A TRADITIONAL SHOVEL-COOKED BREAKFAST ON THE FOOTPLATE OF GWR COLLETT 0-6-2 LOCOMOTIVE No. 6695

News Item and Press Release from Andrew P.M. Wright
Official photographer & press officer, Swanage Railway.
Photographs are copyright Andrew P.M. Wright unless otherwise acknowledged.
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There is nothing like a good breakfast cooked on the shovel - as locomotive crew Pete Duncalfe, Oliver Furnell and Robert Davis found out on the footplate of GWR Collett 0-6-2 tank locomotive No. 6695 during the Swanage Railway's autumn steam gala.

The trio opted for the footplate tradition on the Saturday of the steam gala while waiting for the 'right' away for Norden with an empty carriage stock (ECS) working after having run light engine from Swanage and picked up the carriages from the goods yards at Corfe Castle.

At Norden, the locomotive hauled the first train of the day from the park and ride facility down to Swanage.

Pete Duncalfe displayed equally excellent skills with the shovel in the culinary department as he does with the shovel when firing a trip so that his fireman can gain that all important experience of driving.