Great strides have been made in this project since the last report. Firstly, all work on the new north side main frame member has been completed and it is now fully installed in the coach body.  At the same time the London end of the coach was detached from the rest of the body and moved out the appropriate distance, thus making space for the planned wheelchair compartment. As well as 2403 now having a new north side main member it was also deemed necessary to replace the section of main member at the London end. Once he had made and fitted this, Derek Gardener then switched his attention to the south side of the coach. Here he formed a scarf joint in the cut section of the main member and then made the new section needed to rejoin the detached London end panel back to the rest of the coach body. With all the work on the main members completed the London end panel can be dropped into place, which will then enable work to start on extending the cant rails on both sides of the body.

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Steady progress has been maintained on reinstalling the windows in the north side of the coach. Derek Atkins has now put windows in all the compartments except the two at the London end of the coach. These can not be dealt with until main member and cant rail work at that end is complete, making that end of the coach body rigid once more. Focus has now switched to the south side of the coach where Derek has removed all of the windows and Pete Jardine is renewing the body mouldings. Derek Atkins is following along behind cleaning and repainting the window mouldings and will in due course refit all of the windows.

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Thanks to the efforts of Gary Walker, Gary White, Dave Smart, Stuart Butt, Kevin Colley and Derek Atkins the underframe has now been fully repainted and reassembled. The underframe was moved back to the C&W sidings during July where work is progressing to fit the brakes and the steam heat pipe work.

It is hoped that work on the coach body and underframe will have progressed to the point during September which will enable the temporary underframe currently supporting the coach body to be replaced with the shiny new (old??) one currently sitting outside of the C&W workshop.

LBSCR 10-Ton Open 27834

Although lack of space has so far prevented 27834’s new frame from being swung round over the C&W tracks, it has not prevented Graham Redfern and Andrew Tavener fitting lots of the iron work to the underframe. This includes all four ‘W’ irons together with the associated 8 spring hangers. Graham and Andrew have also installed several of the metal components which help to hold the oak beams of the underframe together. Their most recent task has been to cut new buffer back plates and attach them to the buffer shanks ready to install on the underframe.  Although road space in C&W will be limited for some time, this will not hinder progress on 27834’s rebuild.

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LBSCR Bogie 5-Compartment Brake Third 4168

We're very pleased to report that 4168 returned to the C&W workshop in late July to enable its restoration to continue.  As previously reported the compartments are complete from the seat backs upwards. One of the first tasks on 4168’s return to C&W was performed by Gary White, who marked out and drilled the floors to take the pipe work for the steam heaters. The next task in each compartment was to paint the walls and floors where the seat bases will eventually go, John James then fitted the lino in the centre floor section.

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Although externally the coach body had been given a protective paint coat before work was suspended back at the end of 2009 it was deemed necessary to sand that off and fully repaint the bodywork. It took Gary Walker several days to do the sanding, he then started the repaint by applying undercoat. John James has refitted ventilators to the brake end doors and Andrew Asher has painted their inside panels.

SECR Bogie Saloon Composite 6375

6375's extended stay in C&W came to and end at the end of July. It was known that the saloon ceiling needed replacement, however during this work it was discovered that one of the partition walls was in a very poor condition and hence this too needed replacing. Over a few weeks, John James rebuilt the partition and fitted the new ceiling. The saloon was then fully repainted and some of our newly manufactured lamp shades, as described in the March 2010 C&W News, were fitted. It was identified that the upholstery was somewhat tired, so the seats in the saloon and the ‘country end’ compartment were fully reupholstered with SR pattern moquette, obtained as part of a swap deal with the Swanage railway.

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The repainting of the south side of the coach was completed, Pete Jardine then applied the lettering. The exterior of the coach body was then varnished and, after undergoing the usual ‘A’ exams, the coach re-entered traffic at the start of the main holiday season. Because of the Operating Department’s urgent requirement to have this carriage back in traffic (to cope with the record passenger numbers we are currently enjoying!) one task still has to be completed, the ‘London end’ compartment will have the seats reupholstered. 

 SR PMV S1803

Following it’s move from the Barn Field earlier in the summer, S1803’s usual resting place is now on the delivery road adjacent to the C&W works where it is to serve as additional workshop space. Some years ago, before it was banished to the Barn Field, S1803 could be found in a similar location where it served as the railway’s Mess Coach and Bar, a role it inherited from the two Chatham Brakes when they came to the head of the restoration queue in the 1980s. For those that don’t remember that far back, 4149 was the London Group Mess and provided food, 4145 was the Solent Group Mess and provided drink! Effort is now being put into sprucing up it’s exterior, some of the end panels have been cleaned and repainted and Peter Clowes has made and fitted new doors. When time allows the rest of the outside panels will follow suit.

Sadly, although bad sections of the roof had been patched with felt, during the very heavy rain of late August, it was found that several others areas had been leaking like a sieve and much of what was stored inside had been soaked! The full roof will need urgent attention before anything else can happen with S1803.

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Coming up next

For the next few months work will be continuing on 27834, 4168 and 2403. The seats in 6375 will be finished when it can be withdrawn from traffic.

Historic Wagon Restoration Department

A Historical Wagon Department is being formed to take on responsibility for our fleet of original Isle of Wight railway wagons, a collection that is the envy of many other heritage railways. The inaugural meeting of the Department will take place at Havenstreet Station on Saturday, 18^th September 2010 at 2pm, chaired by Gary Walker. The meeting is open to anyone with an interest in securing the future of the Isle of Wight Steam Railway’s historic wagon collection and is willing to give either moral or practical support to the initiative. Gary is looking to recruit practical help to reinforce the already impressive restoration effort, gather ideas as to how best to utilise and display the historic stock and also for assistance in raising funds to support the work – even wagons are not cheap to repair or overhaul!

 New Volunteers

New volunteers are always welcome, the more we have the more restoration and maintenance that can be done to the IWSR rolling stock. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer then please contact Clive Miller on 01983 882204 or please e-mail Clive on clive59olds-steamrailway@yahoo.co.uk

 Further pictures of IWSR C&W Dept. progress can be seen on C&W team member Derek Atkins’ website.

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway is launching a new initiative to inject fresh enthusiasm and effort into the repair and restoration of the railway’s truly unique collection of historic wagons and departmental vehicles. Led by Carriage & Wagon Supervisor Gary Walker, a Historical Wagon Department is being formed to take on responsibility for the fleet of original Isle of Wight railway wagons, a collection that is the envy of many other heritage railways. The collection includes not only representatives of wagons built for the original Island railway companies but also examples from the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway, London & South Western Railway, South Eastern & Chatham Railway, Midland Railway, Southern Railway and British Railways.

The years have taken their toll on many of the mainly wooden-framed wagons and it is becoming increasingly important that every effort is made to preserve them for future generations, both as static exhibits and as part of the railway’s demonstration heritage goods train. In recent years some excellent progress has been made; the rebuilding of an L&SWR Road Van, 3 LB&SCR Single Bolsters and a number of other LB&SCR, SR and BR wagon types are amongst the Carriage & Wagon Department’s achievements. The wagon restoration team currently has the Heritage Lottery Fund sponsored rebuild of an LB&SCR 10-ton Open wagon well underway and has recently converted an SR Parcels and Miscellaneous Van (PMV) into a workshop to support an increasing level of restoration activities.

Historical Wagon Department Inaugural Meeting - 18th September 2010 

The inaugural meeting of the Historical Wagon Department will take place at Havenstreet Station on Saturday, 18^th September 2010 at 2pm, chaired by Gary Walker. The meeting is open to anyone with an interest in securing the future of the Isle of Wight Steam Railway’s historic wagon collection and is willing to give either moral or practical support to the initiative. Gary is looking to recruit practical help to reinforce the restoration effort, gather ideas as to how best to utilise and display the historic stock and also for assistance in raising funds to support the work – even wagons are not cheap to repair or overhaul!

Gary Walker and his team look forward to meeting you at Havenstreet Station on Saturday, 18^th September 2010 at 2pm!

Isle of Wight Steam Railway

WINNER – BEST HERITAGE PROJECT

The National Lottery Awards 2010

Steam Railway Receives Award on Live Television

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway has won the award for Best Heritage Project in this year’s National Lottery Awards. The win was announced at a special star-studded celebratory Awards event - The National Lottery's Big Night - broadcast live on BBC One from London's Roundhouse on the evening of Saturday 4 September.

Working under the project title ‘Isle of Wight Railway Restoration’, the Havenstreet-based steam line scooped the prestigious award by topping the Heritage Projects category against other Lottery-funded projects from around the country. The Railway was chosen by a nationwide public vote which took place last month.

Saturday evening’s hour-long programme was hosted by John Barrowman and featured music performances from McFly and Taio Cruz. A variety of National Lottery funded projects from around the UK, including the IW Steam Railway, were honoured, with awards in seven categories covering health, sport, the environment, arts, education, voluntary services and heritage. Celebrities including Tess Daly, Alex James, Benedict Cumberbatch, Amir Khan, Larry Lamb, Matt Baker and Julia Bradbury were on-hand to present the different awards, with the award for Best Heritage Project being made by Coronation Street’s Sacha Parkinson and William Roache MBE.

After a short film featuring the Steam Railway and two other heritage projects shortlisted for the award, William Roache opened the envelope in true awards-ceremony style to announce the winner, and then invited the IW Steam Railway’s Chairman Steve Oates and General Manager Peter Vail up to the stage to collect the award.

On accepting the award, speaking from the stage, Steve Oates said, “This is a tremendous accolade for The Isle of Wight Steam Railway and a wonderful tribute to the hard work put in by our staff and volunteers who do so much to keep a piece of Isle of Wight heritage alive … A huge thank-you to everyone who voted for us and to the National Lottery whose support really does means so much to us.”

The Isle of Wight Railway Restoration Project is saving and restoring a unique and nationally important collection of Victorian and Edwardian carriages. As well as the prestige of winning the top award and the excellent profile received on national television, the Steam Railway also receives a very welcome boost to its funds with a winner’s cheque for £2,000 – Money which will go towards the continuing restoration and conversion of carriage 2403. Work on this carriage is already underway and will have seats for 70 passengers and spaces for 6 wheelchair borne visitors to be transported in Edwardian splendour.

Peter Vail, General Manager of The Isle of Wight Steam Railway, says: "Our heritage railway has a unique collection of historic steam locomotives, Victorian and Edwardian carriages, and other rare rolling stock, all of which are recognised to be of national importance. Lottery funding is so vital to us, helping us to secure a fascinating piece of Island railway history, and to ensure we can continue to restore, preserve and operate these unique railway vehicles for future generations to enjoy.”

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About The National Lottery Awards

The National Lottery Awards recognise the difference that Lottery-funded projects – both big and small – make to local communities, and celebrate the achievements of the people behind them. The Awards themselves are an annual search to find the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects. Each of the winning projects, including the IW Steam Railway, have already received Lottery funding and the Awards recognise and celebrate how they have put that money to good use.

Background to the ‘Isle of Wight Restoration’ Project

The ‘Isle of Wight Railway Restoration’ project has restored Victorian and Edwardian passenger carriages and goods wagons, enabling residents and visitors to the Island to take a special journey ‘back in time’ on an authentic 100-year-old steam train, riding in beautifully restored and refurbished wooden-bodied carriages dating from the era of Queen Victoria. A registered educational charity, the Isle of Wight Steam Railway is unique among Heritage Railways in the UK in regularly operating Victorian and Edwardian trains. Integral to the project, the Railway is keeping alive the disappearing skills of carriage restoration, and also makes considerable effort to involve local people in the restoration work and to promote the educational aspects of the Railway.

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In 2002 the Isle of Wight Steam Railway was granted £489,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards the cost of restoring 9 historic railway carriages and wagons dating from the 1860s to the 1920s. The grant provided 75% of the funding towards the cost of a purpose built workshop and materials for the restoration of the vehicles. The Queen opened the Carriage & Wagon workshop in 2004 and travelled on a train of restored carriages. The first stage of the restoration is now complete and the public can travel on a train of Victorian railway carriages, hauled by a 130 year old steam engine. The second phase of the project to restore bogie carriages typical of trains on the Isle of Wight from the 1920s onwards is now underway. Part of this imaginative project is to restore and convert derelict carriage 2403, built in 1903, into a vehicle capable of transporting wheelchair borne visitors with their families and friends.

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The Steam Railway believes it is important to retain and pass on the many dying trades of railway carriage building and restoration. John James, 67, a retired railway staff member from Wootton, still works at the Steam Railway on two days each week and passes on his skills to our apprentices and younger volunteers.

In 2005, the Steam Railway was also granted £50,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards the overhaul of the boiler on the Railway’s 1891 locomotive No. 24 ‘Calbourne’. Work on rebuilding this historic Victorian locomotive is complete and it is now back in steam.

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway is an educational charity run by 260 volunteers and 20 full time staff. Visitors to the Steam Railway can travel in some of our previously restored carriages; the income from their fares helps fund the restoration of more of these unique vehicles.

Santa Special Only
Please choose your Santa Special date & train time

Santa Special & All-Inclusive Crossing
from Portsmouth Harbour Please choose your
Santa Special date & ferry time

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway’s Victorian Weekend proved to be another big attraction with visitor numbers over the weekend up a massive 50% year-on-year!

Now in its third year, the event offers visitors a trip back to the era of Queen Victoria with a range of attractions including Victorian stalls, Punch and Judy, children’s stories, steam train travel, and music of the day. Trains over the weekend were hauled by two of the Railway’s Victorian locomotives – the 1876-built ‘Terrier’ class loco ‘Freshwater’ which headed a train of carriages each of which date from the 19^th century, and the 1891-built O2 class loco ‘Calbourne’ which has just returned to steam after 8 years of major boiler repairs.

Music was provided by Fiona Harrison who performed in authentic Victorian costume, while Railway staff were also suitably attired, with ladies in bustle gowns, Victorian maids, pearly kings and even Sherlock Holmes all spotted over the two days! The weekend also saw the final two days of the Railway’s Cuneo Exhibition – a week-long exhibition showcasing the paintings of the respected railway artist, Sir Terence Cuneo. Peter Collins from The Cuneo Society joined in the Victorian theme for the weekend, dressing as the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel!

“Our Victorian Weekend continues to grow in popularity and allows a little escapism from the modern world”, said IW Steam Railway Events Officer, Liz Tagart. “While not one of our major events, there’s definitely a keen interest in the era. To increase visitor numbers by 50% is terrific, and we can see that there’s room to grow this event in future years”.

A blind man who has already driven a passenger hovercraft and a catamaran, and piloted a glider, a plane and a lifeboat, has now driven a steam locomotive over a five-mile track.

Colin McArthur, 59, from Sandown, Isle of Wight, took the controls of the 1891-built Isle of Wight locomotive No. 24 ‘Calbourne’ at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway at Havenstreet. Under the expert guidance of loco driver Alan Brindley, Colin drove the 9.30am Havenstreet to Smallbrook Junction train, handling the regulator with great ease! “What a terrific experience”, said Colin. “To add driving a steam locomotive to my tally of challenges has been really enjoyable, particularly as each of these challenges has been a great way to raise funds and awareness for ‘RP Fighting Blindness’. I’m very grateful to the IW Steam Railway for allowing me to take part in this challenge.”

Colin, who is a trustee of the charity ‘RP Fighting Blindness’, went blind through retinitis pigmentosa some twenty years ago.

Joining Colin on the day at Havenstreet Station was actress Louisa Lytton, who has appeared in Eastenders, the Bill and Strictly Come Dancing. Louisa is very aware of RP, and has a keen interest in the charity, as there is RP within her family. On what was also a very busy day with hundreds of visitors to the Railway, Louisa joined Colin on the footplate of ‘Calbourne’ and locomotive No.8 ‘Freshwater’ and happily chatted to numerous members of the public and posed for photos!

The IW Steam Railway waived the usual £3 entrance fee to enable visitors to donate to the Eye Love Sight Appeal of ‘RP Fighting Blindness’, which is using the beauty of the Isle of Wight to ram home to the public that by donating to this cause, (www.justgiving.com/eyelovesight), those who are blind or partially sighted due to retinitis pigmentosa will one day be able to share and appreciate the views around the Island and beyond. A project at Southampton Hospital will benefit from cash raised through this appeal, to look at using adult stem cells from the iris to re-grow photoreceptor cells which have been wiped out by defective genes.

Commenting on the challenge, Steam Railway General Manager Peter Vail said, “It’s a real pleasure to support Colin and the ‘RP Fighting Blindness’ charity in this unusual way. It was great to see so many visitors showing their support and donating to this very worthwhile cause … And I’m pleased the train came back intact!”

Note

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway has announced a special ‘Calbourne Weekend’ to mark the return of their newly repaired flagship locomotive, 1891-built London & South Western Railway O2 Class No. W24 ‘Calbourne’, which re-entered service on 3^rd August 2010.

‘Calbourne Weekend’ will take place on Friday 8^th, Saturday 9^th and Sunday 10^th October 2010. A two-train service will be in operation, featuring two veteran Isle of Wight locomotives in steam together for the first time in eight years; W24 ‘Calbourne’ and 1876-built London, Brighton & South Coast Railway A1x ‘Terrier’ Class No.W8 ‘Freshwater’. Both locomotives date from the time when Queen Victoria was still on the throne!

The star of the show, ‘Calbourne’ is now resplendent in early British Railways lined black livery and will be heading a train of former London Brighton & South Coast Railway and South-Eastern & Chatham Railway bogie coaches, recreating a typical Island railway scene from half a century ago. Meanwhile ‘Freshwater’, the Isle of Wight Steam Railway’s oldest locomotive, will be in charge of a train of Victorian four-wheeled coaches which will recreate a typical Southern Railway scene from the inter-war years. The four-wheeler set includes the unique Ventnor West Branch Push-Pull set, consisting of two fully restored London, Chatham & Dover Railway coaches. The two-train service will enable visitors to ride behind two different trains, representing two distinctly different eras of Isle of Wight railway history.

Several other attractions are being firmed-up for the weekend and are likely to include a formal dedication ceremony for the locomotive, photo opportunities, a special photographic display of ‘Calbourne’ through the years, a preview of the Railway’s 2011 programme of 40^th Anniversary celebrations, workshop tours and commemorative memorabilia.

The Railway’s ever-popular Real Ale Bar will be open for business throughout the weekend. The bar will be featuring a selection of fine traditional ales from the Isle of Wight’s three local breweries.

A special guest during the weekend will be former British Railways Driver Ken West. Ken started his career at Newport Shed, subsequently moving on to Ryde. During the final years of British Railways steam on the Island ‘Calbourne’ was his regular engine.  He drove some of the final steam trains on the Island’s once extensive rail network and the first trains after electrification. Following retirement, Ken was reunited with ‘Calbourne’ as a volunteer driver on the Steam Railway and was her driver on the day she was withdrawn from service for overhaul in 2002. It is expected that a number of other veteran Island Railway staff members will be amongst the weekend visitors.

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway’s flagship locomotive, 1891-built LSWR O2 Class No. W24 ‘Calbourne’, returned to passenger service today, Tuesday 3^rd August 2010.

‘Calbourne’ has been out of service since 2002 and, following a Heritage Lottery Fund supported boiler overhaul, successfully hauled a test train to Smallbrook Junction on the evening of Monday, 2^nd August 2010 and her first public train the following morning.

‘Calbourne’s boiler was repaired at the LNWR Works, Crewe, whilst the railway’s Mechanical Engineering Team undertook the rest of the overhaul in the Havenstreet Mechanical Engineering Works.  She now looks absolutely immaculate in British Railways lined black livery, a style she has not carried for 46 years.

An Engine Cleaners Induction Training Day took place at Havenstreet Station on Saturday, 5^th June 2010. There were three participants; Phill Upsall, Jake Vivash and Alex Yemm. Driver Tony Barry had arranged a full and interesting day of training which started with a session on railway safety, including a briefing from Locomotive Support Manager Len Pullinger on the railway’s new Safety Management System.

The focus then switched to the loco yard where, with the assistance of Duty Fitter Mike Brittan, the practical techniques required to turn out the railway’s locomotives in spotless condition were explained and practiced. A further session on safe operation of locomotives and railway operating rules followed. The remainder of the day was spent gaining an understanding of the general arrangement of steam locomotives and the detail of how they work, the railway's two spare ‘Terrier’ boilers proving to be very useful training aids. Preparation, servicing and disposal of locomotives was also dealt with when the service locomotive returned to the shed at lunchtime and at the end of the day’s passenger services.

 During a typical days work our Cleaners arrive at the Loco Yard at around 7.30am (or sometimes later!) and get stuck into cleaning the day’s service locomotives. Once the locos go ‘off shed’ a well earned tea break is taken and then the loco yard is cleaned up, including everyone’s favourite job – emptying the ash pits!

With the yard spick and span, the Cleaners then assist the Mechanical Engineering staff with whatever locomotive maintenance tasks need doing; this could include a boiler washout, carrying out mechanical examinations and adjustments or lighting up locomotives required for service on the following day.

Being an Engine Cleaner isn’t just about polishing locomotives and emptying ash pits, it’s very much a learning role and is the first step towards securing promotion to Fireman and eventually Driver and so,  whenever possible, our Cleaners get to go out for at least one round trip on the service locomotive’s footplate. This is the opportunity to absorb the knowledge and skills required to be passed out as a Fireman; route knowledge, firing techniques and operating procedures.

When the locomotives return to the shed at the end of the working day the Cleaners assist the footplate crew with their engine disposal duties; cleaning the fire, filling up the boiler and emptying the smokebox, before going home with the satisfaction of a job well done!

Join the Team!

New Engine Cleaners are always welcome and, as the busy high season approaches, now is the time to join the team! As a first step please contact the railway’s Volunteer Coordinator, who can arrange a railway safety induction followed by an introduction to the Mechanical Engineering Department, which is responsible for Locomotive Operation.

All efforts have been directed to reassembly for a return to traffic as soon as possible. During the week commencing 28 June the lining out of the locomotive was undertaken. A steam test was carried out on 13^th July followed in the same week by an ‘In Steam’ examination by the Boiler Inspector and a test run to Ashey. If all goes well ‘Calbourne’ may enter passenger traffic during August, which raises the possibility of her being available for the August Bank Holiday Steam Show.

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A1x Class W8 ‘Freshwater’

The locomotive’s debut for the 2010 season saw it hauling a train comprised solely of ex-LCDR 4-wheeled carriages for Members on AGM day. Subsequent duties have been as part of the two-train service during the 1940s and 1960s Weekend special events.  ‘Freshwater’ will be sharing the Duty 2 turns with ‘Ajax’ during the high season and should be available for the August Bank Holiday Steam Show.

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Barclay W38 ‘Ajax’

Repairs have been carried out and the locomotive is now available for traffic. ‘Ajax’ is expected to be in traffic during the high season two-train operating period.

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Hunslet ‘Austerity’ WD192 ‘Waggoner’ and WD198 ‘Royal Engineer’

These two locomotives have worked turn and turn about and have been the mainstay of the service so far this season. High passenger numbers have dictated the need for maximum length trains for most operating days, hence the requirement for one of these powerful locomotives to be rostered. WD192 ‘Waggoner’ was a ‘Really Useful Engine’ during the ‘Days Out With Thomas’ event.

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 BR Class 03 D2059

The overhaul and repaint came to a successful conclusion in the middle of May. Following an ‘A’ examination, on 14 May 2010 D2059 hauled a 121 ton test train (three bogies and four 4-wheelers) to Wootton and back, was pronounced available for use, signed off and released from works. It was first used to haul the Members’ special train from Smallbrook Junction on AGM day. For the first time in three years D2059 was able to portray ‘Mavis’ during the ‘Days Out with Thomas’ event, with recently passed out Diesel Driver Roger Silsbury at the controls on two of the days.

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 Engine Cleaners Training Day

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An Engine Cleaners Induction Training Day took place on Saturday, 5^th June 2010. There were three participants; Phill Upsall, Jake Vivash and Alex Yemm. Driver Tony Barry had arranged a full and interesting day of training which started with a session on railway safety, including a briefing from Locomotive Support Manager Len Pullinger on the railway’s new Safety Management System. The focus then switched to the loco yard where, with the assistance of Duty Fitter Mike Brittan, the techniques required to turn out the railway’s locomotives in spotless condition were explained. A further session on safe operation of locomotives and railway operating rules followed. The remainder of the day was spent gaining an understanding of the general arrangement of steam locomotives and how they work, the two spare ‘Terrier’ boilers proving to be very useful training aids. Preparation, servicing and disposal of locomotives was also dealt with when the service locomotive returned to the shed at lunchtime and at the end of the day’s passenger services.

 During a typical days work our Cleaners arrive at the Loco Yard at around 7.30am (or sometimes later!) and get stuck into cleaning the day’s service locomotives. Once the locos go ‘off shed’ a well earned tea break is taken and then the yard is cleaned up, including everyone’s favourite job – emptying the ash pits!

During the rest of the day the Cleaners assist the Mechanical Engineering staff with whatever locomotive maintenance tasks need doing; this could include a boiler washout, carrying out mechanical examinations and adjustments or lighting up locomotives required for service on the following day.

Being an Engine Cleaner isn’t just about polishing locomotives and emptying ash pits, it’s very much a learning role and is the first step towards securing promotion to Fireman and eventually Driver and so, whenever possible, the Cleaners get to go out for at least one round trip on the service locomotive’s footplate. This is the opportunity to absorb the knowledge and skills required to be passed out as a Fireman; route knowledge, firing techniques and operating procedures. When the locomotives return to the shed at the end of the day the Cleaners assist the footplate crew with their disposal duties; cleaning the fire, filling up the boiler and emptying the smokebox before going home with the satisfaction of a job well done!