The Black Country Museum

On 11th September, Keith and Jan visited the Black Country Museum. This is another open-air museum with a township re-created from relocated buildings. There is a replica of Newcomen's famous 'Dudley Engine', featuring the crude valve gear that was used on these early engines. It was not operating on our visit. Like Blists Hill, there is a recreation of a mine with headgear, sidings with mine tubs, winding house and winding engine. Alas, the engine was not operating. Nearby there's a second, smaller pit. You can go underground into a re-created drift mine, but we didn't have time for this experience. The 3 foot 6 inch gauge ex-Wolverhampton tram was giving rides and the driver was very helpful and informative. The re-created town includes shops, public houses, a chapel and even a cinema. We watched a Charlie Chaplin film at the picture-house and were most impressed by the genuine gas lighting which reminded me of my childhood. The period ambience is faithfully re-created and it was a fascinating experience. Time didn't allow us to take the boat trip into Dudley Canal Tunnel, but this is recommended to any visitor. On our way out, we visited the trolleybus depot which has a marvellous collection of vehicles kept in tip-top condition. I'm not old enough to remember the trams in Wolverhampton, but the green and yellow 'Sunbeam' trolley buses were part of my childhood. A very enjoyable, if necessarily brief, visit. Photographs

Shackerstone Family Festival 2007

On Sunday, 2nd September 2007 Keith Watson, John Archer and Jan visited the Shackerstone Family Festival ('Shackfest'). Shackerstone is a tiny village in Leicestershire but somehow it produces an annual festival with trains (on the Battlefield Line), a canal rally, a huge display field with an amazing assortment of stalls and other activities. Unusually, there was no steam locomotive in action on the Battlefield Line (although Burton Model Engineers were giving live-steam rides on a portable track until a mechanical failure stopped them). Well, we made a round trip to Shenton behind a Class 33 'Crompton', but it's not the same. Next, it was down to the canal rally, where Keith got invited aboard the steam tug 'Adamant'. Then, we took a motor launch along the canal to the entrance to the display field. Too many activities to describe, although the aerobatic display by a single aircraft was impressive. There was 'Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang', a model steam traction engine and a large display of classic cars and motor cycles. We made our way back to the station in time for the display of wing-walking by two bi-planes. This was real heart-in-mouth stuff to end our visit! 'Shackfest' in photos

The Cradle of the Industrial Revolution

Ironbridge Gorge is a World Heritage Site because it is recognised as the 'Cradle of the Industrial Revolution'. The significance of the ironmaking industry which started there cannot be overestimated. Man had been able to make iron for centuries, but never before on such a large scale. On the 1st September 2007, Keith Watson, John Archer and the writer visited the Gorge.

First, we paid homage to the 'Iron Bridge' itself. The bridge over the Severn Gorge is the first iron bridge in the world, built 1779 and still in use as a pedestrian bridge. It is constructed from a large number of interlocking cast parts, in part mimicking wooden construction but the challenge of building in this new material called for great resourcefulness.

There are ten museums in the area but Blists Hill Victorian Town is probably the best known. The site includes early ironworks and tileworks and numerous old buildings have been transported to make a complete township with working factories, populated by people in period dress who explain the way of life.

Keith soon spotted a Wallis & Steevens 3-ton steam roller and a small portable engine in a locked yard. The helpful staff quickly summoned somebody with a key to give us a better view.

Nearby is a foundry where the art of sand moulding cast iron is demonstrated. Small decorative items for sale are produced here.

In 1802 the Coalbrookdale Company built what's claimed to be the world's first steam locomotive to Richard Trevithick's designs. The museum has a working replica on a short demonstration line, although it was not working on our visit. Sadly, the locomotive is left outside. Its appearance is hardly improved by a plastic cover over the top of the chimney, especially since the cover is fixed to a long piece of wood to allow it to be set in place from ground level.

Nearby, there is a colliery winding house with a single-cylinder steam engine to lift a tub up and down a shallow shaft. This was working.

Next, the unmistakeable 'thump - thump' of a steam hammer drew us to the ironworks, where they actually make wrought iron. We spent some time watching the steam hammer re-shaping cut links of massive mooring chains into the short, thick slabs called 'blooms'. These have to be made red hot in an oven and then quickly transported on a two-wheeled truck to the hammer. After re-heating the blooms can be 'worked' by being passed a number of times through a 'cogging mill' - a type of rolling mill - driven by a steam engine. The steam for the hammer and the mill comes from a modern, package boiler, but there is a non-functional re-creation of an original boiler. It was an awesome experience to watch the men working for real in the very hazardous environment - watch the video clip below.

Nearby we found two massive beam blowing engines, David and Sampson, built in Glasgow and erected at Priorslee Ironworks in 1851. They're not working but impressive for their size and decoration, with elaborate fluted supporting columns.

These are just the highlights of our visit - there's so much to see, including the purely domestic (I was able to buy Coltsfoot Rock at the sweet shop).

As we were leaving, we came upon the preserved section of plateway with its odd-looking points. The horse-drawn wagons on a plateway used ordinary wagon wheels without a flange. Steering was provided by a vertical flange on the rail. Points have a 'crossing' and 'check rails', just like modern points, but in a plateway they are 'inside out' as the photographs show.

My Ironbridge photographs.

Dalek Invasion in Manchester

This year, the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester has been hosting a Doctor Who exhibition which has proved very popular. However, this did not alert me to the risks Keith, John and I ran when we visited the Museum on Sunday, 26th August 2007. For this was no ordinary day - this was the day for the Dalek Invasion in Manchester!

Apparently, there was no Guiness Record for the most Daleks gathered in one location. The Museum of Science and Industry determined that this amazing oversight be corrected by making a record attempt on the very day we'd chosen to visit.

At first, it was like a normal day at the Museum but then a crowd of people started to gather near the 1830 Warehouse. And then the Daleks started to appear, first in ones and twos but then in strength. The crowd didn't appear to realise their danger - in fact, a number of them appeared to be on good terms with the Daleks but I must have been mistaken. Some of the Daleks were exactly as I remember them - 'British Standard Daleks' as it were - but others varied in size, colouration and even design. Was this, I wondered, the result of inter-breeding or merely the effect of off-shoring manufacture to the Far East?

Soon there was a large crowd - I couldn't determine how many were Dalek and how many humanoid. As the electronic ring modulators started up, the raucous voices of some of the Daleks could be heard, whilst others remained silent or conversed in an attractive North Country lilt. Despite the crowding, I saw none of the terrible violence which is traditionally associated with the Dalek race.

One brave policeman supervised the throng - apparently the Chief Constable of Manchester. Presumably, the police have targets for stop and search of Daleks - he was certainly kept busy on this day. And, somehow, a time-travelling Mr. Chadwick from 1830 appeared as a genial Master of Ceremonies. The day was becoming altogether too bizarre. I assumed that some of those present were from Guiness Superlatives and that they would determine whether a record had been created.

To borrow a phrase, we 'made our excuses and left' just in case there was a problem over the record - the vengeance of the Daleks would have been as nothing compared with the vengeance of the various young people dressed in cardboard Dalek suits. More photographs

Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester

Keith Watson visited the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester on Sunday, 26th August 2007, together with John Archer and Jan. The photograph above shows Lawrence and Bev looking on as Keith starts 'Planet'. Many thanks to Lawrence, Bev and Johnathon for making Keith's visit so special - he even got breakfast on the shovel. For more pictures of the visit goto Jan's photographs

Some of the stationary engines on display fascinated Keith. We took a good look at the sectioned locomotive 'Pender'. This was built by Beyer Peacock in Manchester for the Isle of Man Railway. 'Pender' is mounted on a 'rolling road' and the wheels and motion are driven by an electric motor discreetly mounted under the rear end. Cutting a locomotive open is never very nice but, of course, a number of her classmates were preserved and run the tourist service in the Isle of Man. It has to be admitted that a cutaway locomotive is a splendid training tool. I've seen 'Ellerman Lines' sectioned at the National Railway Museum and the sectioned locomotive at Delhi Railway Museum.

We moved on to the Pakistan Railways broad gauge 4-4-0, also a Beyer Peacock locomotive. I took a few shots of the inside link motion and the massive driving axle. The crank webs are 'hooped', presumably for strength. The cab sides carry a splendid brass badge.

'Novelty' next took our attention. Although it is a non-working replica, it incorporates the wheels and one cylinder from the original. There is a working replica of 'Novelty' but it resides in Sweden. The working replica ran at Manchester during the Liverpool and Manchester 175th celebrations. The photos of that event offer more pictures of some of the exhibits described here.

The original 1830 station buildings survive and the First Class booking hall has been restored to show the arrangements for 'checking-in'. We watched a little playlet where a married couple, the Chadwicks, take the train for the first time in 1830. This concludes outside next to the 'Planet' replica. It's both good fun and educational.

At this point, Keith had his driving experience on 'Planet' before we returned to the Power Hall to check out the largest exhibit - the ex-South African Railways Beyer Garratt, also built in Manchester. This 3 foot 6 inch gauge 4-8-2 + 2-8-4 turns the scales at 214 tons!

As if all this were not enough, there was an event taking place at the Museum that day to set a World Record for the number of Daleks in one place! I should perhaps explain that the Museum is currently hosting a very successful Doctor Who Exhibition - prior to the exhibition I had noticed very few Daleks in Manchester (well, none, actually).

All-in-all, a very successful visit to what is now being marketed as the 'Museum Of Science and Industry'. So, if you've not yet made a visit, why not 'Mosey on down to Mosi'? (Ouch!).

Ivor the Engine

Somehow, I never got to see the 'Ivor the Engine' animated films when they were first broadcast. When the Battlefield Line announced that they were running a number of 'Ivor the Engine' days at the end of July and the beginning of August 2007, I thought I'd better do a little research.

Well, 'Wikipedia' told me all I needed to know about history and other sites provided stills and video. Being a cartoon engine, 'Ivor' has, shall we say, rather unusual proportions for a steam locomotive but quite a faithful recreation has resulted from the restoration of a small, 4-coupled, outside cylinder Peckett, works number 1555. I believe this locomotive is one of two which worked in Cawdor Quarry, Matlock (right next to the Peak Rail line, where I regularly drive).

The locomotive owner, Steve, was on hand as Ivor pottered around the station and characters from the story like Dai Station, Mrs. Porty and driver Edwin Jones performed little playlets. From time to time, Ivor would couple up to the two-car DMU for a romp part way up the line. It was all good fun and passenger numbers were healthy enough for Ivor to have a repeat booking in 2008. A 'special' was run at the end of the day on the 4th August and there's a Video Clip of Steve driving his engine.

More photos.

Morris Dancing

Did you know that the Morris Ring was set up in 1934 to encourage the performance of Morris Dancing, maintain its tradition and preserve its history? Neither did I. Nor did I know that the Stafford Morris Men are celebrating 50 years since their founding. As part of this celebration, the Morris Ring of England held their 311th Ring Meeting in Staffordshire, culminating in a display in the Market Square at Brewood.

Morris Dancing is not a usual event in Brewood, so when I found out about the display, I made sure I went to have a look. Although rain threatened, the weather remained quite good as the large number of dancers were put through their paces and I managed to get a number of photographs. There were around 20 different 'sides', from all over the country, each with its distinctive colours. It was a colourful and jolly event, as I hope you can see from my photographs.

Click for my photographs.

Derbyshire Dales Railway

Henry and Mary Frampton-Jones have been involved in railway preservation for a number of years. They have a particular interest in 2-foot passenger carrying lines. Having gathered a collection of 2-foot gauge wagons, coaches and industrial diesel locomotives, they organised the building of a short demonstration line at the Rowsley site of Peak Rail called the Derbyshire Dales Narrow Gauge Railway. At present, the railway comprises extensive sidings (with one container as the locomotive shed and a second as the carriage shed), Parkside Station (complete with refreshment facilities) and a running line around two hundred yards long. Work is currently in hand to extend the running line.

I became involved a few years ago to assist with the paperwork involved in obtaining permission to carry passengers. Although 'miniature' railways operate under a less-onerous regime, a track gauge of two feet requires most of the precautions expected of a standard gauge line. Every aspect of the operation had to be risk assessed and procedures set up for maintenance, certification of the volunteer staff and safe operation of the railway.

We obtained permission to operate in time for the planned public opening, initially using a single air-braked bogie coach top and tailed by a Ruston 'LBT' and a Lister 'Railtruck'. The Lister was loaned at short notice after the intended Ruston '48DL' had to be 'stopped' for attention to the tyres. After 'shopping' the '48DL' took up duties working the service with the 'LBT'. A combination of the demands of work and other projects I'm involved in means that I'm no longer Operations Manager and Health and Safety Advisor on the railway but I'll continue to assist in any way I can.

Click for my photos of the narrow gauge.

The Peak Rail website has a narrow gauge page.

Lionsmeet 2007

Every year, the Old Locomotive Committee ('OLCO', the supporters group for 'Lion' and modellers of 'Lion') hold a good-natured competition to see whose live-steam model can produce the most work done in ten minutes. In 2007, Bristol Society of Model Engineers had agreed to host the competition, known as 'Lionsmeet', which took place on Sunday 29th July at Ashworth Park, Bristol.

England had suffered heavy rain with flooding towards the end of July and, until the last moment, it was feared that the event might have to be postponed. In fact, we could not have had a better day and the event was enjoyed by all.

Ashworth Park is a former 'stately home', now a country park. Bristol M.E.S. have a mature, well-developed site with both an elevated multi-gauge track which the 'Lionsmeet' competitors used and a 7.25 inch gauge ground level track which remained unused (when are we going to have another 7.25 inch competitor, chaps?).

Jan was once again press-ganged into being the observer, riding behind each competitor, recording the performance figures from the dynamometer car and ensuring that the competition rules were observed.

All the competitors put up good performances but, once again, John Swindlehurst carried off the Mike Parrott Cup for another year.

More photographs.

'Gothenburg'

I first came across the locomotive 'Gothenburg' around 20 years ago. She was famous as one of the locomotives which inaugurated the passenger service on the East Lancashire Railway. Later, when I was involved with Padiham Railway Society (that's another story), we'd hoped to get 'Gothenburg' to operate the service, but arrangements fell through. 'Bellerophon' came to the rescue on that occasion. By the time 'Gothenburg' and I met up again, the locomotive was posing as 'Thomas'.

The Battlefield Line ran a number of 'Thomas' days in July 2007 and I drove on the 7th and 15th July.

Photographs

My First Steam Special

I travelled on my first steam special back in 1960 when scheduled steam was still around. In that year, the city of Stoke-on-Trent was celebrating its Jubilee. A railway exhibition was held in the North Western Yard at Stoke from the 11th to 24th May. British Rail organised an excursion from Birmingham New Street to Stoke allowing a visit to the exhibition. The preserved Midland Compound, 1000, was rostered for the trip. I arranged a Brake Van Permit (in those far-off days, such things were possible) because I hoped to make some sound recordings on the trip. Permission to travel in the end of the leading brake-composite would, I thought, position me next to the engine and allow me to make some decent recordings.

When I arrived at Birmingham New Street, the special train was already waiting with 1000 at the head, resplendent in its Midland crimson livery. There were also a large number of rather excited railway enthusiasts milling about the platforms. I don't think the term 'anorak' had been coined then but I remember that I wan't very impressed with their behaviour. We set off Northbound, past the busy No. 5 signal box and into New Street North Tunnel. The tunnel was always smoke-filled with water dripping from the roof and the driver had to proceed cautiously to maintain traction up the bank. He made a fair job of it and picked up speed as we passed the signal boxes at Shepcote Lane, Monument Lane and Harbourne Junction. We must have turned right at Winson Green Junction, to take the Soho Road Line to Perry Barr where we joined the original Grand Junction Line. At Bescot we turned right again, for Pleck Junction and Walsall. Leaving Walsall, there's another climb through Park Street Tunnel up to Ryecroft Junction. Passing Walsall Shed, 1000 gave a whistle in salute to the assorted locomotives. A driver travelling 'on the cushions' joined me in the brake end. He was 1000's regular driver but had handled over the locomotive to local men with the appropriate route knowledge. I thought the train was running quite well, but the driver shook his head. "They don't know how to make her 'compound'". However, by the time the train had reached East Cannock Junction, the regular driver looked a bit happier. "That's better" he said, nodding his head in approval. We flew towards Rugeley, where we joined the Trent Valley Line until Colwich, turning right there onto the line for Stone and then Stoke. All too soon, we were running into the down platform at Stoke-on-Trent.

A short walk took me to the Technical College where a number of railway exhibits had been arranged. I remember being impressed by the preserved 'Knotty' (North Staffordshire Railway) 0-6-2 tank engine but I've forgotten what else was on display. Later on, I returned to the station where our return train was waiting. I presume the 'Compound' had been onto Stoke shed for turning and 'fettling' for the return journey whilst the passengers had been enjoying the exhibition. Once again, I established myself in the leading guard's van, immediately behind the locomotive.

We retraced our route as far as Stone, where we turned right onto the Stafford line, running at reduced speed through the sharply-curved platforms past the attractive and distinctive station buildings. We made good speed until Norton Bridge's distant signal, which remained obstinately 'on', despite impatient whistling from the driver. It was just becoming dark as we crawled to a standstill at the home signal protecting the junction with the four-track main line between Stafford and Crewe. The red glow from the firebox lit up the surrounding area. For a while, all was quiet - the usual hisses and 'clinks' from the locomotive and the sound of conversation on the footplate, then the sound of an approaching train and a 'Rebuilt Scot' passed on the Up Fast, working hard, with the following coaches spilling yellow light onto the ballast. Soon, there was a 'clank' from our signal as we 'got the road' and our driver made a cautious start, drawing his train around the curve and onto the Up Fast. Local whistle codes were authorised at Norton Bridge so that drivers of up train could signal their requirements at Stafford - the signalman at Norton Bridge could telephone ahead to Stafford so that the correct arrangements could be made. As we moved towards the signal box, our driver gave the whistle for 'Train not stopping at Stafford requiring the Stour Valley Line' - two long and a 'crow' (I think). What an evocative sound!

We had an uneventful trip to Stafford, where we slowed first to get onto the Slow lines then to get onto the Goods Lines. We clanked past Stafford No. 5 Box, the adjacent Motive Power Depot, the signal box on the Goods lines and made our way to Stafford No.1 where the Stour Valley line to Wolverhampton diverges to the right. Once clear of Stafford, speed picked up again and it was not long before we were passing Bushbury Shed and Bushbury No. 1 signal box. Once over the viaduct, we were soon making our station stop at Wolverhampton, where I left the train. The special then continued back to Birmingham New Street.

It was years before I saw '1000' again, sadly, 'stuffed and mounted' in the National Railway Museum at York. And the sound recordings? I'm sorry to say that, at present, they're missing. If I can find them, and if they're still playable, I'll do what I can to preserve them.

Locomotive Regulators (part 1)

The other week, I was asked by one of my young friends to explain what I meant in saying "The regulator's 'gagged' in Second Valve". I'm afraid a little lecture is required.

In this country, it's usually called the 'regulator', in America it's invariably the 'throttle' but all steam locomotives have a valve, controlled by the driver (alright, 'engineer' in America) which controls the flow of steam from the boiler to the cylinders. This isn't an on-off valve but is adjustable by the driver to provide the appropriate effort.

In early locomotives, the valve gear could be set only to 'forwards' or 'backwards', so the regulator was the only means of adjusting the power output of the locomotive. There were two common types of regulator - plug and butterfly. Both types were operating by rotating a shaft connected between the regulator valve inside the boiler and a lever attached to the shaft outside the boiler, positioned on the boiler backhead and accessible to the driver. The shaft was provided with a gland where it passed through the outer firebox. Keeping this gland steamtight with the available materials was always a problem.

In the plug-type regulator, the end of the shaft inside the boiler would be provided with a coned plug arranged to be a good fit in the open end of the main steam pipe when the regulator was closed, preventing steam entering the main steam pipe. The regulator handle was then constrained by the quadrant, shaped as a section of a helix. When the handle was moved, the regulator rod turned and was also drawn back by the shape of the quadrant, with the result that the coned plug was withdrawn from the orifice of the main steam pipe, allowing steam to enter the pipe. This design was widely used by the Grand Junction Railway and a picture of the regulator quadrant of 'Lion' should help to clarify matters.

View of Lion's regulator from above. The regulator handle is in the closed position, extending to the right. As the lever is pushed to the left, the quadrant causes the regulator rod to be drawn back, opening the plug valve.

In the butterfly regulator, the regulator rod merely turned a two-lobed valve across the port face of the main steam pipe which was provided with two wedge-shaped steam ports. With the regulator closed, the valve lobes covered the steam ports, preventing steam from entering the main steam pipe. As the regulator was turned, the steam ports would be progressively uncovered, allowing steam to flow.

Illustration of a typical dome-mounted vertical slide-valve regulator

As boiler pressures and output power increased, the widely-used slide valve regulator was developed, often mounted vertically in the steam dome, as shown above. The main steam pipe terminates in a casting provided with a vertical, machined port-face provided with two more-or-less rectangular steam ports. Two flat valves lie over the port face, one on top of the other. Guides are provided which allow the two valves to move up and down independently. The outer valve (the 'pilot' or 'first' valve) connects via a link to a crank at the end of the regulator rod, so that moving the regulator handle pushes the valve up and down. The inner valve (the 'main' or 'second' valve) is also connected to the link but via a slot, such that, on progressively opening the regulator, the first valve is the first to move and the second valve only moves once the first valve is open. A series of ports in the two valves are arranged so that a moderate amount of steam is allowed to flow as the first valve is opened: once the main valve starts to open, a much larger port opening is achieved. This two-stage arrangement is intended to give the driver more accurate control over the flow of steam.

In this type of slide-valve regulator, the pressure of steam in the boiler is pressing the both main and pilot valves against the port face, preventing steam from leaking into the main steam pipe when the regulator is closed. But this pressure also makes it hard for the driver to move the regulator, as the pressure prevents either valve from sliding. Novices are frequently surprised at the effort required to initially open the first port. Once steam is flowing, the resistance will be somewhat reduced, but the required effort is still significant. After the pilot valve is fully open, further movement of the regulator handle will start to open the larger, main valve and considerable force may be required. Some locomotives are provided with two regulator handles to operate the regulator rod. This is partly for the convenience of the driver, for instance when shunting, partly so that the driver and fireman can co-operate in opening the main valve.

As boiler pressures continued to increase and larger locomotives appeared, the problem of adjusting the regulator became greater. In his larger locomotives, Churchward produced an excellent design of slide valve regulator, using horizontal valves fitted in the smokebox. Perhaps most importantly, he also provided an oil line from the sight feed lubricator directly to the regulator valve. Despite claims made by other designers, the only engines I've worked on which could be said to have "fingertip control" of the regulator were Great Western designs.

So, how about closing a regulator? Even in first valve, the flowing steam tends to interfere with getting the valve to slide closed. The regulator usually needs to be smartly brought against the stop to ensure complete closure. If second valve was open, the problem is increased. It's particularly difficult if second valve was only partly open as it then very hard to get both valves back to their proper, closed position. What usually happens is that the steam is cut off, but with the pilot valve slightly displaced from its normal, closed position. This is detectable from the cab, as the regulator handle may be reluctant to sit hard against the 'Shut' stop on the quadrant, because the misplaced second valve pushes against the regulator linkage and prevents the regulator rod from being moved to the correct, closed position. When the regulator is next re-opened, second valve is immediately partly open and an unexpectedly large steam flow may be obtained. This can be dangerous, for instance, whilst shunting, which is why it is so important for all drivers to have a thorough understanding of their machines. Once a regulator is partly open on second valve, the only reliable technique for full closure is to briefly open the regulator to the fully open position ('putting the handle in the roof') and then very smartly bring it to the fully closed position. After this treatment, when the regulator is re-opened it will open on the pilot valve.

There's more about Regulators in part 2.
(Only took me 9 years to complete part 2 which is why the blog is called 'occasional').

[Link to part 2 added: 11-Sep-2016]

History of Steam Locomotives in Western Australia

In February 2007 I visited the Rail Transport Museum in Bassendean, Perth, Western Australia. It's run by the Australian Railway Historical Society, Western Australian Division. See their website. This brief 'A to Z' of preserved locomotives is derived from the the Museum Guide. For my photographs of these exhibits, click here.

A: In 1880 John Robb imported a 2-6-0 from Beyer Peacock in England to build the Eastern Railway from Fremantle through Perth to Guildford. The locomotive was acquired by West Australia Government Railways, classified as 'A' class and ultimately there were 12 locomotives in the class. 'A.11' is preserved at Bassendean.

B: The Midland Railway imported nine Hawthorn Leslie 4-4-0 around 1891. Initially unclassed, they became the 'T' class in 1912 and 'B' class in 1921.

C: The Eastern Railway was opened in 1881 and two 0-6-0 tender locomotives built by Robert Stephenson and Company in England were used on the line. Later classified as 'C' class, 'C.1', 'Katie', survives at Bassendean, cosmetically restored.

Dd: The 'D' class 'Baltic' tanks were first introduced in 1912, becoming 'Ds' when superheated. In 1945, the 'Dm' class appeared, using parts from withdrawn 'E' class locomotives. In 1946 ten improved 'Dd' class were built. They were used on suburban passenger, freight and banking. Dd.592 and Dd.596 survive.

Es: The 'E' class 4-6-2 was introduced in 1902. In 1924, superheating was introduced and the rebuilt locomotives were designated 'Es'. The preserved locomotive Es.308 ran 1.25 million miles, having received new frames in 1935.

Fs: The 'F' class 4-8-0 was introduced in 1902 as a heavy freight locomotive, displacing 'K' class locomotives. The first 'F' class was superheated (to become 'Fs' class) in 1912, but the preserved locomotive Fs.460 (originally F.407) was not superheated until 1937.

G: The 'G' class 2-6-0 was a standard Beyer Peacock design and an enlarged version of the 'A' class. Preserved locomotive 'G.233' was built in Australia by James Martin and Company in 1898.

H: In 1889 two small 0-6-0T arrived from Nielson & Company for the Bunbury - Boyanup line. After a long and varied service, H.18 was presented to the Australian Historical Railway Society and is now on display at Bassendean.

N: Introduced in 1896, there were over 70 of these popular 4-4-4 passenger tanks. In addition, around 1907, Midland Workshops produced another 10, using parts from withdrawn 'O' class locomotives. N.201 is preserved.

O: Forty-six 'O' class were introduced between 1896 and 1898, being a lightweight version of the 'K' class with better route availability. O.218 was preserved after running 750,000 miles.

P: This express passenger 4-6-2 was introduced in 1924 and by 1929 the class numbered 25. During WWII, eight were rebuilt with higher pressure boilers and re-classified 'Pr'. P.448 entered service in 1925, was renumbered as P.508 in 1947, was condemned in 1969 and subsequently entered the museum.

Pr: Ten improved 'P' class 4-6-2 were built at Midland Workshops between 1937 and 1939. They were known as the 'River' class, beause of the naming and re-classified as 'Pr' in 1940. Pr.138 was the first of the class, renumbered as Pr.521 in 1946, withdrawn in 1967, subsequently moving to the museum.

Pm: This modified 'Pr' class was introduced in 1950 with a number of improvements but, being rough riders, were confined to freight working. Pm.701 survives.

S: The first class wholly designed and built in Australia, three of these 4-8-2 were built at Midland in 1943 and a further seven after the war. S.542 (originally S.477) from the first batch and S.549 are now preserved.

U: Fourteen of these oil-burning 4-6-2, originally intended for the Sudan, were supplied by Britain in 1946, working fast passenger and goods. U.655 is preserved.

Ut: This was supplied by North British in 1942 as U.644 and converted in 1957 into a 4-6-4T for working suburban passenger trains, re-numbered Ut.644 and entering preservation in 1972.

V: These powerful 2-8-2 from Robert Stephenson and Hawthorn (as sub-contractors to Beyer Peacock) were introduced in 1956. The tractive effort of 33,630 lbs. made them suitable for working heavy coal trains. The class numbered 24. V.1220 entered the museum in 1972.

W: Sixty of this successful class were supplied by Beyer Peacock from 1951. The 4-8-2 design was suitable for both fast passenger and goods. W.953 entered the museum in 1972. W.947 was sold in 1973 for working tourist trains from Albany and joined W.953 in the museum in 1985.

[Bassendean website updated 10-Jan-2024]

Pipe Freezing

When the plumber came to alter some pipework in the central heating, I had anticipated that the whole system would need to be drained, which would have been quite a performance. But, in fact, he used a 'Freeze Master' to freeze the water in the pipes he wanted to work on. The 'Freeze Master' is a portable refrigerator which plugs into the mains and passes a chilled refrigerant through flexible hoses to a Freezing Block attached to the pipe. The machine used had two hoses and two Freezing Blocks. Each hose is, presumably, provided with two bores to accommodate flow and return of the refrigerant.

The photograph below shows two Freezing Blocks secured to the pipe by a G-clamp. The machine comes with a series of reducers to allow smaller diameter pipes to be dealt with.

I'd not seen this technique used before and I thought it was an ingenious application of the properties of water.

Holiday Time at Bloomfield

In 1962, I had some signalman friends who were kind enough to let me work signal boxes unofficially. I wrote the following report at the time (in fountain pen!). It describes part of the 'early' shift (6.00am to 2.00pm) on Saturday, 28th July 1962.

I've edited the report a little to try to make it a little more understandable to those not familiar with the location or the era, when electrification and resignalling was in progress. It's probably a good idea to read my earlier post Bloomfield Junction first, to have an idea of the layout.

The report makes reference to the timings entered in the Train Register book - they're not to hand, I'm afraid.

The 5.58 a.m. local from Wolverhampton whisks your sleepy reporter towards the Tipton Tangle and 6.20 a.m. sees us climbing the box steps as the official signalman, Tom, arrives in his Reliant van.The first surprise is a change in box working, initiated during the week. Up to this time, on the up line expresses were offered on receipt and other trains on receipt of Train Entering Section from Spring Vale (Train Approach authorised from Deepfields when open but not actually sent – early 'Section' was usually used instead). But since the removal of Monmore Green signal box and the alteration of signalling between Wolverhampton No. 1 and Catchem's Corner, Catchem's has been sending trains on receipt, instead of on 'Section' or 'Train Approach' from Monmore Green. This has resulted in Dudleyport and Albion having trains 'on the block' for up to twenty minutes before seeing them and so this alteration was introduced.

When Wolverhampton platform staff 'ring out' trains, the description is forwarded to Bloomfield Junction, where it is held until receipt of 'Train Approach' from Spring Vale, who sends this signal on receipt of 'Train Entering Section' from Catchem's Corner. As the early entries in the train register book betray, Spring Vale is, in fact, sending an early 'Section', since there is only about one minute between receiving 'Section' from Catchem's and the train passing Spring Vale. However, when Deepfields signal box is open, Mr. Almond there sends the correct 'Train Approach' forward. This system has, as yet, confused the gentlemen who staff Tipton Station box. After the introduction of the four-aspect colour-light as Deepfields' Up Starter (replacing a 3-aspect colour light), Deepfields used to send 'section' to Bloomfield on receipt of 'section' from the rear for expresses. Bloomfield at once gave 'early section' to Tipton, giving the signalman adequate time to open the gates and show the driver clear semaphore distant signals at Bloomfield at least, and, if he was quick on the gates, a green at the Deepfields colour-light as well. But, now, Tipton must open his gates virtually 'on receipt' and Tipton is not quite used to this. On this particular Saturday, the signalmen were erring on the right side by clearing their signals rather too early but by the time a week had elapsed, things were different.

The first two hours this morning were very exhausting: just look at some of the timings in the register. First of all, 1L02 on the down: the 'Scottish Tours' special, three coaches with a 'Black 5' on the front end. 1Z70, the Blackpool excursion, was taken on right behind and meanwhile 1M16 passed on the up, running 'right time' with a Type 4 roaring on the front. At 6.44 a.m. the down Blackpool storms past, with another `Black 5' in charge.The down Liverpool special, 1Z09, is offered right behind the Blackpool. Spring Vale hasn't yet cleared for the Blackpool and so 'Byron' has to drag 1Z09 slowly up to the colour light down starter to await acceptance. The London drifts by on the up, behind another Type 4 diesel-electric. As the fireman of the Liverpool buzzes the signal box telephone, Spring Vale gives 'train out of section' and 'Byron' departs, the plume of his exhaust visible behind the houses up towards Deepfields. The 6.55 a.m. local bowls past towards Birmingham and then freight T37 is offered by Spring Vale. 'Section' immediately follows the 'Is Line Clear?' and the train is 'sent on' to Tipton Curve, the junction is set and the signals cleared.

Another Type 4 puts in an appearance on the down Crewe, struggling up the bank from the station stop at Tipton, accelerating under the box and away, curving beneath the bridge. But, before the colour-light gives the familiar 'burp' as it's replaced to danger automatically by the train, a following Llandudno train has been accepted from Tipton. The freight train rumbles past the box on the up; a Class 8, tender first, with a long train of empty coke wagons from the furnaces of Stewarts and Lloyds, returning to fetch a further load. The down line instrument from Tipton stands at 'Train On Line' for the Llandudno before the Crewe train, having stopped at Coseley station, clears Spring Vale and we can pull off our signals for the approaching Llandudno express, slowed by our adverse distants. The Llandudno, 1Z12, approaches cautiously with 'Kitchener', clean for a change, at the front. A wave to the driver from the landing at the top of the stairs tells him he's 'got the road' and that our colour light starter, hidden round the long right-hand curve, is 'off'. I come back from the door, hit the catch handle of the down Home and the tension in the signal wire is sufficient to pull the lever 'back in the frame'. I walk across the box, squinting downwards through the grimy windows to catch the tail lamp and then, satisfied, reach up to the block shelf. '2-1' to Tipton, snatch the commutator to 'Line Closed' and then pause for a moment, half waiting for the '2' from Tipton to summon a further express, this time 1H03 to Manchester.

Another DMU speeds away on the up, carrying Saturday morning commuters to Birmingham and intermediate stops.`Train Approach' then 'Section' on the down and a Type 4 blackens the sky with its dark fumes. Its raucous exhaust cuts the still morning air on the gradient up to Bloomfield bridge. The train rumbles past the box, compartment after compartment shows its complement of passengers: a number of spinsters going to Manchester this morning! Tail lamp – '2-1' – 'clon-dong' – '1' – 'clon-dong, don-don-dong' – '2-3' – a crack from the commutator as I give 'Line Clear' to Tipton for a following Light Engine; a pause of a few seconds then 'don-dong' - 'Train Entering Section' and the commutator is turned to 'Train on Line'. It's the Dudley parcels engine turned out of the loop at Watery Lane and 'Right Away' Wolverhampton. 1H03 makes good time to 'The Vale' with the Type 4 and we soon get the road for the light engine but he's already missed our distants, so we give the usual sign of encouragement to the driver from the landing. The guard is riding on the footplate – it's our old friend Mr. Westwood and he waves jovially. After 'Train Out Of Section' there's just time to get the train register up to date before Tipton offers a local - '3-1'. The down local passes and there is peace for a few minutes until the up local is offered.

A '3' is next offered from Tipton. This pick-up freight is now target T73, but it used to be T235. After receiving 'section' we are just wondering whether we can get him away to Spring Vale when we get the 'George Hunt' from Tipton ('1-5-5': 'Shunt Train for Following Train to Pass'), so his fate is sealed. The train sounds the annunciator when he hits the berth track circuit on the approach to our down home and we clear the signal to 'loose him in'. As the freight – a 'Black 5' with a handful of wagons and a Southern Region brake – coasts past the box, the driver and guard are signalled to set back onto the front road. The train moves into the distance past points 13 and we 'knock out' to Tipton (give 'Train Out of Section', since the freight has passed our 'clearance point') and 'take' on a following parcels - '1-3-1'. A moment after, 'section' is received. The up local rattles past as we set the road for T73 to back 'inside'. The diesel parcels unit hits our track circuit and the annunciator sounds. This time, we can't clear the home signal because T37 is still slowly propelling his train clear of the main line. A 'Call Attention' to Spring Vale to offer the parcels is ignored and instead we get the painful '1...1...1...1...' which indicates that Mr. Almond is opening Deepfields. An impatient acknowledgment '5-5-5' precedes a further 'Call Attention' as we offer the parcels to Deepfields. Once T37 is 'inside', levers 8, 14, 13 are slammed back into the frame and the down home and starter are cleared for the parcels. 'Section' to Deepfields and out to my favourite vantage point, the landing by the door, to watch the parcels go by and signal that the starter is 'off' . The driver waves in a most friendly manner - it's the cheerful diesel parcels unit driver who ran round his van the other Sunday at Watery Lane.

A 'phone call to Spring Vale ascertains that he would like '235' down before the express, so once the diesel parcels is clear we 'turn him out' (13, 14, 16, 17) and 'get him the road'. 1G02 is 'taken on' on the up and this time we get 'Train Approach' from Deepfields (four beats consecutive rather than '1-2-1'!). The up train passes, hauled by a Sulzer Type 2 and dragging the usual Stores Van along at the rear. An up parcels is taken on close behind the express and another excursion passes on the down, 1Z71 to Blackpool, hauled by a Stanier 2-6-0. The up parcels, a 'Standard' 2-6-0 with one 'BG' parcels van, passes just before the down Saturdays Only local grinds by and another down express is belled following the local. The up local is 'taken on' whilst the up parcels is still working in the platform at Tipton, so Tipton is given the 'Shunt'. He puts the parcels back onto the branch so that he can 'knock out' and accept the up local from me. The up local rattles past; the passengers oblivious of the trains which might foul their path. The down express is another Llandudno, 1D27, and he roars past with a 'Black 5' working hard.

The Ganger checks the signal post telephone at the down starter as he passes it whilst 'walking the length' and an entry is accordingly placed in the Train Register Book. Another down local rattles past and the diesel parcels unit we had earlier on the down now returns on the up towards Birmingham, with a different driver. After a brief respite, we have the down Liverpool, 1K10 - 'Jubilee' class 'Novelty', clean and shining, is in charge today. The Manchester, 1H05, is offered immediately behind and sports a Sulzer diesel-electric this morning. The second train of the day to London, 1B08, is headed by another Type 4. The 8.50 a.m. from Newcastle (the one near Stoke) is a 3-car DMU and behind it 1G05, from Manchester, is Sulzer-hauled. 1G06, from Liverpool, follows immediately and it passes with a Type 4 just as the 10.20 a.m. down local sways past on the other line.

Spring Vale turns out an up freight, advising it as '244'. Officially, this working is now known as T34 (but not along the North Stour!). Once again, the 'porter-bobby' at Tipton (Mr. Toombes today) has to suspend his porter duties to walk to Tipton Curve Junction and open the box ready for '244'. As '244' comes into view on the up, the 'Shunt' is received from Deepfields, but '244' keeps coming nice and slowly down the bank, a 2-8-0 tender first, being pushed along by a long train of empties. In the opposite direction, '269' (now officially T61) is accepted from the Curve, despite the proximity of the down local and up express, and the freight comes rattling off the Curve, 'right away Spring Vale', with only a handful of wagons. 1G07 barely comes to a stand at our up home while '269' clears the junction and then the 3-car DMU from Stoke proceeds on its way. Not yet 11.00am, and still the trains keep coming!

A Sunday Stroll to Stafford

In 1962, the former L.M.S. lines in the West Midlands were being electrified and re-signalled. I wrote the following report at the time (in fountain pen!) describing a roundabout journey from Wolverhampton to Stafford and return on Sunday 15th July 1962 whilst diversions were in progress. I've edited the original text a little to try to make it more generally understandable.

A Sunday Stroll to Stafford - and when trains are being diverted round the Princes End Branch, stroll is the right word!

Passengers for Stafford and the North from Wolverhampton were supposed to catch a special diesel to Walsall, to connect with the diverted expresses, but I wanted to travel over the Princes End branch, so I had to go via Dudleyport. It took much consulting of the Special Traffic Notices on the day before, to decide on a suitable connection, but a 9.45 am DMU was shown from Wolverhampton, to connect at Dudleyport with the Blackpool excursion, 1Z63.

However, when I tried to book a "Return Dudleyport" at Wolverhampton I was told "There's no train for two hours!"
"What about the train to connect with the Blackpool excursion?" I enquired.
"There's no excursion advertised today" I was told. Oh well, I bought the ticket anyway and wandered onto the platform. A large crowd was gathered and soon a twinset DMU rattled into the Down Bay. The happy passengers bundled onto the train, whilst a commodious supply of alcohol was piled into the luggage compartment.
"Yes, this connects with the Blackpool" I was told. All most perplexing. Still, I hopped on board and, a few minutes late, we departed, making rather poor time to Dudleyport.

At Dudleyport, 1Z63, due to depart at 9.55 am, was already in the down platform taking water at the column, with 70047 at the head end. I followed the crowd through the subway to the down side, where the Inspector was proclaiming
"Wolverhampton Corporation Party – first three coaches. Others behind." But there were no others, apart from me! So that was it! Three reserved coaches had been laid on for the party, and the twinset DMU was to connect. So I'd gatecrashed a Party Special! Oh well, having watched the drinks being transferred (through the 'wrong side' of the train across the 'six foot') from the DMU to 1Z63, I purchased a second ticket to Stafford, price 6 shillings (30p). After 1Z63 has left, another 2-car DMU arrived on the down and hid in the loop so that it could be passed by my train, 2H67 for Manchester (and another DMU, of course).

In a slight drizzle, we set off on 2H67 and trundle down to Tipton, but the 'pegs' (signals) don't come off, because there's a DMU coming off the Curve (because of the overhang on bogie vehicles, passenger trains are not allowed to pass on the Curve). After a short delay, we made a sedate progress round the Curve, but accelerate well towards Princes End (by the way, with a new driver from Dudleyport) and rattle down the bank, past the cooling towers of Ocker Hill and round the curve and through Wednesbury. A smart pull up the bank to Mestycroft but Bescot Curve's distant is 'on' and we grind to a halt at his home signal. It soon comes 'off' but the young signalman casually sticks out a "red 'un" (red flag). After a few minutes standing outside the box (why, I wonder?) the driver moves off and, almost immediately, the starter clears. We wander down to Walsall, where the driver is changed again.

The platform starter clears and we set off at about 11.10 am. We rush through Ryecroft at a frightening pace, past the closed box at Birchills and find Bloxwich's distant 'on'. His home is seen to be 'off' but, suddenly 'crack – crack – crack', a deafening sound when riding in the front of a DMU, three detonators and a flagman running across the track with a red flag. "Bridge Painters North of the station" he warns and we move off cautiously when the flagman displays a yellow flag. The painters are perched on top of a tall ladder under the bridge, with long distemper brushes splashing around, blocking the other line but precariously close to the 'down'. We make an uneventful run to Cannock, passing a lovely switchback presumably caused by mining subsidence (15 m.p.h. in this direction) at Great Wyrley, near the Mid Cannock pits. East Cannock Junction's distant is against us and we get one 'shot' (detonator) and a yellow flag at his home. We pass a gang working on the track by the starter and get a' green' from the flagman.

After Hednesford and its colliery sidings, we rush across Brindley Heath, at about 65 m.p.h. at least. Brereton Sidings home, with distant for Rugeley, is giving a brilliant light. This and the starter are semaphores with electrically-lit spectacles. We rattle into a renovated Rugeley Trent Valley down platform, where drivers are quickly changed once again and we set off for Stafford. The boxes at Rugeley retain their old frames, with mechanical operation of local points and all colour-light signals. We rattle along the slow to Colwich, where the line becomes double track to Stafford. All trace of the station and original signal box have disappeared from Colwich and a new box is in operation on the up side at the London end.

We plunge into Shugborough tunnel at about 60 m.p.h., sounding the horn – quite an experience as we mount the curve and the white silhouette of the tunnel end comes into sight and the sunlight shines on the rail tops. We rush through Milford, the original box looking a trifle out of place in the middle of a new layout and we pass a monotonous succession of colour-lights, labelled 'QE' for Queensville, with the new overhead catenary wavering from side to side above. We pass the loop at Baswich, the box standing lonely, stripped of instruments and frame, with just a row of track circuit indicators hanging forlornly at 'Track Occupied'. We pass the box at Queensville, getting a double yellow, then, rounding the curve, a yellow and we grind to a halt at Stafford No. 1's home signal, leaning over on the steep cant of the famous Queensville Curve. We are held here for a gruelling five minutes or more and must have been called past the signal, because it was showing red as we moved off. We rattle over the crossing at Trent Valley Junction, with gangs of men all over the place and the Wolverhampton line being re-aligned. At Stafford No. 3, the colour-light home has been changed from position light to theatre-type route indication and we roll into Platform 3, just before 11.45 am, about seven minutes late.

Stafford is somewhat changed! The outline of the new station is now marked by the massive concrete beams which have appeared. A crane train was working in the North end of platform 1, blocking the Up Through. All the signals in the area are now colour-light. The passenger facilities are in a state of limbo, with platforms unmade, temporary waiting rooms in use but the new enclosed footbridge is open to passengers.

The up Merseyside Express calls at Platform 4, with 'City of Birmingham' at the front end. The following train is 1G10, the Bangor – Birmingham and I found a good position at the front, right behind 'Lord Kitchener'. The smiling driver was rather fond of the siren and he made like 'In the American Backwoods' to Rugeley. Just before Stafford No. 1, we passed a crane gang. The crane was balancing a 60 foot top member between two side posts for electrification right above the running road – a Sword of Damocles, indeed!

We make good speed to Rugeley, the driver playing a tune on the siren at every gang we pass and inside Shugborough Tunnel. Between Baswich (the loop and Salt Siding) and Rugeley we pass a wiring train on the up slow, with a 350 h.p. diesel electric. The driver stops at the North end of Rugeley, by a group of 'pilot' drivers, but he is told that his pilot is further along. The train moves slowly into the station, on the through line, and waits while the pilot unhurriedly ambles across the tracks and clambers aboard. The pilot takes charge and moves her off. A beautiful, uncontrolled slip makes a good sound and he makes quite a meal of it pulling out onto the Cannock Line. A sorry sight in one of the sidings at Rugeley: a train of bogie bolsters carrying the mortal remains of semaphore signalling on the Trent Valley! Tubular posts, with rusted arms bent during removal in a most pathetic way, lattice posts, also two-aspect and searchlight colour-light signals and wooden bracket signals.

On the return journey, we get three 'shots' North of Bloxwich and the flagman comes out of a permanent way gang hut, to warn of bridge painters. But the painters have gone to lunch and we rattle on down to Walsall No. 3, where we are held for a moment. As we pull into the platform, a DMU rattles through in the same direction on an adjoining line, with Walsall No. 2's distant off. The Wolverhampton diesel parcels unit is shunting around in the North End Bay. I detrain and watch as the DMU backs out of platform 3 towards Ryecroft, then coasts down behind 1G10 which, after taking water, departs towards Wednesbury. The twinset DMU follows 1G10 down the platform and stops, to form the connecting service to Wolverhampton.

With me installed in the front compartment, we are soon off. We just catch Walsall No. 1's distant off as we pass Walsall No. 2's starter (sounds like jibberish!) but we are very nearly brought to a stand at Pleck before his home comes off for the Darlaston line. We rattle along towards home. The boxes along this line have been repainted, in pale cream and a strange dark green/brown. At Willenhall's distant, we sight a flagman with a "yeller 'un" and we get one 'shot'. We draw slowly into the station and a Pilotman, wearing mackintosh and trilby, clambers aboard from the wrong side. We move off on the right line. At Portobello, they're relaying over the level crossing. There are two engineer's trains standing on the up, their engines towards Bescot, the rear train uncoupled in the middle and the front half drawn forward a few yards. The single line ends at Wednesfield Heath and we stop to set down the Pilotman. An engine is standing on the up, waiting the road or, perhaps, Pilotman's Engine? We trundle into the bay at Wolverhampton, concluding a interesting, if devious, trip to Stafford.

Visit to Seoul, South Korea

In an earlier post, I described a period when I carried out some consultancy for Philips in Holland. During this period, there was a major railway project going on in Iraq. Hyundai in Korea had won the main contract for building the railway and Philips was one of the companies bidding to Hyundai for the telecommunications sub-contract. At that time, Iraq enjoyed massive oil revenues and, although some of us had reservations about Saddam Hussein, his regime was being enthusiastically embraced by the West. Well, we put together the major quotation in Holland and I was asked to accompany the bid team on a visit to Seoul to present the bid to Hyundai and, hopefully, negotiate a contract.

Travel had been arranged on a late afternoon flight from Schiphol via Gatwick, with an overnight at the Hilton Hotel, Gatwick. It was a strange experience to fly into England from Holland and, instead of going home, book into a hotel. I couldn't settle that evening so I skipped dinner and instead caught the train down to Brighton to look at the sea on my own. Having just arrived from Holland, I seemed to see England through the eyes of an outsider - a very odd feeling.

Next day, we flew to Seoul. I think there were five of us. Philips had arranged excellent rooms at one of the top business hotels in Seoul. The bid manager held a series of meetings in the hotel to refine the offer and discuss strategy in preparation for our first meeting with Hyundai the next morning.

All our meetings took place at the Hyundai headquarters in the centre of Seoul - a towering, modern office block. Discussions were in English (just as well - I managed 'O' Level French and Latin but I'm an exceptionally poor linguist), although the Koreans would, naturally, slip into Korean for asides to one another. As expected, we found Hyundai to be relentless negotiators, always asking for enhanced specifications but also seeking lower prices. The contract was large enough that a number of companies were bidding for the telecommunications sub-contract and it was easy for them to play one bidder against another. At the end of the meeting, we came away with a series of requests and questions. Back at the hotel, the bid manager would discuss the possibilities and do the sums, ready for the next meeting

I don't remember how many meetings with Hyundai we had. All followed the same pattern of Hyundai implying that they were really, really pleased with our offer and that there remained only tiny queries to be resolved before the contract was ours. When you've invested many weeks of work in responding to the invitation to tender, you naturally believe your offer is the best and you are reluctant to think that the job is slipping away because you can't shave just a little more off your price. Back at our hotel, we had another meeting and almost everybody was keen to discuss ways of finding a further saving. The bid manager, a man of great experience, shook his head and took out a piece of paper with a sum of money on it. It was the price we were now seeking to lower. He explained that he had written the sum down before leaving Holland. It represented the lowest sum which would make the job worthwhile to Philips, he said. There would be no further reduction. The rest of the team were, of course, disappointed but over the next few hours we realised the wisdom of his position. In the excitement of the negotiation, it's all too easy to lose sight of just how much you've given away. The bid manager knew that, even if he'd allowed a reduction, that would have been followed by a request for yet another, tiny saving.

The bid manager went back to Hyundai without the whole team to explain his regret that no further reduction would be possible. That evening, the bid manager arranged a special dinner at the hotel in appreciation of everyone's efforts and the next day we flew back to Europe, by now convinced of the wisdom of the bid manager's actions.

So, Philips didn't get the order but I learnt an important lesson. But that wasn't the end of my involvement with the Iraq railway project, because my friends at GEC Telecommunications in Coventry were also quoting for the telecommunications package. One day, I'll tell you about it.

Oil & Gas Industry

I've not had much to do with the Oil & Gas Industry but, some years ago, I did have one interesting consultancy job with the major company supplying Fire & Gas Alarms for the Morecambe Bay Gas Field. Natural gas was discovered in Morecambe Bay in 1974 and, four years later, commercial exploitation started.

Offshore production platforms are hazardous places (do you remember the terrible loss of life when the Piper Alpha platform caught fire?) and so they are provided with very sophisticated systems for detecting both fire and gas build-up. Platforms are also large and complex, resulting in thousands of points to be monitored and relayed back to a central display in the control room. Above all, the systems must be reliable so the computers involved in processing the data must be designed to reduce the possibility of failure and incorporate principles of redundancy to mitigate the effect of failure.

Well, the Fire & Gas Alarm company had produced an innovative design to meet these requirements. Hundreds of microprocessors spread around the production platform had to 'talk' to one another over cable and, at the control room, a series of industrial grade computers had to 'crunch' all this data to give the operators a picture of the situation. Needless to say, problems had arisen in producing the necessary software and making sure all the different parts worked together properly. The Fire & Gas Alarm company was under pressure from the end user to 'sort it', so they invited consultants from a number of organisations to attend a one-day brainstorming session. One of the invitations went to a University with a strong electronics department that we'd had dealings with. The University was unable to provide a member of staff on the appointed day but, being familiar with the type of safety-involved systems we produced, suggested that I might attend.

The brainstorming session was attended by a few academics, but the attendees mainly seemed to be from international consultancy organisations. The Fire & Gas Alarm company made a presentation describing the history of the contract and the architecture adopted and then an intense discussion about "what next?" ensued. Soon, the buzzwords were flying thick and fast from the international consultants as they attempted to dazzle everyone with their experience and grasp of the essential way forward. It appeared to me that there was too much re-inventing of the wheel, too little seeking to analyse where the project had lost its way and, to be unkind, too much creating jobs for highly-paid consultants. Based on what we'd heard, my view was that the basic approach was perfectly sound and that the technical staff already involved were competent. The problems seemed to lie in the project management and decision-making. I bided my time and then expressed these views in simple language, stressing that a more detailed hardware and software review was needed to separate the good bits from the bad bits in what had been produced. The day ended with one of the international consultancy firms and I being asked to submit priced suggestions. To my amazement, I got the job (perhaps simply because my approach appeared to cost a lot less).

So I ended up spending two days a week in Slough (!?!) whilst we tried to move things forward. It took some time for me to get my head round the complex systems they'd produced. I also arranged individual interviews with everybody involved to see where they thought the problems lay. This took a while as there were half a dozen hardware engineers, dozens of software engineers and their managers. There were one or two issues with the hardware but the hardware engineers seemed to be well on the way to providing acceptable solutions. Most of the problems were with the software. As the job had fallen behind, extra programmers had been brought in to accelerate the job but this created extra interfaces as the job was divided into smaller parts. This required additional documentation to keep track of the required functionality and try to ensure that each software module could 'talk' to the next. Changes in this documentation were frequent as people introduced new ideas or tried to work around problems. In fact, not much software was being written - the programmers spent most of their time meeting one another to iron out snags in the documentation. Frustrated by their inability to make progress, morale was low. The sheer amount of paper circulating was impressive.

I have never worked with a smarter bunch of people and their collective knowledge and experience was awesome. I struggled to keep up in software discussions, but I was determined not to bluff. I tried to strip away complexity and get people to focus on the essentials of the problem so that the teams, who wanted to be productive, could be given sound direction which would not have to be reversed in a couple of days. We started to see some improvement but we were still worried that the sophistication which had been offered to the end user was not achievable in a realistic time scale.

Accordingly, a somewhat less ambitious specification was agreed with the end user as Phase 1 which gave him perhaps 80% of what he wanted. The remaining functionality was deferred to Phase 2 and I'm not sure that Phase 2 was, in fact, ever implemented. The simpler requirements of Phase 1 gave a 'light at the end of the tunnel' that the job might actually be delivered. Fresh estimates were made, by the software engineers themselves, of the manpower required to complete Phase 1 in the newly-agreed timescale and the result showed that we only needed about a quarter the number of staff. The software engineers were self-employed and on short-term contracts, so it was quite possible to lay them off, but I had sleepless nights at the thought of formally recommending this action. I'd made friends with the people I was working with and expected to be reviled for my part in putting them back on the job market (I've always thought I'm too soft to be in business but others may disagree).

To my surprise, I was presented with a huge bouquet by the team and congratulated on "telling it like it is". The demand for software engineers was high and none of them would have any difficulty in moving into another contract. They'd been unable to convince management of the problems in the project and were just pleased that a hopeless situation had finally been addressed. Of course, it was logical to terminate my own role, as well. We went our separate ways, leaving the much-reduced group to finish off Phase 1.

I often think with fondness of the team I worked with. My only disappointment was that I didn't get to visit an offshore platform. At one stage, I was going to visit a Morecambe Bay platform as part of a team investigating a site problem but the visit was called off at the last moment and never re-arranged.

Is there a moral? I think it has to be "Keep it Simple" (sometimes called the 'KISS Principle - Keep it simple, stupid'. This is a modern re-working of "Occam's Razor", one of the contributions to logic and philosophy by William of Ockham, a 14th century Franciscan Friar).

Timber Production in Western Australia

The Boilermakers' Shop at Yarloop in its heyday

In February 2007 I visited Yarloop Workshops in Western Australia with my friend Keith Watson (there's more about that trip here). It's now an industrial museum commemorating the area's history of timber export. I'm afraid I had no idea of the significance of the area in the supply of high-quality timber during the 20th century until this visit.

It took us around two hours by car travelling South from Perth to reach the town of Yarloop. The weather was hot and there had been recent forest fires en route.

The museum is housed in a series of substantial timber buildings - the remains of the timber mill and workshops which serviced the timber industry. The enterprise was started in 1895 by two brothers from England called Millar and became, in its time, the largest timber centre in the world, operating the largest privately-owned steam railway in the world.

A pamphlet 'Yarloop Workshops Welcome You' describes the features on display, including the Saw Shop, Sand Shed (supplying dry sand for the locomotives), Mill Store, Saddle Shop, Workshop Complex (where stationary and locomotive boilers were built and repaired), Running Shed (which once housed four locomotives), Blacksmiths' Shop, Main Machine Shop, Boiler Room, Tool Room, Coppersmiths' Shop, Moulding Shop, Pattern Makers' Shop, Foreman's Office (still holding original plans and blueprints), Pattern Shop (still holding hundreds of original patterns),Truck Shop (carrying out timber work for road and rail vehicles) and Plumbers' Shop. Finally, there is the Steam House, where volunteers restore and maintain a number of historic stationary steam engines rescued from various locations which are periodically demonstrated to visitors.

The whole site is very evocative and I was made most welcome by the volunteers. Visitors to Western Australia who are interested in industrial or social heritage should make time for a visit.

The history of life in Yarloop is vividly described in Geoff Fortune's book 'Yarloop - There was no better place' (ISBN 1 876760 09 5).

My pictures of Yarloop

Yarloop Workshops.

[Links added 21-Jun-2016].

The Empire State Building, New York

I've been familiar with images of the Empire State Building since I was a child. When I visited New York in February 2007 and made the trip to the 86th floor Observation Deck, I decided that the building's iconic status was well-deserved. Subsequent study of the history of the building has reinforced that judgement. During my visit, I purchased John Tauranac's book 'The Empire State Building', published in New York by St. Martin's Press (ISBN 0-312-14824-0). I drew on this excellent book for information, but interpretations and errors are my own.

For centuries, building design was limited by the ability of the materials used in the lower floors to support the weight of upper floors. It was the advent of steel-framed buildings around 1880 which allowed the concept of the 'skyscraper' to become a practical proposition.

New York, constrained as it was by the Manhattan site bounded by the East River and Hudson River, was the perfect home for adventurous building design which made best use of expensive land. Initially, steel-framed buildings were built to look like conventional buildings and used the styles already in vogue. It took a while for a modern architecture to evolve which exploited the full potential of the steel frame. New York introduced zoning laws in 1916 which laid down rules to restrict the creation of dark canyons on streets lined with tall buildings. These rules introduced the idea of 'setbacks' such that a building could not rise directly from the street without restriction. After a few stories, the building line had to be set back to reserve light to the building and adjacent developments.

The rules still allowed considerable freedom in architectural layout and it's interesting to compare two of New York's tallest developments of the 1920s and 1930s - the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building. The Chrysler Building at Lexington Avenue and East 42nd Street preceded the Empire State and the buildings have always been rivals. Indeed, the 200-foot stainless steel Art Deco spire was partly added to the basic design so as to overtake the anticipated height of the Empire State Building. The Chrysler Building is an impressive structure by any standards and the distinctive spire makes it instantly recognisable. But when the Empire State Building appeared, it incorporated a number of innovations which I think make it thoroughly modern, even by today's standards.

In a daring move, the Empire State added a 200-foot airship mooring mast which significantly exceeded the height of the Chrysler Building, even with its spire. In the early '30s, people really believed that huge airships would replace the ocean liners which had become the last word in luxurious, long-distance travel. As we now know, speed always wins and, in fact, passengers were willing to accept the more limited comfort of the aeroplane because of the higher speeds it can offer. Only one airship is recorded as mooring at the Empire State, experimentally and for only a few minutes. It's hard to believe that passengers would ever have willingly boarded and disembarked 1,000 feet above Manhattan, but the sheer idea was enough to give the building a cachet it's never lost.

The rapid growth of New York early in the twentieth century made real estate very profitable and it was common for buildings to be pulled down after less than twenty years to make way for something larger. The original building of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel was demolished to make way for the Empire State Building and the hotel was rebuilt on its present site in Park Avenue.

The Empire State Building was announced in 1929 only weeks before the economy crashed. Many building projects failed but John Rascob, who'd made his money and reputation with General Motors, brought the Empire State Building to triumphant completion. He was joined by politician Al Smith, who became the public face of the project. Al Smith loved, and was loved by, New York. His affection for the city and commitment to the Empire State Building must have been crucial to the success of the project. The team of financier and publicist went on to make inspired choices for both architects and building contractors. Shreve, Lamb and Harmon, as architects, produced a design of great subtlety: modern but not strident, innovative but eminently practical. Styling incorporated Art Deco motifs, but in a restrained manner subordinated to the need to be easily built and low maintenance. William Lamb's fanatical attention to detail is usually credited as the key but he was a modest man who considered himself a member of a team.

Starrett Brothers and Eken were given the construction contract and their professional approach achieved the remarkable result that the building was completed on specification, on time and - perhaps most surprising to us in this age of massive cost overruns - on budget.

The Empire State Building has seen many changes since it was completed in 1931 but it remains, truly, a Landmark Building.

For my photographs of New York, including views from the top of the Empire State Building click here.