Of loading with an audience

3rd December 2023

Most years in my diary I have recorded snowfall on the second week in January, not first week December.

I am old enough to remember the winter of '63 (though not, I'm glad to say, that of '47) when we had about 6 weeks of freezing cold temperatures and snow. We built an igloo in the back garden so large that my parents could almost stand up inside. We tried to use my 'soap box' as a sled to be pulled by my trusty husky (aka the family poodle) but he wouldn't co-operate. There's some 8mm film of it somewhere.

From which you may gather (if you aren't endowed with it yourself) that it has snowed over here in the Peak District. But the week started off quite quietly and I did get to see the dentist Monday afternoon - nothing apparently untoward to accout for the pain so he cleaned the area and inserted a dressing and after a day or two the discomfort subsided. In the interim I was able to make progress on drawing work on the W&L loco and PLC issues on the Alstom, including leaving a mains power supply module on in my 'office' while I popped downstairs for lunch and returning to find a distinctive burning smell! No fire (or smoke for that matter) but I can still detect the aroma days later.

By Thursday I planned a 'round robin' starting with dropping a couple of bits in at the machinists. My route across there is to go to Matlock and take a single track road over the hill, but on arrival at the end of the road there were 'CLOSED' signs up so I had to backtrack and go via Matlock Bath and Cromford, and the road up from the latter had roadworks with traffic lights and long queues at each side. Dropped parts off and decided I was not going back that way so ended up reaching the A6 on the Bakewell side of Rowsley, then skirting Sheffield to get to Rotherham and collect carriers for another composite loco brake conversion. They were supposed to go straight in for powder coating but I had the presence of mind to ring the firm as I was rather later than I had intended and found they were in the midst of locking up for the day. With the feeling that it had not been very productive as days go, I turned and headed straight home.

I thought I was meeting up with Phil Friday morning but before I had set off Thursday there'd been an email from Adam saying it would be a different crew and we'd meet up at 11-12. I went back immediately to advise that we had to be on site earlier as the loco was available from 09.00 and we needed to be clear by noon as 'another contractor' was coming in with another loco after lunch. Phil had been aware of this but it hadn't got back to Adam. When I got home there had been no answer, and I texted across later in the evening asking for a revised ETA, but decided that I didn't need to make quite such a silly o'clock start.

There had been no answer when I settled down for an early night, and shortly after my 05.25 alarm I got not one but two texts, the first giving me an earlier ETA of 10-11 and the second admitting they hadn't been aware of the deadline. The destination was Ilford, and as I hadn't been there before (not only did they ask for the usual RA/MS paperwork, but also figures to prove that the winch was capable of hauling a 48ton loco up on board - notwithstanding a half-dozen pictures of 08s in transit that I had forwarded as evidence that we weren't inexperienced in such matters) I had asked that we use my 3 axle trailer (T1) as it is more manouverable than Adam's 4 axle. Anyway I hit the road at about half-six, passed the low loader near Milton Keynes and arrived at Alstom's Ilford depot at about 09.50, with the low loader about 15 minutes behind. We had signed in and were just starting to get the ramp deployed when Allelys arrived (early) with the other loco, so we had an audience and may account for why I felt too self-conscious to stop for a photo. Not that everything went smoothly. The valve block that controls the winch motor had developed a crack (frost?) by the control handle that leaked oil in operation and the rope repeated its preference for winding in across to one side of the winch drum and getting stuck there. I had already changed the hook for one that would spin under load (to prevent any 'torque wind-ups' in the rope) but all this necessitated a couple of stops, plus a quick intervention when the rear lifequards fouled the ramp rails. The front lifeguards had been chopped short, the rears were at full depth but having a big adjustable and Big Mak with a socket I keep on the trailer just in case they were speedily detached.

With two big low loaders the yard was a little cramped, so it was agreed that Allelys would back out through the entrance gate, we'd vacate the loading pad and back to where they had been, so that they could run forward into the loading area and we could set straight off. Thus I got to play with the radio control steering (which I don't think the Allelys trailer had) while we reversed. Once on their way I packed up and headed in the other direction - after all, having paid my ULEZ for the day I might as well pollute as much of London as I can. At the customer's I collected a torque converter for repair - they had left the clutch cylinder and bracket and such still attached and that included the return fluid connection with the inconspicuous orifice/filter assembly.

As there is a new guy on loco maintenance I pointed this out and lectured him on why you should check the gauze filter periodically and see what's in there as it gives a useful warning of impending converter problems. In fact he suggested it was like a converter health check which I must incorporate in future spiels. Whilst it had taken 3 and a quarter hours down to Ilford that morning, the M1 on a Friday afternoon is never so predictable and it took me 4 and a half hours to get back.

Saturday: it was very cold. Andrew was away again but Andy H was there before I was, and continued work on erecting the two external lights over tracks 3A and 3B which involved some time outside. I removed some of the surplus bits from the customer's torque converter and later on made a start on a new handle for the bench drill, plus a few other tasks like smoothing down the welds on the W&L loco's new vac pipes. The Peak Rail Santa trains had started and seemed well filled with Cathryn at one end and the Bagnall 0-4-0ST at the other. On one trip Santa actually waved to me. By 4pm Andy's fingers were too cold to finish cabling up, although at least that just remained at the junction box inside.

Sunday - overnight it snowed and we looked out at a 'christmas card' type scene. Reluctant to go down alone I opted to finish off the month end paperwork for the morning and when Andrew made it back we had lunch then headed down. The snow was at least 40mm deep and in places 70mm. I decided to run the space heater on what little kerosene we had. On a whim I decided to open up the orifice filter assembly. It was missing its filter gauze.

The vac pipes for the front and rear of the W&L loco were trialled in place and clamps welded to hold them. Then inscriptions were added in felt pen where adjustments are required. The kerosene had long since run out, and there's only so much warmth you can get from a tea break.

The last of the day's Santa trains had long gone by and snow had started to fall. I set off first, but was unable to achieve the parking space in front of the Briddon Country Pile as with a converter in the back the adhesive weight on the front was reduced; the slight gradient was too much. Andrew arrived and we did some snow shovelling then he pushed as I tried to get the van home. That achieved, he couldn't move his car forwards and backed all the way down to the A6 to get a bit of a run at it.

Meanwhile that loco is still on T1 waiting the final leg of its journey and that is planned for tomorrow. What fun. In fact between dental and hospital appointments and chasing the low loader I seem to have a full week. Will the weather get the better of my plans? Come back next week and find out. See ya then.