The party's over..... The last Victorian Christmas Train from Alna Center has returned, the holiday revelers are all gone, the coaches have been put away in the barn and all that's left is the task of putting WW&F Locomotive #9 to bed in Stall 4 of the Sheepscot shop building. With the daylight fading even faster than normal due to an all-day snowstorm, Engineman Gordon Cook (left) and Fireman J.B. Smith (right) go about the ritual of shutting down their engine for the night. Tonight, things will just take longer. First, there is snow and ice all over the engine, and the crew will need to remove as much as possible to avoid flooding the servicing pit in the shop. Gordon is working that issue, while his "ash-cat" JB is in the process of dumping the fire. WW&F Locomotives are never put away with an active fire in them. You can see that JB has already pulled back the ashpan covers and has given the grates a first shake. He will shortly begin spraying down the glowing hot coals and raking them away from the engine. Once the fire has been dumped, the engine will be backed into Stall #4 of the shop on her remaining boiler pressure. The stack will be capped and she'll be left for the night. In a day or two, another crew will come by to drain the boiler, blow out all of the lines and begin winterizing the engine, which will be dormant for at least a month.
