GWR 0-6-0PT No.9466

I believe it was a plan to produce bad press for the steam engine and influence the introduction of the diesel engine. Of course there was the other problem, the labour intensity of the steam engine and the lack of labour willing to do this dirty work. The other scientific argument was the transfer of energy to motion, the steam engine came very low down in the charts.

As an engine cleaner the 94's main motions were easier to get at for cleaning. Towards the end of steam there weren't many engine cleaners so we had to do more cleaning work. So this meant that we couldn't be so particular. Cleaning only the parts that the engine drivers had physical contact with. The idea was, as the engine drivers had contact with the public, their overalls had to look clean and not patched with oil. I digress. When cleaning the 94XX we had to get under the big end motions to clean them of leaking oil, as this was the part the engine driver would squeeze into for oiling the big ends. I remember some drivers would come to us and say we hadn't done the job properly, and we must do the job for them again, or we would be reported to the shed master. In South Wales we couldn't afford to have that happen, as jobs were hard to find.

The driver would then move the engine with one big end forward and the other on top, this coincided with the outside driver wheels being bottom back, as we called it. It was then possible to climb up between the motions and the firebox wall. Also in that position all oiling points were visible for access to oiling. We would then do the oiling for the driver. I say "we" as I recall all the cleaners would relate the same tales. In actual fact this prepared us for the future and we got to know the engine and its "workings" very well. The 94XX was not so claustrophobic, as the boiler was that much higher off the frame.

I recall one time, one of our cleaners' was cleaning the big ends of a 57XX pannier tank, when he heard the brakes being pulled off, he told me he dropped down into the pit, as the engine moved, one big end came over and hit him on the head and knocked him out. When the driver got to the coaling station, it was pointed out to him the; "Danger do not Move" sign. He fainted. By then my friend had been found still in a knocked out state, flat out in the engine pit. The point is the 57XX pannier boiler was rather low on the frame and he was not seen doing his work. So that's another reason I liked the 94XX.

When we "Passed out" and got on the footplate, we started on shunting engines. The drivers were usually older men who were nearing retirement and were not inclined to keep pulling at the reversing lever while shunting. So we were taught at an earlier stage on how to drive and carry out shunting duties. What I found with the 94XX was that it was not as "Gutsy," lack of push, as the 57XX pannier tank engine, so when having to push a long line of wagons for shunting we would have to ensure the number of wagons was not as great as when using the 57XX engines.

Firing the "Western" engines was definitely an art. Each type liked to have the coal placed in a different position in the firebox. If you didn't follow this pattern, life was miserable, as the engines just wouldn't steam properly.
The 57XX class engine had to be fired with coal placed in each corner and one under the door until you had a box full. We found that the 94XX class liked to be fired as a 42XX engine, coal placed down the middle, keeping the front and sides hot. This experience was originally gained on the line which went from Neath to Brecon in the Neath valley. The inclines were very steep following the sides of the mountains.

We came to the conclusion that the firebox with its different longer shape and slightly larger box made it more efficient for steaming than the pannier tank 57XX class.

On the 94's, the injectors were on the fireman's side, but we always formed the habit of using the left hand injector. This was I suppose due to the "Tankies," Pannier engines, having two injectors, one on the fireman's side, and one on the driver's side. The right hand one was rarely used, as to access this was an inconvenience to the driver. We always found the optimum point for the water injector feed before going off shed, this was to ensure we did not waste water on the main line, there was not the time to check these things when working hard on a train. A wrong position and you leaked water while the injector was used.

This experience was invaluable when I was sent to SOUTHALL shed, where there was a sharp bank from Brentford to Southall. The problem there was the water. If you had too much water showing in the gauge glass, the water boiled like "Epsom Salts" and when working a heavy train from Brentford, the exhaust picked it up and it blew out in an alarming fashion. Also it was usual to end the working day when you arrived back in Southall. This meant you were not the flavour of the month if you arrived back on shed with too much fire in the firebox, as all engines were cleaned of fire before being stabled in the sheds at night. At that time the firedroppers were paid bonus and the longer they spent on an engine less bonus was paid. So with low water in the boiler and a low fire in the box that bank was a real struggle, always. I remember with one pannier tank engine I had to run with two injectors on, as I had run the water too low, then firing with just enough to get us up the bank. I was fortunate that day it was a good steaming engine.

I noticed 1501 at the Severn valley Railway when I was last there. We used to say they were 94XX with outside motion, and no vacuum pump. I felt they never built many of them because they certainly had no "Guts." It didn't matter how much throttle you gave them, if they could not pull the load they just stalled. I used to shunt 1501 at a yard north of SOUTHALL shed. It never went anywhere else, can't remember the name of that yard now. I remember we never did much shunting work there. They used them at Old Oak Common for coach working into Paddington (my brother was also a fireman at Old Oak Common). They were awkward to use as they had no vacuum pump, so the brake ejector had to be kept on all the time. If you had a stiff brake, turning on the brake then pulling it back to the ejector position was a pain. Especially if you had a leaking valve, where the hot steam was playing on you hand all the time.

On another occasion, at Briton Ferry, Neath, we were on shunting work. We had a call that an express was in difficulty and had to banked up the Felinfran bank on its way to Llanelli. We had a 94XX class engine that night. But as we were nearing the end of our shift the firebox was quite low and I did not have enough time to build up the fire before we required to back on and push him up the bank. I remember starting to fire at Briton Ferry and not stopping until we got to the top. Going through the Felinfran tunnel behind a Castle was not something I wanted to do regularly. The heat and steam from the struggling Castle I'll always remember. My driver had a handkerchief to his mouth while I was firing with no relief from the fumes. It didn't matter as we all loved our job, it was exiting. This excitement I've not experienced since. That 94XX like all of them steamed with no problems, even though most of the coal was duff (coal dust) from an almost empty bunker. The trouble was, and you learned early on in your career, you had to have a box full of fire to work a train. I had started from nothing.

At most main line stations there was always a pilot engine available, which did minor shunting duties, but its main purpose was to be available should any passenger train fail. My brother, who was at Neath the same time as me but continued longer in the job, was telling me; One day the London to Swansea passenger train with 13 coaches on failed at Neath. There was no option, there were no engines in steam at the Neath sheds and 9473 had to be used. This story was passed to my brother by the Canton men who had relieved the London men at Cardiff and had worked the train to Neath. In those days you never argued with your superiors. So 9473 was backed on to these 13 coaches, the driver said to his mate: " Get your walking shoes on, mate, you will need them when we get to Skewen Bank." Meaning he would need to walk to the telephone to inform the signalman of trouble. Leaving Neath to Swansea you immediately hit Skewen Bank. This Canton man said his mate was going to give it a try, and to use his words "They were amazed" this engine took the bank, and was notched back for maximum effect and fired continually. This fireman and driver were truly amazed at the capabilities of 9473 as it barked up Skewen Bank with 13 on, then coasted down into Swansea High Street.

One problem we had with the 94's on passenger trains was that you sometimes stopped at stations with the valves in line, you could not then start. This meant trying to reverse the engine and pushing the reverse lever forward quickly, open the throttle and jerk it in to forward motion. My brother says this problem got worse as the 94's got older.

Some times we had to work engines from the other companies and what used to irritate us was the fact that the steam valves on the "Western" engines all had wooden handles, so you never burned yourself, while on the other company engines they were all metal and it was necessary to use gloves all the time.