Steam Loco exhaust, ex-34081 - 92 Squadron

34081 bids for the "Volcano of the Week" award at Sun Lane cutting on Monday.

 

That's not volcanic - this is!

 

Whilst it might amuse the gricer fraternity it just shows bad firing. On the real railway it would have got the driver a 'please explain'. Sorry to be a killjoy.
Ray.

 

Sorry to disappoint you but it was intentionally bad firing to please the paying photographers. As the young fireman said, "it goes against all the principles of how to fire a loco but they're paying and if they want smoke, I'll give them smoke."

 

Doesn't disappoint me but bad firing's bad firing whether intentional or not. It's a shame that in their search for a 'realistic' shot the photographers lose sight of what was real and what wasn't. I'm sorry that the fireman had to forego his principles.
Ray.

 

Who said the photographers were considering heavy clag as realistic? Mind you, with some coal it's almost guaranteed to create smoke no matter how it's fired. As for the fireman, no need to feel sorry for him as he had a grand old time on the footplate and was more than happy to accommodate requests from the gallery.

 

I seem to have read elsewhere that a lot of photographers like to see thick, black smoke on paying photo charters - may even have read it here. A shame but hey, if the money keeps those locos going...

 

Some do, some don't and those that do, not on every run past. On a hot day where a clear stack is not uncommon, a bit of dark exhaust does add a bit of interest.

 

Jesus wept who gives a

All this needless debate about black clag.

Its a charter & the crew were out to have as much fun as possible!

Oh, and they were told by me before the gallery arrived to vary things as much as possible to give a contrast against the sky, which was not always possible given the state of the fire & the coal being used.

At the end of the day, the gallery went home more than happy & so did both crews - and that's what counts! Even the guard enjoyed himself, I think........

 

Indeed - here he is giving the "right away" ...



(Via: http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail...mask-signals-the-goahead-to-picture-id3095058)

Tom

 

Sorry, wrong era & it don't look owt like a QMB, so wouldn't look right on the end of a freight rake!

 

For some reason the coal being used at the MHR does seem to create clagg. The second up trip out of Ropley this morning was a bit smokey.

 

And funds were raised for two preservation groups.

 

No, that's what the guard wears on the Curry and Beer Special.

 

How about some consideration for the railways neighbours. Not a fan of such practices, c'est la vie.

 

There were no neighbours to consider in the middle of nowhere which is where Ropley distant is situated. When the train hit upon civilisation, normal firing conditions prevailed.

 

Its probably the stuff from Shotton in North wales.
We've been using it on Clan Line on her first few trips (and tomorrows).
Extremely smokey stuff, even with the blower hard on and firebox doors open, still thick black smoke.
It's only when it's burnt through a bit does the exhaust begin to clear. Any fresh coal, more smoke.
Unfortunately getting a choice of decent steam coal isn't an option now a days.

 

Can't help thinking that if I were a neighbour a bit of black smoke would be a much smaller concern than a self cleaning smokebox.

 

Shotton coal is from North East England. It is indeed a bit smoky, but it does have advantages over a certain other coal source.....:-
Minimal clinker
Any clinker that does form breaks up easily and does not weld to firebars
Even temperature through firebed, so it doesn't burn fire bars, stay heads, stay nuts, laps, screws etc
Lower than average ash production
Good energy production per weight/ volume of coal.