Clive's five day Stage I and Stage II courses provide you with an insight into the knowledge and skills required of a steam engineman. The first two days consist of classroom instruction where you will learn some basic principles of engine design and the techniques required to manage them properly. You will spend the next three days in the company of a steam locomotive, usually No. 473, Birch Grove or No. 65, the Stirling/Wainwright '01', where you will gain hands on experience of how the theory you have learned is put into practice.
| It works in theory. Stage I consists of two days (Monday and Tuesday) of discussion in the classroom covering all aspects of steam locomotive management. This will include boiler design and construction, valve gear operation, braking, lubrication and firing techniques. These drawings and the mechanical principles they represent will become familiar to you. You will also learn the intricacies of coupling and uncoupling stock and even get to try your hand with a shunter's pole. |
| Moment of Truth: Friday morning; in the loco lobby Clive marks the Stage I test papers. Meanwhile, outside in the early sunshine, course members prepare their engine for the day's runs to Kingscote. |
Stage II is run over three days, and this is where you will have the chance to discover how the techniques you have learned in theory are applied to a real steam locomotive. First of all the engine has to be prepared and, once the fire has been lit, there is plenty of paint and brasswork to be cleaned, the ashpan to be emptied and a myriad oilboxes to be checked and filled. Once this is done there is usually time for a quick cup of tea while sufficient steam is raised to begin the days work.
| Many hands... Having lit the engine, the footplate trainees give the 'C' class a good going over prior to her days labours. |
| Nosebag Time: Enough coal for the day is loaded into the 01's tender. |
| What makes it go. Under the boiler and between the frames, the No. 65's inside motion can clearly be seen. And yes, it does all need oiling... |
The first two days of Stage II consist of the railway equivalent of aviation's "circuit and bumps". Trainees take it in turns to manoeuvre the engine around Sheffield Park and learn how to use the regulator and reverser to achieve maximum efficiency and economy, and the brake to (hopefully) stop the engine at a predetermined point. Once this has been achieved the gentle art of 'buffering up' to the brake van may be practiced.
| Driving Birch Grove: Getting it right, - considerable concentration and dexterity are required to safely move a steam engine about. It is not possible to bring 60 tons of locomotive to a sudden halt. |
In addition to driving the engine, the trainee also has to learn how to fire it without making black smoke, blowing off or running out of steam...
| Firing Birch Grove: A student sucessfully masters the art of firing 'through the flap' of a Brighton engine. |
| A well behaved engine. Clive relaxes as Birch Grove makes another successful run through Sheffield Park station. |
Friday is the final day of the course. This time course members take it in turns to drive or fire the engine from Sheffield Park to Kingscote and back. The driver will now need to be aware of any speed restrictions, signals, crossings or other people and movements on the railway, as well as thinking about the mechanics of operating the engine. The fireman has to maintain boiler pressure throughout the journey, but without making the safety valves lift (blowing off). This he must achieve without making excessive quantities of black smoke. He must also ensure there is sufficient water in the boiler at all times, having taken into account the variations in water level caused by changes of track gradient or operation of the regulator or brake.
| The Road Ahead A view of the line from the driver's window of the 01. |
| Another round in the box. Firing 'on the line' and maintaining steam pressure without blowing off requires skill and experience. |
On successful completion of the course you will be awarded a certificate and an assessment recording your achievements in the theory and practice of steam enginemanship.