[locojoe]

Originally Posted by Jim Christie

The wonderful sound of Westinghouse pump.
The 'thump thump' rhythm simply isn't complete without the 'bang/clatter' supplanted by some choice swearwords as the Driver knocks seven bells out of it with the coal hammer......

One day we were running from Liverpool st. to Enfield with an N7 0-6-2 tank when the Westinghouse pump or donkey stopped working. The best way to restart the donkey was to belt it with a large hammer, this usually did the trick but on this day after a couple of pumps it stopped again.
The driver said to me you'll have to stand on the running board and keep hitting it until we get to Enfield. So there was I in the pouring rain standing on the running board belting the donkey, this I did for a couple of miles until we reached Enfield. I wonder what todays Health & Safety would make of that.