From Autumn Leaves to Winter Blues
Regrettably it has been a quarter of a year since the news pages have been updated. This has been due to the terminal illness and passing of my father and the consequential demands for funeral, the solicitor and his estate…
I have been unable to verify the use of No.3 over the Folk Weekend at the beginning of October but she was certainly pressed into service the following Saturday with a truncated Vintage train to work the second set on the occasion of the K&ESR Co. Ltd. AGM held in Northiam Village Hall. Whether infrequent attendees appreciated this is hard to judge, but of course the sun put in an appearance whilst we were transacting business.
32678’s big day out on 23rd October with the ‘birdcage’ for the Terrier Trust Chimney Charter take two got off to the worst possible start when I received the dreaded phone call from the hospital just after 6.30am. Having covered all bases just in case, I was, in the end, able to join the start at Tenterden Town, though the whole day was more than a bit of a blur. Numbers were thin on the ground yet again with very little support from Trust members. This has prompted a rethink for 2011 and proposals will be put to members in a newsletter shortly after New Year.
Memories of frequent October Terrier use a quarter of a century ago were further revived a week later when 32678 was rostered to work not only the Vintage train but also an early and late freight as part of the first phase of Trust member Dan Snowden’s quest to pass out as a driver. It was a good job too as fine half-term weather at the end of BST generated plenty of traffic for the 3.25pm ex-Bodiam which otherwise would have more than stretched the capacity of the DMMU.
No.3 “Bodiam” has been far from being a shrinking violet as reds and yellows gave way to blues and whites. For example, she was busily employed over the weekend of November 20th/21st at Rolvenden providing motive power for trainee firemen, and it is intended she will provide further learning opportunities for crews, banking some Santa Specials on the busiest days in December.
32678 has been withdrawn from traffic for washout and scheduled boiler repairs, replacing life-expired rivets with patch screws. As is so often the case, extra work has been identified in the form of significant cracking associated with the inner firebox doubling plate that will require specialist welding once a full assessment and quotation has been obtained.
So once again it is essentially left to the two oldest Terriers to wave the flag over the festive period, although “Fenchurch” is now coming to the end of her ticket. For the Santa season over on Bluebell she has been reduced to “steam heating and posing”. Over the years, various Terriers at one time or another have been reduced to pretty menial tasks, but fond though William Stroudley was of his creations, he could not possibly imagine that aged 138, one of his masterpieces would find trade by simply posing in steam. It’s a strange old world.
HN-09/12/2010
