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| shaggydog Member Since: 12 Aug 2012 Location: Kent Posts: 3347   
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Hi all,
As I have mentioned elsewhere I thought I'd start a Steam thread as that's the other thing I am (or was) doing lots of in what free time I have. As there are alot of technically minded people on here I'm sure some of it will be of interest and if not it may just help wave the flag for the heritage engineering industry a bit. I encourage you please once all this is over to visit your local steam railway as their income has effectively been switched off overnight but still have expensive leases, bills and overheads to pay so even if you just pop in for a ride as you are helping to support keeping skills and practices alive. Anyway, so what do I do? I work as a volunteer as Locomotive Crew and Machine Shop at the Spa Valley Railway in Tunbridge Wells https://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/ So what does that look like? A bit of this:  Click image to enlarge Cleaning, inspecting and repairing Locomotives (Ugly no.62) Click image to enlarge Setting Locomotive (Ex BR Jinty 47493) for measuring. Click image to enlarge Cooking my lunch while learning how to Fire and eventually drive locomotives. Click image to enlarge General maintenance, cleaning and repair to locomotives (33063 R J Mitchel, Ring Haw, 33065 Sealion) Click image to enlarge Crewing locomotives (Ex Br Std Class 4 80078) Click image to enlarge Working in the machine shop with proper machines and kit. Given the membership is £20 a year, the amount of enjoyment it gives I'd say money well spent! I started when I was 12/13 many years ago as just a general helper progressing quickly until I was allowed onto the footplate at 16 as a Jr cleaner. After a 5ish year break for uni have done it continuously for probably over 10 years now. I usually try and get over from Canterbury at least once maybe twice a week depending on dog, girlfriend and work. My current biggest job is to sort the workshop out as it had become a bit of a dumping ground with a lot of junk and just bad practice. Its taken nearly a year to get it under control but it is making good progress and is now a much cleaner and safer environment for all. I'm also involved with the restoration of Jinty locomotive no 47493. which is in the middle of its 10 year overhaul. The Jinty is a fantastic loco for our line as its just the right size and power classification to fulfil our needs. Details of its appeal can be found here https://www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk/article.php/76/jinty_appeal Even if you only chip in £10 a month the difference it makes will be huge! The boiler is currently away being worked on and is having a scary amount of very expensive work done on it. very few items are off the shelf so many parts are being made from scratch ether measuring from the job or if your very lucky original works drawings. Sadly there isn't much on at the moment but hopefully as things wake back up ill be able to put some updates on what I've been upto. if people are interested 
So there we go, thats a snapshot of what I get upto, anyone have any questions? Also if your ever planning a visit let me know would be a pleasure to meet you and give you a tour!  Running Restoration Thread http://www.defender2.net/forum/post323197.html#323197
Self confessed mileage hunter  |
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13th Apr 2020 11:37am |
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| shaggydog Member Since: 12 Aug 2012 Location: Kent Posts: 3347
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Oh yes she is a rare beast with that.
I was told that when it was working in BR days doing suburban work they would set the regulator open at about 60% and then just start and stop it on the reverser. Not sure that would fly these days 
But yes please do or even consider buying a gift card or something even a small donation will make a big difference! Running Restoration Thread http://www.defender2.net/forum/post323197.html#323197 Self confessed mileage hunter |
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13th Apr 2020 12:56pm |
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| Joe the Plumber Member Since: 18 Dec 2013 Location: Midlands Posts: 907 
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As my Indentures say 'Fitter/Turner and Vehicle Mechanic', and I still have some machine tools, this is certainly a thread I'll enjoy.
My only involvement with railways now is as a member of a historical railway study group for which I do some research. We preserve information, documentation and photographs rather than the line itself, but I do appreciate the preserved lines all round the UK. |
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13th Apr 2020 1:24pm |
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| shaggydog Member Since: 12 Aug 2012 Location: Kent Posts: 3347
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Joe that wouldn't be HMRS would it?
They have been invaluable in supplying us with some drawings we didn't know even existed! Never underestimate the value of information you never know when it may be useful! Sadly I had to sell all my workshop tools when we moved to Canterbury and now i don't have access to one locally which is a real shame as there are many times when I get home from work and could crack on with something in the evening. Will make sure to keep you updated as things pick up again. Running Restoration Thread http://www.defender2.net/forum/post323197.html#323197
Self confessed mileage hunter |
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13th Apr 2020 2:56pm |
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| Joe the Plumber Member Since: 18 Dec 2013 Location: Midlands Posts: 907
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No, although I was a member of HMRS for a while, but I've sent you a PM.
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13th Apr 2020 3:51pm |
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| Silvertoolbox Member Since: 13 Oct 2018 Location: Westhill Posts: 43
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No rail experience but I've done a bit of road steam so can sort of appreciate the challenges and satisfaction.
Now WW2 fire engines...somebody's got to do it eh! Keep up the good work otherwise we'll just have pictures in books. Ex scottish & southern 110 Td5 van (shed) with PTO driven winch (L-R special vehicles) Before that, Disco 1, Freelander 1, 26105382 80" with a 1600cc (not much slower) |
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13th Apr 2020 6:02pm |
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| BenB8man Member Since: 22 Mar 2017 Location: Norfolk Posts: 429 
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I can't claim any locomotive experience, but I do raise steam at my work.
I'm an operator who mostly runs the control panel at a biomass power station, so 120bar, 540c is typical running. Since running this boiler I've got a little more into steam locomotives. Have been tempted to volunteer at my local steam railway, if only I had the time! |
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13th Apr 2020 6:04pm |
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| shaggydog Member Since: 12 Aug 2012 Location: Kent Posts: 3347
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Joe, seen and replied
Silvertoolbox Road steam is fantastic and in many ways much more of a challenge. On a railway engine you rarely go round a corner to find the road drops down very quickly and suddenly your worried about the water disappearing out the glass down the front of the boiler! Everything happens much quicker but you do get the advantage of everything being much smaller and easier to handle! Funny you say about WWII Fire Engines, one of my friends at the railway has got himself a Green Goddess! I'm still waiting to have a go Will keep it up as long as they will let us!
BenB8Man Blimey yeah that boiler is a bit bigger than anything I have ever lit! Your in the right place to do it if you do want to have a go, you have both the North and Mid Norfolk both of which have some cracking locomotives on the fleet! Go give it a go even if you only turn up and buy a few cups of tea it will be much appreciated by all and the likelihood is you will love it! Running Restoration Thread http://www.defender2.net/forum/post323197.html#323197 Self confessed mileage hunter |
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13th Apr 2020 7:49pm |
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| BenB8man Member Since: 22 Mar 2017 Location: Norfolk Posts: 429
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I'll certainly have another look at it when this Covid thing is over! I rode on the North Norfolk Railway last year and loved it! Could very easily see myself turning into a locomotive nerd.
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13th Apr 2020 8:23pm |
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| shaggydog Member Since: 12 Aug 2012 Location: Kent Posts: 3347
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Highly recommend it!
Its good fun, good exercise and you meet some fantastic people Running Restoration Thread http://www.defender2.net/forum/post323197.html#323197
Self confessed mileage hunter |
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13th Apr 2020 8:27pm |
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| Pickles Member Since: 26 May 2013 Location: Melbourne Posts: 3784  
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Hello shaggydog from Aussie, great work by you.
I grew up in Manchester, just around the corner from the huge Beyer Peacock Loco works in Gorton, I used to go train spotting, grew up with steam etc, and like many litlle boys in those days, I wanted to be an "engine driver"! Emigrated to Aussie in 1958 & enderd up working in a bank for 40 yrs, but never lost my interest in steam, so for my 60th birthday, my wife bought me an "Engine driver experience" with the Victorian Goldfields Railway, where I was an engine driver for a day, I had to oil all the connecting rods, bearings etc, then light the fire, then reverse the engine to a few carriages, drive train down the track for 20ks or so & return, then put the engine to bed, clean the connecting rods etc,...I really enjoyed it,....all done with a "REAL" engine driver of course, but because it was a quiet time of the year, my wife was able to be on the footplate with me! Regards, Pickles. |
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13th Apr 2020 11:49pm |
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| Joe the Plumber Member Since: 18 Dec 2013 Location: Midlands Posts: 907
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If you get involved with the NNR, and find yourself interested in the line's history...: http://www.mgncircle.org.uk/index.html |
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14th Apr 2020 5:12am |
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| ARC99 Member Since: 19 Feb 2013 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 1831 
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I'll put my hand up, I volunteer for the NYMR. Trained mechanical engineer who left industry to join the boys in Blue, retired and went to the NYMR as steam was in my blood as the say having had Grandfather ,Uncle and father work on the railways, a treat for me was to go to the local shed with any of them. Started as a cleaner/steam raiser, clocking on at 5.00 am after an hours drive from home. I started to point a few things to the fitters who realised that I had an engineering back ground so was moved, with my agreement, to the engineering side. Sadly after a number of years due to ill health I now work from home repairing and making (out of timber) items for the MPD. Don't make old people mad.
We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to  us off.
Richard |
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14th Apr 2020 9:03am |
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| Chris86 Member Since: 15 Jul 2014 Location: South Yorks Posts: 789 
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Steam locomotives are magic.
Have been ever since I was very small, and with 20:20 hindsight what I should have done when I was 16 is left school and followed an engineering apprenticeship route and gone into the heritage sector.......... I volunteered at the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway mostly cleaning but also helping out with some basic engineering tasks and spending some time on the footplate. This was some years ago when I was working tidal shifts in the area, but subsequently with work pressures I have been unable to make time/have spare cash to indulge. I was lucky enough that my wife bought me a footplate day at the Bala Lake railway for my 30th a few years ago- genuinely had one of the best days of my life and all being well with work commitments had planned to try and get over there volunteering this year. Volunteering at lines seems to be very hit and miss- Haverthwaite were incredibly welcoming and encouraging of me being there, likewise Bala were incredibly positive however we looked at doing some volunteering at a couple of closer lines to where we live, but got a decidedly frosty reception from one when we went to a volunteer recruitment day- it seemed very much as though volunteering for anything other than shop staff and lineside strimming was a closed shop. More disappointingly, at our most local line the behaviour of one of the older volunteers toward my wife meant that she no longer felt comfortable going........ Click image to enlarge Regards Chris |
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14th Apr 2020 10:44am |
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