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GrahamH / Photos

What To Do Next 20250118 11 39 51 Pro

This day was to be a shunting training day. The carriages have been brought to a convenient place for coupling and uncoupling. However it was found that the brakes on 2 of the 4 cars weren't releasing and the initial investigation gave strange results. Oliver with Evan looking on is reporting to the driver and a trainee fireman that we haven't resolved anything and are wondering what to do next. The loco also had developed a problem with getting the required pressure in the main brake tank. Shortly after this I got into the cab and found a very quiet fire, see PiP, a dozen shovels soon got it going again. January 2025.
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4 comments

Gillian Everett said:

Great shot, Graham!
2 days ago

GrahamH replied to Gillian Everett:

Thanks Gillian. It was good to stand up straight up after a bit of crawling under the cars.
32 hours ago

StoneRoad2013 said:

Sounds like "fun" ...

My training for planning shunting movements started off using a model railway "fiddle yard" - without "the hand of g*d" crane option.
Problems were set, such as extracting a particular item of rolling stock and leaving it a specified safe place, made more difficult by only being able to use certain routes / sidings of restricted lengths.

I used to be a guard on a narrow-gauge railway, with vacuum [not air] brakes and part of our training was sorting out braking - including when a carriage had to be failed and when "pulling the strings" to effectively reset the system would work. Not fun when it is raining heavily ...
44 hours ago

GrahamH replied to StoneRoad2013:

The day proved to be very educational though not as planned for. My training is focused towards becoming a guard and assistant driver on the railmotor. The afternoon had a LOT of crawling around on the ballast under and beside the cars. Eventually we decided that the problem was sticking brake pistons due to months of no use. I'm also involved with learning air systems components maintenance so its also added to that knowledge.

We have less rolling stock so shunting is simpler at DownsSteam. We also have a machine called a shunt tractor which is a road/rail vehicle which can be used as a low power loco.
32 hours ago
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