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Well, OK a terrible pun, but what else could we call it?
Saturday May 22 and Sunday May 23rd marked the most public appearance yet for 14 901 (aka D9524) and its first away from its most recent home of Elsecar. The days were probably the hottest and sunniest seen this year, and it was obvious that the rumours that the loco "would overheat" when put on a train were going to be laid to rest once and for all.
The weekend was not without incident for 14 901. For the first time, the BMAC lights were powered up and Andrew reported to his father that the lights were showing "wrong way round". Since it became obvious that the control relay was not energising, Peter, as Chief Electrician and driver for the occasion, resorted to only displaying lights when the loco was operating in the correct direction - but no one seemed to notice. That evening consultation of the record book for the loco revealed that although all the wiring was in place, Peter had not yet implemented the software mod that told the PLC on the loco what to do with this new output. Oops. A "dongle" was hastily put together and the loco was displaying more appropriate lights in the Sunday.
Piloting 47 401 out of Swanwick, Sat 22nd. The 47 temporarily lost power and 14 901 took the train unaided to Hammersmith and back to Butterley, where a block of wood remedied a reluctant relay
But of course, the burning question was how would the loco cope with 4 coaches and Peak 45 133 as a trailing load up the long gradient from Riddings back to Swanwick, and the answer was quite well - OK only 15mph or so in the upper (25mph) section but reports were that she sounded good. The temps incidentally had the engine running at 85 deg C and the Voith oil peaking at about 75, neither of particular concern.
Arms-length view ahead as 14 901 climbs back to Swanwick
But Sunday was the more disappointing. Just as we were leaving shed the engine died. We surmised immediately that we had a fuel filter blockage, just as we had experienced in August last year. Some rapid work got the primary filter cleaned and we headed off to Butterley (North Sidings) in company with 45 133 to collect the stock, only for the engine to die again on arrival. This time it was obviously more serious, so we were left in Butterley north platform. Terry gallantly worked his way through the entire fuel system, while Andrew tore back to Sheffield to grab a couple of spare fuel filters on the assumption that the primary filter had been overwhelmed and the secondaries had now copped it. Meanwhile Terry concluded that there was a blockage at the junction of the commoning pipe between the side tanks, where the 3/4" pipe comes off to the lower tank. Bravely rodding it through with a length of braizing wire, flow was restored but having lost our position in the roster, and a Class 31 having had a problem near Swanwick, we were allowed only to run up and down between Butterley and half way across the causeway to check that all was well.
Pete had the idea of pacing a couple of trains into Butterley across the causeway for the benefit of photographers, but as the train crews were either unaware or hostile to the intention, it didn't work too well as the train loco always got in front, ah well.
Finally we dropped onto the eastern end of a train at Hammersmith, and we were back in business. This gave us the leading loco position for most of the downhill leg (Swanwick to Riddings) but did require that we surmount the not-inconsiderable, though much shorter, climb eastwards out of Butterley. Our first run of the day took us "wrong road" (Platform 2) through Swanwick, with the two 31s and an 08 being sat with their rake in the normal east-bound road (Platform 3).
14 901 performed without further incident and finally came off traffic at about 16.45, as the event came to a close.
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