Introduction
Welcome to my blog. In this blog I want to take you through the "Day in the Life" of a Steam Locomotive. To give you a bit of background knowledge about myself, I am a huge Steam enthusiast and I volunteer on the Bluebell Railway in West Sussex. I am also very into music which is will become evident in my cheesy titles Steam Locomotives was an obvious theme for me as they have been a love affair of mine for as long as I can remember. These photographs were taken on one of my working days at the railway so are taken in locations not open to the public.
"Re-Light My Fire"
Everyday begins by lighting a fire in the Locomotives firebox (the heart of the beast). This process takes several hours and lots of care to awaken the "Iron Horse."
"White Noise"
Once the Locomotive is in full steam the next procedure is to "Blow Down." This is where the bottom of the boiler is cleared of impurities. Its much like descaling a kettle but with more of a steam clean. The driver will shout "Blowing Down!" before opening the blow down valve. A mass of steam and sound engulfs the whole yard, stopping all other activities.
"Baby, It's Coal Outside"
Steam Locomotives need fuel to burn just like a car. We use coal which is carried in the bunker of the Locomotive (the bit at the back). A job once done with a shovel is now made easier by mechanical handling.
"The Passenger"
The next duty of the day is to collect the Carriages from the Carriage Shed. It's a cold day which means the steam heating has been turned on. Steam is supplied to the train in the lower pipes. Due to the age of the stock the steam leaks are quite considerable but are not an operational problem.
"Water Wonderful World"
Once the carriages are in the station we need to fill the locomotive with the other fuel that it needs. Water. This is done by using the water crane, which works like a hose, to fill the tender with 4000 gallons of water. What was once seen as a chore by railwaymen, is now an exciting event for the paying public as they look on.
"Ready To Go"
The Locomotive joins the front of the train and is readied for departure. Once the signal has dropped, the guard blows his whistle and waves his flag. The Fireman leans out and acknowledges the flag and tells the Driver "Right Away" which is the railway command to start the train. The Driver blows the whistle, releases the brakes and opens the regulator (equivalent to the accelerator). The steam coming out of the front is from the cylinders to clear any condensate. If any water was to compress in the cylinders they would be blown apart. Not a good idea.
"Here I Go Again"
Now on the run the fun begins for the Footplate Crew. The driver looks ahead at the rolling English road making sure that his Locomotive and Train are keeping to time as they climb through the Sussex Hills. The Fireman makes sure that the boiler is full of water and that the fire is burning brightly, producing all the steam the driver needs.
"No Blowing Off In The Station!"
If the pressure in the boiler gets too high the Safety Valves lift. This brings the pressure down to prevent an explosion. This is known as "Blowing Off" by railwaymen because it is loud and disruptive. The unofficial rule is "Don't blow off in the station because it upsets the passengers." A rule we all should stick by.
"My Generation"
We reach East Grinstead where the Bluebell Railway meets the National Network. Here we can see the contrast between the railways of past generations and the trains of my generation. It's a matter of opinion which is best. However I believe that old faithful is best.
"The End"
The Buffer Stop denotes the end of the line and the end of this post you'll be pleased to hear. For the Steam Locomotive on the other hand it is not the end. The Locomotive will be turned and make the return journey back to Sheffield Park, at the southern end of the line. This whole process will be repeated three or four times in the day.
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