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On the GWR near Cheltenham Race Course (taken earlier with a different train!)
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The Afternoon Run
This time I would be driver on the first leg out of Toddington. April, who had joined us for lunch, was able to see her hubby in his element and take the track-side photos. I was now under Adrian’s tutelage and he quickly showed me what to do. The vacuum control had me confused to begin with but I think that happened to everyone. The reverser, a huge brass screw thread, controls and determines which direction the cylinders will be powered (forward or reverse). Various cut-off settings are notched into the slide and it was hard to see the worn down numbers without my glasses - the joy of driving an ancient locomotive! I screwed the reverser in 100% forward to allow steam to enter the cylinders. |
| And so it was we received the green flag and I released the vacuum brakes. I then moved the regulator passed a small notch and began filling the cylinders with steam. A very gentle opening of the regulator quite easily allowed steam to do its job and soon we were moving slowly out of Toddington station and onto the main line with its 10 mph speed restriction passed the yards. John must have been doing his part because there was 190 lb. of steam available (right on the red line) and as soon as we were clear of the station and yard I opened up the regulator to allow to go faster (the line’s restriction is 25 mph, a ruling applied to all such private preservation railways in the UK). Not that we had a speedometer! |  |
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Slowing down for a speed restriction before Winchcombe was surprisingly easy. Applying vacuum to the brakes on the coaches we were slowed down to the point that the train simply coasted to a halt at Winchcombe Station. I know that without Adrian’s precise timing of instructions I would have probably missed the platform completely but he made it all seem so simple!!
So it was that I reluctantly handed over controls. April had chased the train and was waiting for us and took the nice photos of me driving into Winchcombe. Of course, I have April to thank for maiking this all possible! So the lower picture shows my "sponsor" in front of City of Truro. I know I have said it a few times, April, but "Thank you, it was a magnificent birthday present!" |
| At Cheltenham our traveling bobby, Peter, invited us into the new signal box and showed us how this will work when fully commissioned in a few weeks time. The design of this box is traditional but using the latest materials, in contrast with the box at Toddington which survived for restoration. |  |
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John and I took over at Gotherington for our last stint on the foot-plate and I had to make City of Truro work hard up the incline to Greet Tunnel. Once in the tunnel (one whistle entering, one half way through one before emerging) we began to coast and prepare for bringing the train to a halt in Winchcombe. With Adrian’s help I timed it just right! We were running backwards, of course, which meant it had been quite cool in this very open cab, but our adrenaline made up for any adverse wind-chilled temperatures!
The photo was taken after the run. I thought I had taken photos of Ian and Adrian on the foot-plate but I guess I didn't. What a pity. However they are both in the photo below! |
| Back in Toddington
And so, after forty miles of running, we steamed back into Toddington. Peter took us into Toddington signal box and here we were able to get a first hand explanation of single-line running using staffs and tokens. Meantime, outside, City of Truro was being prepared for Saturday’s roster of public trains, receiving a tank full of water and then a few loads of coal. We made our thanks and farewells to the volunteers who had treated us so well, took a few final photos and then received our certificates proving we had completed what had been a lifetime experience. Again: “Thanks, guys!” Should anyone reading this be thinking about a firing and driving experience, I can only say “do it”. And if you happen to live in the English Midlands, then the GWR would be a great place. Various contact links are posted below! |
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| Some extra photos (they are all on Flickr!) |
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City of Truro at the end of the day |  |
Reversing into the ashpit siding |
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Fine Edwardian Detailing |  |
High Dynamic Range (HDR) image of City of Truro |
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The GWR Team The Fire and Drive Experience would not be possible without a considerable volunteer effort and I would like to name the entire team who made this day so very special. Without their dedication it would not be financially feasible to provide this wonderful day out. Resources Internet Links
Resources for Fire and Drive Preparation
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1 - Part 1 | 2 - Part 2 | 3 - Part 3 |