With the fixed Distant signal indicating permanent caution Southern Bulleid West Country pacific 34092 City of Wells drops down towards the Birstall foot crossing en route to Leicester North on its first trip on the first day of the Autumn Gala.
Wells is carrying BR shed plate 73A which denotes Stewart's Lane depot where 34092 spent time in the 1950s. Although a Southern Railway design 34092 was actually built in 1949 by British Railways.
This signal is the only one, except for stop boards, at the Leicester end of the line. Maybe one day a signalbox will be installed and then it will actually be moveable.
Tags: Great Central railway railroad rail train Leiceser Birstall Southern West Country pacific 4-6-2 Bulleid Spam-can 34092 City of Wells semaphore signal crossing Autumn Gala Leicestershire England UK steam engine Locomotive Preservation Transportation trains railways Gas & Steam UK Steam October 2018
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This morning I had the privilege to be rostered as fireman on visiting Southern Bulleid West Country pacific 34092 City of Wells. Here we are in platform 1 at Loughborough waiting under the bridge with the 10.00 train to Leicester.
GWR Modified Hall 4-6-0 6990 Witherslack Hall is seen backing down onto its train in platform 2. The theme of the Gala is 70 years since the Loco Exchange Trials of 1948 and of course 6990 has a real connection being one of the GWR locos chosen to run on the Marylebone to Manchester main line on 24th & 25th June 1948.
Tags: Great Central railway railroad rail train steam engine Locomotive Autumn Gala Southern Bulleid West Country pacific 4-6-2 34092 City of Wells Loughborough Leicestershire GWR Great Western Modified Hall 4-6-0 6990 Witherslack Hall smoke station Preservation trans Gas & Steam UK Steam trains railways October 2018
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The other Autumn Gala visitor is former resident LNER B1 4-6-0 1624 running as 1251 Oliver Bury the B1 that took part in the 1948 Locomotive Exchange Trials.
This is the late-running 13.45 train and is seen approaching the A6 bridge on the outskirts of Loughborough.
Tags: Great Central railway railroad rail train steam engine Locomotive Autumn Gala Loughborough LNER Thompson B1 4-6-0 1264 1251 Leicestershire Preservation trans Gas & Steam UK Steam trains railways October 2018
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Southern Bulleid West Country pacific 34092 City of Wells departs Loughborough with the 13.15 to Leicester during the Autumn Gala. Note the Giesel ejector.
We had handed over to the afternoon relief crew at the water column 20 minutes earlier and I quickly dropped off my gear in the car and walked back to the station overbridge to catch this shot. John of the 34092 KWVR support crew has words with Andy the fireman.
Tags: Great Central railway railroad rail Loughborough Leicestershire East Midlands England UK train steam engine Locomotive Preservation Transportation Southern Railway Southern Bulleid pacific 4-6-2 West Country 34092 City of Wells Gas & Steam UK Steam trains railways Autumn Gala October 2018
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Rather than the regular Bulleid blastpipe and chimney Southern West Country pacific 34092 City of Wells is fitted with a Giesel ejector. I've seen it from the outside before but never inside like this - I was checking the smokebox during the loco prep.
In the UK in British Railways days only 34064 Fighter Command and 9F 92249 were fitted although in many other countries (East Germany in particular) their use was widespread. The results on 34064 were encouraging but for BR it was too late and the decision to replace steam had been made.
Savings in coal coal of between 6 and 12% – although in practice the maximum saving was more like 8% – and an increase in power of up to 20% were claimed by its Austrian inventor.
Tags: Great Central railway railroad rail train Loughborough Leicestershire East Midlands England UK shed mpd depot steam engine Locomotive Southern Railway Southern Bulleid 4-6-2 pacific West Country 34092 City of Wells smokebox Giesel ejector Preservation Transportation Gas & Steam UK Steam trains railways Autumn Gala October 2018
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