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The day started at dawn with a fire
being lit in the locomotive. Here No.186 starts to raise a head of steam
for the day's work ahead. She is less than clean and will need much elbow
grease to get her shining in the way the passengers expect!
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The train of six carriages is assembled
at the old excursion platform, now used by the Railway Preservation Society,
and No.186 is tied on to her train.
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The train arrives at Carrickfergus,
and the first load of festival goers climb aboard for the short journey
to Larne. A trainee RPSI fireman reaches underneath the boiler to top up
the oil in No.186's motion.
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Here No.186 runs round the train.
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"Something old" - No.186, built in
1879,
"Something new" - the NIR C3K unit on the left, "Something borrowed" -
the entire train chartered for the day and "Something blue" - the Castle
class railcar on the right.
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Now loaded with passengers, the train
makes its way to Larne. Here it skirts Belfast Lough just east of Downshire
station.
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No.186 puts on a vigorous performance
as she climbs uphill away from Magheramorne halt.
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Larne Harbour station is next to the
P&O and Stena Line ferry terminals. European Highlander lies
alongside the quay while No.186 has her tender water tank refilled. The
blue hose on the ground attaches into a fitting in the tender, allowing
speedy and efficient filling of the tender.
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"Is it full yet?" - The trainee
fireman looks down into the large water tank as water gushes in. Over 1500
gallons were taken on in under half an hour.
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As soon as the tank was full,
No.186 scurried back up the line to collect her carriages.
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A volunteer, already blackened
by cleaning the engine earlier in the day, collects the hoses used to fill
the tank. Behind him another volunteer rolls up the last hose.
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No.186 has collected her carriages
and is ready to bring them back to Carrickfergus. In the background Stena
Leader loads with cars and lorries for the next sailing to Fleetwood.
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Running tender first, the train of
returning day trippers is observed by a nesting swan on the short causeway
just north of Magheramorne .
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Now running on recently relaid track,
No.186 rounds the headland of White Head.
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The train approaches the picturesque
White Harbour en route to Carrickfergus.
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Now with the passengers safely returned
to Carrickfergus, No.186 brings the empty train back to Whitehead.
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The six coaches used to run
on the "Enterprise" and Intercity services in England. They are now enjoying
a busy retirement, at more sedate speeds than on the crack expresses of
thirty years ago.
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At the end of the day No.186 returned
to Whitehead. The day was not yet over for the volunteers who had still
to shunt the carriages and put the engine away ready for the Steam
and Jazz trains later this month.
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