(Z class steam locomotive gone, But far from forgotten)! A mere 70 odd ton of eight drive wheel adhesion with a terrier spirit! That I would gaze up the bend to see the four bogy Maunsell or 57 or 92 squadron giving it some welly while its driver with the power was desperately computing its adhesion or traction to the rail! Dancing and prancing while we give it some grunt! But the story begins at Red cow crossing! I sit gloating the fact that i have passed the inspector to fire! That’s ours says my driver! I gently disturb my reserve under the door with a little blower! Boiler first so 3/4 glass of water, Now i need 180 psi of steam! Clang goes the dummy! We cross the main road and i couple up! I have to rip the vacuum pipe off and the lead engine knows my routine when he starts gaining vacuum again! You ready says my driver? Hang on a m’o! Ah yes i say! He gives the coded long and short whistles! (You don’t allow the 10-25 Castle leaving from next platform for Paddington) To create a wrong understanding? I might still be coupling up! Oh lordy! A repeat of our code is that we have the road! And we must now push or be snatched! So i gaze up the bend at the lead engine who wants to make the top of that 1-37 bank just as much as we do! 1862 this link between GW and southern Exeter central was dug out! Central opened in 1860! Its now 1959! Another 10 year before mans on the moon! And in that long tunnel i bet Armstrong and Aldrin had more Oxygen than i had in that tunnel? There’s stuff to breath but its all smoke! Sometimes i am down on my knees! I once damn nearly got off!! We are down to 10 MPH! Did it for 18 months or so! Up n down that dreadful bank like a fiddlers elbow! I missed national service by a whisker! So what did i do for my country then? I kept us in Milk, Grub, track ballast from Meldon for the rail network! But the Z class should get the medal of merit! Gone now, But not forgotten! I would be one happy bunny if someone should add a picture of said engine in comment below? I would fire all eight of them from 30950 to 30957. My duck! because they waddled a bit?