Raising Steam 1998 Vol.12 No.1

RAISING STEAM

STEAM APPRENTICE CLUB MAGAZINE

EDITOR

Barry Sumsion, 1 Leicester Road, Newport, South Wales NP9 7ER Tel: 01633 262197 Fax: 01633 259089

CHAIRMAN, STEAM APPRENTICE CLUB

John Durling, Hawthorn Cottage, Stubwood, Uttoxeter, Staffordshire ST14 5HX

Tel: 01889 591188 (between 08.00 and 21.00 hours only please)

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY

John Cook, Dolfarni, Church Lane, Kirby la Thorpe, Sleaford, Lincolnshire NG34 9NU. Correspondence only. Membership fee £3.00 per annum.

The Editor welcomes any contributions of articles, shorter items or photographs for inclusion in future issues. All material submitted is voluntary and payment cannot be made for any material published. The opinions expressed in the magazine, with the exception of Club announcements, are those of the contributors and do not indicate the views of the Club as a whole. All items are held copyright by the contributor and the NTET.

Please send your contributions to the Editor at least five weeks before publication. Typed articles are preferred but not essential. If handwritten put any names of PEOPLE, PLACES or ENGINES in BLOCK CAPITALS. If you require any part of your article (eg photos) returning please say so and enclose a stamped addressed envelope. Enclose your name, address and (if Apprentice) age with any contribution.

The Editor reserves the right to amend or refuse contributions, and will attempt to correct spelling and grammar!

The Magazine is normally published during the early part of January, April, July and October. The Club accepts no liability for failure to meet intended publication dates.

The Steam Apprentice Club is a section of the National Traction Engine Trust. NTET is a Registered Charity, No. 291578. Registered in England No. 1302197. Registered Office: Forum House, 1-6 Millmead, Middlesex TW18 4UQ.

Typesetting and Artwork by Kearline Graphic Images, 1 Leicester Road, Newport, South Wales NP9 7ER Tel: 01633 262197 Fax: 01633 259089

Printed by The Whitehouse Press Ltd, High Street, Lydney, Glos GL15 5DP

As I type, the first snow of the winter is falling outside my window, and it is extremely unlikely that I shall see an engine in steam until the spring. Most will have had their boilers drained and necessary maintenance work will be going on. Spare a thought for all those engine owners who spend much time, money and energy on keeping their engines in good running order, and give you all so much enjoyment throughout the rally season. If you are lucky enough to be apprenticed to one, now is the time you will find out about the less enjoyable aspects of engine owning. For those of you who are unable to work on a full size engine, this is a good time to be getting out or building your models. It is also a good time to write to your magazine and tell us all about your favourite rally, engine, or whatever, from last season.

Many of you will, by now, have realised just how hard John and Fiona Durling are working on your behalf to organise SAC events up and down the country. Nowhere was this more evident than at the Great Dorset, where their whole time was spent running the SAC corner and organising your days on various engines. Not content with that, they have now been very busy arranging events for 1998 (see this edition). Please, please do your best to support these visits and other events that will happen throughout the year: You will get the most enjoyment from your membership, and they will get the most satisfaction from their efforts.

CHAIRMAN'S COLUMN

In the last issue I wrote that we have recently become the owners of an Aveling & Porter tractor called Morning Star. As with any new toy it is very difficult to leave it alone, we had to take her out for a short trip at the end of November. The official reason for steaming up was to move her off the drive round to her new shed in the orchard, but somehow we took the wrong turning and ended up going via the pub in the village! Still she is now drained out and properly put to bed until the spring. Although this is the 'quiet' , season as far as events go, we have not been idle. We have arranged several trips for you. They are taking place far and wide so that as many of you as possible may be able to benefit. The details of these are to be found elsewhere in this copy of the magazine. Another photograph from Gavin Brown, of a Burrel Showmans engine. J'his was another of Gavin's entries in the 1997 photo competition. We are lucky to have received so many invitations from many sources but always welcome further offers and ideas which we could follow up.

You will also find details of the Driving Course, which this year is to be held at Dingles Steam Village. This is the second course to be run in the west country. The idea of this is that those who attended last year can do their second year course. This does not mean that we don't want new people to join!

At the NTET AGM in November the Jack Beeby Cup presented to a Steam Apprentice was awarded to Neil Cobb of Wimborne, Dorset. Our congratulations to Neil, an avid and regular contributor to our magazine. We look forward to more of Neil's tales of his encounters with the 'Enginemen from the North'.

I hope that you have all enjoyed your Christmas and even survived the new year, and look forward to seeing many of you at the various trips, and of course, at the rallies later this year.

John Durling, Chairman

COMPETITION RESULTS

Here are the results of the last competition. The first four correct entries were from: Matthew Smith in Long Bennington, Rebecca Pope in Bracknell and the Flinton family from Ordsall. Well done to all of you!

Fiona Durling

WE WISHYOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS (sorry -missed that!) AND A HAPPY NEWYEAR

New Year - New Ideas

We have spent HOURS arranging a series of trips and visits for you. We have made some of them coincide to save time but hope that ALL of you will be able to get to at least one venue.

The days are intended for all the family so drag Mum or Dad or even BOTH to the nearest outing to you.

Here are the details:

Eastern Area -Saturday 28 March -Museum of Lincolnshire Life, Lincoln. Contains stationery engines, traction engines and other steam related machinery.

Western Area -Saturday 28 March -Kelston Sparkes' Collection, Cur ls Farm, Stanton Drew, Bristol. A private collection of various traction engines, agricultural, ploughing, showmans, etc,

North Western Area - Sunday 29 March - Frank Lythgoe's Collection, Warburton Park Farm, Warburton, Lymm, Cheshire. A large

Len Crane's famous Fowler Crane Engine 'Wolverhampton Wanderer' struggles to maintain grip on the wet grass at Abergavenny rally, whilst pulling four heavy haulage Scammels.

collection of engines including many showmans, plus fairground organs.

Southern Area -Sunday 19 April -Hollycombe Steam Collection, Iron Hill, Liphook, Hampshire. A collection of traction engines, agricultural and showmans, steam driven fairground; and various steam railways.

The trip to Stanton Drew will be run by our Editor, Barry Sumsion, the trip to Hollycombe by our Southern Area Co-ordinator Stuart Gaines and we shall run the others. We are also hoping, for those of you in that area, to arrange a visit to the Burrell Museum at Thetford but the details are not yet finalised.

If you want to join us on any of these excursions, a 'phone call to us (number in front cover) or a letter, would help with our arrangements. If you can't manage that or make a last minute decision, just COME ANYWAY!

PLEASE try to support these visits. They take some time to organise and can only continue with your support. If there are other places that you would like to visit, please let us know and we will do our best to organise them.

MAILBAG

Dear Editor,

I am writing to thank you for my prize in the SAC photographic competition.

I found the traction engine book most interesting and the trophy most impressive! I would also like to thank John and Fiona Durling for arranging a super day for me at the Great Dorset Steam Fair. Mum, Dad and my sister Alice and I arrived early on the Thursday morning and I was soon with Derek Bouch and his 1912 Aveling & Porter steam roller. He was very helpful and very knowledgeable. He taught me how to clean the boiler tubes, using a large brush and to clean the smokebox.

He allowed me to light the fire, and showed me how to keep an even fire across the grate and allow the steam pressure to build up in the boiler. He then taught me about the use of the regulator to put the engine in motion. He showed me how to put water into the boiler using the injector and how to keep the steam pressure constant. I then helped to polish the whistle and lots of brass straps around the boiler. Unfortunately the weather was bad and we were unable to move the steam roller but none-the-less I had a most enjoyable day and I would like to thank Derek and his wife for the welcome they gave me and for what they taught me. I hope to meet up with them at another rally.

Best wishes

Gavin Brown, age 13

North Curry, Taunton

Dear Editor

I would like to tell you about a steam rally I went to on Saturday 23rd August. There were literally hundreds of engines including the Iron Maiden. There were four rollers, about 100 traction engines, one miniature locomotive and some petrol engines.

There was a traction engine that had had a diesel engine put in. I had a great time. The man with the loco said "I built this locomotive last year". He let me shovel coal on the fire and turn on the blower. We were on our way home when a red traction engine pulled up in front of us. The man let me up on the footplate. A boy about my age was driving it. Do you know anything about kits that you can make working model locos or traction engines from.

If so please let me know. Thank you.

Martin Treanor, age 10

Duffield, Derbyshire

It depends what you mean by the expression 'loco'. Generally this means a railway engine. However there are kits available to build either railway locos or traction engines. In the smaller sizes, you can buy a kit version of the Mamod traction engine, and a glance through any of the national railway modelling magazines will reveal many kits are available to build railway locos. In the larger (miniature) sizes there are several kits to build railway locos, but only one traction engine kit comes immediately to mind, that of Maxitrack, who make an Aveling & Porter tractor. Be prepared to spend quite a lot of money though!- Ed.

Dear Editor

I would like to tell you about a short visit to a steam models factory called Live Steam Models, Little Eaton. The man who worked there owned a steam tractor. He showed me all the parts and let me work them. He said they run it in the summer. It was a very interesting experience.

Martin Treanor, age 10 Duffield, Derbyshire

Dear Editor,

Thank you for putting my drawing of a showmans engine in the last issue of Raising Steam.

This year I visited two steam rallies. One, the Linford Steam Rally and the other the _DownsSteam Show, both in Hampshire. I have done some drawings of various steam engines, traction engines, steam rollers and steam wagons that I saw at these shows. I hope you like them and that you will maybe be able to use them in the magazine.

I like steam vehicles more than anything else apart from steam trains and this is why I like to draw so many of them. In the last magazine you asked for people to write to you but I am much better at drawing than writing.

Keep steaming, Dickon Armstrong, age 11 Holybourne, Alton

A selection of drawings from Dickon from scenes at the Downs Rally. Opposite there are two more drawings, this time from the Linford Rally.

Can you guess what the original engines were?

Dear Editor,

I'm a great fan of Raising Steam and I have been in it before!

This is Little showmans

Please show Raising Steam. Billy a tractor. it Ill

Paul Davis Camberley, Surrey age 9 1 /2

Dear Editor,

This is my dream machine. But I am only 10 so I have a while to go.

Colin Davis

P.S. Its name is Great Gun.

STOP PRESS

SAC Visit to the Burrell Museum in Thetford, Norfolk -Sunday 5th April 1998. As we go to press we have news that another SAC visit has been organised, this time to the Burrell Museum in Thetford and afterwards to Richard Parrott's farm, nearby at Weeting. This is a good opportunity for all the family to join in an interesting day out. Please contact John Durling for more information.

TRACTION ENGINE DRIVING COURSE

This year we have again been invited to join the National Traction Engine Trust at their driving course to enable adults to learn the basics of engine management and handling (see the current issue of steaming). Last year we had six apprentices at the course in Coldharbour Mill who all had a great time and also learnt a lot, not only about driving traction engines but also about how they work. This year's event will be held over the weekend of 9th and 10th May 1998 at the Dingles Steam Village, Milford Farm, Lifton, Devon, PL16 OAT.

As well as access to full size engines we hope to have a selection of miniatures (2" scale and bigger) available. These can be much better for learning to drive and operate than the real thing just because their smaller size makes them more manageable. We are also planning to have an area in a marquee available for the operation of your models - Mamod or any other - so that you can join in fully with what is going on. Perhaps Dad and/or Mum could join the adult course as well!

We will let you know more details in the next issue of Raising Steam, however here is some information which may help now. The course is intended to give proper instruction in the care and operation of traction engines and therefore must be limited to apprentices aged 14 years old and over. It is expected that those apprentices of 16 and over will be able to join the full adult course, as they have in previous years, at a subsidised rate of £50.00. 14 and 15 year olds will be able to take part in a specially planned course which will include parts of the main course and lectures at a cost of £30. Activities for apprentices aged between 10 and 14 can be organised if there is a demandplease let us know.

Camping and caravan facilities are available on site, and will be free to families of SAC members, thus giving the non-steam people a base to explore the area.

This is a brilliant opportunity to get your hands on a steam engine with proper training; if you want to work on engines - or even own one -you must take these chances now! Note the date and make sure that the family plans a spring holiday in Devon -9th and 10th May 1998, and don't forget to save your birthday and Christmas money! If you think you would like to come, let me know and send me a stamped addressed envelope so that I can send you more information.

A word to Mum and Dad. This event is organised by the Trust for all its members. If you wish to participate as a student or perhaps as an experienced local engine owner (either full size or miniature) who is prepared to bring in additional knowledge, experience and an engine for the weekend, or as a lecturer or general helper please get in touch. Alternatively if you have any thoughts regarding the composition of the course, bearing in mind practical considerations, helpful suggestions are always welcome.

John Durling Chairman

The last competition was a nice easy one for our younger members. This one is a bit more complicated for you older ones! First work out what number has been used as which letter of the alphabet - I've given you a few to start you off. When each square has a letter in it, see if you can wordsearch twenty-three rallies from all over the country which you could have visited last season. All the wordsearch answers go across, left to right or down, top to bottom. Send me a list of all the rallies you find, in alphabetical order, along with ·your name, address and membership number.

There will be a prize for whoever gets the most or I'll pick one out of a hat if lots of you get them all!

Fiona Durling

Little and Large! Full size and miniature engines in their respective saw benches at the Langport Rally 1996. The miniature is a Burrell single crank compound. I didn't take details when I took the photograph - can anyone out there fill in the details? - Ed.

COBB STRIKES AGAIN

BIG, NUMB AND ARROGANT WITH IT

No, this is not a reference to my beloved family. I have already described my wonderful, generous and loving lot and they read this magazine!

It was how J.C. described His Lordship, Burrell No 3444, which Graham (Mr Atkinson of Scarborough) had just bought.

I remember seeing His Lordship at the Great Dorset Steam Fair two or three years earlier when in the ownership of Mrs Varley, and I must admit I wasn't too impressed by the wheezing and whistling coming from the chimney or the clunks and bangs coming from up in the motion department. The poor old thing seemed to me to be part of an endurance test to see just how long it would go before it finally fell apart!! The other thing that I vividly remember was thinking that there must be a Brasso famine in the Cheshire/Lancashire area as none of the showmans engines that come from that part of the world seem to be cleaned.

The real story starts on Tuesday. Having been on site since the Friday before most of my chores had been done. Awning up, water fetched, etc, etc, etc. I must now execute great care when updating you on the family matters, as after my last article, Dad didn't talk to me for a week, Mum didn't talk to Dad for a month, and my dear brother hasn't spoken at all, mind you I think this latter point is after-shock from having to pay! Yes pay with money for a car!! Well it's supposed to be a car, but I think it is a hedgerow passion wagon personally.

An update on the Yorkshire contingency, J.C. and D.C., Graham and Captain Dick are all another year older. Although Dick didn't come down to Dorset, he has invested in a cafe in down-town Scarborough. Mind you everyone knows that he bought the cafe as a cover for the Yorkshire Mafia's insider dealing in tea bags. The amount of tea Dick drinks, he must own half of Ceylon/Sri-Lanka by now. P.S. Dick do I get a free bun for advertising?

In place of Dick is now another loveable Yorkshireman, Chris (Mr Eves). Chris, as he puts it is a martyr to his over abused body. What with his war wounds (Mr Hitler personally tried to bomb him, whilst he and his Mum were under the kitchen table, but he missed!! But Chris knew, Hitler couldn't possibly win the war, he'd got everybodys' back up in their street by bombing the local chip shop!!)

Not to mention his mis-spent youth, playing shove ha;penny, bar billiards and weight lifting (pint glasses to his lips), swimming club (he had to join that because he kept falling in the harbour coming home from weight lifting practice. And the rowing club he had to join that to get a boat to rescue his hat that floated off, whilst practicing for the swimming club, just after weight training. Boy, they really live life in the fast lane in Scarborough don't they? Tuesday AM and as I did my rounds I kept a careful eye open for the Princess Maud and organ. I scoured the field, not a sign in any of the engine/organ/fairground areas, then as I wandered through the wilderness of side stalls at the back of the fairground, I saw the neat little Garrett all sheeted 12

down with the organ box next to it (Michael Oliver, sir, why put the STAR attraction in the back of beyond? It was absurd to expect my fans to search all over the place for my autograph! That said, back to the tale. At 2.30pm I walked back over to the Princess and organ to see what or who was there, at the other side of the organ stood a huge Burrell engine (His Lordship) neatly parked and sheeted (in red, my favourite colour) first tilne I had seen sheets on it, behind that the old blue Land Rover. Ah! the Sheffield mob (Carr Bros) are here. As I walked round the Land Rover I could hear a discussion taking place about the repair that Uncle Fred (Dockway) had done, after as John put it "another bloomin hodge had surfaced". Apparently a boiler check valve had been re-assembled incorrectly at some time, and ordinary steam packing substituted for the copper "O" rings that should have been used. Due to the limited surface area of contact between the mating faces the steam packing was unable to hold and slipped out, causing a sudden and unstoppable release of steam and water at 200 p.s.i. "Cor", the other effect was to put out of action one of the two means of putting water in the boiler, only quick action by the crew aided by a long shovel (how many engines always carry a full fire tool kit?) saved the fusible plug. Fred had done the necessary work in the intervening week and after critical inspection by the above assembled body, it was passed as being Al. I chipped in with "Oh so we can light a fire in it can we''.

Suddenly I had been noticed "Happy New Boxing Day Sunshine" as J.C. flung his arms around me and vainly attempted to lift me off the floor, "Good grief they've been putting horse manure in your boots since last year haven't they". "You're taller than me now". "That's not very tall" I replied. "Oh, and how old are you now Neill" asked J.C. "15". "well how the devil would you like to live long enough to see 16 then", giving me the J.C. dead look glare. "And anyway there are a few jobs that need attending to before anyone lights a fire". Oh no I thought, he's going to dis1nantle it, in the middle of the field, I turned and looked at David (John's younger brother). David instantly replied "Don't blame me, I only come here for the beer". With that David retired to the front bumper of the Land Rover and sat down, engaging Chris in conversation as he did so:

"So what wants doing to it", I asked. "Well, err, this, that, that, the other not to mention the doofers and giggling pins". "Oh! does anything actually work?" "well yes the check valve that Uncle Fred had done. ''Are you going to start on it now", I asked. "NO! I'm too hot, tired and thirsty, has anyone put the kettle on? to even think about looking at that lot now". Ah, saved, coffee was thrust into John's hand by Graham.

"Well now young man, are you going to be available tomorrow morning?'' "Phew! thought no-one was going to ask, I certainly am Graham, but I've got my own exhibit to prepare plus bits and bobs to do for the ancient ones (Mum and Dad) but then I'm all yours." "and what of your brother?" "Oh Andrew". "I'm over here". A voice came from under the Burrell sheets. I just knew it he'd managed to get on the footplate before me. John C. was giving him a run down on the action to be taken and a guided tour as well! As time wore on it was decided that we should all retire to our respective domains and start the new day fresh and full of vim and vigour.

Wednesday. By 8.30 I was all done and dusted at the homestead so I dashed off to see what was happening up at the Atkinson enclave. As I drew closer I could see that both engines were unsheeted and that smoke was gently rising from the extension chimney of the Garrett. Chris really does care for that machine, the brass and paintwork positively gleamed and in the early morning sunlight she was a truly beautiful sight to behold.

I announced my presence to Chris and asked if there was anything to do. I was greeted with "yer do gerrup sometime then", roughly translated you are a bit late.

Having been through the martyr to my body bit, Chris's poor old knees, arms, hands, I duly did all the climbing up and down of the engine including the chimney cap polishing bit. As one of my tasks I was to go and find a water cart and a coal man!! either one of them is like trying to locate the dead sea scrolls and even when you do find one the answer is always "I'll be there in a minute". Dorset time is very elastic as a minute can be anything from 60 seconds to 2 hours. Upon my return I was greeted with "Weer yer bin" (where have you been). Does anyone realise how big this place is? The water man had beaten me in getting to the engines but the coalman was still being elusive. Chris said we're so short of fuel we've taken to emptying the bunker on that pointing to the Burrell and handing me a bucket as an inducement to go for more coal. David and John had arrived in my absence as had my brother Andrew. David was busily engaged with Graham and the organ, whilst John and Andrew had started disemboweling the motion on the Burrell.

As the day wore on the usually free steaming Garrett became more and more difficult to keep steam and water up. Despite David's and Chris's atte1npts to keep the fire clean, I even tried sorting out all the lumps from the slack, the dreaded clinker beat us. So at 5.00pm with no water, no steam and a firebox full of clinker, the engine was shut down for tea. 10.00am till 5.00pm without a break, the old engine hadn't done so bad. "We will stop for an hour, get some food down us ready for tonight" said Graham.

Forty-five minutes later with the engine's fire cleaned, tanks filled, engine oiled up and ashpan cleaned, Graham reappeared ''Ah I see we're ready to go again": !!*?...

Now you know that sort of funny period just before a thunderstorm when the wind drops and it gets sort of quiet and electric? "Yes we're ready to goto go for our teas", said Chris as he carefully put down the fire shovel. "You've had nothing to eat then, you're joking". There was a long pause, a very long pause as everyone looked at each other. "Mutiny Mr Christian! (that's from an old film) ''Ah well tis just as well I've booked us all a meal in the main marquee, where the deuce is John?" Good grief I forget about him and Andrew, they'd been at those Burrell bearings all day.

As I looked round the back of the Burrell, the picture resembled that of Tommy Wards scrapyard with a heap of connecting rods, crosshead bearings and guide bars, "what you going to do with that lot" I enquired. "Build myself a b ............. bike and ride off into the sunset" was the reply. "Oh!'', Graham had now appeared and was obviously concerned about the health of His Lordship, "It will be running for t01norrow, hmm?" This seemed to be more of a

desperate plea than a question, the reply was quick and equally desperate "I am an engineer not a profit, and despite my initials, miracles don't come as second nature!" "Talking of miracles it will be one ifit ever runs again." "Why?" asked Graham (big mistake). In a very soft but firm voice J.C. replied "Give me a roll of wallpaper and I may be able to list some of the problems, but for a start, the low pressure crank pin is like corderoy but not quite as smooth, the gudgeon pins are loose in the crossheads, the guide bars are odd and". Graham broke in "Well it will seem much better after we're all eaten, come on."

I have just remembered another part of the team, John the tractor man who came to bring the caravan down to Dorset from Scarborough.

He had done a disappearing act and could not be found. As Andrew and I .weren't invited for a meal we nipped back to our caravan, had a bite to eat sheeted our exhibits and wandered back to the engines. It was by now 7.00 to 7 .15pm and the sun was starting to sink (glugg, glugg -sssssh).

The little Garrett looked splendid in the half light with its canopy lights glowing and the reflected light of the organ front. The chugg, chugg, chugg noise from the chimney also sounded good, but indicated that the engine was working hard, and fuel and water consumption rose horrendously. At 50 amps the generator was at full stretch and the addition of one more 300 watt spot light to aid J.C's vision whilst fitting up the Burrell caused the total failure of power, loss of excitation in the dynamo.

As the Garrett and its crew of three, Chris, David and myself struggled on to keep things going, Graham produced a petrol powered generator to keep John C. at· work on the Burrell. As time rolled on it became obvious to us three that the Garrett could not do what was being asked of her, especially on the fuel which had been supplied to us. The water level carried on dropping relentlessly and try as we might we just could not get the firebars clear of clinker. In desperation Chris said to Graham "if we don't shed some electrical load we're just going to stop for want of steam and water, what's it going to be? shut the whole thing down or turn off those six spot lights?" The difference made by dropping the spot lights was quite surprising, the engine used less water which meant that we were not having to fight for pressure only to sacrifice it for more boiler water. The knock-on effect was that the exhaust was also eased which didn't pull the fire so much, which in turn didn't get so intensely hot, which again reduced clinkering problems. By 11.00 o'clock everyone had had enough and we sheeted up for the night. J.C. hadn't got the bearings fitted, and Graham was becoming quite perturbed that the Burrell wouldn't be running the following day and to add to the problems the Garrett was developing a knock on the high pressure little end, or crosshead.

Thursday. It was 10.00am before I got down to the engines. The Burrell still hadn't got a fire in it and J.C. was climbing all over it trying to set the crosshead up in the guide bars so that they would run both in the vertical plane and the horizontal. This involved filing over 1/s" out of each part of the guide bar and carrier on the high pressure side, and doing something similar to the low pressure side. The reason for this amount of work is that the guide bars are odd to each other and that the mounting frame had been broken at some time and welded back together on the twist!!

It was whilst J.C. was doing this that Graham came round and asked how long before he could light the fire. "When I've got the rods back on, I can't work over a red hot boiler". Graham accepted this but it was obvious that he was anxious to get the engine in steam.

"If anyone else asks how long, they'll end up wearing this bl. ........ engine, O.K." J.C. pointed a file at me.

Frustration. By high noon, and the sun was beating down and the temperature was really up in the high eighties, J.C. had got the motion back together and I had lit the fire on the Burrell, but even by now the Garrett was having trouble steaming, apparently a result of the fire grate not having all the clinker removed before lighting up and David and Chris were starting to struggle especially as now attached to the Garrett were a side stall and small roundabout as well as the organ!

As the pressure rose on the Burrell and on J.C. to finish packing glands and get it going, another thing happened. Just across from the Burrell/Garrett/Organ set up, was a Ghost Train, behind which was a large diesel generator, from which large quantities of smoke started to appear, first light grey and steadily darkening until a thick black column of smoke accompanied by very poorly diesel engine noises, was seen to be soaring into the sky. This didn't last very long as people came rushing from all 9-irections to see if they could save the situation, but no it was all in vain as with a series of loud bangs, the generator deceased. "That was pretty spectacular", announced J.C. "about the same as could happen here when I pull this handle". With that J.C. opened the regulator and with a mass of hissing sounds from the cylinder drains the Burrell slowly began to run. After a few minutes with David now on the footplate and J.C. on the front tank top it was decided to "stick it on the governor and let it go". As the governor belt was being put on Graham came over enquiring as to the engine being all right. Just give it about half an hour and we'll see if anything is getting hot and then we'll put the main belt on it. "Go on then sunshine, stick a fire in it, let's see if she's going to cooperate" urged J.C.

The half hour test was successful so the main belt was put on and the engine started to generate, just as well really as by now poor old Princess Maud was on her knees, water down, fire dull, and steam down to 150 p.s.i. The load transferred to the Burrell meant that Chris and David could have a break to sort out the mess that was in the firebox. It had the consistency of fudge and stuck to the bars better than Evo Stick!

The Burrell now settled down to a steady pace and was running beautifully, J.C. switching from front tank top to footplate, feeling at things and tightening glands. I was beginning to feel quite at home as I merrily fired and watered the big Burrell, keeping steam was no problem, and once that huge boiler was full, 20-25 minutes could go by before you need inject again, in fact I was so confident I started to jump off the engine and load the coal bunker from the coal heap, a bucket full at a time. I was just on my tenth trip when a voice said "and what would you do if the governor belt broke". I, I'd shut the regulator and centre the reverse lever, one with my right hand and the other with my left, like that, giving the actions. "Mmh, your arms must be nearly as long as

your tongue if you can do that from down here. Never leave an engine on the governor, if anything goes wrong the old engine will rev up faster than you can get to her, and it would be mighty painful catching a balance weight in your teeth!" "Point taken."

. Well you'll have to wait till the next magazine to read more of Neill's tales of life at the GreatDorset.I have yet another tale to comefrom Neill after this one. Now whilst I'm very grateful to him for his writings, where are all the other stories from those of you, whom I know enjoyed their time on the engines at the Great Dorset in 1997. Come on get writing, let's hear from more of you. - Ed.

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