Seasonal steam for our first weekend of Santa Specials. I started on Friday, cleaning the firebox and smoke box, and emptying the ash pan of O&K 9998 Elouise before laying a wood fire to get her warmed up so the crew on Saturday morning would be able to get started raising steam. Meanwhile her mechanical bits were being inspected and she was pronounced Fit To Run. We topped up the oil pots and I took the opportunity to ask our head of steam for a run-down of the names and function of all the various cocks and pipes coming off the steam manifold in the cab: I might not be learning to drive her yet but at least I’ll know my way around.

Arrived back at the yard on Saturday morning about an hour before we were due to start running. Not as early as the footplate crew, who’d been there nearly 3 hours at that point steaming up. I was rostered for a couple of turns training as a guard so I helped get the train ready, and was able to take a couple of shots of Elouise swathed in clouds of steam running up and down the yard to warm up her cylinders before we coupled her at the head of the train. Quick check of the couplings and air brake, and we were off down the line to Reeds Road station where we’d be collecting our passengers to take up to our top station, renamed for the event as North Pole, and Santa’s Grotto.

To avoid having to run the loco around at either end we operate these trains top-and-tail with Motor Rail Simplex No. 8981 coupled on the back end to haul us back down the line after our passengers alight. It was my first time working a train in this form, but I soon got the hang of showing the green flag to the tail driver first as the signal for them to release their handbrake before signalling the driver at the head to depart.

Since I’d been involved in prepping Elouise the day before they gave me a footplate ride as a reward, which was very enjoyable as you can tell from my smile in the photo below. Back to guarding after our lunch break: I’m about halfway through my requisite number of training turns now so I hope to pass as a full-fledged guard some time in the next year. Until then I’m under the supervision of a passed guard. I love guarding on our railway: in regular operation we’re responsible for operating ground frames, coupling and uncoupling the loco, and directing loco shunting movements – as well as being responsible for the train and the safety of everyone on it.

Another new experience on my last train of the day after the sun had set: signalling with a bardic lamp instead of the usual flag. I learned to change the aspect to red after using the green light to dispatch the train and switching off the lamp, and to hold the lamp with the lens towards me (to prevent any misleading reflections that might be seen from the loco) as we rode down on the guard van, so I had the lamp ready in hand in case we needed to halt the train.

Sunday was a rather more restful day, at least for me. I was only rostered for the afternoon as station staff, helping our passengers on and off the train and keeping them safe on the platform. I got to spend half the time between trains sitting in our waiting room where the wood-burning stove provided a welcome respite from the chilly winter weather, especially later on in the day.

I’ll be back there next weekend, guarding again on Friday. On Sunday I’ll be back on my steam apprenticeship as we’re due to do the boiler washout and strip down on our other operation steam loco, Emmet, in preparation for its annual boiler exam.

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