Great Central Railway General Matters

Just revisiting this thread and there was a Steam Roller in the yard at Quorn on Wednesday...together with a visitor for the Diesel Gala this weekend.

 

Had a most enjoyable day at GCR on Friday with some of the other Audley End drivers, but we were intrigued to note that neither of the steam locomotives in use appeared to be using their cylinder drain cocks, although later on the Black 5 was observed to be using them on shed while stationary.

Is this standard practice? If it is, we wondered what the thinking was behind this? Can anybody enlighten us?

 

Can't speak for GCR practice but a lot of people seem to be drain cock mad, opening them every time they stop for a few seconds. Was there a reason they should have opened them? You open them when you are parked up and when the loco has been stationary for a good while and the cylinders have cooled but that's all that's necessary. With slide valves even that isn't necessary. I know of several locos that don't have cylinder drain cocks, only a single steam chest cock. Any water trapped in the cylinder simply pushes the slide valve off its seat and escapes that way. The problem then, though, is that you tend to get dirty water ejected out of the chimney.

 

I understand that it doesn't need to be all the time, but would you expect to drive a whole day without using them? On the locos I drive, admittedly smaller so perhaps not so much mass to retain heat, I would expect to pull away with them open after being stood for order of ten minutes, but normally close them within two or three strokes once happy they are not wet. Our two main locos have both types of valve, so we are taught to always use them regardless of which loco we are driving - less scope to forget. Locos in use were 9F and a Hall, and I believe the 9F has piston valves, and no use of them at all just seemed unusual to us (with collective experience from model engineering up to mainline steam).

 

Ten minutes is marginal. I'd probably open them whilst stood to prevent any build up of steam from a passing regulator but shut them before moving off. Cylinders unlikely to cool in that time.

 

Interesting - thanks. One of our smaller locos used to 'wander' if they were left closed with regulator shut in mid gear, so we do usually leave them open while stationary for exactly the same reason

 

Usually this happens on the Monday before the Gala, and the finalised passenger timetable appears on the website. By this stage it is usually clear which locos really will be available, and the working timetable that is given out in the event programmes goes off to the printers.

 

Re the Autumn Gala
I was able to attend this on Sunday afternoon and have been reflecting.
I was there from 2.30 until 5.45 and travelled on three different trains hauled by Repton and the T9, the Standard 5, a Jinty and the T9 by itself. I saw the van train hauled by a 9F, the Windcutter train hauled by an 8F and the TPO set hauled by Repton. We passed by Witherslack Hall on a freight and the DMU set. The Standard and Ivatt class 2's were awaiting turns.
The four stations were busy, there was action at Quorn and Swithland......
How lucky we are to have such a variety of steam action on a railway closed in 1969!!
A big "Thank You" to all involved over the weekend....and over the years.

 

Repton is scheduled to run again this weekend, may be of interest for any one who could not make the gala.

http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/special-events/october-passenger-trains-2019/

 

Locos 48305 and 78018 are rostered for the weekend. Does anyone know which way they are facing please? TIA <BJ>

 

Both locos are facing north towards Loughborough

 

Here is our visitor, from the Epping and Onger Railway, which is "running in" on the GCR for a few weeks.

 

Any idea if it's doing any passenger trips? It's the gala next weekend and it would be great to have a trip

 

Loco roster for the gala
http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/wp-conte...ast-Hurrah-Saturday-16th-November-2019-V1.pdf
http://www.gcrailway.co.uk/wp-conte...-Last-Hurrah-Sunday-17th-November-2019-V1.pdf

 

Thanks for posting Lee.

 

Despite the poor weather yesterday, the "Last Hurrah" event on the GCR was well attended. The car parks at Quorn and Rothlety were full and most seats on most trains were occupied, with a good range of ages. The Van train was appreciated and the Windcutter rake made its usual "rumble".

 

My footage from the gala,enjoy.