Saturday Afternoon at Enfield 4
Once a loco had coaled at the coaling stage it was ready it was ready to head for the ash pits to drop it’s fire. The pits were quite close to the coaling stage but weren’t actually set into the ground.
Instead all locos were required to tackle quite a short but steep grade that allowed them to be positioned over open wagons on a siding that was at ground level. To reach the pits locos continued on past the coaling stage and ran through a spring-loaded point into a short dead-end siding.
A quick change of direction and a lot of speed just got them to the the spot where they could drop their ash straight into the waiting trucks. Here is 5261 on February 3, 1968 making a run at the grade. It’s just moved down from the coal stage which is on my left.
You’ll notice that the tender is topped right up, the loco has backed down through those spring-loaded points I mentioned and now it’s on it’s way up the grade to where they can drop the fire.