Steam at Southend

Damn ! Only just saw this. I’d liked to have gone down and got some more
pictures, as I have a better camera now.

Any idea as to when it may be back to Southend again ?

A friend went on one of those Steam Dreams trips and gives me the new brochure every year.
Because it will be dark it might be the diesel pulling it when it gets back to Southend. There is some elf and safety issues with the lack of lighting on the Tornado.

Thanks crispy, is this a regular run? Or just a one off? I’d have loved to have got to see it… Do they publish the runs anywhere?

Richard

*edit. Just found steam dreams website with the details on… I think we’ll go to old Leigh and watch the return tonight…

You could also try uksteam.info which covers most of the mainline steam activity.
Colin.
There are actually 5 steam excursions on the mainline network today.

Thanks crispy, is this a regular run? Or just a one off? I’d have loved to have got to see it… Do they publish the runs anywhere?

Richard

*edit. Just found steam dreams website with the details on… I think we’ll go to old Leigh and watch the return tonight…

A1 Tornado leaves Southend Central at 0924, stopping Upminster 0950 then on to Oxford.

We just saw, from the car, a big diesel pulling some vintage coaches and a steam engine along the C2C line… Can anyone shed any light on what they might be doing or where they might be going?

Richard

Great picture Alan. I unfortunately did’nt get to see it due to prior commitments. Wish the picture had the smell as well.

I use a Canon Powershot A1200 Jim. I think I might have been better off shooting in video mode, then grabbing a frame ?

I’ll know the next time.

Alan, Most of my gear is Cannon, for as long as I can remember. I have just purchased a Leica Vlux40, and against my canon, the Canons wins hands down.
Leica?. you just pay a hell of a lot more, just for that little red dot.Just got it as it has the GPS function built in, but at the end of the day, the Leica is just a clone of the Panasonic TZ20 and the TZ30, however the Leica has a better lense for the long range telephoto images.
It was an impulse buy, more money than sense, as I realise now.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

David Shepherds 9F, Black Prince, is working this weekend at the West Somerset Railway’s Autumn Gala.It had to be transported by road from the North Norfolk Railway,apparantly the flangeless middle driving wheel fouls the check rails on the modern railway.You should try working on GWR Kings and Castles with 2 inside cylinders,the LMS also had 4 cylinder locos.Surely the 9Fs have only outside cylinders.

Colin

Yes, 9fs did only have the outside cylinders, I should have made it clear that the middle cylinder was on a different class altogether.As you will know, you have to place a plank of wood on the con rod of a middle cylinder to change the piston gland packing.Rather scary, when it had a full head of steam, and was filled with passengers, who wanted to get going, always frightened that somewon would get onto the footplate and open the regulator, however, you would get a brief warning of it being about to be moved in that situation, as they would have opened the steam cocks, to vent water from the cylinders.
I have actualy seen a fireman move, or try to, without opening the cocks, and the cylinder head got completely shattered and blown off all it’s retaining studs, and you know how many studs, and nuts hold them on.
How did YOU get the crosshead bolt out, when it had to be removed to enable you to get the attached con rod off?.We has a very unorthodox method, which would drive H&S wild today:)
Jim.
Lincoln .7

I use a Canon Powershot A1200 Jim. I think I might have been better off shooting in video mode, then grabbing a frame ?

I’ll know the next time.

Hi Allen.
Lovely shot, you stated it was “Only” from a compact camera, what was the camera, as a matter of interest.
You can tell the fireman has done a good job, and that she has a full and well burning head of steam by the colour of the smoke:)
Having been on the footplate of different steam engines during my apprentiship, I remember the firemen used to cook, bacon and eggs on their shovels,in the firebox, and that’s no fairy tale.
I also remember in the repair sheds, taking a Fog deternator from it’s tube, putting it on the line, between two engines, and waiting for some unsuspecting soul to walk past, and dropping a hammer on the fog signal deternator, causing a loud bang.The stories I could tell, of what we got up to in those days!!
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Big Ugly M.Frs. and everything seemed more difficult to work on, eg, changing a dome joint, studs, with about 1″, nuts (Cant remember the exact size, too long ago) and having to Snap Chisel, the nuts off with a 14 pound hammer, sitting atop of a warm boiler, out in the open in the Winter, Changing axle boxes were also hard to remove.Worst Diesel to work on? the Deltic. an absolute nightmare.

Most awkward, changing the piston gland asbestos packing, on the middle cylinder, lying on the con rod, on a plank of wood, at Peterborough North Stn, with a full head of steam, and only a few inches to work in, between the con rod and bottom of the boiler.
Just a quicky, every tender water tank, when needing repairs, most of the water had to be drained out, funny thing is, there were always very small fish in there,
Jim.
Lincoln .7

David Shepherds 9F, Black Prince, is working this weekend at the West Somerset Railway’s Autumn Gala.It had to be transported by road from the North Norfolk Railway,apparantly the flangeless middle driving wheel fouls the check rails on the modern railway.You should try working on GWR Kings and Castles with 2 inside cylinders,the LMS also had 4 cylinder locos.Surely the 9Fs have only outside cylinders.

Colin

Only taken with a compact camera but it’s didn’t come out too bad.
Managed to just get Hadleigh castle in the background, couldn’t avoid the farm machinery though.
Picture reduced in size for uploading to Photobucket.

Why were the 9Fs so bad to work on Jim?

Regards;
Steve

Big Ugly M.Frs. and everything seemed more difficult to work on, eg, changing a dome joint, studs, with about 1″, nuts (Cant remember the exact size, too long ago) and having to Snap Chisel, the nuts off with a 14 pound hammer, sitting atop of a warm boiler, out in the open in the Winter, Changing axle boxes were also hard to remove.Worst Diesel to work on? the Deltic. an absolute nightmare.

Most awkward, changing the piston gland asbestos packing, on the middle cylinder, lying on the con rod, on a plank of wood, at Peterborough North Stn, with a full head of steam, and only a few inches to work in, between the con rod and bottom of the boiler.
Just a quicky, every tender water tank, when needing repairs, most of the water had to be drained out, funny thing is, there were always very small fish in there,
Jim.
Lincoln .7

I served my apprentiship on B.R. at the depot at New England. For 6 yrs, I hated the damned things, getting covered in grease, oil, and dirt every day, I was pleased when I had completed my term of punishment, and went into engineering.
Having said that, In Sept, I had my holiday at Weymouth, and visited Swanage, where they have a 6? mile single track line, I reluctantly agreed with my wife, and we went on a return trip.

Suddenly, all the horrible thoughts of my 6 yrs of hell, disappeared, as the engine went over the joins in the line, giving that familiar “Clikerty, clack”, I smelled the smoke, heard the engine chuffing away, and I thought to myself, how nice it was that some of these old girls are not only preserved, but also kept in fine fettle, and able to run.
Restoration, and dedication at it’s best.
The best one I worked on was Mallard, the worst, the 9Fs.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Thats what i do for a living now i wonder in 30 yrs will i want to preserve a 142/158 etc they probably will still be running.!!:D

Why were the 9Fs so bad to work on Jim?

Regards;
Steve

I served my apprentiship on B.R. at the depot at New England. For 6 yrs, I hated the damned things, getting covered in grease, oil, and dirt every day, I was pleased when I had completed my term of punishment, and went into engineering.
Having said that, In Sept, I had my holiday at Weymouth, and visited Swanage, where they have a 6? mile single track line, I reluctantly agreed with my wife, and we went on a return trip.

Suddenly, all the horrible thoughts of my 6 yrs of hell, disappeared, as the engine went over the joins in the line, giving that familiar “Clikerty, clack”, I smelled the smoke, heard the engine chuffing away, and I thought to myself, how nice it was that some of these old girls are not only preserved, but also kept in fine fettle, and able to run.
Restoration, and dedication at it’s best.
The best one I worked on was Mallard, the worst, the 9Fs.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Sorry I dont know its arrival time to Southend. I only found out it is going to be around thru a friend who is going on it. It does’nt seem to have been advertised too much.

Shall have to try and get down to Hadleigh Castle for some pictures. Any idea when it is getting to Southend in the morning ?