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(The 90 WD Austerity) Identified today by computer! But in early 1960s this option was unavailable! Computer or mobiles not invented yet! So on hauling myself onto the footplate i gaze about and ask driver, ‘What’s this then’? Austerity is the reply! Not unlike the 9F that had many drive wheels, A long tender and strong! I quite liked them! They never let me down! Todays train enthusiast is far more informed than i ever was? At least from shed eg Exmth jct or Bristol Barrow road you had 45 minutes or whatever to get familiar with your one of many different sorts of steam engine! But on swop over with long distance crews, You have little time to get aboard to scan water level, What side of footplate am i firing from? shovel, coal chute and injector pairings when the guards whistle can be heard and driver shouts here we go! Ready?? I feel at that moment if i were to say No! It would make little odds! The regulator was already set to eat up many miles very quickly! Oh Lord i do go on so? Shed ‘blogs’ of the day don’t mention the WD Austerity? We had the 2-8-0 48s? And it was a long time ago? But their numbers were 90***, The 9Fs were 92***, Maybe todays steam fitter would deem me unfit for the road today? Years ago i would oil Clan line on its speed trial runs! Over the ‘Ton’ on a 6ft 2inch wheel and the inner big end cosy warm!! Now ‘That’s fit!! I show a couple Bulleid Braunton pic’s! 🤠🤠
