jalapenokitten's photostream  

Swanage MPD ashpit, in this case.

Once the rostered engines finally leave the shed in the morning, the next job is to transfer (shovelfull by shovelfull) the ash in the pit to the ground alongside the ash wagon. Once there, it is shovelled into a wheelbarrow, dropped in a pile alongside the ash wagon and finally - thrown into the ash wagon.

I actually quite enjoy this task - it's really quite good exercise, and if you get your posture right it is far easier than you would expect.

It goes without saying that this photo was taken from a location which is not accessible to the public.

As sure as night follows day, when Mel Cox (the SR Ops Manager) arrives on shed in the morning Carriages Will Be Washed.*

* subject to operational constraints, of course.

The SR carriage washer is a mobile affair which requires a handful of people to set up and take down, plus the obligatory shunter and a couple of handy volunteers with long handled brushes. It all works rather well.

Note that this photo was taken from a location which is not accessible to the public.

Fresh out of Herston Works, the newly constructed tender for rebuild Bulleid Battle of Britain pacific 34053 "Sir Keith Park" poses alongside Swanage MPD in the company of Standard 4MT 80104 and the SR road-railer.

This shot was taken from inside the MPD ash wagon, which obviously isn't a location accessible to the public.

Stanier 5MT 45305 enjoys a break by the sea outside Swanage station on Friday 20th May 2011. It had worked down the previous Saturday on the "Swanage Belle", and remained at Swanage until late in June.

SR residents 08436 and 34028 "Eddystone" at rest just outside Swanage station on the afternoon of Thursday 17th March 2011.

Amazingly, these are almost contemporary designs - the design of the BR shunter is basically that of those built for the SR, LNER and LMS in the 1940s.