By Joe Patterson

The first glimpse of a locomotive in its original colours of a railway company after a complete overhaul is a sight to behold.

To stand beside this giant of the railroad makes one feel very small indeed. A locomotive only comes alive when the ‘Steam Raiser’ lights up the fire to raise the steam pressure by boiling the water inside the boiler.

The first wisp of steam from the engine whistle, being an indication of the engine coming to life. It takes hours to raise steam on a locomotive, and it requires the full attention of the ‘Steam Raiser’, once the fire is lit until the engine crews take over.

The smell of paint, warm oil, and smoke is very noticeable as the steam pressure increases, and the heat transfer from the fire to the boiler gives off heat.

Once the engine has been prepared, and the steam pressure has been raised it has enormous power to haul heavy trains. The sight of a locomotive hauling a heavy train up a gradient, or on the level is an awesome sight to see, which is a delight for all enthusiasts and steam train spotters. They travel up and down the country whenever one of these locomotives appears.

The engine is a living thing of immense power, designed by the engineers. The drivers and firemen always referred to their engines with affection as ‘she’.