shahranpurfireman

In the mean time Gurbux Singh has poured a mug of tea for each of us and produced his tiffin carrier which he had also put above the firebox door to get warm, out of it he gave me and Mr Collis 2 Kachori’s each ( stuffed deep-fried bread ) and a little Sukhi bundgobhi ( dry cabbage curry ) which we enjoy with our mug of tea, however before we can drink or eat the starter signal turns to green. I shout “Starter green,” pull the leaver to open cylinder cocks, Mr Collis the Driver gives a long blast on the whistle I look to the rear of the train see the guard wave his lamp which is green; I shout “alright” the driver open’s the regulator like before we move off without slipping ( it’s bad driving to let the Locomotive slip ). I close the cylinder cock’s then open the firebox and put on a fire about 8 shovel’s of coal filling both back corners of the firebox and spreading the coal evenly over the grate area close door. In the mean time Gurbux has exchanged lamp signals with the guard this is done to make sure that the guard has got back in his Brake and not been left behind.

I stand and eat my Kachori’s and Suki bundgobi so do both Gurbux and Driver Collis, after drinking my mug of tea I put on the injector fill up the boiler to within ½ an inch of the bottom of the top gauge glass nut. I stand between the two hand rails and lean out into the wind it’s a great feeling nice and cool as my Shirt is wet with sweat , Gurbux has pulled more coal to the front of the coal chute and is now standing near Mr Collis talking to him. I walk over to the firebox door open it and put about 4 shovel’s of coal in close the door and ask Gurbux to give the footplate a sweep down and a damping which he does. I put on another fire close the door, we are getting near to Khatauli and I open the blower and shut off the regulator and train starts to slow. I look out and see outer signal at red I make sure that Mr Collis has also seen it he starts to brake slowing down to 10 MPH we have to stop at the outer signal as soon as we come to a stop the outer turns green we proceed with caution at 10 MPH pick up the token on the driver’s side of the cab, Gurbux throws the one we got at Muzaffarnagar into the net near the signal box. The starter and advanced starter are green no more caution orders so I shout “alright” the driver opens the regulator back up to the point where he had it and hooks the dog chain to keep it in place; turns the reversing gear back to 35% cut off and we set off towards our next stop Meerut.

We continue putting on fires and filling up boiler untill we get within sight of the outer signal of Meerut, it is green I shout “alright” we pass the outer I turn on the blower, Mr Collis shuts the regulator I look out the direction signal is also on green we head into Platform 1 coming to a halt at the end of the platform; the water column is right near where we want it : we have a 20 minute halt here. Gurbux gets up on the tender and pulls the water column over the water inlet of the tender, turns it on and comes back to the footplate and fills up the oil can and goes around the locomotive filling up all the oil boxes. Mr Collis goes round checking with his hand hammer also feeling the axle boxes and big ends. I open the steam cock to the rocking bar donkey engine also the cock to the ash pan damper I move the donkey leaver back and forth rocking the fire bars getting rid of the ash in the firebox I drop the Drop grate and make fire pushing out any clinkers through the drop grate running the big hook back and forth on the grate levelling out the fire. I pull the Drop grate back up in to position pushing the fire over it put the big hook away in the tube in the tender and put on a nice big fire, 4 shovel’s in each back corner of the firebox 8 shovel’s spread evenly over the grate area shut the door put on the injector fill up the boiler; when it is full turn off the injector turn off the blower and go and sit on a bench on the platform to cool off. In the mean time Gurbux Singh the 2^nd fireman has finished filling the oil boxes, the water has overflowed from the tender he climbs up and turns it off and pushes the water column away from the locomotive. Mr Collis has called over a vendor selling food and ordered us 6 Puri’s each and vegetable curry also 3 Gulab Jamuns each paying for them out of his own pocket. Gurbux nips on to the footplate and puts on the water for a cup of tea it does not take long and he makes the tea we all sit and eat our meal of Puri’s, curry and then the sweet’s. I go over to a ice cold water tap and fill up our mugs with the cold water, bring it back to the bench near the locomotive; we sit and drink the water it goes down a treat: Gurbux takes the mugs back on the foot plate and fills them with tea it is nearly time to leave Meerut we climb back on the footplate and are waiting for the token and the starter to go to green.