9:17 a.m. to Birmingham

It must have been in the 1950s that I started to travel from Wolverhampton to Birmingham on my own. Steam still reigned supreme and the express passenger trains featured a parade of Black 5s, 'Jubilees', rebuilt 'Scots' and 'Patriots', with a sprinkling of various new B.R. Standard Classes. Trains to Birmingham were normally routed along the Stour Valley Line through Dudleyport, passing a succession of signal boxes that I was later to become familiar with. The 9.17 a.m. departure, however, had a special attraction. It was an 'All Stations', formed of non-corridor stock and normally hauled by one of the good-looking 'Fowler' 2-6-4T which did some sterling work around the country. The train originated at the exotic-sounding Silverdale, which I eventually learned was in the Stoke-on-Trent area. The real 'clincher' was that this train was routed to Birmingham not via the Stour Valley line which most trains took, but via the 'Old Road', through Bescot.

The first main-line railway in Britain was the Liverpool and Manchester (opened 1830). Birmingham was first joined to London in 1838 by the London and Birmingham Railway (see my blog). The Grand Junction Railway was planned to link these two early lines, forming the start of the railway network. Because of delays in the completion of the London and Birmingam, the Grand Junction Railway opened in 1837, before the London line.

The Grand Junction started from Curzon Street, adjacent to the London & Birmingham line, and headed north through Bescot, missed Wolverhampton, then continued through Bushbury, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington and joined the Liverpool and Manchester at Earlestown. Later, when the Stour Valley Line linked Birmingham and Stafford via Wolverhampton, the Grand Junction route was often called the 'Old Road'.

So, part of the attraction of the 9.17 a.m. was to ride on 'the road less travelled', look at the lines of freight locomotives at Bescot Motive Power Depot and marvel at the extent of the sidings in Bescot Yard, which boasted hump yards on both the Up and Down sides of the main lines. Later in the journey, we passed the junctions at Aston and the Motive Power Depot. Aston M.P.D. was on a very cramped site, but provided passenger locomotives for trains leaving Birmingham. The double track then became quadruple through Vauxhall & Duddeston and there was the excitement of Curzon Street Goods, the flyover, Grand Junction, Proof House Junction (with an impressive L.M.S. gantry signal) and finally the steep descent and passage through the smokey tunnels to reach Birmingham New Street Station.

New Street was effectively two interconnected stations side by side. The London & North Western side comprised a reasonably straight set of platforms serving the low-numbered bays and through lines on the Up side, by this time roofed by nondescript platform canopies replacing the wartime damage. There was then a cobbled carriage drive and, beyond this, the higher-numbered Midland platforms, sharply curved but still retaining the old train shed. The whole station sat in a hole with two double-track tunnels leading south to Proof House Junction and two double-track tunnels at the other end of the station serving diverging routes. The tunnel curving left was the Midland Line to Bristol, straight ahead lay the murky and damp New Street north tunnel taking the Stour Valley Line of the London & North Western to Wolverhampton and Stafford. There were still parcels sidings and a fish dock so there was always a station pilot either fussing about or gently simmering. Very often, the pilot was an L&NWR 0-6-2 'Coal Tank' - a real survivor. At the time, I never imagined I'd one day drive the sole remaining example of this class, but, it came to pass. There was always some movement with 'Fives', 'Jubilees', 'Patriots' and 'Scots' on the expresses and an assortment of tanks, '2P' 4-4-0, oh, almost anything on secondary trains.

As time went on, diesel multiple units proliferated and larger locomotives often took the expresses - 'Britannias' and 'Princess Coronations'. Eventually main-line diesels replaced steam and, later, the whole area was electrified at 25 kV a.c. but I treasure the period I experienced before the demise of steam. Would that I had been more diligent in recording the passing scene - my only defence is that I was young and just could not imagine that it would all be swept away.

The original 'straight shed' at Bescot M.P.D. survives, although derelict. This picture is from my collection West Midlands Railways which shows the modern railway in the area.

Black Parrot Seaside

Driver Eddie Jones and I shared the driving and firing on 'Sir Gomer' at the Battlefield Line on Sunday 8th June 2008. It must have been the hottest day of the year and we were both suffering from the roasting heat. On the last round trip, when Eddie said "The band should be at Shackerstone when we arrive", I thought I was hallucinating, but the band were there. Eddie plays in Black Parrot Seaside (known to the cogniscenti as 'BPS'), a four-man group who offer "folk with attitude". They were going to take some publicity shots around the railway, and Liz was there with her camera.

I decided I should take some shots as well and, later on, other Shackerstone members arrived with their cameras. An improptu performance of 'Requiem for Steam' recorded on the day appears on their website. This number, by Dave Goulder, they describe as "a serious and rather wistful song about the end of the steam locomotive in Britain".

My pictures of BPS at Shackerstone show the group around 'Sir Gomer', on the signalbox steps and on Platform 1.

BPS play on the steps of Shackerstone signal box (with unscheduled diesel loco horn accompaniment).

BPS play on Platform 1 at Shackerstone Station.

L&NWR Signalling and the 'Bedstead'

I've always had an affection for the London & North Western Railway. Francis William Webb not only provided them with their motive power for a long period but was responsible for their signalling. He standardised a series of signal box designs, some of which are still in use (albeit with double glazing units in place of the original horizontal-sliding sashes). He produced two types of rugged mechanical interlocking frame, examples of which also survive. The 'Crewe' power operated system and miniature interlocking frame, with electrically-operated semaphore signals, was also quite successful. However, the vast majority of signals were mechanically operated over wire - and what signals!

They were lower quadrant (where the arm is lowered below the horizontal for 'proceed'), with massive cast spectacles. Webb introduced a corrugated steel arm with a long life. The signal arms were big for good visibility, although there were many situations where restricted space enforced the use of shorter arms. Where there were multiple roads, for instance Fast and Slow, the signals for the less-important line carried a large, white ring. Signal posts were normally wooden.

What particularly distinguished the L&NWR was its predeliction for tall signals - 'sky arms'. During the nineteenth century, the pace of development, both industrial and domestic, introduced much more 'clutter' into the landscape. At night, the number of lights not associated with the railway rapidly multiplied. The L&NWR policy was to ensure that the driver could reliably sight his signals, even against an increasingly 'busy' background. One common technique was to lift the signal arm high above the ground, so that the signal arm (or, at night, the signal lamp) could be readily spotted against the sky. This arrangement was useful, for instance, where an overbridge was situated in front of the signal. The tall signal posts which were needed also required elaborate systems of guy wires to provide sufficient support.

There is a problem as a train approaches, or is detained at, a very tall signal - the signal arm becomes harder to keep in view. Where necessary, 'co-acting arms' were provided near the bottom of the post, operating in concert with the top arm.

At diverging junctions with two possible routes, the L&NWR was quite likely to erect two straight posts side by side, although, where space was limited, it might use a wooden bracket signal or a wooden gantry. The horizontal beam of a wooden gantry would normally be under-stayed with steel rods. Where a number of lines had to be straddled, massive steel structures were produced, usually using Pratt trusses.

When I was young, L&NWR lower quadrants were still fairly common, although the LMS had converted many installations to upper quadrant (where the arm is raised above the horizontal for 'proceed'). At large stations, like Crewe, semaphores had been replaced by colour-light signals, but the Goods Independent Lines at Crewe retained a fair number of the old power-operated semaphores. Some of the miniature interlocking frames survived around Crewe (for example, Crewe Station 'A', Crewe Station 'B', Gresty Lane Number 1).

Chester retained a wonderful selection of L&NWR lower quadrant signals right up until the introduction of a power box by British Rail. I believe some of these were slated for preservation but were cut-up.

The only L&NWR signal I can remember operating myself was the bay platform starter at Dudleyport.

So - what of the 'Bedstead'? This was the nickname for the massive gantry erected south of Rugby station, controlling approaching Down trains. Early in the 20th century, the Great Central Railway was building its line to London. The new line crossed the L&NWR just south of Rugby station on a bridge comprising a series of steel trusses. Because the L&NWR established its route first, the Great Central had to pay for any changes the L&NWR had to put in place. Certainly, the massive new bridge would badly affect the sighting of L&NWR signals approaching Rugby on the down. Since the L&NWR wasn't paying, it designed a fairly lavish replacement signal gantry which achieved fame as 'The Bedstead', featuring arms carried high above the Great Central's bridge, with co-acting arms at a lower level.

[Click on the picture to enlarge]

There's a lovely comment about the 'Bedstead' in a footplate tale by Professor W. A. Tuplin. A fireman is struggling for steam on a Euston - Liverpool express. Approaching Rugby, he's been told they need "four greens and forty reds". The fireman comments along the lines "I saw the four greens but I didn't have time to count the reds before I was back to shovelling!".

I never saw the Bedstead myself - by the time I was travelling on trains, it had been replaced by multiple-aspect colour light signals with 'line-of-lights' route indicators on simple tubular posts.

For more on L&NWR signalling, refer to the excellent book 'A Pictorial Record of L.N.W.R. Signalling' by Richard D. Foster, published by Oxford Publishing Company in 1982 (SBN: 86093 147 1).

The London & Birmingham Railway

The first railway to join London and Birmingham was the London and Birmingham Railway, opened in 1838 and only the third main-line railway to be opened in the country (following the Liverpool & Manchester in 1830 and the Grand Junction Railway in 1837).

After five years of construction, the double-track line surveyed by Robert Stevenson eventually stretched from Euston Square in north London to the northern terminus at Curzon Street, Birmingham, by means of an amazing series of civil works. This work was carried out using only manpower and animal power and, at the time, represented one of the largest works ever undertaken. The techniques developed during the earlier phase of canal building were adapted for railway construction and the canal construction workers - the 'navigators' or 'navvys' - became the core of the workforce. A massive volume of earth had to be moved to create a route gentle enough for the small and not-very-powerful early locomotives. In 1835, Otis introduced his first steam shovel in the U.S.A. to mechanise this type of earth moving, but, for some reason, the introduction of steam shovels in England (where they were normally called 'steam navvys') took some time.

The terminus at Euston was graced by a Propylaeum - the monumental arch usually called the 'Doric Arch' and swept away by the vandals when Euston was modernised. Now, only the Entrance Lodges remain, flanking Euston Grove which originally led to the 'Doric Arch'.

More on the Entrance Lodges.

At Curzon Street, the central part of the original stone-built station remains, as shown below.

Years of neglect have failed to take away the quiet dignity of this building, now marooned some distance away from the modern railway. Incidentally, the building in the background of the picture is Birmingham Science Museum.

Leaving Euston, trains immediately faced the straight 'Inclined Plane' which was necessary to lift the lines over the Regents Canal at Camden. Originally, this section was cable-worked and the locomotives were attached at Camden to continue the journey north. An elegant round-house was constructed on the east side of the line to house the diminuitive Bury locomotives which ran the trains. Two, three or more of these locomotives were needed on heavier trains. Later, as locomotives became more powerful, the cable working was discontinued and locomotives worked trains to and from Euston. Heavily-adapted, the original locomotive house survives as the Roundhouse Theatre.

From Camden, the line then passed through Primrose Hill via a tunnel. The massive and elegant tunnel mouth can still be glimpsed from passing trains. When the line was first opened, families would picnic on the hill, so as to watch the wonder of the steam trains coming and going.

Each mile of the route north had its constructional challenge, tunnels, cuttings (like Bushey and Tring), embankments, viaducts (like Watford) and myriad bridges. Perhaps the most famous feature of the line is the 2432 yard long Kilsby Tunnel, south of Rugby, shown in the classic view below.

Because of objections to the originally-proposed route through Northampton, an alternative route was chosen, necessitating the construction of Kilsby Tunnel. Surveys had failed to discover the quicksand which caused the workings to flood and the contractors almost despaired of completing the work. Perseverance eventually triumphed and today's 'Pendolino' electric trains still pass through the tunnel.

Eventually, Northampton realised that it had become isolated by declining the railway and a loop line was constructed from Rugby via Northampton, rejoining the main line originally at Blisworth and later via a line to Roade.

Along the route, many of the nineteenth-century features remain, although increasing traffic meant that long sections were widened from the original double-track to quadruple track by the successors of the London & Birmingham Railway, the London & North Western Railway.

In general, grades on the route were fairly easy and fast running was possible. Perhaps the hardest part was starting northbound trains from Euston, once cable haulage to Camden was discontinued. Right up to the end of steam traction, the firemen of departing trains were faced with getting the train up Camden Bank with a 'green' fire, not yet brought to working temperature by the fierce steam blast of a hard-worked engine. If the crew were lucky, some rear-end assistance would be provided by the engine which had previously drawn the coaches into Euston (when I was young often an 0-6-0T 'Standard Shunt') but there was sometimes a significant gap between the rear coach and a reluctant 'banker'!

More from Wikipedia.

The Circle Line, Yangon

In March 2008, I made my first visit to Myanmar (formerly Burma). This was before the tragedy of Cyclone Nargis, which has brought such devastation to an already-poor population and exposed the shortcomings of the present military regime to wider scrutiny.

The British were largely responsible for establishing the infrastructure in Burma and an extensive metre-gauge railway was established. There is an excellent short description of the railways in steam days at Mike's Steam Pages.

The then capital Rangoon (now called Yangon and no longer the administrative capital) was provided with a double-track suburban line configured as a circle and this still provides an important transport link. I made a clockwise tour of the Circle Line during my trip and took a number of pictures.

My journey started (and finished) at the main station in the city, shown above. In steam days, this station was known as Phayre Street and there's a picture on Mike's Steam Pages taken from more or less the same viewpoint as above. With the sun shining on the modern gilded towers behind the long-distance platform, my picture makes the station look quite attractive, but I'm afraid the suburban platforms are definitely shabby.

The diesel locomotives are rather 'battered'. The coaching stock on the Circle Line Trains is quite basic (windows are simply unglazed frames and there are no doors) but I didn't discover another shortcoming until later. At each of the frequent stops, the rear coach in which I was riding kept oscillating back and forth on the slack in the 'chopper' couplings. I couldn't understand why the driver didn't lightly hold the brake on the train for the safety of people getting on and off. Eventually, I found the answer. Although the coaches were originally vacuum-fitted (as evidenced by the partial rigging and the steel pipework remaining), vacuum hoses, vacuum cylinders, most of the rigging and the brakeblocks had been removed. The train was unbraked, relying upon the locomotive brake!

Whilst the track isn't too bad near the main station with a fair amount of concrete sleepers and modern rail fastenings, it deteriorates further out. Here, rails are frequently spiked to elderly wooden sleepers which are quite widely spaced and with indifferent ballasting. Rail gaps are very variable (sometimes with a short piece of rail plugging the gap) and with frequent missing fishbolts, as my photographs show.

I'm afraid these standards are typical of the infrastructure in Myanmar, which has suffered from years of neglect.

Signalling appears somewhat better - colour light with point machines, although it's quite possible that, given an opportunity to look inside some of the sturdy signalling location cases, I'd have been disappointed. I did pass one station with a manual signal box and rod-operated points (using steel tubes for rodding, similar to the Great Western). Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get any photographs.

For a non-railway description of my visit to Yangon, click here.

'Lion' and the Pumphouse

View of the Pumphouse from the street (from a photograph by David Neish).

In 1992, National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside conducted an extensive survey on the pumping shed at Princes Dock which had housed LION from the 1870s until the 1920s, prior to the demolition of the shed. By this time, the shed had reached a stage of extreme dilapidation.

Loraine Knowles, then the Head of the Regional History Department, allowed the Old Locomotive Committee to publish a synopsis of the survey, from which this report is derived.

The pumping shed was constructed during the late 1860s, at the South end of a graving dock facility within the Prince's Dock, in order to pump dry the graving dock. The graving dock itself was formed from a redundant link between the Prince's and George's Docks.

This building was originally built to accommodate the steam locomotive LION, re-arranged as a stationary engine. LION was removed when electrically-driven pumps were installed in the late 1920s, allowing part of the building to be converted as a maintenance garage. Most of the available drawings date from this change to electric pumping and the building was little changed thereafter. Unfortunately, these drawings do not show all details of the main chimney associated with the building or of the internal timber platform which was used to store coal and give access to LION's firehole door for firing.

The survey found that a number of details differed from the drawings, possibly because the original proposals were unworkable or incomplete or for reasons of cost-saving.

View of the Pumphouse from the street and an aerial view of the site being cleared for redevelopment.

Detail Front Elevation and Section (measured drawing by Kingham Knight Associates for the survey).

Building Plan, Front Elevation and Rear Elevation (measured drawing by Kingham Knight Associates for the survey).

Cross Section A-A, Side Elevation (facing river), Side Elevation (facing Dock Road) (measured drawing by Kingham Knight Associates for the survey).

View of roof, showing louvres, and internal view showing roof construction.

A plan showing the arrangement of LION in the pumphouse.

Another plan showing LION in the pumphouse and the drive via bevel gears to the chain pump.

More about 'Lion'

A great deal has been written about the history of the locomotive 'Lion' over the years, much of it by the 'Old Locomotive Committee' ('OLCO'), the locomotive's very own supporters club.

In 1930, the November 14 edition of 'The Engineer' had an interesting article (starting on page 535) which was the subject of an earlier post.

Also in 1930, page 684 of 'Meccano Magazine' had a single-page article on 'Lion' which is reproduced below - click on the article to enlarge it.

The pictures in the article show the actual form of the firebox, which I'd describe as "raised round-top". The wonderful brass cover which is now such a characteristic feature of 'Lion' was actually a bit of artistic license by Crewe during the rebuilding prior to the 1930 celebrations.

Zen and the Art of Platform Numbering

When I was rather younger, I was very impressed to discover that Grand Central Terminal, New York had a Track 117 (I never fathomed why we number the platform alongside the track whilst the Americans number the track itself. I suspect it's because we British know how to build a proper, high-level platform to allow passengers to step conveniently from platform to train. In contrast, our American cousins content themselves with an apology of a platform, only raised a few inches above rail level, necessitating steps inside each car up to floor level and, additionally at some locations, the use of a footstool to assist in boarding and alighting).

Knowing the American delight in superlatives, I fondly imagined that there was a track for each integer from 1 to 117. I later discovered that this is not the case. Grand Central is a double-deck station, because of the site limitations. When they had finished numbering the tracks on one level consecutively, they started numbering the second level at track 100, leaving plenty of spare numbers for possible future expansion which did not occur.

When I finally visited the station, I forgave the builders the slight deceit in track numbering because of the grandeur of the 'Belles Artes' architecture. Following the recent refurbishment, the station ranks amongst the most impressive I have seen. The picture below shows the decorated marble portico to tracks 116-117, together with the destination indicator for track 116. Is this not a fitting invitation to travel by train? It has to be admitted that, having passed through the archway, one is led via a ramp onto an undistinguished and narrow platform where the predominent motif is reinforced concrete but I suppose one cannot have everything.

In Britain, we've only managed to get our platform numbers into the low twenties. I think Clapham Junction held the record but the present state of this station is too depressing to dwell upon. Integers did not prove adequate at all sites and letter suffixes were sometimes used. Historically, upper case 'A', 'B', 'C' and so on were used. However, modernisation of our railways has now been achieved by stripping away these old-fashioned designations and replacing them with lower case 'a', 'b', 'c' and so on. Where this technique appears insufficiently drastic for a 21st century railway, at some locations the sequence has been reversed so that, for instance, platforms 1 to 12 are now plattforms 12 to 1. Brave New World!

In response to an initiative by the popular children's author J.K. Rowling, an experimental fractional platform number (9-3/4) has been introduced at Kings Cross. Our photograph below suggests that this interesting experiment is not without teething problems - the distressed passenger (sorry - we must now call him 'customer' for reasons which are not completely clear to me but I believe are related to the removal of any expectation of travel from place to place and the substitution of various over-priced 'retail opportunities') appears to have his luggage trolley stuck in the entrance to the platform.

A brave attempt by Britain, which has been described as "magical" but I confess that we have been trounced by the orientals from Japan. The rebuilt Kyoto station has been widely hailed as a masterpiece of modern design. The soaring atrium is certainly impressive but, alas, not to my rather old-fashioned taste. However, in the matter of platform numbering they have transcended the use of big numbers in America and fractional numbers in Britain. As shown in the picture below, the modern shuttle trains to the new airport now leave from 'Platform 0'. The practice of Zen has allowed the designers to effortlessly summon up the mysteries of the infinite with a simple yet breathtaking numbering plan. And the trains run on time!

More on Platform 0.

The Old Locomotive Committee

'Lion' enjoys the sun during the 'Riot of Steam' in 2005.

What is the Old Locomotive Committee? In explanation, I can do no better than quote the brief history of the LION locomotive published by the present Old Locomotive Committee:-

"In January 1923 an interesting 'Old Locomotive' was noticed still doing duty as a pumping engine at the Graving Dock, Princes Dock on the River Mersey. This locomotive was subsequently identified as LION, built in Leeds in 1838 by Messrs Todd, Kitson and Laird for the Liverpool & Manchester Railway and sold 'Out of Service' to the Mersey Docks & Harbour Board in 1859. She had been used as a pumping engine since 1871.

Late in 1927, a number of members of the (now defunct) Liverpool Engineering Society, conscious of the recent Centenary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway and anxious that the Centenary of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway should reflect the greater importance of the latter enterprise, began to look towards seeking LION's restoration and with this objective in view, formed themselves into an Old Locomotive Committee.

LION was restored to working order and provided with a tender and a train of six period carriages by mid-1930, in time for the Liverpool & Manchester Centernary celebrations at Wavertree Park, Liverpool, where she played a prominent part, giving a faultless performance. In 1938 she was used by the London Midland & Scottish Railway, both in steam and as a static exhibit, for the London & Birmingham Centenary Celebrations. In 1980 she was again restored to working order in time to lead the cavalcade on the first day of the 'Rocket 150' celebrations at Rainhill. She was a major point of interest for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh when she was in steam, supported by OLCO members in costume, for the Crewe celebrations of 1987. HRH the Prince of Wales rode on her footplate in the course of the Royal visit to Tyseley which took place during the last period LION was steamed in 1988 - her 150th birthday year.

LION is probably best known for her starring role in the film 'The Titfield Thunderbolt' but she was also used for the films 'Victoria the Great' of 1937 and 'The Lady with the Lamp' in 1951. Before the last war she was kept on a plinth at Lime Street Station, Liverpool but latterly, having been passed to National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside, following the demise of the Liverpool Engineering Society, she has been displayed in the Transport Gallery of Liverpool Museum. Following that museum's successful lottery bid, however, she has been on display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester since mid-June 1999, returning to Liverpool in 2007. She is not in steamable condition, but details of what would be needed to restore her to working order have been established. Compared with some other sucessful restorations, they are not extensive.

Following LION being put back into working order in 1980, interest in the locomotive revived dramatically so that when moves to institute a society connected with the locomotive were made in 1984, the fledgling organisation adopted the name 'Old Locomotive Committee' as a tribute to the stalwarts of the former Liverpool Engineering Society who had rescued the locomotive originally. This full name has conveniently been contracted to 'OLCO', with a logo based on the letterhead of the successor company - Kitson & Co - of the partnership which originally built LION. OLCO members have been instrumental in helping to run the locomotive when in steam, researching her history, providing a focus for modellers with drawings (measured from LION herself), other information and annual steaming meets at various venues."

As stated above, the last steaming of LION was at Birmingham Railway Museum, Tyseley in 1988. She was stored there for some time before moving to Dinting for a while in anticipation of bringing her back to steam. Unfortunately, Liverpool Museums decided that LION will not steam again and LION was moved to Dorothea Restorations at Whaley Bridge for cosmetic restoration.

Since there was no suitable space to display LION in Liverpool, the locomotive then spent some years on display in the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. During this time, OLCO member John Hawley refined his series of drawings of LION which form the definitive record of the current condition of the locomotive. A fairly detailed photographic record was also made. Click for photographs.

The Liverpool & Manchester Railway opened on 15th September 1830. 175 years later, in 2005, the Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester hosted a 4-day celebration which they called 'Riot of Steam', featuring replicas of the contenders at the earlier Rainhill Trials. Liverpool Museum allowed LION to appear at these celebrations, giving rise to some interesting photo-opportunities. 'Riot of Steam' pictures.

In March 2007, LION finally left Manchester and was returned to store in Liverpool, although OLCO members still have limited 'visiting rights'. To see David Boydell's pictures of LION leaving Manchester, Click here.

It is intended that LION will be displayed in the new (and architecturally rather contentious) museum being constructed at Liverpool.

Members of OLCO receive a newsletter and, for the benefit of modellers, there is an annual competition of live steam models called 'Lionsmeet'.

As time permits, I'll post more information and more of my photographs of LION. To display all posts with the label 'OLCO' Click here.

Driving Turn at Peak Rail - Part One: Preparation

Visitors to preserved railways are often interested in what's involved in becoming a working volunteer, so here's a description of a recent turn.

As a driver, I normally 'book on' rather later than the fireman but, on this occasion, the fireman and I travelled to Peak Rail together, so that meant I left earlier than normal and arrived just after 5 a.m. when it was still dark. There's a Mess Hut where volunteers 'Sign on' on arrival and, having changed into overalls and safety boots, we made our way to the locomotive, an 0-6-0T 'Austerity', standing in the open, over an inspection pit. There are a couple of electric lights near the stabling point which help a lot, but a good torch is still a necessity. We were lucky that the morning was reasonably mild - it can be a bit miserable when it's cold and positively unpleasant when it rains.

The engine had been used the day before so, despite standing in the open overnight, the boiler was still fairly warm. This considerably reduces the time necessary to raise steam. From cold, you need to allow around 4 hours for this size locomotive, eight hours or more for bigger engines. There are all sorts of techniques for speeding steam raising, but they are generally frowned upon as they can adversely affect maintenance costs. Sometimes, engines are kept 'in steam' overnight but, apart from the cost of fuel, this normally requires staff to be on hand through the night so it's not too common.

Before a new fire can be lit, a series of checks are necessary to ensure the safety of the boiler. Two gauge glasses allow the level of water in the boiler to be deemed sufficient and the boiler is examined outside and inside both the firebox and smokebox to check for leaks. The integrity of the fusible plug in the roof of the inner firebox is also checked. This device melts and discharges steam into the firebox in the event of the boiler water level falling dangerously. 'Dropping the plug' is one of the worst sins a fireman can commit.

The firebox still had the ashy remains of the previous day's fire, so some time was spent removing this, using various shovels and implements manipulated through the firehole door from the cab A bad sign was that some of these remains had fused onto the cast iron firebars, requiring the upper half of the operator's body to be inserted through the firehole in order to wield various implements to dislodge the sheets of fused slag from the firebars so that it could then be shovelled out. The fireman and I shared this task, taking turns. The boiler was hot enough that after about a minute it was necessary to have a breather. You can imagine that you ingest a fair bit of dust and ash in the process, even if you decide to look for a facemask first. In the meantime, the inside of the smokebox could be examined and, where necessary, the 'char' removed.

On completion of these unpleasant and dirty tasks, a new fire could be set. Various techniques can be used. On this occasion, wood was placed on a thin layer of coal then more wood was ignited from rags soaked in used oil carefully added on top. Having established a decent wood fire, further coal was added until a raging fire resulted. It's essential to have a big enough fire to produce enough heat. An engine like the 'Austerity' will have around half a ton of water in the boiler - that's quite a big kettle to bring to the boil, even if the water is warm to start with!

Having helped the fireman get the fire started, I was able to carry out the tasks of examining the mechanics of the engine and 'oiling round'. The 'exam' is carried out at least daily and oiling daily or more frequently, depending upon the duty. Although the 'Austerity' has some grease points provided with nipples, the majority of lubrication on a steam locomotive uses mineral oil in a 'total loss' system - there's no collection, filtration and re-use. Most of the oiling is done with a fairly 'thin' oil with a viscosity of around SAE220. This is often called 'motion' oil or 'bearing' oil, but other names are in use. I find the term 'lubricating' oil, which some people use, particularly confusing, so I avoid that.

To make sure everywhere gets dealt with, it's desirable to be methodical, so I usually start with the six crankpins (remove screw cap, top up oil, replace cap, also adding a little oil to the oil holes on the gradient pins. Then, mounted on the foot-framing near the smokebox is an oil box either side to feed the piston glands and valve spindle glands. Lying on the foot framing, you can reach between the frames to get at four oil pots with hinged lids on each set of slidebars, then remove screw caps, oil and replace caps on two little ends (where each connecting rod is articulated to its crosshead) and two valve rods. From this position, I normally also deal with the four oil holes at the top of the lifting links and the two holes of the weighshaft trunnions.

I find the best way to get at the inside motion on this class is to lower yourself between the frames from the footframing on the left side of the engine (access on the right side is prevented by the reach rod), standing on the brake rigging or whatever foothold you can find to avoid dropping down into the pit below. How difficult this process is partly depends how the engine was left by yesterday's driver. If the right-hand crankpins have been left at 'seven o'clock' (for this class of locomotive), the job is rather easier. There's not usually steam to move at this stage so, if the engine is on a 'bad angle', you normally oil as much as you can and remember to come back later once you have steam to reposition the locomotive. It is possible to move the engine manually using a pinch bar but there's not usually much enthusiasm for this - it's easier to grumble about yesterday's crew.

Before you enter the motion, it's vital that you ensure that the engine is secured by following the mantra "Reverser in mid-gear, drain cocks open, regulator properly shut, handbrake hard on". Once you're in the motion, it's not easy to get out, so it's important that the fireman knows your whereabouts and that you both keep a good lookout for any other movements - many men have been killed or badly mauled when a locomotive being prepared in this way has been accidently struck by another engine. Setting a 'NOT TO BE MOVED' board (as shown in the photograph at the top) is a good precaution, but it doesn't actually prevent an accident.

Climbing into the motion so as to face towards the rear of the engine, it should be possible to remove the screw caps, top-up with oil and replace the caps on the left big end and the two eccentrics for the left cylinder, as shown in the picture. Reaching across, you have to do the same for the right big end and the two eccentrics for the right cylinder. If the weather is cold, it's all too easy to drop one of the screw caps, slowing down the process whilst the missing cap is located, cleaned (anything you drop gets covered in ash from the pit) and screwed back in.

If the big ends and eccentrics are worn, your oil feeder is sure to need replenishing at some stage, so it's a good idea to remember to put the oil 'bottle' (shown above - it's actually made of tinplate) within reach on the framing. Otherwise you have to try to attract the attention of your fireman or, failing that, extricate yourself from the motion, get some more oil and insert yourself back into the motion. Once the big ends and eccentrics are done, it's necessary to turn round to face the front of the engine - easier said than done in the restricted space between the frames.

From this new position, the various oil holes on both expansion links and both dieblocks can be dealt with. Once this is done, you can haul yourself up onto the footframing and climb down to ground level. I normally do my 'exam' underneath the locomotive next. Again, it's important that the fireman knows your location. There are some oiling points on the handbrake screw, steam brake piston and brake rigging I look to and sometimes I add a little oil to the damper linkage and the linkage to the cylinder drain cocks (usually referred to as 'taps').

Most important is to study everything you pass, looking for anything unexpected - something becoming detached, unusual wear, missing split pins or nuts, anything broken, loose or showing signs of cracking (particularly on the springing), anything out of alignment. Careful examination during preparation greatly reduces the chances of suffering a failure 'on the road'. Since, by this time, the engine is warming up, this process is usually accompanied by being engulfed in drifting steam and having hot water dripped down your neck.

Back at ground level, the six axleboxes have to be attended to. On an 'Austerity' the top of each axlebox is formed into an oil reservoir covered by a sheet metal plate. From each reservoir, three tail trimmings deliver oil to the crown of the axlebox and the two hornguides which allow the axlebox to move up and down under the control of the spring. There's not much space to reach through the spokes of each wheel and prise-up the metal cover plate so as to attend to the reservoir and it's necessary to remove any water which has collected in the reservoir with a syphon before 'topping up'. If the locomotive is on a 'bad angle', either the crankpin or balance weight will stop the job being done until you've 'set' the engine in a better position.

Returning to the footplate, there are a couple more oil pots with hinged lids and I usually apply a little oil to the reverser and its rack, the lower slides of the firedoors and the various moving parts of the arrangement of levers which opens the firedoors.

A much thicker oil is used for parts in contact with steam requiring lubrication - usually the two cylinders, the two valve chests and the steam brake cylinder. A compound oil with a viscosity of SAE 600 or above is used. This oil retains adequate lubrication qualities at the high temperatures expected where there's steam. Again, there are various names for this oil - 'thick' oil, 'cylinder' oil, 'steam' oil, 'black' oil and, because this oil is often dispensed by a lubricator, 'lubricating' oil (now you see why I don't call 'thin' oil 'lubricating' oil).

There's a small, brass globe oiler near the boiler backhead, positioned in the steam line to the steam brake cylinder. A little 'thick' oil will help to avoid the embarrassment of the brake piston siezing in the brake cylinder the first time you try to stop (I often tell people "Always brake as if you expect the brakes not to work, 'cos one day, you'll be right!"). However, caution must be used in filling this oiler. If the steam brake application valve is 'passing' at all (often the case), rather than the oil flowing obediently into the oiler, hot water and oil may spray out all over you.

Cynics may think that this is why the job of filling the globe oiler on the steam brake line is often given to the fireman, but the explanation is probably more prosaic. I mentioned that 'steam' oil is often dispensed by a lubricator. Where fitted, this is usually mounted on the fireman's side so that makes it more logical for the fireman to look after the 'steam' oil. The Great Western (of course) were the exception to this convention. Lubrication was (quite correctly) regarded as so vital to the running of the engine that the lubricator was always fitted in front of the driver and was the drivers responsibility.

So, why the need for a lubricator? The problem is to provide a supply of oil from a suitable reservoir to cylinders and steam chests pressurised at boiler pressure. Without digressing too far, two simple types are the Displacement Lubricator, where steam condenses to hot water in the oil reservoir and thereby displaces oil into the steam/oil line, and the Sight Feed Lubricator, as fitted on today's engine. The Sight Feed Lubricator is a more sophisticated form of the Displacement Lubricator offering better control of the oil supply. The condensing steam supply is independently controlled, the oil supply can be shut off when the locomotive is stationary and a needle valve in each outgoing oil line allows the feed rate to be accurately set by observing the formation and breakaway of oil globules through a glass window. Excellent when working, but they can be temperamental.

I should mention in passing that modern locomotives tend to use mechanical lubricators where a series of small pumps, one per oil line, are driven from some oscillating part of the motion. This type of lubricator can be used to dispense both motion oil and steam oil. We'll leave the question of 'atomising', to try to obtain a more regular oil film on the parts to be protected, for another time.

The locomotive should be about ready for traffic by now. The fireman should certainly check that both injectors are capable of delivering water to the boiler. This can be done by deliberately raising the boiler pressure until the safety valve 'lifts' and ensuring that this occurs within a few 'pounds per square inch' of the registered pressure. Putting on an injector will then 'cool' the boiler, lowering the pressure and allowing the safety valve to close.

The driver should also check that the vacuum ejector for the train brakes is capable of creating the correct partial vacuum (21 inches of mercury for this locomotive) and that there are no blockages in the brake pipes to the flexible hoses on the front and rear bufferbeams. If time is short, this last test is sometimes deferred until the locomotive is actually in traffic but this is not to be recommended.

Oh, and if you're very lucky, there may even be time for a "brew" before movements commence!

Click to see Part 2.

The Panama Canal Railway

I travelled on the Panama Canal Railway in March 2008. It's a most interesting operation and the history of the railway is unusual.

History

The geography of Panama has made the area strategically important for centuries. The Spanish originally developed a mule track through the rainforest between the Pacific and Atlantic coasts to allow them to bring treasure back to Spain. Despite the rigours of the passage through the jungle, this route became part of the best method of getting from the East Coast to the West Coast of North America - a ship South to Panama, a fifty mile land crossing and then another ship North.

So it was inevitable that, with the development of railways, a railway should be constructed across the Isthmus of Panama. The appalling conditions and the disease claimed thousands of lives during the construction phase but, in 1855, the single-line, 5 foot gauge Panama Railroad opened and became the first trans-continental railway in the Americas. The Gold Rush in California and the subsequent rapid development on the Pacific side of North America brought initial prosperity to the Panama Railroad. However, the Trans-continental railway was completed in the U.S.A. in 1869 and this siphoned away traffic until the Panama Railroad was virtually bankrupt.

In the 1880s, the French started to build their Canal in Panama, under the control of the charismatic Frenchman Ferdinand de Lesseps who had triumphed in creating the Suez Canal. The Panama Railroad was acquired by the French, but the canal construction was dogged by an initial poor choice of route and failure to learn from the experience of the original builders of the Panama Railroad the sheer scale of the problems they would face from disease and difficult engineering conditions. Eventually, the French abandoned the project and sold out to the United States of America.

The attraction of a canal to the U.S.A. was a rapid means of transferring their fleets between West and East in a time of crisis. In 1902, work re-started but the initial emphasis was on sanitation. Only when they had obtained relatively safe working conditions did they commence canal building. They also adopted the main elements of a plan originally proposed by Baron Godin de Lepinay in 1879 which had been rejected out of hand by the French canal builders. The design had the canal about 85 feet above sea level with locks lowering ships to the ocean at each end. The Chagres River would be dammed and the water level thus raised to create a large man-made lake (Lake Gatun), avoiding significant excavation. The waters of the Chagres would also power the locks. Major excavation was unavoidable to cut through the 'spine' of hills dividing the North of Panama from the South in the vicinity of Culebra. Much of the original railroad would require re-location further East to avoid the Canal and Lake Gatun - see the map below.

The railroad played a vital role in the construction of the canal but, with the successful opening of the Canal in 1914, much of its importance was lost and the railway became very run down. In 1977 the railway was transferred to the Government of Panama but continued to lose money. Eventually, in 1998, the Government gave a 50-year lease to a new Joint Venture between the Kansas City Southern Railroad and Mi-Jack Products (an inter-modal terminal operator). After the expenditure of eighty million dollars, the Panama Canal Railway opened, to passengers and freight, in November 2001. The Company has an excellent website with more historical information and a description of the modern-day operation.

A Journey on the Railway

In March 2008, I travelled on the 07:15 train from Panama City to Colon, taking a number of pictures of the railway. When the present railway was constructed after the 1998 agreement, the original line along the breakwater South of Balboa and the line into the terminus at Panama City were abandoned (refer to the map above). A new passenger station, called Corozal, was created near Balboa Port. This appears to have originally been a rail-connected transhipment building. It was used by the United States Armed Forces as a Commissary before refurbishment for its current role. The train was already waiting when I arrived, consisting of five remodelled bogie passenger coaches and a restored 1938 Southern Pacific Dome Car. The stock was top-and-tailed by two of the railway's ten 3,250 horse power F40 diesel-electric locomotives which operate the passenger service push-pull (1863 at the rear and 1861 leading).

The F40PH (I later discovered) is a General Motors Electro Motive Division B-B diesel-electric originally introduced in 1976 for use on Amtrak, using the EMD645E3 2-stroke V16 diesel engine. For use on passenger trains, Head End Power (HEP) was produced by an auxiliary generator giving 480 volts a.c. 3-phase at around 500kW, but this required the EMD645E3 to run at 900 r.p.m. even with the locomotive stationary, hence the class nickname 'screamers'. Some later variants had a separate diesel engine for HEP.

On adjacent tracks were some of the railways container wagons, awaiting loading. The Company website says that these were originally built by Gunderson and are 'articulated 5-well double-stack bulkhead rail cars'. Later in the day, I saw some of these cars loaded with two-tiers of containers, but I didn't see one of the 'fast freights' on the move. The Company can tranship containers 'in bond' across Panama.

Tourists boarded the train early but as departure time approached, regular business travellers appeared. Right on time, the bell (which is sounded within station limits) started up, the air horn gave a blast and the train slowly moved out onto the main line, over a remote-controlled switch (turnout) and past an LED running signal showing a green. Once clear of station limits, speed increased. The first few miles are uphill to the summit near Culebra then the line is reasonably easy. The train is allowed one hour to Colon, so it does not hang about. There is one passing remotely-controlled passing loop with signals and a second loop where I couldn't determine the facilities. The train is a good way of seeing the Panama Canal, Lake Gatun and the Dredging Division at Gamboa - there are a few pictures of the railway. In some areas, you can only see the jungle through which the railway passes. At one point, there is a prison adjacent to the line.

As we approached Colon after our non-stop run, speed was reduced as we entered Station Limits and the locomotive bell started to sound. On our left extended the container port adjacent to the Canal, where I spotted the yellow open-top hopper cars used for ballast. A branch diverged to the right to the second container port, Manzanillo International Terminal (locally just called 'MIT') where the railway also has its maintenance shop. The train came to a stand at the curving platform of the Atlantic Passenger Station, Colon.

The new permanent way is in excellent condition. The rails are 136 pound 'flat bottom' from Canada, continuously welded. These are laid on concrete ties (sleepers) supplied from Columbia. The ballast came from Nova Scotia. Remote control and monitoring of switches and crossings is over a digital UHF radio channel. Train despatching uses RailComm's Domain Operations Controller (DOC), a remote, hosted service marketed as 'SaaS' (Software as a Service): see Railcomm's site but the Company is also implementing 'Train Sentinel' from Quantum Engineering.

I found the whole operation impressive and professional.

The Jackass & Western Railroad

The Nevada Railway Museum at Boulder City has a diesel locomotive with an interesting history. It was built by General Electric in March 1953, makers number 31827. It's described as a 'B-B-160/160'. The customer was the United States Navy and it carries its 'Navy Plates' - 'LOCOMOTIVE DE 80 TON 56-1/2 IN GA 0-4-4-0 CLASS'. It took me a moment to realise that '56-1/2 IN GA' just meant standard gauge.

The locomotive was eventually transferred to the Atomic Weapons Testing Site in Nevada, which had its own internal railway. The lighthearted title of 'The Jackass and Western Railroad' stuck and the name appears in black on each side of the yellow-liveried locomotive.

In the Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas, there is a model of the railway on the test site which seems to have been used as a training aid. I also found the 'Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity' authorising the operation of the railway on the test site. This was issued on 7th April 1975 by the Public Service Commission of Nevada and allows the Jackass and Western Railroad to operate a freight and passenger service within the confines of the Nevada Test Site. It's not thought that a passenger service was ever operated. A copy of this certificate is held at the Railway Museum at Boulder City.

On the day I visited the railway museum, the locomotive was 'stopped' due to problems with the water pump.

My pictures of the prototype, the model and the certificate.

Round the World Five - Afterword

It would be nice to tell you that, after five countries in just over three weeks and a fairly demanding schedule, I took a little time out to sort out my impressions. It didn't quite work out like that.

During the holiday planning stage, after I'd already acquired some preserved railway commitments, the travel dates were put back. Instad of the short respite I'd planned between returning from my trip and working on preserved railways, having arrived home a little before 9 p.m. on Saturday, I was faced with getting up at 4 a.m. on the Sunday, to do a morning driving turn at Peak Rail. This worked out alright, but I then had to get up at 5 a.m. on the following day to do a driving turn on the 'Planet' replica at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. Tuesday was just a day in the office but a client had, at a rather late stage, finally confirmed a training course we'd provisionally agreed to run in London on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. For various reasons, I decided to commute to London each day so that meant getting up at 3.30 a.m. for three days on the trot.

I survived that but I didn't do much during the following weekend, when we were blessed with about three inches of snow which made me think that my return to England had perhaps been premature! Now, I am starting to think through my conclusions after my fairly epic journey. It amazes me that such a journey is possible at all and that the arrangements made by my agents, Wexas, in general worked so well. It makes Jules Verne's fictional trip around the world look positively pedestrian.

Union of Myanmar

Before the fact, I had doubts about my visit on two counts: Would I be safe? Was I providing support to an unacceptable regime? It was a well-organised, high quality tour so the time when I would be alone was limited but I went off on my own when I could. At all times, I felt safer than at home. I discussed the issue of providing support for the regime with people in the territory whom I respected. Whilst there is major corruption, I was told that the tourist industry is too diffuse for government control and that the majority of the tourist dollar actually gets to ordinary people and does some good. There's certainly poverty in Myanmar - I was impressed with the charitable initiatives that the 'Road to Mandalay' ship is involved in covering education and medicine. I came away feeling hopeful. Although life is tough for many people, there is a real sense of spiritual belief (Buddhism is very strong) and there is a cheerfulness I didn't expect. Kipling wrote "Burma is different from anywhere you have ever seen" and in his poem 'Road to Mandalay' he describes how the country draws you back. He was right - I intend to return to Myanmar.

First of a number of posts on Myanmar.
My collection of pictures of this trip to Myanmar.

Las Vegas, Nevada

I didn't expect to like Las Vegas and, for once, I was right. At least, I've been to see for myself. A city which bills itself as "Sin City", with the sub-title "Everything to Excess" is hardly likely to commend itself to me. The city might have been merely 'naughty' but I had a sense of a darker undercurrent. The city also delights in its rather inelegantly expressed promise - "What happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas", which seems to invite the suspension of normal standards of behaviour. On every street corner, men push 'flyers' with telephone numbers to ring for a bewildering range of sexual services. At each intersection, there are long rows of bins with free newspapers with titles such as 'Barely Legal Asians, Blondes and Personals' and 'Young Blondes to Your Room'. The disclaimer that "All models are at least 18 years old and where applicable comply with 18 U.S.C. 2257" did not console me. Listening to the conversations of regular visitors on the bus, it was clear that most people don't share my distaste. Indeed, one of my friends in England thinks that Las Vegas is his favourite place on earth. Just in case I was over-reacting, I purchased a book about the city by Sally Denton and Roger Morris called 'The Money and the Power' (ISBN 0-375-70126-5) which had received good reviews. This book is harsher than even I could imagine in indicting the city. However, I got to see the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam and met some very nice people at the State Railway Museum, Boulder City.

First of a number of posts on Las Vegas and Nevada.
My collection of pictures of the United States, including sets covering Las Vegas and Nevada.

Chichen Itza, Mexico

I'd enjoyed my previous visit to Mexico and I enjoyed this trip, staying at the 'Mayaland' resort next to the ruins of the Mayan city of Chichen Itza, but I was surprised at how different the Yucatan is from the area North of Mexico city I'd visited before. But, be warned, Chichen Itza gets very busy with tourists during the day.

First of a number of posts on this trip to Mexico.
My collection of pictures of Mexico, including sets for this trip.

Cuba

Another surprise. Having visited a few Communist states, I didn't expect to enjoy Cuba, but I loved it. I enjoyed wandering around Old Havana and Old Trinidad on my own and felt perfectly safe. Parts of the country are very dilapidated and many people are poor but education and medical facilities appear to work. One person I talked to suggested that adopting communism was a ruse at the time to get support from the Soviet Union. Certainly, there's not much sign of people embracing communist ideals although I believe that the informer system typical of communist states is still in place and that 'bad things' do happen. The people do seem genuinely proud of their struggle for freedom, but if I'd suffered under the Spanish for generations, only to have those colonists replaced by the 'Americanos', I think I might be proud of finally gaining independence. The freedom of religious worship appears genuine, but the hold of the church does not seem very strong. But music (if not live, then from a 'Ghetto-Blaster') and dance is everywhere, day and night. The trip I made one evening on the local train from Trinidad has left me with powerful memories of the life of people in that part of the country.

First of a number of posts on Cuba.
My collection of pictures of Cuba.

Panama

The Canal was the appeal for me - I'd always wanted to see it and it did not disappoint. I'm currently working through an excellent and detailed history of the Canal by David McCullough, 'The Path Between the Seas' (ISBN 0-671-24409-4). But the earlier, colonial history of the country is so much more complex and interesting than I had realised. Once again, the Spanish held the country for strategic reasons for generations and one third of the world's gold passed through Panama. The transcontinental railway opened as early as 1855 (a 5-foot gauge affair) and transformed the passage from the Pacific to the Atlantic. It was clear that a canal would follow but the French attempt failed and it was the Americans who triumphed in 1914, with their own strategic objectives in mind, of course. The Americans retained the Canal and the 'Canal Zone' until the riots of the 1960s, after which the Canal was transferred to Panama. Panama is now a bewildering mix of different influences, ancient and modern.

First of a number of posts on Panama.
My collection of pictures of Panama.

Many of my friends find my rather intensive trips a bit odd, but I find them stimulating and educational and I intend to continue as long as I am able. If you want some 'serious reading', selecting 'RTW5' (Round The World Five) in the "Labels" list at the top right of the Blog will display all the posts describing this trip.

Round the World Five - Day 24 (Sat, 29 Mar)

Itinerary:
Arrival: Frankfurt International Airport Time: 14:20 TERMINAL 1 Stops: 0 PNR: LGHJFY Journey: 10.30 Airline Ref: Z9LBOB Baggage: PC
Seat Info: Ms Jan Ford Seat Nr 03A Non smoking
Airline: Lufthansa Flight: LH4856 Status Confirmed
Departure: Frankfurt International Apt Time: 16:50 Seats: 1
Terminal: TERMINAL 1 Class: Business
Arrival: Manchester Time: 17:30
Terminal: TERMINAL 1 Stops: 0 Journey: 1.40
Baggage: PC

Slept reasonably well on the almost flat bed on the Lufthansa flight, arriving Frankfurt on Saturday afternoon. Just one more flight and I'm home! Explored the terminal aimlessly at Frankfurt for a while then made my way to the splendid Lufthansa lounge to await that final connection to Manchester. We arrived at Manchester on time. I was getting a bit bleary-eyed by then, but I did notice that Manchester was about the dirtiest airport I'd been through on this trip. There was only one immigation officer on duty but, since I was the first in the queue, that was no problem. I expected to find a delay in the baggage hall, but my case was one of the first to arrive within a few minutes (so, Manchester, you may have been scruffy on that occasion, but at least you were functional).

Alan had just walked into the arrivals hall to run me home and was amazed, like me, that I'd got through the terminal so quickly. I was very grateful for a quick trip home. An excellent end to a wonderful trip. Well, there was a touch of farce as well.

I mentioned briefly earlier that I'd lost my purse in Cuba (losing credit cards which I had to 'stop', a little money, the visiting cards of various people I'd met on my travels and my front door key). Before leaving Cuba, I'd remembered where I'd hidden a front door key in the garden at home, so I thought I'd be alright. By the time we arrived home, it was pouring with rain (welcome back to England, Jan), so I got a little damp before I triumphantly recovered the key, pleased that I'd correctly remembered the hiding place. Alas, what I'd not remembered was that, since burying the key, I'd had the lock replaced, so the key I'd found was useless. Bemused and bedraggled, I contemplated my possible actions when Marion arrived by car with my dog, Tai and, most importantly, her key. All dampness was forgotten in the happy reunions which followed after the door was opened and the security alarm turned off. So, I really was home!

Round the World Five - Day 23 (Fri, 28 Mar)

Itinerary: At the appropriate time, transfer from your Panama City hotel to the Tocumen International Airport. Note Departure Tax is $20.00 per person for Panama.

Airline: Mexicana de Aviacion Flight: MX382 Status Confirmed
Departure: Panama City Tocumen International: 12:55 Seats: 1 Class: Economy
Arrival: Mexico City Benito Juarez International Airport: 15:40 TERMINAL 1 Stops: 0 PNR: LGHJFY Journey: 3.45 Airline Ref: EOL4KE Baggage: 20K. Seat Info: Ms Jan Ford Seat Nr 12F Non smoking.

Airline: Lufthansa Flight: LH499 Status Confirmed
Departure: Mexico City Benito Juarez International Airport: 20:50 Seats: 1
Terminal: TERMINAL 1 Class: Business.

After a simple breakfast, I had a little walk in the city (managing to get lost temporarily in the process) before my driver picked me up at 10 a.m. We went to the airport, with a brief detour to see the extensive remains of the original stone built settlement sacked by the British then checked in at a fairly quiet airport for my flight to Mexico City by a Mexicana A318. Here, I transferred to a Lufthansa 747-400 for the almost eleven hour flight to Frankfurt at 20:50 hours.

Round the World Five - Day 22 (Thu, 27 Mar)

Itinerary: Panama Canal Partial Transit.Today after breakfast one of our drivers will meet you in the hotel lobby for an early morning transfer to Flamenco Island. There you will board a Panamanian vessel for a Canal Transit. As you approach the canal, you will be able to observe the Bridge of the Americas. Breakfast and snacks are included while you are aboard the ship. An English-speaking guide is onboard the ferry and will narrate the dramatic history of the building of the Panama Canal, which was completed by the US between 1904 and 1914. A partial crossing is scheduled, allowing you to enjoy the cruise all the way to Gamboa Dredging Division. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel.

Once again, it's an early start. Pick up at 6.30 a.m. for transfer to Flamenco Island.

When the Canal was built, stone was used to make a causeway about 5 km long on the Eastern side of the approach to the Canal at Panama City. The intention was to prevent silting-up of the Canal approach and I believe it was successful. The causeway now links three former 'islands' to the mainland - Isla Naos, Isla Penco and Isla Flamenco. There's a major marina and shopping plaza on Flamenco and the 'trip boat' which goes into the Canal starts there.

Checking-in resulted in passengers being equipped with one of two colours of wristband. I was trying to work out the fiendish purpose behind this division but, in practice, it only seems to be used to operate a system of two 'sittings' for the buffet breakfast and lunch we were later offered. My transport had got me there for 6.50 and there were plenty of other passengers already waiting. In fact, we didn't actually sail until just before 8 a.m. We started to make our approach to the canal but then had to stooge around waiting for the Canal Pilot, which all ships must have. We watched as a huge 'PANAMAX' 'Ro-Ro' car carrier preceded us towards the canal. 'PANAMAX' is the term applied to a ship design which is a large as the canal can handle (leaving just two feet clearance between the hull and the lock chamber wall each side). 'Ro-Ro' is an abbreviation for 'Roll-on, Roll-off' and two massive ramps are provided on these ships which are lowered when berthed, allowing the cargo to be driven on and off the ship. As we closed up to the 'Ro-Ro' vessel, we could see that it was the 'New Nada', registered in Panama. Two of the powerful tugboats were preparing to 'nuzzle' the 'New Nada' into the locks. Larger vessels may need some distance to change direction or stop unaided, and their tall profile makes them tricky to handle in windy conditions.

After a while, a launch approached, came alongside, and the pilot jumped aboard. The approach to the canal is spanned by a huge arch girder bridge, the Bridge of the Americas, so we had good views of this as we passed beneath. By this time, we had received our call sign for the day '21CZ' from Miraflores Control Centre, indicating both our 'running order' and type of vessel. We were not to enter the first lock until 10:50, so we had a while to wait. The Port of Balboa comes up on the starboard side before the locks so we went fairly close to the quay and watched a couple of container cranes at work on the 'Maersk Valparaiso'. Before you get to the locks, there are a number of mooring buoys for waiting vessels to use, so we made fast and waited.

The 'New Nada' continued its careful approach into the first chamber of the Miraflores Locks, using the left of the two parallel locks. As we waited, we were overtaken by a smaller container ship, the 'Green Brazil'. She was set to enter the right-hand lock and her size allowed room for us to 'tuck-in' behind her. As we approached, the 'New Nada' was almost in position, filling her lock chamber, and the 'Green Brazil' was gently moving into the right-hand lock chamber. We were entering at sea level, the low level, so the walls of the lock chamber loomed high above us as we approached the stern of the 'Green Brazil'. In the lock to the left of us, the immense bulk of the 'New Nada' was even taller than the lock walls, although this vessel, too, was still at sea level. Our passengers responded to the excitement of the situation and the foredeck was now thronged. With one or two others, I climbed onto part of the superstructure so that I had a less obstructed view for taking photographs.

A special railway track runs parallel to the locks on both sides and the electric locomotives, the 'mules' are connected by cables to each larger ship, not for towing purposes, but purely to position the ship in the centre of the lock chamber to avoid contact with the lock walls. The 'Green Brazil' had four attendant 'mules' - left and right at the bow, left and right at the stern. The 'mules' were moving forwards, keeping pace with the ship, whilst a winch on the 'mule' maintained the cable ternsion. 'PANAMAX' vessels, like the 'New Nada', require eight mules for positioning. The Canal Pilot on the bridge controls the whole operation. He uses radio to instruct each 'mule' and, rather oddly, the 'mule' acknowledges each command by sounding a bell. The whole process is accompanied by a series of 'clang-clang' rings from the 'mules'.

Our smaller vessel required no 'mules': we simply passed ropes ashore and made fast to the right-hand wall of the lock chamber. One of the canal tugs, the 'Herrera' followed us into the lock and tied up behind us and then the massive mitre lock gates closed behind us, the valves were opened and millions of gallons of water flooded into the lock chamber, raising all three vessels in the lock over 25 feet in less than 8 minutes. Simultaneously, to our left, the 'New Nada' was being raised.

As the lock chamber filled, we rose above the lock wall, adjacent to a grassed area with a 'court' marked out and a large 'bulls-eye' target erected at one end. An important part of the locking process is passing lines between ship and shore. This is done by throwing the weighted end of a thin 'messenger line' from one to the other, with the actual cable then being attached to the messenger line and hauled across. The 'court' is for the 'Line Handlers' to practice their throwing skills and there is an annual contest between men from the three lock sites on the Canal. Two men practised as we waited for the lock chamber to completely fill. Of course, as the vessels rise and fall, the lines need continuous adjustment. The 'mules' have an electric winch for this purpose but other lines are adjusted by the vessel itself, either manually (in our case) or using winches (in the case of the tug behind us).

The lock gates ahead of the 'Green Brazil' now opened, revealing the second lock chamber, with lock walls even higher. A ramp between the lower lock and the upper lock allows the 'mules' to get to the higher level. The 'Green Brazil', with her attendant 'mules' slowly eased forward and we and the 'Herrera' followed. To our left, the 'New Nada' matched our progress into the second chamber. To our right was the modern building of the Miraflores Control Centre. The public galleries were thronged with visitors, but I don't think the spectacle from the building would have matched our experience on our ship. One of the original 1913-built 'mules' produced by General Electric in the U.S.A. is on display outside the Control Centre. The present 'third generation' 'mules' were made by Mitsubishi in Japan.

We made our way through the second Miraflores Lock, then on to the single lock at Pedro Miguel and through the narrows of the Gaillard Cut as far as Gamboa Dredging Division, where we disembarked and were returned to Flamenco by bus, where my regular driver was waiting to take me back to the hotel.

Photographs

Partial Transit, Panama Canal.

Round the World Five - Day 21 (Wed, 26 Mar)

Itinerary: Historical Portobelo - San Lorenzo & the Transcontinental Railroad Tour. In the morning at 6.30 a.m. you will be transferred to the Railway Station to ride the train to the Atlantic side. Upon your arrival to Colon you will be met by an EcoCircuitos Tour Guide to begin your tour to San Lorenzo Fort located in the Atlantic Side of the country. The Castle of San Lorenzo was constructed by the Spaniards in the 16th century, and it was besieged by British pirates over the years due to its strategic location guarding the entrance to the Chagres River. Sir Henry Morgan captured San Lorenzo and used it as the entrance point to sack Panama City in 1671. Thereafter return to Panama City.

This turned out to be a very tiring but very satisfying day. Arise at 5.15 a.m., breakfast in the room at 5.45 a.m., picked up by car at 6.15 a.m. to be dropped off at the station about 6.35 a.m., where there´s already a crowd of tourists waiting. A few minutes later, they actually open the station and allow us to board the waiting train. I eschew the preserved ´Vista Dome´ car (where all the tourists hang out) in favour of standing on one of the open observation decks (which are actually provided for smokers because the train itself is non-smoking). The train doesn´t leave until 7.15 a.m. and as departure time arrives, the train starts to fill up with local business people taking the one hour trip to Colon.

I´ll keep the technical stuff for a separate post (for this relief, much thanks, I hear you say). Suffice to say, the train ran on time and gave some fascinating views of the Canal, Gatun Lake and the forested, jungle area that the railway traverses. We arrived at Colon, sandwiched between two container ports, and I quickly found my guide for the day, Jose, together with our driver and a smartly turned out SUV. Colon, about 50 miles from Panama City, is a small city with a population of about 400,000 which includes the important Colon Duty Free Zone. However, we made our way towards the National Park area to the South West.

This means crossing the canal, where we stopped at traffic lights at Gatun Locks. Just a hundred feet away, the special electric locomotives called 'mules' were easing a massive Maersk Line container ship from the Atlantic approach passage into the first of the three lock chambers at Gatun which would together lift the vessel eighty-odd feet on its journey to the Pacific. Immediately behind this vessel, a similar ship was being simultaneously moved into the second, parallel set of locks. I was transfixed by the scene. Once the two ships were safely in the lock chambers, the massive mitre gates closed behind them and the process of filling the lock could commence. Smaller intermediate gates were closed and our roadway, across the top of these gates, was reinstated. As we crossed, we had an awesome view of the immense lock gates and the stern of these two ships.

We avoided the marina area and took the road into the National Park. The rainforest is a thick, impenetrable jungle, much heavier then the 'Bush' type of forest. In fact, we passed through the accommodation areas of a long-abandoned U.S. Army Camp where they formerly undertook jungle training. We parked on a headland overlooking the Atlantic commanding splendid views of the Chagres River to our left. There was some sign of the old Spanish fortification but, as we explored, the full extent of the major fortification of San Lorenzo became clear. Spain derived immense wealth from its American operations and its history is a complex tale involving slavery, exploitation, piracy and enough skullduggery for a host of Hollywood movies. We saw lizards and some of the local birds. We could hear the Howler Monkeys calling but did not actually see them. Only with reluctance did I leave this fascinating area.

Returning to the locks, we only had a short wait this time before the lights cleared and we headed North East towards Portobelo National Park, where our route lay close to the Atlantic shore. When we stopped for lunch at a restaurant featuring the traditional architecture of the region, it was no surprise that seafood featured heavily. After a pleasant lunch, we carried on to the small town of Portobelo itself. Despite its small size, the port held immense strategic importantance for the Spanish and three forts defended the area. After visiting the church with an unusual and revered black Christ, we studied the remains of the nearby fortification then visited the restored Customs House. The large size of this building hints at the fact that, at one stage, one third of the world's gold supply was passing through this modest seaport. The convoluted history of the area was interpreted through displays and an audio-visual presentation. None of the European protagonists acquitted themselves with much honour, as you may imagine.

We then made our way back to Panama, my mind reeling with the events of the day. We became caught up in the 21st century miseries of road works and traffic jams on the main road to Panama City. Finally, we became embroiled in the rather agressive, apparently uncontrolled business which is the city centre traffic. To the accompaniment of a lot of horn sounding, vehicles appear to head in all directions at once but it actually seems to work rather well. At the hotel, I said goodbye to my guide and driver. Jose had been a well-informed guide and excellent company. Finally, I walked to the nearby shops where I was able to purchase a couple of excellent maps of Panama plus a 'heavy' book on the building of the Canal before collapsing in my comfortable suite for the rest of the evening.

Pictures of the Canal.
San Lorenzo.
Portobelo.