Origins of the Name RICKET

Back in 1990 the BIG RAILWAY was holding a recreation of the Rainhill trials at Bold Colliery. As the site was a colliery the track left a little to be desired. Several times during the weekend the replica of Stephenson's Rocket came off the track.

Same day but in North Wales...............

Blanche was running round her train in Porthmadog when the tender became derailed. Quickly put back on the track she carried on with her train only to come of the track again later that day.

Time now leaps forward to the next day and the mess room at Boston Lodge Works...............

Over tea various newspapers are being read. All have reports of the Rainhill trials and Rockets problems but the most famous for its spelling mistakes, the grauniad, reports that Ricket fell off the track. Perverse mess room humour cuts in and as they can't be talking about Bold Colliery as we all know that engines was the Rocket ours must be the Ricket. That day Blanche's nickname became Ricket, a name that has stuck to this day

Why RicketRescue?

Originally the concept we were working on was a plan to get the footplate crews involved in maintenance with some work on Prince as the planned target. In the end this didn't materialise but the project evolved into one to restore Blanche to quite a tight timescale for her 100th Birthday.

In 1998 Blanche had come out of traffic for an overhaul for which there were no resources. Thinking they were being helpful a group of volunteers were directed to dismantle her. They were instructed to label the parts but this wasn't too helpful as they hadn't got a clue what the bits were called. A wagon load of copper pipe labelled "a bit of Blanche" or "some more Blanche" was less than helpful

Inheriting the the engine in this state and with a tight deadline to meet with an all volunteer team we needed a rallying call to get the gang revved up and as it was Ricket that needed Rescuing the title was easy and RicketRescue was born.

We also formulated `rule one' for loco overhauls which states: -

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