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14 901 had been promised to Peak Rail for the "Anything Goes" gala (10-11July 2010) but if you have read the previous "(Midnight) Oil" news piece, you will know that it was anything from a foregone conclusion. Pete popped into Rowsley briefly on Thursday with sufficient time only to strip the spare oil cooler in the VBA, recover a couple of seals to get the sizing right and dash back to Sheffield to purchase some new. Andrew returned that evening to start draining coolant.
We will not bore you with the trials and tribulations, suffice it to say that at about 22.45 on the Friday night, the engine was fired back up and run for a minute without oil or coolant leak visible, and we must give a big "thank you" to Peak Rail volunteer Robin Smith, who started by offering to pass Pete tools as required, but soon mucked in and without his help, it would probably not have been ready.
By 09.30 on the Saturday morning 14 901 was outside the shed having final checks for leaks and a flying visit from Roger Wornham, who had dashed all the way up from Hertfordshire to see it in operation and drop some bits off with Andrew, before returning to somewhere down south he was supposed to be! Out in the Rowsley station loop was the demonstration freight train, headed by 14 901's erstwhile sister loco, D9525 of the Heritage Shunter Trust collection. As soon as the Austerity 0-6-0ST had cleared the way in front, 14 901 came off shed and took up station in front of D9525.
Conference before the "off"(above) and heading to the main line (below)
The plan was simple - both locos would have vac lines connected, but the lead loco would do all the work (thus 14 901 powered down to Matlock, D9525 up to Rowsley) using only loco straight air for the unfitted freight, but dropping the vac line if required to have both locos braking together. And the first freight worked OK, save that occasionally the vac line dropped for no apparent reason. It was on the second freight of the day that we had our first real drama. Having just cleared Church Lane crossing, in the Absolute Block section from there into Darley Dale station, Pete saw the vac had dropped to 5" and we were coming to a stand. Convinced that D9525 had applied its brakes, Robin, as Pete's Pilot, went back to find out what was wrong, but received innocent expressions. To prove the problem area, the vac hoses were stowed and immediately 14 901 sucked back up to 21". "How do we vent the vac chamber on D9525?" came the cry, but Pete was unfamiliar with a "standard" class 14 and neither was its owner. But then the nub of the problem came clear with the remark from Robin that D9525 was having difficulty maintaining air pressure - it was down to 50psi and falling - its air compressor having an intermittent problem in restarting. Without sufficient air pressure the loco control system fails to safe, and the reason for earlier mysterious vac applications became obvious.
All D9500's were built with a balancing reservoir line from new, but 14 901 has been much modified and Pete was unsure what palm coupling was originally utilised. He unstowed D9525's (hiding within the buffer beam slots) and to his relief found it was the same as the standard "yellow" res line as fitted to 14 901. He hosed up and opened the cocks, allowing 14 901 to give an air transfusion to its sickly sister.
D9525 (left) with rescuing air line connection in foreground
The railway's guardian angel was obviously on duty as D9525 does not have an air hose connection at the other end so such a recovery could only have been made that way round!
Between D9525 and the freight at Matlock (Riverside)
With the timetable a little skewed, we hurried on to Matlock and returned to Rowsley, for the highlight of the day was the passenger turn, which was accomplished without significant incident.
Starting away from Rowsley with Saturday's passenger turn
We hoped Sunday would go with greater smoothness and it began well enough with both locos heading out with the first freight, seen here from the cab as the returning passenger train approaches the level crossing at Darley...
..and shortly after, a view over Pete's head as the train passes Peak Rail's older depot at Darley, proposed to be the site of a dedicated facility for the Peak Rail main line diesel fleet...
...but as we rolled into Matlock, the engine of 14 901 abruptly died, which given that we suspected that 14 901 was acting as primary air source for D9525 could have stranded both locos. In a couple of minutes Pete established that the problem was not electrical, and that there was fuel in the header tank, but on restarting the engine died again. Finally it would run if the throttle was a held open, so the pair returned to Rowsley with Pete's hand on the throttle the whole time, having phoned Andrew to be ready to investigate. No sooner had he found the problem (a lever on the fuel pump had vibrated off and as it set the top and bottom rpm limits, Pete closing the throttle had brought the fuel rack into a "stop" position) and found the loose bits riding in the vee of the engine, than we were asked to move the locos as by some oversight, the Austerity 0-6-0ST was due out and on the wrong side of us. Andrew hurriedly refitted the levers "where he thought about right" but most of our air had gone (into D9525)and so we ran the engine up to "just sufficient" air unaware that D9525 had none at all. It was still foul of the crossover when 14 901's res line started to pressure and finding nothing in D9525, the air headed straight for the brake cylinders, bringing us both to a stop. A few more minutes of air delivery however lifted D9525's brakes and we cleared the loop - by now the Austerity had gone on the top of the train and the Class 47 was brought out to lead it to Matlock. We were told we could "put the Teddies to bed" after the next freight turn. That person's air of authority however was somewhat pricked when as driver of the 47, he coupled up and on the Guards flag found it would take no power, and had to be propelled down to Matlock by the steamer!
Passing Church Lane box, northbound
The second freight passed without incident (save that Andrew's "somewhere near" had given Pete only 1100rpm max), but the edict had been issued and the passenger turn was to be cancelled. Andrew filed a formal protest with a senior Peak Rail official and with a stern warning of "be it on your head" the two 14's dropped on to the Rowsley end of the train, by now headed by a class 37. The return run should have been impressive and probably was apart from great difficulties in producing enough vac at Matlock once the class 37 isolated its exhauster. With D9525 leading, and 14 901 offering as much support as 1100 rpm would allow, we completed the Anything Goes commitments and waved a fond farewell to D9525 as "03" D2000 towed it back to the HST sheds. (Postscript: HST members found that the compressor motor had flashed over so 14 901's compressor had indeed been maintaining both locos - Andrew agrees that the second compressor planned for 14 901 is indeed worthwhile).
We had a number of other visitors over the weekend including two from the Swindon & Cricklade, one of whom cab-rode 14 901 on a freight turn and insisted on making a donation, which we split with the Darley Dale Footbridge Fund.
14 901 will be out and about in the Rowsley yard area only over the next few weeks, until we have had time to sort the torsional coupling which is thought to be the source of much vibration.
Pictures by Pete, Andrew and Stephanie Briddon.
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