Of the end of an era

4th February 2024

'What did he say?
'End of an era'?
Is he retiring or something?
What will I do instead of reading Weekend Rails?
No, it's not like that at all. Read on....

It was almost deja vu on Monday morning - up at five, out about six (well ok, 6.15) - a little late past Leeds and a PNB at Scotch Corner put me into Wolsingham about 09.40, but Phil inisted he hadn't been there long himself. The final loco of the programme was waiting to be loaded, and because of the site layout, once again we are loading in a big puddle.

This last loco is not an 08 but a Stephenson 0-6-0DH and destined for Darley Dale for parts recovery. I have memories of this loco. Back in YEC days I bought 5 Stephensons from Crouch Mining. They had been on opencast duties in South Wales but when these had ended they'd been dragged up and deposited in mud at an old colliery site outside Durham. I planned to refurb the best two and sell them to Port of Workington and as part of the sales effort, showed them to the Port Captain (a man in charge of a harbour is a captain, presumably so he can talk to ship captains on their level) as they stood. Hindsight showed that was a mistake, for in the end he went to Hunslet, afterwards claiming that it was because he 'couldn't see my two locos running'. I thought that by showing him them at their worst, he'd have an idea of how much we'd be doing to get them up to his requirements: maybe I underestimated his niavity.

Anyway, after my cash flow had started to recover, I sold this one to the Oxcroft loading site, after train braking it and adding some devices to prevent a recurrence of the fatality that they'd had there. Under RMS auspices (December 2005), I had gone to look at it after the loading facility closed and it became an RMS hire loco.

Alas it spent too many hours close to potash and road salt at Cobra and its condition today is a sad sight. By about 11.30 Phil was moving off, I had already set off as I had another quick rendezvous planned at my daughter's plus a detour into Rotherham to get through. I reached home with time for a cup of tea and again didn't need to go to Bakewell as Phil knew my three axle trailer would make the turn around the roundabout OK. He got to Rowsley about half-five and by artificial light we started to unload. Andrew had promised to join but fell asleep at home, fortunately Tom Dakin arrived and lent a hand. E1 was on the headshunt with a steam loco that was due to depart whenever a certain other haulier showed up, so it was used to put the EE up to the buffer stops. The ramp was dismantled, the unit rejoined to the trailer and an era came to a close. Why? Three days before Christmas Adam had informed me that he was taking the 8 x 4 off the road as it was losing him money. After I appealed to him he agreed to keep it on until January 31st to complete these moves I had booked that needed it, but that was it and HFS would be concentrating on the servicing and repairs side of the business. Phil had already handed in his notice, so we shook hands after unloading the EE to mark the end of the haulage collaboration with HFS, and I left him to park the trailer at the top of the yard while I dashed home, woofed down my tea and Andrew (now awake) and I headed down to the PRA meeting just along the road, where Mark Sealey was giving his now annual 'state of the railway' address.

Tuesday morning and I met up with the new collaborator on haulage - you'll see more of him in the future I hope. Wednesday I was out seeing a customer for a loco inspection, and Friday, after a hospital appointment, collected the bits I dropped off on Monday and picked up 22-23's books from the auditors.

Saturday and while Andrew was coming over later, I was on site to meet up with Andy H. We would be needing the crane in the aftermoon and as it hadn't been used yet in 2024, and as we had suspicions about the fuel and whether it too had diesel bug from the Yorkshire, I let him loose on checking the battery and the quality of the fuel, while I hunted out a pneumatic manifold to progress the Alstom job. Andy also decided to lubricate all our turnouts. With Andrew on site, Louise drew the train back and the Cummins power unit for the Barclay belonging to W H Davis, which had returned during the week, was swung back into the loco.

The forklift is incidentally back in action using its 'genuine' fuel tank, but some of the pipe connections, once disturbed, are refusing to seal up and a tapping into the new lift pump we suspect drawing air, so every now and again it dies and needs to be bled through again. More attention needed.

While we were getting ready, HC Waleswood came by propelling a brake van on a steaming test run to Matlock and back, and as the crane was operating near the main line, we had waited for its return before the lift.

Sunday, and I was alone, but had asked Tom Dakin if he fancied bringing the EE down to Darley with Bagnall the Barclay (or John Boy as he insists) and taking the Fowler back. The Fowler had been nicknamed Boomerang, because I thought I had sold it twice and each time events conspired and the loco returned to my ownership.

This time seems more hopeful (I've even been paid) and the loco is due to leave as the first move of the new team. Roger Hallatt was secondman, the Barclay brought the EE down, swapped it for the Fowler and propelled the latter back to Rowsley.

I got on with some minor jobs after they'd gone (including an overdue test of the fire alarms and emergency lighting), only for Roger to reappear on a track walk and as rain started, partook of a tea with me. I'd mentioned about some concrete blocks we'd acquired that we'd like to plant in and alongside the southbound line by the level crossing to make life easier bringing the trailers in and out: he was quite OK with it but needs to do remedial work first as when the crossing was relaid a few years ago the only thing he left to Mrs Statham to purchase was 'ballast'. As I've remarked here before, say 'ballast' in different parts of the country and you'll get different things - at least from builders merchants. In the south east you'll get gravel, as we saw when filming Murder on the Orient Express. Around here you'll get MoT Type 1 stone and that's what she bought. The stone isn't suitable as railway ballast and is sinking into the clay underneath, so Roger wants to dig it out and reballast before we get to add our concrete lumps.

And that about wraps it up for the week. I've still a load of admin to catch up on, plus finish preparing for the talk on Tuesday (just need a run-through or two to check timings and hardware) plus drawings to progress, profiles to order, patterns to issue to a foundry and powder coated parts to collect, oh, and transport a Fowler somewhere. I certainly won't get bored. I hope you won't be either when I write it up, same time, same place. See ya then.