LMS Route: Rugby to Leamington Spa (Avenue)

LMS Route: Nuneaton to Leamington

LMS Route: Leamington to Weedon

Warwick (Milverton) Shed: lnwrwar_shed1443

This view from the cab of a locomotive over its tender must have been taken on a Sunday when the foreman was not on duty. The coal is of all sorts of sizes and gives the viewer a little understanding of the task facing a fireman. The large lumps would have been manhandled into the firebox but only after the fire was well lit. Enginemen were often tasked with giving coal to staff alongside the line at signal boxes and P & W huts in out of the way places.

Bob Essery recounts a story when he was firing a locomotive on the Birmingham to Evesham route when they were tasked in dropping off coal to a P & W gang on the line. They dropped a large lump of coal at speed just as they were passing the lineside hut. Unfortunately Bob missed timed the drop and instead of it landing besides the hut it hit it fair and square demolishing it in a cloud of dust and much shouting from the gang who Bob recalls were last seen shouting and waving angry fists at the disappearing locomotive.

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