A different train of thought .

[Chuffer]

Yeah cancelled at the last minute due to not enough attendees to make it viable for them. To be fair, I couldn't make the first course in the year last year, so went on the later one. I guess interested people went to the earlier course. So this year I booked the earlier course in the hope I get to do it.

Silver course, driving half the line, and firing on the way back. Loved it last time. Yes I know its all child's play for you, but us mere mortals love pretending we're choo-choo drivers and playing with the big toys.

Not child`s play at all Captain . Just BIG Boy`s Toys !!!

 

[Chuffer]

Another day spent with the BIG TOYS yesterday ( Friday ) on what was Day 2 of the Great Central Railways for day Winter Gala that is always a popular event with railway enthusiasts . Each day has an intensive passenger train service as well as regular demonstration freight trains operating between Loughborough and Leicester on the UK`s only preserved main line railway . The 5305 Locomotive Association I am a member of always has its pop up shop open at special events throughout the year selling donated railway books , videos , models and all manner of memorabilia to raise funds for the ongoing maintenance of the steam loco we own plus one we are custodians of along with two heritage diesel locos . As our shop was not short of volunteers to man it , I spend the day in the Loco Workshops continuing with the painting of components off No. 30777 `Sir Lamiel ` I reported on last weekend . The various parts of the brake gear assembly are now sporting either their first or second coat of black undercoat and having completed that it was time to clamber onto the cab of the stripped down loco to black undercoat the previously red oxide primer painted cab side tool box cum seat podiums and the cab doors . So things are finally progressing from bright orange to black as they should be . It was a rare opportunity to work for a few hours in almost splendid isolation in the massive 3 road ( tracks ) workshop as it normally jam packed with locos either serviceable and stored or undergoing overhaul . With every serviceable steam loco in action as well the three visiting locos , once they were all ` Off Shed` and hauling trains the full time paid engineering staff to the opportunity have a mega shunting session and haul every loco or rolling chassis out into the sidings nearer the station ready to rearrange them all in order of priority of future tasks . This will mean we can finally our long awaited turn to get ` Sir Lamiel`s ` tender on the four 25 tonne lifting jacks to remove one of its 4 wheeled bogies for overhaul and repaint .
Having arrived on site at the height of the early morning activities `On Shed ` with all the locos raising steam and being coaled and watered , it certainly was very atmospheric with clouds of steam and smoke mingling with the cold damp air of a gloomy January morning !