-
(Steam days) to Haley's Comet!
Not forgotten, when 2 minutes on here discussing air brakes bring back memories of Vacuum brakes and heavy trains of umpteen 40 ton track ballast wagons from ‘Meldon’ Quarry hovering on 17? Off of the Inland route of the Southern Railway ”West” from the heights of Dartmoor itself? Brakes squealing in from the end of East yard of Cowley bridges to Exeter St Davids itself! The larger Maunsell (2) 30846, 30842 twin bogy sort I seem to remember? (Was it S15) or something? (A fine engine)! From the end of the station’s through road I could gaze up that 1/37 hill and shudder my next jaunt! OK, We had bankers in the ‘Z class’ or later the ((w class), I preferred the eight drive wheel’s of the ‘Z’ for its traction? You would never fire on a bank! Smaller coals or dust a’plenty would head straight over the ‘Arch’ for the smoke tubes! Such was the blast of working that hill! (The white hot fire grate of a Nuclear reactor) or any steep bank! Had close ‘shaves’? At times? Iv spoken of it before? 1st two 40 ton hopper’s under Queen street bridge and you could relax? Always done it though, So I don’t know what I ponder a memory for? But I have found adapting to written crap so easy! I mean, What’s the point in a ‘future’, If all history is forgotten? Don’t suppose many footplatemen still about this day? And no chance of my ever reviewing Haley’s Comet!
