Mucky engines!

[John B]

Here are a couple of period related gripes!

No doubt someone else will have thought of this before me; but I’ll mention it anyway. I think that one of the heritage railways specialising in running BR era trains in a period setting should shift it’s focus and “really” try and recreate the era as it was and run their line with mucky engines as so many of us remember them. To me the sight of a preserved engine in immaculate livery is great but not perfect as that is not how it usually was in the fifties and sixties. Bring additional realism and imagination; think as if you are going to be filmed and “Everything” has to be in period, no mobiles etc. etc.

And another gripe, why do so many footplate men spoil the overall period effect by wearing inappropriate headgear and bandanas etc. it spoils the period ambience and certainly jars on me. Look at any BR picture and wear the correct clothes in the same way as originally worn. No heritage line badges in your BR grease top eh? Just the British Railways regional coloured badge.

On my local line here we wear exactly what was worn in NZR steam days including a black shirt and white tie, yes a white tie on the footplate, all crews look the same and are “uniform” in appearance. The period effect is convincing.

My gripes now over, I would be very interested to hear other peoples views on all this.

[bricam5]

John.
A mucky engine gives an aura of neglect and by inferrence,a lack of maintainance. As an ex Hornsea person you will probably be aware that the Botanic men who crewed the passenger service,had their "own" engines and inside the cab you would see polished brasses and a blacked boiler face and even painted regulators and hand brake handles.
When I was in "tanky link" with 7397 I would often come in on a non working Sunday to have a go at the outside of the engine.
This was pride in your engine and an attempt to create a better working environment.

I'll bet if you were selling your car on,you would give it a good clean first inside and out because a clean vehicle says cared for and a steam loco is no different.

In the heyday of the Hornsea/Withernsea lines,kids would come up to the engine complete with buckets and spades and ask to look round the cab.
My driver and I felt that a clean and shiny appearance reflected our commitment to the job and I hope that the parents of those kids took that on board.

[John B]

Yes I agree. I was one of those kids at Hornsea, with bucket and spade - and shorts, jacket and cap, who always wanted to look into the cab of any steam engine I could get near.

I don't remember much about those engines nowadays but the engines I saw towards the end of steam when I became interested again, were nearly always mucky. The excursions from West Yokshire to Brid. with either a black five or a Jubilee in charge - they were the exception and were nearly always reasonably clean. The locos around Hull were another kettle of fish at this time and I only once remember seeing a really clean WD. These were the motive power workhorses around Hull in the mid sixties along with the B1's .

I am just sorry I missed the real heyday of steam and the crew's pride in the engine which you reminisce about.

[bricam5]

John B
Your last paragraph made me pause and think for a while. I do tend to wallow in nostalgia which I put down to advancing years but you do have the advantage of me in that I have never seen a clean WD or for that matter a clean ROD either

[Pyewipe Junction]

If you want to take this 'back to the future' concept to its logical extreme, why not go for filthy carriages and stations as well?

[HonestTom]

Maybe it's because we can see mucky trains and stations in our everyday lives...

(Sorry, commuter gripe there )

More seriously, though, the point about dirty engines is well made. I know a few railways do run "Mucky Engine" weekends. I remember going to the Mid Hants Railway when they ran a weekend themed around the last days of steam. The engines were suitably grimed up, and every so often they'd have a diesel towing a "dead" locomotive for scrap. All very interesting.

I suppose part of the reason mucky engines aren't more common is for the tourist market. While enthusiasts may remember engines in poor condition, the casual daytrippers and their kids prefer something prettier - I suspect that if all BR engines were kept covered in soot and grime for general steam days, name and numberplates removed, the daytrippers might feel a bit ripped off.

[richard]

I still maintain that shininess has a lot to do with the enduring popularity of both the GWR and the Santa Fe.


As it happens I saw a brand new shiney BNSF (Santa Fe of today) "GenSet" switcher a few days ago when driving back from the Post Office. No. 1234 would you believe In the modern pumpkin livery rather than the more famous red & silver.



Richard

[Boris]

I displayed my mucky L.N.E.R Class O7 at the Harrogate Nodel Engimeering Exhibition in I think it was 2001 where it won 2nd prize.

For what reason, the judges said "cos it was mucky".

Of course Austeritys were never clean except when they first came out of the shops after overhaul.

The younge lads at the club refused to allow me to clean it and if I did th ey would re mucky it one way or another.

It was the only Austerity in the world until the rebuil of the K.&.W.V.one
pity it was only 7.25" gauge.