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(The footplate top of the pops)!
I would rate the humble ‘Blower’ second fiddle to only the Injectors (or ‘jiggers’ to some) themselves! But maybe only after your first blowback of its first pale brown hue in the cab! And its ignition when gently stirring the black coals of an engine that’s stood a long time! It’s fires been ‘blacked out’ for hours? I spose them firemen that put household fires out after a chip pans been heating for too long might refer to its Flashpoint? The Blower is just that from the Smokebox? The resulting draw from door or firebars takes that gas away! Coal would be cooked for my pram of ‘Coke’, Its gas to the dome for cooking and street lighting? Its many a year yet to have North sea gas conversion’s of every gas appliance throughout the land! It became habit for a touch of blower when bringing a steam engine back to life! You could sometimes see mini blowbacks when driver slams the regulator shut at speed! But without that touch of blower for a bit of Oxygen, then you could be poking about with that smouldering lump all day! And I only have 1/2 n hour? Where’s my driver disappeared to now! Drinking Tea? But good Lubrication is also one of ‘Top of the Pops’!
