Me driving the best double engine past the photographer house. Credit David F Boughey
Its been too long since I added anything to this blog for reasons I’ll explain during what may turn out to be a bit of an epic update if the mood to write persists.
The last post included my forecast roster for bygones and the following week with a caption that said, “lets see how reality matches”. Well, I am pleased (amazed) to say the entire week went as advertised. I was going to say “a highlight” but I’ll settle for just “memorable” was the Friday anti-gravity to Dduallt. This was the weekend of storm “Amy” and Friday was Amy’s’ peak day. The AntiGrav involves pulling the slate train up to its starting point with a double fairlie, David Lloyd George, for it gravity return, this day it was to be Dduallt siding, waiting for a slot to push it off down the hill then waiting for another slot to return light engine. The hour waiting for the gravity trains slot was bleak with gale force winds driving rain that varied between deluge, monsoon and biblical.
Thankfully the wait for the light engine slot was only as long as it took the gravity train to get through Tan-y-Bwlch to where we made our way to then double head a train that was ridiculously short for a double fairlie and a single fairlie. By the time we were heading back to Boston Lodge with the empty train the wind and high tide combined to have waves breaking across the track.
Actual highlights were driving Merddin on the Thursday for what was my last time before it was withdrawn for overhaul and driving Blanche double heading with Linda on the Sunday. When double heading the Ladies I usually let Linda lead as it usually has some Linda fanatic with some misplaced belief its the superior one while I sit behind them on Blanche and push them to Blaenau with old reliable. This time the timetable mandated that Blanche lead and Linda had a driver new to double heading with the Ladies. He was full of nervous questions before we started but by Tan0y-Bwlch he was declaring it was the most fun you could have with your clothes on.
In a normal year of volunteering on the Festiniog Railway I would drive more then a 1500 miles. Our post Covid timetable has reduced the daily mileage from 56 to 44 but a 1000 miles is still what I would normally do. This year, as I have documented my wonky leg prevented me for starting the season in April when I normally would start driving.
I started driving this year at the end of June once a self care option for the wonky leg was available. I may have put some pressure on the medics as I was determined to drive at the 70th Anniversary event. From then, until the Bygones Week end via a long weekend in Derby driving Prince at The Greatest Gathering I tried to catch up but only made it to 917 miles for the season.
So, now with the driving season done, my leg looks like this again. As someone said to me, “bit I thought it was mended”.
This is sort of extended maintenance. If you look back to http://One Step Forward – One Step Back
