Hi all,An age old daily occurrence on the railways during steam days, taking water, OK on a nice day like here but not so much fun on a bitter cold day in the winter or any time really when the rain was lashing down and the wind was blowing, being on the back of a tender, waiting for the the tank to fill in those conditions was no joke. Your hands became gnum with cold holding down a thick wet leather bag trying to keep it in place.
The fireman of 4277 a Great Western 2-8-0 looks the part. They are at Pickering on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and will return to Grosmont once rejoined with its train. Most of these engines spent their lives in south Wales hauling coal from the pits in the valleys to the docks at Newport, Cardiff, Barry and Swansea as well as the steel works in the area. They were powerful beasties.
June 1997.
Regards
Ledg.