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(Fireman who cant dance)!
Late 1950s and two lowly passed cleaners set down their bucket of oil n paraffin for Sir Frederick Pile that was to be converted, To go find a quiet engine on shed with steam operated fire doors? I hated them and steam reversers! Setting my left foot for the coals reach! To pivot and to depress the ‘tread peddle’ for the shovel’s swing to slam into the doors, or to maybe fill the drivers pocket with coal? A graceful motion when engine is stationary? But on a swinging vibrating footplate at great speed a different story indeed! It was like a ballroom dance nightmare enacted to a Victor Silvester rendition of ‘Danse Macabre’ (Dancing Bones)? Passed cleaner’s might well be sent out by the Shed Foreman on any emergency that may happen! (A regular fireman unwell? / Fell off his bike} etc? I would already go fair journey’s, and to push very heavy trains up 1/37 bank’s etc! (from age 16yrs). Thankfully not many engine’s had steam operated fire door’s! So my ‘Danse’ Macabre routine was preached but never truly perfected? It needed rhythm or good timing? (Lol)!
