We took part in the 1940s Weekend at Quorn Station on the Great Central Railway.
On the Saturday morning we took the K2 and Dennis trailer pump, followed by the Fordson Escape Carrier.
Our main display on both Saturday and Sunday followed the bombing run at 12:20. A series of pyros were detonated down the track, ending with the sidings at the far end of the yard. Unfortunately, we failed to get mains power for a smoke machine. We were a bit ambitious, and used two branches. This meant that the suction caused a short length of hose to collapse, so, as is seen in the photos, the main jet was just a damp squib. This was fixed by putting a piece of bathroom downpipe in the hose so it couldn’t collapse!
We then went for a ride on the trains, and stayed for the entertainment on the Saturday evening.
Sunday started bright, but it started raining as we arrived at Quorn, and didn’t stop all day. However, the small technical problem with Saturday’s demo was fixed, and the Sunday demo worked much better. We did find a short lull in the rain to try slipping the escape off the Fordson. Didn’t dare extend it, as it really needs a tall building to lean against, and the ladder needs a good check over.
The event details are at www.gcrailway.co.uk
