At the end of 2019, the two locomotives which had handled the Battlefield Line 'Santa Specials' ('Modified Hall' 6989 and 'Light Prairie' 5542) were already available. But discovering that 'Light Prairie' 5526 was being transported by road from the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway back to the South Devon Railway, it was agreed that 5526 would divert en route to Shackerstone to allow it to join what was initially called the 'Winter Warmer Gala' but, later, the 'Cold Turkey Gala'.
The timetable for the event was fairly similar to the intensive timetable used for the Shackerstone Railway Society 50th Anniversary Steam Gala which had been held in October 2019. During the Anniversary Steam Gala, Staff and Ticket working had been used to allow a Steam/DMU shuttle from Shackerstone to Market Bosworth to be 'interleaved' with regular service trains between Shackerstone and Shenton, using the 'Turnback Siding' at Market Bosworth to 'recess' the Steam/DMU service. There's a description of Staff and Ticket working in my post on the 2018 Steam Gala here. In 2018, the 'Turnback Siding' was still being constructed and so, on arrival at Market Bosworth, the Shuttle (on that occasion a steam locomotive coupled to a Great Western 'Auto' Trailer) had to immediately return to Shackerstone. For both the Anniversary Steam Gala and the 'Cold Turkey Gala', the Shuttle was formed by a 'Light Prairie' coupled to a 2-car DMU in a 'top and tail' arrangement. This rather unusual method of working is described in the post Operation of Steam/Diesel Multiple Unit Services at the Battlefield Line.
Events of Saturday 4th January 2020
I was booked to drive 'Light Prairie' 5526 on Saturday, which was scheduled to be the last of the three steam locomotives to enter traffic that day but I nevertheless arrived nice and early when it was still dark. As I sometimes do, I walked up Station Road to reach the station, rather than use the public access road to the car park. I signed-on in the Staff Room at the station, noting that the fireman Ritchie M. had signed on a few minutes earlier and I walked confidently to the Loco Shed. I greeted Dave H. and Jamie W. who were preparing 6989 (first engine due in traffic), Adrian A. and Paul on 5542 (second engine due in traffic) and arrived at - a large gap where I'd expected 5526! 'Perhaps they left 5526 on the DMU siding alongside the shed?' I mused, exiting through the back door of the Shed. The DMU was there, but no steam locomotive.
With an increasing sense of unease, I set off to walk the length of the station to the North End, reasoning that if the road transport had arrived late, there might not have been time to shunt the visiting locomotive from the north end, where it would have been unloaded from the trailer, to the Shed. It was with some relief that I finally spotted the familiar outline of a 'Light Prairie', standing in the open, attended by Ritchie and Adrian L. Of course, had I arrived at the railway using the Public Access road, I would have seen 5526 immediately!
5526 was built at Swindon in 1928, serving at a number of Motive Power Depots in the West Country before being withdrawn in 1962 (having covered 968,577 miles by which time she was on her seventh boiler) and sold for scrap. She languished, incomplete, at Woodham Brothers Scrapyard in Barry until purchased for restoration and preservation in 1985, finally being steamed again in 2002.
5526 awaiting preparation in an unusual spot at the north end of Shackerstone Yard on Saturday ('Cold Turkey Gala')
Adrian apologised for the inconvenient remote location of the engine and set off to find a firing shovel, oil feeder and a supply of oil. Ritchie's lighting-up wood was not very dry but, aided by some used diesel, he soon had a cheerful fire established. The locomotive had been used at Chinnor a few days before so still had a little warmth left in the boiler.
I set about my own preparation duties, anticipating finding minor differences as compared with 5542. Even in British Rail days, different examples of the same class could have detail variations and this is even more likely on today's restored steam locomotives where different preservation groups sometimes adopt different engineering solutions. I've described the Daily Exam and Oiling Round of sister engine 5542 in a couple of articles:-
Preparing 5542 (part 1);5526 was very similar but, yes, I found some differences: for instance, in the siting of the oilboxes feeding the leading and driving coupled axles.
Preparing 5542 (part 2);
Normally, preparing in the shed, crews are unaware of the arrival of the public. But the exposed location of 5526 at the north end meant that every visitor walked right past us on their way from the car park to the station. I was amazed that, by eight o'clock, a steady stream of enthusiasts was arriving.
The first departure was the 09:00 to Shenton, hauled by 6989. Once this train had cleared Market Bosworth, 5542 hauling the DMU would follow with the 09:15 'Shuttle' to Market Bosworth. The 'Shuttle' would 'recess' in the 'Turnback Siding', allowing 6989 to return to Shackerstone, where it was due back at 10:00.
In the meantime, we were to move forward and, after coaling, move into the now-empty Loco Shed so that we could use the pit to complete our preparation and be ready to couple onto the south end of 6989's train for our 10:20 departure to Shenton. However, there was a slight problem as a 3-axle power bogie off a main line diesel was standing on a converging siding, with no clearance for us to pass. Adrian 'fired-up' the 04 shunter and propelled the attached Hiab Wagon up to the bogie, allowing the bogie to be attached to the drawgear of the Hiab Wagon with chains (of course, the bogie had no drawgear).
'04' shunter propelling the Hiab Wagon prior to moving the power bogie on left ('Cold Turkey Gala')
Adrian attaches the Hiab Wagon to the power bogie on left with chains ('Cold Turkey Gala')
Adrian then gently moved the odd-looking train away, storing it out of the way in the DMU siding at the south end. Ritchie accompanied on foot, prepared to scotch the power bogie should it become detached (the bogie has no operative brake either).
'04' shunter draws Hiab Wagon and bogie to stable them in DMU siding at the south end. Ritchie walks alongside prepared to scotch the bogie if it becomes detached ('Cold Turkey Gala')
Once the power bogie was clear of the hand points, I 'threw' them towards 5526 and eased the locomotive forward to a position where the 'LOADALL' bucket loader could move behind us to fill up our bunker. Once coaled, we made our way south through platform 1, Ritchie operated the Ground Frame and we moved onto the pit in the Loco Shed. Ritchie offered to complete the oiling underneath and we were soon ready to take our first train. My friend and Shackerstone member Mike S. (who drives at Peak Rail) appeared and we agreed that he'd ride with us.
6989 had been late departing on the 09:00 train and the arrival back was also a little late. The signalman then 'set the road' for us to move across to platform 2, ready to attach to the south end of the 5-coach train as soon as 6989 had uncoupled at the north end and moved forward, allowing passengers to use the barrow crossing. Once 6989 had cleared the single line from Market Bosworth to Shackerstone, the steam/DMU shuttle was then allowed to return, with the DMU doing the work in this direction. The shuttle back was routed into platform 1 and the signals came off for our late-running 10:20 departure. Our Guard gave the 'right away' and we moved away, passing an impressive row of photographers lined along the fence on the Down side. The Shackerstone signalman showed us the Train Staff and gave us a numbered Ticket, bearing details of our authority and our train's reporting number '2S01'. Travelling with a Ticket meant that, once we had cleared Market Bosworth, the shuttle could be allowed to follow us to Market Bosworth carrying the Train Staff.
Ritchie kept the boiler pressure 'up to the mark'and, once clear of the speed restrictions leaving Shackerstone, 5526 seemed to enjoy her new surroundings. We romped along in fine style, whistling and keeping a good lookout at Headley's Accommodation Crossing and, further on, at the public footpath crossing. There were men with cameras at both crossings (and a few elsewhere). We slowed for the two temporary speed restrictions on the way to Market Bosworth, first the Water Works and then passing through the wood on the approach to Market Bosworth.
With Market Bosworth acting as a Block Post, there was a Stop Board at the approach to the station, where we had to be prepared to stop, unless we received a yellow hand signal from the platform given by Johnathon W., the Person In Charge. The flag duly appeared, noted by both Ritchie and I shouting "Yellow Flag" so I was able to keep the train moving and draw into the platform. We surrendered the Single Line Ticket and, in return, were issued with the Train Staff for the Market Bosworth to Shenton Block Section, together with permission to pass the Stop Board as we left Market Bosworth.
There was quite a lot of activity on the platform at Market Bosworth with passengers boarding and alighting but, after a while, this sorted itself out, the platform staff gave the 'tip' to the Guard and the Guard gave us the 'Right Away'. Once clear of the speed restriction over the Cattle Creep near Deer Park Siding, we accelerated up the bank with full 'first valve' on the regulator and the reverser set to about 35% cut-off. This produced the expected willing response so, after passing under the three brick overbridges on this section, I set the engine to 'drifting'. On a Great Western locomotive, this means close the regulator fully, then just 'cock' the handle so as to open the Combining Valve (sometimes called the 'jockey valve' or 'W' valve) so as to continue the oil supply to the valves and cylinders. Swindon's Improved Sight Feed Lubricators are particularly effective and there's a fuller description of the arrangements in the post here (or you can read or download a copy of Collett's 1937 circular here).
5526 detail of boiler backhead showing standardised layout of controls and small sight feed lubricator with 3 feeds ('Cold Turkey Gala')
We came over Shenton Lane Bridge at line speed and I started the initial braking application as we descended Shenton Bank, a straight quarter of a mile ending in Ambion Lane Bridge which is immediately followed by a 5 m.p.h. 'slack' because of the condition of the embankment at this location. The ground disc signal protecting the facing points at the start of the run-round loop at Shenton was, as expected, 'off'. This confirmed that the points were correctly bolted and 'fitting-up' so I kept the train rolling, ran along the length of the platform and stopped with the first coach still on the platform but the engine blocking the gated foot crossing. This is supposed to discourage the public from attempting to cross in front of the engine before we uncouple and move away but it's amazing how determined some people are. Normally, a member of the train staff acts as a crossing keeper until we're clear of the crossing.
With the train vacuum brake destroyed and the locomotive vacuum reservoir 'dumped', I was able to 'ease up' on the train, slackening the screw coupling to make uncoupling easier for the fireman, then we ran round. The loco crew operated the hand points at the south end of the loop but the Guard worked the ground frame controlling the points at the north end of the loop, releasing the ground frame with the Annett's Key forming part of the Train Staff we'd received at Market Bosworth. The Guard also obtained permission for us to return to Market Bosworth (prepared to stop at the Stop Board approaching the station, unless we received a yellow handsignal from the Person In Charge) before he gave the Train Staff back to the Driver, to be carried back to Market Bosworth and surrendered to the Person In Charge.
There were plenty of people watching our progress back to Market Bosworth from the public roads near the two road underbridges and the one road overbridge. I spotted at least four cars parked along Shenton Lane where it runs roughly parallel to, but at least 200 yards from, Shenton Bank on the railway. Most of the watchers were sporting cameras of one sort or another. Mobile phones, I-Pads and serious-looking kit with large lenses were all in evidence. Even the two overbridges serving farm tracks had their watchers. I slowed for the speed restriction over the Cattle Creep and saw 5542 and the DMU safely in the 'Turnback Siding'. We received a Yellow Flag and continued into the platform, where we surrendered the Train Staff to Johnathon. He displayed the Train Staff for Market Bosworth to Shackerstone but issued us with a numbered ticket endorsed with our train's reporting number '2N02'. Retaining the Market Bosworth-Shackerstone staff would allow him to despatch the 5542/DMU Shuttle back to Shackerstone, once the Shackerstone signalman had confirmed our safe arrival clear of the single line section.
We made a lively return to Shackerstone, with plenty of cameramen awaiting us near bridges and foot crossings. We stopped in platform 2 with our locomotive fouling the barrow crossing but all five coaches in the platform. Then we quickly uncoupled, immediately moving forward to the north end so that the barrow crossing could be used. In the meantime, 6989 had moved from platform 1 to the south end of the train ready to leave at 11:40 with '1S02', once the DMU had returned to platform 1, dragging 5542.
We simmered at the north end until 6989 and train had departed, then we moved back along platform 2 to take water.
Mike and Ritchie, having just watered 5526 ('Cold Turkey Gala')
5542 on the 11:55 steam/DMU shuttle to Market Bosworth on Saturday, viewed from 5526 ('Cold Turkey Gala')
When 6989 and its train had cleared Market Bosworth, the signals came off for the 5542/DMU Shuttle to follow. Mike had agreed to fire our second round trip ('2S02', departing at 13:00) and this gave a good opportunity for Ritchie to drive.
Ritchie M. on 5526 ('Cold Turkey Gala')
In readiness for 6989's return we had to move across to platform 1. Then we had the usual engine change, with 6989 temporarily standing at the north end while we coupled onto the south end of the train and waited for the DMU, dragging 5542, to return to platform 1.
Our second round trip passed off smoothly so that we found ourselves, once again, simmering at the north end waiting for 6989 and train to depart so that we could replenish our water tanks. Mike declined the invitation to stay for our last trip because of prior commitments.
I took a couple of pictures of the 5542/DMU Shuttle before the fifth, and last, round trip of the day to Market Bosworth at 14:35.
5542 at Shackerstone with the 14:35 steam/DMU shuttle to Market Bosworth on Saturday ('Cold Turkey Gala')
5542 at Shackerstone with the 14:35 steam/DMU shuttle to Market Bosworth on Saturday. In the foreground 5526 ('Cold Turkey Gala')
The last train of the day was the 16:00 round trip to Shenton which had been planned to be double-headed by 5526 and 5542. However, during the day 5542 had been diagnosed with a leaking superheater element (a problem which had also occurred during 2019) so it had been decided that 5542 would retire to the shed after her fifth Steam/DMU Shuttle, leaving the last service to Shenton to be double-headed by 5526 and 6989 instead.
Accordingly, after the 14:35 steam/DMU Shuttle had departed from Shackerstone, we shunted 5526 across to the DMU Siding so as to leave both platforms clear - platform 2 ready to receive 6989 with the 5-coach service train and platform 1 ready to receive the Steam/DMU Shuttle.
5526 waiting in the DMU siding at Shackerstone as 6989 passes with the 15:20 arrival on Saturday ('Cold Turkey Gala')
6989 passing Shackerstone Loco Shed with the 15:20 arrival on Saturday ('Cold Turkey Gala')
We continued to wait as 6989 ran round, ready to work the 16:00 last train of the day. Then, the Steam/DMU Shuttle returned into platform 1. 5542 rapidly uncoupled and was allowed to go on shed. The repair staff removed the failed element and 'blanked' the header using the failed element from the previous year which had been previously cut down and welded-up for possible use as a 'blank'. Thanks to the work of the repair staff, 5542 was able to carry out its booked working the following day.
5542 retired to the shed early with a failed superheater element ('Cold Turkey Gala')
Finally, 5526 was 'turned out' by signalman Dave N. and we shunted across to couple in front of 6989 on the double-headed final service.
View from 5526, coupled ahead of 6989, ready to work the 16:00 train to Shenton ('Cold Turkey Gala'). Note the DMU, about to stable overnight in the DMU Siding.
On a double-headed service, the driver of the leading engine is responsible for 'making the brake' and controlling the train, although the driver of the other engine is expected to keep a good lookout, observe signals and provide power as necessary.
When the Guard gave the 'right away', I exchanged whistles with 6989 and carefully opened the regulator. 6989 matched my effort and, with the chimney of the 'Hall' just a few feet behind our cab the 'chuffs' were much louder than those of 5526. At the signal box, we received the Train Staff for the line to Market Bosworth. When I was growing-up, the rearmost-engine always carried the Train Staff but the 'Big Railway' and many preserved lines changed some years ago to the leading engine carrying the Staff. Once the train was clear of Barton Lane bridge and the 10 m.p.h. speed restriction, we accelerated the train. The most noticeable effect was caused by the difference in coupled wheel size of the two engines. Four 'chuffs' from 5526 with her 4 foot 7-1/2 inch diameter wheels took us forward about 14 and a half feet. But four 'chuffs' from 'Wightwick Hall' with 6 foot wheels took her forward 19 feet. So, to move ahead slip-free my engine was producing around 30% more 'chuffs', giving an odd syncopated exhaust effect which suggested, erroneously, that we were doing most of the work.
Once we were up to Line Speed, it was clear that 6989 was leaving us to 'run' the train, making control much easier. Double-heading is fine when the two drivers co-operate, but can be difficult if the engine next to the train decides to apply power at the wrong time. Although we were 'losing the light', there were still plenty of photographers along the line. After a fairly 'spirited run', we received a yellow hand signal approaching Market Bosworth and eased the train into the platform. We surrendered the Train Staff, received the one for Market Bosworth-Shenton and were soon on our way again.
After an all-too-brief but enjoyable run to Shenton, I destroyed the train vacuum and allowed 6989 to ease-up both engines onto the train. 6989 uncoupled from the train. As lead engine, I then moved both engines into the headshunt, creating vacuum to release the vacuum brakes of 6989. Then 6989 became lead engine as we ran long the run-round loop. Finally, I moved both engines onto the north end of the train and we coupled up.
6989 was lead engine going back, so all I had to do was keep a good lookout and provide a little help when the 'Hall' was under power. Each time the 'chuffs' from the chimney of 6989 ceased, I set 5526 to 'drifting'.
During the day, the initial late running was made up and we finished close to 'right time'. I was told that there was 'a bit of a shunt' to do later, so I was invited to leave 5526 in the station - an offer I happily accepted. Just as I was booking off, after an excellent if tiring day, I was asked if I could possibly drive the DMU on the second day of the Gala, the following day. I said 'Yes'.
Related posts on other websites
South Devon Railway - 5526 Limited.
Preserved British Steam Locomotives - 5526.
GWR 4575 Class (Wikipedia).
The 6989 "Wightwick Hall" Restoration Group.
Related posts on this website
All my Battlefield Line posts.
My photograph albums
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 listed:-
'Cold Turkey Gala'.
5526.
6989 'Wightwick Hall'.
All my Battlefield Line pictures.
