The timetable
The timings for the 2019 weekend 'Green Timetable' of five return workings between Shackerstone-Market Bosworth-Shenton were as follows:-
| Shackerstone Dep | 11:00 | 12:15 | 13:45 | 15:00 | 16:15 |
| Market Bosworth Arr | - | - | - | - | - |
| Market Bosworth Dep | 11:12 | 12:27 | 13:57 | 15:12 | 16:27 |
| Shenton Arr | 11:20 | 12:35 | 14:05 | 15:20 | 16:35 |
| Shenton Dep | 11:35 | 12:50 | 14:20 | 15:35 | 16:50 |
| Market Bosworth Arr | - | - | - | - | - |
| Market Bosworth Dep | 11:45 | 13:00 | 14:30 | 15:45 | 17:00 |
| Shackerstone Arr | 11:55 | 13:10 | 14:40 | 15:55 | 17:10 |
Because of a major programme of track laying in progress at Market Bosworth, to create a passing loop, the pedestrian level crossing at the Shenton end of the Market Bosworth station was closed at the beginning of the season. Since this was the only public access to the single platform, 'early season' trains were temporarily not calling at Market Bosworth. Once the main line turnout had been completed, the pedestrian level crossing was reinstated and, later in the year, trains resumed the intermediate stop at Market Bosworth. The timetable does not specify arrival times at Market Bosworth in either direction but crews attempt to arrive around 2 minutes before booked departure, to allow a reasonable time for passengers to leave and join the train.
Mothering Sunday: 31st March 2019
I was driver on 5542's second day in traffic during the 2019 season on Sunday, 31st March (Mothering Sunday) when she carried out five round trips from Shackerstone to Shenton, two of which were special Mothering Sunday Afternoon Cream Tea trains. The married couple of Rod and Tracy Tye shared the firing duties.
Although Market Bosworth station was closed in March 2019, as explained above, we made a couple of Special Stops there at the request of the Guard for commercial purposes.
We had an enjoyable day without problems.
"Mother's Day" Afternoon Cream Tea at the Battlefield Line (Photo: Graeme Watkins).
5542, with Jan driving, passing Permanent Way gang at Market Bosworth on 31st March 2019 (Photo: Adrian Lock).
Easter Bank Holiday Monday: 22nd April 2019
I was back on 5542 with Ritchie Marcus firing, carrying out the Green Timetable shown above. The weather was kind, there were plenty of passengers and a holiday atmosphere prevailed. The engine seemed to enter into the spirit and steamed "like a witch".
5224 at the Battlefield Line: Ritchie on the footplate
I did a little firing myself that day and was pleased with the results using the technique of "getting a good back" on the sloping grate. Welsh coal is very friable (allegedly why the Great Western had no automated coaling plants) so there was plenty of dust blowing around, even with liberal use of the 'slacker' (coal watering pipe) but otherwise there were no problems and Ritchie and I agreed we'd had a good, although tiring, day.
5224 at the Battlefield Line: Back in the shed after a good day.
A Difficult Day
Not all 'turns' are text-book. On Sunday, 28th April I had a rather trying day which eventually became good but was particularly exhausting. The problems started as soon as I signed-on at 05:45: There was no fireman. I had not been advised who was rostered to fire so I decided to start lighting-up myself. At 06:30 a rather shame-faced fireman arrived saying he'd overslept the alarm. Although I knew him, I'd not worked with him on the footplate before but he seemed confident so I left him to finish lighting-up, stressing how little time we had because of the Gold Footplate Experience. With the fireman was a cleaner I'd not met before said he'd oiled 5542 a number of times before so I let him oil 'outside' while I went into the pit to oil 'inside'. I emerged from the pit around 07:30 plastered with ash and oil. To add to my woes, the electric pump in the pit couldn't be induced to work so I'd ended up splashing around in a few inches of oily, ashy water at the cab end of the pit but, fortunately, my boots remained fairly waterproof.
Returning to the footplate to see how matters were progressing, I was greeted by a nice little fire in the front of the box which would probably have steamed quite well in two or three hours but I pointed out we didn't have that long. Accompanied by the fireman and cleaner, I found more wood and started to spread the little fire with a fire-iron until the whole grate was covered with a better coal and wood fire. However, it had been cold in the night and there wasn't much heat left in the boiler so I wasn't very optimistic and went to warn Mark H. that we'd be late off-shed, to be told that our driving experience trainee and his family were already touring the Museum.
I returned to the shed to coax the fire and, to my surprise, we'd managed 20 pounds by nine o'clock. By the time I'd given our driving experience trainee a walk round the engine, we'd made about 60 pounds so I took the engine off-shed. It was about 09:10 when we carefully left light engine but I was still worried that pressure wasn't building as I expected (it wouldn't rise above 160 pounds) and the fireman seemed unsure how to proceed. I knew the grate was clean when we started and I'd warned him not to get the front of the fire too thick - that had seemed to promote clinker on the sloping grate of this engine in the past. The coal seemed the same as earlier in the year (Ffos-y-Fran opencast) although there did seem a particularly high proportion of slack in the bunker. However, no arrangements had apparently been made for re-coaling and the fireman remained confident so we pressed on. Light engine, of course, 160 pounds was no problem.
In the cutting between Market Bosworth and Shenton we found a fairly large tree across the track (it had been a rough, windy night). We stopped and tried to pull it clear. It was multi-stemmed and some of the smaller branches came away but the main root, about six inches diameter, was still firmly attached. We managed to bend the branches forward , slide the engine past and continue to Shenton. On the return, we tried again to remove the tree but decided we'd need a hand saw to cut the trunk so we bent the branches the other way and slid past again.
We stopped at Shackerstone box to report to the signalman and he lent us a small saw. To be on the safe side, we decided we'd take water before coupling onto the train. A number of members of our driving experience trainee's family were to travel on the round trip driven by the trainee. Whilst the fireman and cleaner took water, I 'fettled the fire' and managed to get the valves lifting but as soon as we started away the pressure collapsed again, despite my guidance to the fireman. Fireman need to anticipate and not relax as soon as the boiler pressure starts to increase. The amount of slack in the bunker didn't help. Although it burns, if you put too much in one place, it acts like sand and I could see that the back of the fire was tending to become a black 'tump' not steaming properly, even after a the fireman gave it a 'stir' with the fire iron.
We stopped at the fallen tree and the fireman and our driving experience trainee used the saw to cut the tree root and drag the remains clear. I decided to stay on the engine and coax the fire to a better state. Whilst running round the coaches at Shenton, I again did what I could with the fire but although I could get it blowing off and fill the boiler whilst at a stand, on the road the pressure still tended to drop to around 160.
However, we got back safely to Shackerstone and I was asked to present the certificate to our driving experience trainee, who had performed very well.
Jan presents the certificate after a Gold Experience (Photo: Mark Heseltine).
We ran round and watered (I fettled the fire) then backed onto the train (more fettling) and we set off with the 11:00 departure rather late, having agreed with Mark's suggestion to follow the late-running 11:00 service by the 13:45 departure, cancelling the 12:15 advertised round trip altogether. I was a lot happier with the state of the fire as we set off with the delayed 11:00 but the fireman still wasn't reacting quickly enough and we lost pressure 'on the road'. At Shenton, I had another go at the fire. The fireman said he was experienced with 'Panniers' 6412 and 6430 which we'd used on the 2018 'Santa Specials' (there's a brief report on the 'Santa Trains' here) but said he couldn't figure out 5542. Well, I was a bit puzzled with our problems, too. The amount of slack in the coal certainly didn't help and the fireman had to go 'bunker diving' quite frequently to sort out more lumps. Although the fireman was willing and keen as mustard, his relative inexperience meant that on the return journey, between Market Bosworth and Shackerstone, I realised that we were going to have to 'stop for a blow-up'. We came to a stand near Carlton Bridge with the brakes dragging. After less than ten minutes, we carried on and arrived safely at Shackerstone, ran round and watered, ready for the 13:45. Whilst the fireman and cleaner had a quick lunch, I stayed on the engine trying to get the fire 'right'. There was very little clinkering, just black slow-to-burn areas.
We set off with the 13:45 and things definitely seemed better. Although pressure came down, it didn't continue to collapse and the fireman seemed to 'get it' and fired more promptly. At last, pressure recovered in the station stops and when the valves lifted, it encouraged both of us. I reduced my physical interventions in firing as the fireman seemed to be getting better at judging the necessary firing rate. When the engine was working, the fire was now white-hot. The cleaner did all the uncoupling and coupling, allowing the fireman to concentrate on finding more lumps and managing the boiler.
I was glad we'd 'dropped' the 12:15 round trip, because by the time we set off on the 15:00 departure we were already fairly tired . The engine continued to steam as you'd expect from a 'Swindon' engine but, despite regularly sweeping the footplate and using the 'slacker', the wind was whisking clouds of coal dust around. But we were all relieved that we'd finally got a 'good steamer'. We got back to Shackerstone within a few minutes of 'right time' and ran round, taking water for the last time.
I was rather worried as to just how empty the bunker had become and most of what remained was slack. The fireman remained optimistic and the last trip to Shenton was done in fine style with the safety valve starting to 'sizzle' each time the regulator was closed. On the way back, the fireman realised that the fuel situation meant that he could no longer recover the pressure as it started to fall. I came back in a leisurely fashion, one eye fixed on the boiler pressure gauge and I noticed that, this time, the fireman was paying careful attention to the gauge too. Of course, my main concern was keeping the vacuum brakes released and our final arrival in Shackerstone with almost 140 pounds on the clock was a great relief. We'd half a glass of water remaining so I was sure we'd be alright. We raked through the fire outside the shed, pushing good fire towards the tubeplate. There was very little clinker. We stabled inside the shed and had no problems filling the boiler well above the top nut. We all agreed it had been a good day but, oh, it was hard work.
"4575" Class (Railway Publishing Co. Ltd. 1938).
Related Posts on this Website
GWR 'Light Prairie' 5542 (22-Aug-2010).
On the Footplate (5-Dec-2017).
Preparing 5542 (part 1) (14-Sep-2018).
5542 at the Battlefield Line(28-Aug-2018).
Battlefield Line 'Family Fun Weekend' (3-Sep-2018).
Battlefield Line Steam Gala 2018 (Part 2) (4-Jan-2019).
My pictures
Where necessary, clicking on an image above will display an 'uncropped' view or, alternately, pictures may be selected, viewed or downloaded, in various sizes, from the albums below:-
5542 GWR Locomotive.
Battlefield Line 2019.
