GrahamH's photos with the keyword: ash

This post is in answer to Peter P B's question about this photo, www.ipernity.com/doc/grahamh/52557052 . That is, what is happening in that other photo. Look at the PiPs here. Ash from the burnt coal accumulates in the smokebox. The mechanism highlighted here is a means to reduce a large build-up without having to open the smokebox door. Water from the boiler via the tap and pipe shown washes ash which is in the sump part of the ejector. Ash which is not in the sump can be moved into it using a pricker tool through the port halfway up the side of the smokebox in line with the sump. The pricker is moved around to get the ash to fall into the sump. (A pricker is a locomotive fire tool. It is usually a steel rod with one end bent to be a handle and the other end has 20-30 cm bent at 90 degrees. Its main purpose is to move fire around in the firebox.)

The train went into the yard at Drayton. loco 106 uncoupled then ran around, using the main line as the loop track. The PiP shows preparing to exit the yard for the runaround. Back in the yard, prior to coupling onto the carriages for the second test run, the ashpan was emptied as seen in the main photo. The ashpan is a hopper arrangement below the grate which catches the ash and embers which fall through the grate. The new one made by the DownsSteam restoration people has an air operated release so there is no need to go under the loco for this task. The photo shows the glowing coal on the ground beneath the loco being cooled by water from a hose. This is done where there are steel sleepers so there is no damage to the track. 28/08/23