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Wanderings around the Midlands


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  • RMweb Gold

The station work has really taken off in the last few weeks most of the prep work for the new over bridge at the North end of the platform is nearly done.

The superstructure for the new station building (that's got an eight story car park on top ) is really going up faster than your average mecano set.. 

I'll try and get some pictures of the construction work on Friday or Saturday morning as I'm spare on both days. 

 

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  • RMweb Gold

Well a couple of days of constant New St - Northampton work it's all a bit same old $%^& just a different day. 

But here's a few from yesterday and this morning. 

The first one a rare move for us a 12car ECS move from Birmingham International to Coventry.

The second pic showing this mornings chariots 350102 on the rear and 350370 waiting to leave Coventry Yard.

Next up is what is becoming a regular move for GBRf a pair of 47's doing a class 360 unit move from Ilford EMD to Northampton Kings Heath EMD for modifications. 

The last two pics show the steelworks going up for the new Coventry station building.

 

Cheers 

 

Colin 

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  • RMweb Gold

I really need to get Northampton on my route card as the job with the 47s regularly comes up uncovered (Northampton to Leicester) and I can’t do it, I sign as far as daventry (drift) so it’s really not much to get the short distance to Northampton and kings heath depot in, unfortunately I’m so busy at the moment it’s a struggle to try and get a couple of days spare to do it 

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  • RMweb Gold
2 hours ago, big jim said:

I really need to get Northampton on my route card as the job with the 47s regularly comes up uncovered (Northampton to Leicester) and I can’t do it, I sign as far as daventry (drift) so it’s really not much to get the short distance to Northampton and kings heath depot in, unfortunately I’m so busy at the moment it’s a struggle to try and get a couple of days spare to do it 

I've only ever seen one of your drivers (Anthony Middleton) do that job he had to follow me to Rugby yesterday as the signaller gave me the road first but then again the 47's did depart Kings Heath 108mins early. 

 

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  • RMweb Gold

Just a couple from yesterday's small job firstly a couple of pics in Coventry North yard of a pair of 323's after I'd just prepped them ready for service.

Then there is a pic of a pair of 156's passing through Northampton.

I was spare this morning but as a job was uncovered I've copped it from being spare at 0533. 

So today it's just a New St - Redditch and back followed by a New St - Northampton and back. 

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  • 3 months later...
  • RMweb Gold

As it's been a while since I had been to Soho LMD I had the chance of a brief visit to take a pair of 323's there and back to New St just to get them out of the way as there was a bit of service disruption due to problems with the overheads. 

And this was hiding around the back of the depot.

It was good to see the Badger again, It's now allocated to Soho Depot whilst the last few remaining jobs are carried out and it has been powered up last Sunday from the overheads and it moved a few inches under it's own power. 

 

Cheers 

 

Colin

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  • 9 months later...
  • RMweb Gold

Firstly I must apologise for the lack of updates on this thread it's been a bit odd at work with Covid causing so much disruption and as I've managed to dodge the virus so far (touch wood, crossed fingers)etc..

I'll try and update a bit more regularly but I've been asked not take pics in Coventry North Yard by my DM and post them on social media etc...

 

So I'm back to work next week after 3weeks on leave I've almost forgotten what a train is apart from the models on my layout.

 

Cheers 

 

Colin 

 

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  • RMweb Gold

First chance this week to take some pics firstly 350265 waiting at Coventry to work 5F32 Cov Yd to Birmingham New St.

Then a pic of the new station buildings on platform 4 at Coventry almost ready.

And finally 350265 again at New St after I had coupled upto a 350/4 ready for it's trip to Liverpool. 

I'm now about to do a New St - International shuttle the two round trips to Northampton and then it's long weekend.

 

Cheers 

 

Colin

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 10/09/2017 at 00:47, CovDriver said:

A loco that's often forgotten 08805 on Soho depot post-7076-0-78578000-1505000656_thumb.jpg

Mooching around the Protoype Discussions section I came across this thread. Seeing this photo the first thing that came to mind was, 'Two hours of pushing broom.........King of the Road'. Interesting that it was used for moving bogies around the depot, something similar elsewhere (Protoype for everything?) used for shunting the Parry People Mover, and for connecting PW trolleys to road / rail diggers.

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  • RMweb Gold

No real updates I'm afraid as more drivers are coming back and being productive after self isolating I'm getting a lot more of the spare turns.

I'm 0438 until 1221 spare today and so far this is all I've done. 

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  • RMweb Gold

One from yesterday a 350  5F32 0518 ECS Cov Yard to New St.

The 86 was on a Coventry to Carlisle charter this morning.

Only got a trip to Lichfield Trent Valley and back to do today then it's long weekend again.

Looking forward to Saturday as I'll be helping out Mark Miller on Southgate Park at the Cradley Heath model railway show. 

 

Cheers 

 

Colin

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  • RMweb Gold

Today's offerings are firstly a couple of it's from my short visit to Wolverhampton. 

350233 working the 0848 Wolverhampton to New St local service with a quick view from the office window. 

And the last pic showing an EMR liveried class 170 on a Shrewsbury to New St service. 

 

Cheers

Colin

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

Just a couple from this mornings turn what is normally the worst turn at our depot 

Which should have been Birmingham International to New St= 2 full return trips then 2 full return New St to Walsall trips followed by New St to Northampton and turn back to Coventry and finish.

Instead it's been Birmingham International to New St the New St to Northampton and return the back to Northampton after nearly a 2hour break and back to Coventry and finish.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

Just one from this morning as it was too cold and far to early for booking on duty as its altered workings this week.

So it was a book on time of 0342 with a taxi to Birmingham International and prep a 12 car formation of 350's then run ECS to Coventry split the rear 4 off and take the front 8 to Northampton as the 0540 service for Euston.

Then it was an hours wait to work the 0714 back to New St followed by another hour before Lichfield TV and back and pass home to Coventry. 

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

Sorry no pics as there's not been much worth taking pics of.

But the last couple of days have been testing to say the least. 

On Friday morning I was on the prepping a 12 car 350 job again its usually the best job of the depot but that didn't last long.

Upon prepping the train it had a parking brake fault which wouldn't reset. So that was a call to Siemens but to avail no luck. 

I had to wait for a fitter to isolate all the brakes on the rear defective vehicle.

A 5 hour wait in total then I had to uncouple units an carry out several shunt moves around Birmingham International to Bury the defective vehicle whilst other services were running.

And then wait for a path to run ECS to Northampton King's Heath. 

And yesterday was just the icing on the cake again running a 12 car 350 ECS from Coventry to Birmingham New St  I hit a tree near Adderley Park at about 80mph that was an interesting few moments to say the least. 

Just a couple of pics attached for your entertainment the first one was from yesterday a brief visit to Redditch with 323206 I literally couldn't see where I was going from Selly Oak to Alvechurch.

The second pic is the regular move from Kings Heah depot to Cricklewood with a GBRf 47 for the class 360 modifications  

And the last pic is the future for me and class 730 and to be honest I'm not looking forward to learning these units.

Cheers 

 

Colin 

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2 hours ago, CovDriver said:

 

And the last pic is the future for me and class 730 and to be honest I'm not looking forward to learning these units.

Cheers 

 

Colin 

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Is there a reason for that which you are able to share in a public forum?  Have the units gained some sort of "reputation" or is it just the PITA of going back to school to learn another piece of traction whilst maintaining competence on the existing fleet?

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  • RMweb Gold
1 hour ago, wombatofludham said:


Is there a reason for that which you are able to share in a public forum?  Have the units gained some sort of "reputation" or is it just the PITA of going back to school to learn another piece of traction whilst maintaining competence on the existing fleet?

It's definitely a right royal PITA having to go back to school as you put it.

And also potentially learning class 172 diesel units. 

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