Great Central Railway Loughborough Leicestershire 17th August 2025

During the recent Railways at Work weekend I was rostered for an early Sunday morning turn on Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST Robert (1752 of 1943) preserved as BR J94 68067.

I signed on at 5am and after cleaning out the old fire & lighting up again this was the scene an hour later. Although it was still warm there was no pressure on the boiler so the blower could not be used. Hence the clouds of billowing smoke inside the cab. It took ages to come round and clear the choking smoke and it was only later when we could move over the inspection pit that I discovered why; the ashpan was choked up to the bars! You need air passing through the firebed to really get it going and very little was.