E08C - Operating Steam Locos

Did You Know?

Personal recollections of railways

Dec 6, 20214 min read

Alan’s Arm

Poor loco maintenance and the consequences. . . . . . We were inside the loco shed, under the looming presence of a steam engine, and...

Aug 24, 20214 min read

A Watery Affair

Problems with water tanks on locomotives, mentioning a problem with Flying Scotsman. . . . . . . ‘Well, it’s basically a kettle on...

Jul 26, 20214 min read

Now Available in Oily Grey

Washing, and the practicality of railway uniforms in all weathers. . . . . . Let’s talk about clothes this week, railway clothes. You...

Jul 18, 20215 min read

The Men in the Serge Jackets

The skills of driving steam locomotives. . . . . . . . Readers of these posts may have noticed a past reference to my career as a...

Jun 14, 20214 min read

Eastleigh Memories

Memories of a fitter at Eastleigh works in steam days. . . . . . . A previous post on this site made mention of the dangers of working...

Jun 7, 20214 min read

The not – so- Romantic Footplate

Fractured locomotive steam pipes, and water supply issues. . . . . . . A previous post on the romance of the footplate (17th May 2021)...

Jun 4, 20213 min read

Troughing it - taking water at speed!

It was the London & North Western Railway that started using troughs to enable moving locomotives to pick up water. Their first troughs...

May 17, 20213 min read

The Romance of the Footplate

Footplate memories firing on the ‘Nibble Line’ in Northants. . . . . . . Their stories cover life on the footplate that was both hard...

May 3, 20213 min read

How comfy was your cab?

Locomotive cab designs featuring 63601 (National Collection). . . . . . The scene was the gloomy and rather cold interior of the...

Mar 25, 20212 min read

Oiling the wheels again

The Great Western Railway branch line from Yelverton to Princetown opened in 1883, amongst other things to serve Dartmoor prison and the...