NYMR Autumn Steam Gala 50th Anniversary 21st-24th September

Yet in the 60s, when Birkenhead had the 9Fs allocated there, double-headed 9Fs on the Stanlow to Leeds oil tanker trains were a regular occurrence. What a sight that must have been going up to Standedge.

 

Memory fade does make me imagine things but I’m fairly sure the Heysham - Leeds oil tanks were also double headed almost right up to the end of steam and would often be two 9F’s.

 

You’re not wrong in essence The injector has to be on but, if (say) 50% of your water is going in the pan, it has to be on twice as long to fill the boiler. If it is left on and only using that injector you are using twice as much water. A 1” valve going to an open ended pipe with 225+psi behind it will pass a lot of water, even when just cracked open. Ask anyone who’s used a slaker
pipe.
80136 doesn’t have a bunker spray. 80135 did when it was a runner but had no pan spray.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

I must admit when I watched the video linked up thread and saw the fireman look into the water tank followed by an obvious "it's finished" hand gesture, my first thought was to wonder whether the ashpan spray had inadvertently been left on. It happened to me (with a cleaner firing) a while back on 80151. Normally we'd expect to use around a 1,000 gallons (out of 2,000) for a round trip on the Bluebell. Instead, on one trip we got back with barely a couple of hundred left. It turned out that at some point the ashpan spray had been left open rather than closed; the cleaner had predominantly used the injector it was connected to and the water usage went through the roof - or rather, down the pan. It's worth noting that while it is immediately obvious from the cab if the bunker spray is running, there is very little indication from the cab that the ashpan spray is. At least we didn't set fire to any sleepers!

Tom

 

The ashpan spray on 45231 was left on during a trip over the S&C about 13 years ago and she ran short of water. We were on the trip a week later and there was a discussion on the footplate about shutting off the spray.

Sent from my SM-A105FN using Tapatalk

 

I'm curious - how did the bunker spray on 80135 work? Surely the exit nozzles would be above the water level in the tanks, which sounds like the water was defying gravity!

 

When you’ve worked that one out, you can ponder how an exhaust steam injector can force water into the boiler against full boiler pressure

Tom

 

It is fed by a take off from the injector delivery pipe to the boiler; the same with the slaker pipe.

 

OK, got it now!

 

As the person who put paintbrush to numberplate before she left Bo'ness, our main reason for doing so was to give a little Scottish 'bling' to make her stand out among a big crowd. As noted elsewhere, painted numberplates were not uncommon in British Railways days, although I'll admit I've seen more photos of ex-Caley engines sporting red backed plates rather than blue.

On return to Bo'ness, the plan is to return the plates to black for photo charters over the next two months before considering if we'll put them into red.

 

IIRC the last photo I saw of the nearly finished 44806 showed it with a light blue smokebox numberplate, and I think 90775 ran with one too, years ago, so they are not unknown on the NYMR.

 

A few engines recieved them for the "Scottish Branchline" Gala the other year.

 

They're commonly tagged open, particularly through the dry season at the NYMR to reduce fire risk, personally I rarely interact with the valve for this reason, though I will check the position if the tag has been removed.

 

Little bit of thread drift but 48773’s ran with a light blue smoke box number plate in homage to its history as an ex Polmadie loco.

 

I think 66A Polmadie ,the shed for Glasgow Central, was the main user of the blue backed number plates especially their 2-6-4 tanks .I 've checked my photo's of the 0-4-4 TS ,admitted in black and white ,at 67A Corkerhill (for Glasgow St Enoch) and 64C Dalry Road Edinboro'(for Princess Street ) station pilots, and far as I can see they have a black background. I have no photo's of Polmadie 0-4-4 T s though. One amusing story ,I went on a Glasgow shed bash with several cleaners from Kettering shed ,they saw the blue number plates and thought it was a good idea ,when they got back to work they painted a 15B Kettering ,Ivat class 2 , front number plate background ,midland region red .When the foreman cleaner on his rounds saw it he was not amused and ordered a quick removal. Photo attached of a 0-4-4t at 67A Corkerhill ,the crab behind may have a blue backgound numberplate. date 17/08/1958.[/QUOTE]

 

Were there not enough Scots in Kettering at the time to justify a blue backed plate?

 

No ,but your nearly right ,that would be Corby. They had a ex Caley pug in the works their ,I just got a photo' as it was being cut up .No front number though'.

 

No. 46512 at Strathspey is currently running with blue backed plates, a temporary repaint I did in 2018 which is still standing 5 1/2 years later...albeit rather dulled now and could do with a refresh.

Ian Riley's Black 5 No. 45407 is also running with blue backed plates. This actually happened off the back of a conversation we had, where I highlighted the 130th anniversary of the formation of the 'Glasgow Highlanders' regiment, and so wouldn't 2018 be a good time to once again change the identity of the Black 5. I was aware he was still in possession of the plates...but to do it with blue backing, and for one season. 5 years on again, and the blue backing is a remaining feature and Mr Riley has went further, adding the white trim that many featured (in both red and blue) but also lining the rear face of the tender in St Rollox fashion.

Far from saying blue back plates are my calling card, I've only inflicted it on three engines so far, but I am keen to the occasional detail change as long as it's a historical reflection of the overall locomotive class rather than perhaps that specific number. It's why there are hopes to eventually line out the splasher on No. 55189, as was common to the class but not to her specifically. It helps add a little interest to the engine, and gives a sense that we are covering as much history as possible in doing so.