Railway Sunday lunch

[Bill DawesParticipant @billdawes]

Last weekend we finally had our Sunday lunch that our sons bought us as a Christmas present.

It was on the East Somerset steam railway and I have to say we were absolutely delighted. Food was excellent, piping hot and beautifully cooked and prepared.

As a Coeliac I of course require a gluten free food and this was admirably catered for.

Expensive but worth it as a special treat and of course supports our wonderful preservation raiilways.

East Somerset is a small line but a delightful railway with its GWR buildings, you can visit signal box, small museum and shop and engine sheds. Good cafe as well.

And of course the usual helpful friendly volunteers.

Bill D.

[Bill DawesParticipant @billdawes]

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

I recall visiting the East Somerset Railway some twenty or more years ago, with a family I know.

"Black Prince" (8F??) was standing cold, and with no apparent prohibition to visitors climbing on board – which we did. If anyone saw us they did not challenge us.

"How do you drive it, then?" my friend asked.

"Well, first by changing places. You're on the fireman's seat" , I replied.

Obviously we did not disturb any of the controls, but I pondered the "ergonomics" , a word probably unknown in Riddles' day and earlier.

From the driver's perch, two things were immediately obvious to me. The restricted view ahead, but the driving controls being all within my reach, with the ejector and brake-application handles about level with my ear. Even when standing though, I realised I could not have operated the manifold valves mainly the province of the fireman. Too high up for we of economy size, at least without being griddled by the back-head and closed fire-doors.

I did wonder how short men ever managed as Cleaners (a head for heights useful), never mind as Firemen, especially in decades past when people generally were shorter.

'

{For a few years I sometimes drove a Ruston-built, narrow-gauge, 4-wheeled diesel locomotive, but had to stand for much of the trip. If I sat on the side-facing tractor-seat bolted to the gearbox top, my eye-line was only just above the edge of the windscreen, and my own track horizon created by the bodywork was a good fifty yards ahead of the locomotive! }

[Martin Johnson 1Participant @martinjohnson1]

Riddles put a lot of effort into making controls easy to handle on the Standards. Whether the art had been christened "Ergonomics" by then, I don't know.

Martin

[John Doe 2Participant @johndoe2]

Thank you, Bill for the recommendation. I took my wife for a visit this week and we rode on the (Steam) train three times, as well as having sandwiches and cakes in the station restaurant. All the staff were good, and "old school" in terms of service and attention to customers.

One thing we should perhaps say is that the line is not all that long, unfortunately. A there and back trip only takes 32 mins, and that includes the engine disconnecting and reattaching for the return trip.

But a very nicely presented and well run facility. Plenty of free car parking etc. A very pleasant day out – even though it took us 2 and a half hour's drive each way to get there ! We have an afternoon tea booked for another day !

[Bill DawesParticipant @billdawes]

Yes it is quite a short run although for the lunch it is stretched out to a couple of hours with two runs, the start of the second run was an opportunity to stretch legs and, on the hot day it was, a bit of cooler air.

Having a trip to the Norden – Swanage one next week.

As well as the larger West Somerset railway there is also the Avon Valley one, again a short length of track, it was the one I had a Driving experience birthday present on a few years back. It is alongside a Bath to Bristol cycle track and has an excellent cafe there.

Bill D.

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