the head of our train had no steam heat connections so we were unable to warm the carriages (had we had a 'Banana' van, they were provided with steam heat to allow the bananas to be ripened in transit). Matters would be no better on our return trips from Shenton because, although we were then coupled next to our coaches, the locomotive had no steam heat connection on the front!
We were booked to leave with the first train of the day at 10.30 a.m. but I'm afraid we were late away. The locomotive was a willing performer although she tended to roll a bit (I think there's some sort of transverse compensating beam on the trailing coupled axle but I didn't have a chance to confirm).
Because of the engine's limited water capacity, our white milk tank had been positioned in the headshunt at Shenton, (with water, not milk) and we took a portable pump with us. So each time we arrived at Shenton, we uncoupled, drew forward onto the tank wagon and replenished the tank.
By the time we arrived back at Shackerstone in platform 1, the 'T9' was ready to leave with the (slightly delayed) 11.45 a.m. departure. Once he'd left, we trundled down to the coal bunker at the north end to be coaled by the bucket loader. We filled our water tank once again and had a breather in platform 1 until the 'T9' returned. We were a little late away on our 12.45 p.m. departure and made our second foray to Shenton. On our return, we watered but needed no more coal and, again, had a little time to ourselves before departing with the 3.00 p.m. train.
We were back a little after 4.00 p.m. but the last train, the 4.25 p.m. was supposed to be hauled by both engines so it was clear we'd probably be late away.
First, we had to get rid of our train. The signalman set the road for the long siding and, with someone riding in the front of the stock, we propelled our train into the siding, tied it down, uncoupled and shunted light engine to couple on ahead of the T9. We agreed it woud be prudent to take water but, coupled in front of the 'T9' and a 5-coach train, we were nowhere near the water column. Once preparations had been made, the Guard called us back and I gently reversed the whole train until we could get water. This was all done quite promptly and soon we had the 'rightaway' and happily bowled through the country to Shenton. We tried to fill our water tank one last time, but the portable pump seemed to be struggling. We assumed the tank wagon itself was nearing empty, so we gave up, finished the run round and took our place in front of the 'T9' for the return journey.
There wasn't too much fire left when we arrived back at Shackerstone and the instruction was to go light engine to the north end for immediate loading on the low loader. Sure enough, temporary rails had been laid and the lorry driver invited me to drive onto the low loader. Well, I made two attempts but didn't quite make it onto the trailer. The pressure was quite low and Danny was worried about the water level in the boiler but I suspect I was more worried about being able to stop once on the trailer since I'd found the engine brakes rather 'soft' during the day. The lorry driver attached a steel cable to the locomotive and the front of his tractor unit and towed us onto the low loader. There was enough steam (and water) to fill the boiler whilst the load was being secured then the low loader reversed along our drive before driving to Buckinghamshire Railway Centre. A very enjoyable day.
Events of Tuesday, 2st April 2013
I was back at Shackerstone on Tuesday to drive the diesel railcar. The low loader returned to take away the 'T9' but I was a bit pre-occupied with the diesel railcar and wasn't able to get any pictures of the 'T9' as I'd hoped.
We were running with the single unit 'Bubble Car' attached to half of the 2-car set. There had been a mechanical problem on one of the engines on the 'Bubble Car' so this had been isolated, leaving a more-than-adequate three engines. With the very cold weather, I had some problems getting the engines started but eventually had all three engines running. I started a heater in the 'Bubble Car', but failed to get either heater in the other coach to run. Only two starting attempts are allowed on each heater, after which I had no alternative but to write them up on the Defect List.
There was one remaining problem - the diesel railcar was 'boxed in' by the two 'blood and custard' coaches plus a van of the 'Local Set' which I'd shunted there myself the previous day. By this time, Martin the Guard had arrived, so we agreed on the shunt. I would bring the railcar up to the 'Local Set', couple on and, with Martin keeping a lookout from the end of the coaches, propel the stock to the north end of platform 1 and 'tie it down'. Once uncoupled, the railcar would use the south end of the platform for the rest of the day. I coupled the railcar to the stock and attempted to attach the vacuum hoses but the hoses on the railcar and boxvan were in very difficult positions so I decided to do the move without vacuum brakes on the 'Local Set'. We completed the move, I uncoupled the railcar and Martin placed a tail lamp on the end of the boxvan for protection.
The timetable called for four round trips to Shenton, stopping at Market Bosworth and we ran to time all day. It was another cold day but we attracted reasonable numbers of passengers. At the end of service, the Guard and I secured the doors and made sure all windows were closed, I drove the set to the Long Siding, shut down the engines, isolated the batteries and checked that all lamps were off. Finally, I walked around at ground level making sure there were no problems (overheating, leaks). Another pleasant day.
Brief History of the Beattie Well Tanks
By 1850, the L.S.W.R. were operating an intensive suburban passenger service around London. When additional motive power was required, a design for a small tank locomotive was started. Joseph Hamilton Beattie constructed a number of prototypes with different proportions before settling on a final design. The majority of the class was built by Beyer Peacock in Manchester with the first delivery in 1863. By the time the final order was delivered in 1875, the class numbered 85.
The Beattie Well tanks were great survivors. Amazingly, three of the class (admittedly fairly well rebuilt over the years) passed into British Railways stock. They carried the numbers 30585, 30586 and 30587 and were used on the Bodmin and Wenford branch until withdrawal in 1962. 30585, which we used over Easter, is from the 1874 batch and she can usually be seen at Buckinghamshire Railway Centre. I was reminded of another well tank I've driven - the 0-6-0WT 'Bellerophon', also built in 1874, but that's another story.
There's one other Beattie Well Tank preserved, 30587. It's owned by National Railway Museum and normally based on the Bodmin and Wenford Railway. Some years ago, I drove this locomotive on the Demonstration Line at N.R.M. but that, too, another story.
30587 (Photo: N.R.M.)
The remaining member of the Southern Railway Trio didn't make it into preservation.
Construction of the Beattie Well Tank 30585
The Beattie 2-4-0 Well Tank has 5'6" coupled wheels and two outside cylinders 15" x 20". There's a rectangular water tank mounted low between the frames which stops ahead of the driving axle and is supplemented by a second tank occupying the lower part of the rear bunker, giving a rather miserly total water capacity of 550 gallons. The upper part of the bunker holds around one ton of coal which is delivered at a fairly convenient height to the footplate through two sliding coal doors in the back sheet of the cab. The feed to the boiler was originally provided by crosshead pumps, but these were long ago replaced by injectors. Because the trailing coupled axle lies under the cab, the curved splashers for the associated wheels pass right across the cab floor on both driver's and fireman's side.
The vacuum ejector currently fitted was added at some point - it appears to be a modified version of a Gresham and Craven product. The locomotive itself is only fitted with co-acting steam and hand brakes but the steam brake valve is a 'combination' type which can be operated by vacuum. Inconveniently, the steam brake valve and latch is fitted on the fireman's side of the cab.
The leading carrying wheels are provided with both inside and outside axleboxes. Most of the weight is carried on the inside axleboxes via the overhung springs. Further control is provided by the brass outside axleboxes via the underhung springs which are suspended from the lower slide bars. The driving wheels have inside axleboxes with underhung springs.
The rear coupled wheels have inside axleboxes and there are two pairs of fairly small coil springs visible in the cab. I think there's some sort of transverse compensating beam but I haven't yet been able to confirm this.
The 'Wikipedia' reference below and the listed books all have additional information on the Beattie Well Tanks. My set of pictures 'Easter at Shackerstone' linked below gives further information on the construction and layout of the locomotive.
References
LSWR 0298 Class (Wikipedia).
Books
[1] 'A Pictorial Record of Southern Locomotives' by J.H. Russell: 1991 edition published by BCA.
[2] 'The London & South Western Railway' O.S. Nock: published by Ian Allen.
[3] 'Locomotives of the London and South Western Railway Part 1' by D.L. Bradley: published 1965 by RCTS.
[4] 'The South Western Railway' by Hamilton Ellis: published 1956 by George Allen and Unwin.
My Pictures
Easter at Shackerstone.
