Seven Mills Sidings, from TOPS to the POD, Page 169 and Bench Road, Stabling and Fuelling Point from Page 245

[Andrew P]

7 hours ago, 47606odin said:

as you’ve found, there was only a few in general grey, and they didn’t last long. It’ll be easier to tone down the NSE livery than do a full repaint into something else.

I think your absolutely right Ian, after some work in the GARDEN  I'm going to make a start on it. I also need to re watch you Videos on how you did the Turbots as I've never studied one at close quarters.

[Andrew P]

1 hour ago, woodyfox said:

I remember 37377 was a regular at Eastleigh in the 90's in Dutch. I remember working 2 37's in multiple on a Prince's Risborough to Woking Down Yard CCE train in Dutch livery. My load was a single 'rudd' open wagon! There's a prototype for everything! 

 

Wow, I didn't realise you were a Driver as well, so that's 2 x Ex Drivers following me on here, you and Ian, @47606odinso I'd better make sure I get my Toot Toots in the right places on the Videos.

[Andrew P]

All this talk of 37's so here is 37206 having just arrived in Bridge End Sidings.

 

[47606odin]

4 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

Wow, I didn't realise you were a Driver as well, so that's 2 x Ex Drivers following me on here, you and Ian, @47606odinso I'd better make sure I get my Toot Toots in the right places on the Videos.

Technically, not an Ex driver, just now doing it a long way away

 

 

[woodyfox]

5 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

Wow, I didn't realise you were a Driver as well, so that's 2 x Ex Drivers following me on here, you and Ian, @47606odinso I'd better make sure I get my Toot Toots in the right places on the Videos.

I frequently described myself as a 'Rail Polisher' rather than a Driver... 

[pwr]

Andy

 

With your leap forward in time will there be a Dutch 37?

 

Paul R

[Mol_PMB]

26 minutes ago, woodyfox said:

I frequently described myself as a 'Rail Polisher' rather than a Driver... 

When the PW gang moan about how much damage the trains do to their track, I like to point out how much time they would have to spend on their hands and knees polishing the rail heads if we didn’t run them. 

Edited March 17, 2021 by Mol_PMB
Typo

[Andrew P]

1 minute ago, pwr said:

Andy

 

With your leap forward in time will there be a Dutch 37?

 

Paul R

See previous page Paul, I'm looking for a Body swap. NO NOT MINE, a Class 37.

[Andrew P]

2 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

When the PW gang moan about how much damage the trains do to their track, I like to point out how much time they would have to spend on their hands and knees polishing the tail heads if we didn’t run them. 

Are you a Driver as well Mol?

[pwr]

12 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

See previous page Paul, I'm looking for a Body swap. NO NOT MINE, a Class 37.

 

Got it!

[Mol_PMB]

10 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

Are you a Driver as well Mol?

I only drive on a heritage line (FR), but my day job is on the big railway. Wheel/rail interface and vehicle dynamics engineer. Derailment, ride comfort, track damage, that sort of thing. 

[Hal Nail]

At the age of 10 I drove 33s and 47s between Southampton and Reading/Birmingham, and Hastings units from Charing Cross down to Tunbridge Wells, from the auxiliary 3rd man position in the front vestibule of the leading coach!

 

I made all the right engine noises

[andyram]

14 minutes ago, Hal Nail said:

 

 

I made all the right engine noises

 

But not necessarily in the right order.

[woodyfox]

47 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

I only drive on a heritage line (FR), but my day job is on the big railway. Wheel/rail interface and vehicle dynamics engineer. Derailment, ride comfort, track damage, that sort of thing. 

I assume the Southern area is still battling to overcome dipped joints, wet spots and associated rough riding caused by axle-hung traction motors? 

 

[Mol_PMB]

1 minute ago, woodyfox said:

I assume the Southern area is still battling to overcome dipped joints, wet spots and associated rough riding caused by axle-hung traction motors? 

 

I’ve not been down that way for many years, but ballast has a long memory and a complete renewal from the formation upwards is the only real way to reinstate good top. That requires a lengthy line closure which is hard to come by. 

[Andrew P]

1 hour ago, Mol_PMB said:

I only drive on a heritage line (FR), but my day job is on the big railway. Wheel/rail interface and vehicle dynamics engineer. Derailment, ride comfort, track damage, that sort of thing. 

Pardon my ignorance, but which is the FR? Mol.

[P.C.M]

Hi Andy great to see the layout will be staying. Looks like a change in stock is happening. I remember seeing 37116 about the Eastleigh area back in the day so you could remember your 37081 rather than change it. I think 33035 will look nice with some light weathering. I don't remember seeing too dirty.

 

Cheers Peter.

[Andrew P]

4 minutes ago, P.C.M said:

Hi Andy great to see the layout will be staying. Looks like a change in stock is happening. I remember seeing 37116 about the Eastleigh area back in the day so you could remember your 37081 rather than change it. I think 33035 will look nice with some light weathering. I don't remember seeing too dirty.

 

Cheers Peter.

Thanks for that Peter, If I keep it, I'm not even that worried by the name and Number.

 

As for 33035, Yes I think subtlety is the way to go. The roof is shinny black, so that and the side grills will be my first port of call, along with the underbody area, then some gentle working along the side' It need some dirt in recesses and some streaking down as Ian said, so I will photograph as I go today.

 

Nice pics from Campbell Road. 

[Mol_PMB]

18 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

Pardon my ignorance, but which is the FR? Mol.

Festiniog Railway. 

[Andrew P]

An extra pic for today.

[Andrew P]

1 minute ago, Mol_PMB said:

Festiniog Railway. 

Been up to the top, and down to Porthmadog many time when staying at Bala, but never ridden the line. I love the whole of Snowdonia, and especially for my painting and going to the Mac Loop.

[Donw]

1 hour ago, Hal Nail said:

At the age of 10 I drove 33s and 47s between Southampton and Reading/Birmingham, and Hastings units from Charing Cross down to Tunbridge Wells, from the auxiliary 3rd man position in the front vestibule of the leading coach!

 

I made all the right engine noises

 

I drove from Paddington to Reading  lots of time sitting in the front seats of Diesel multi units. If the driver had left a blind up you had it all, the signals, the sound of the AWS ater a few times you had learnt the route knowing where to look for the signals.

 

Don

[Mol_PMB]

24 minutes ago, Donw said:

 

I drove from Paddington to Reading  lots of time sitting in the front seats of Diesel multi units. If the driver had left a blind up you had it all, the signals, the sound of the AWS ater a few times you had learnt the route knowing where to look for the signals.

 

Don

I did that once when the driver had a SPAD while I was watching...

He walked back to the SPT, fessed up and then carried on driving. 

[woodyfox]

1 minute ago, Mol_PMB said:

I did that once when the driver had a SPAD while I was watching...

He walked back to the SPT, fessed up and then carried on driving. 

I relieved Bristol men at Reading one day on a Rugex to Twickenham. It was a 47 with 13 coaches. I was only about 23 and a Southern scruff (jeans, t shirt and BR issue dust jacket). The two old boys in full uniform had a 5 minute debate on whether to let my take it over....... The miserable old even took his key out and ignored me! 

[Mol_PMB]

44 minutes ago, woodyfox said:

I relieved Bristol men at Reading one day on a Rugex to Twickenham. It was a 47 with 13 coaches. I was only about 23 and a Southern scruff (jeans, t shirt and BR issue dust jacket). The two old boys in full uniform had a 5 minute debate on whether to let my take it over....... The miserable old even took his key out and ignored me! 

These days different TOCs or depots have different practices about exchanging keys when relieving another driver. I've got a couple stashed away somewhere from when I used to work on mods and commissioning and would need to switch on an EMU for testing. Only once actually driven on the UK main line, but have done several times abroad.

 

Regarding the 1990s scruff, on the FR we went through a phase around that time where the loco crews (staff and vols alike) mostly dressed scruffily, polo shirt and jeans under the bib&brace. Adidas 3-stripe was a favourite. I think the idea was that we weren't dressing up to play trains. That was stopped when someone driving in a secondhand HMV pink and blue T-shirt ended up on the front cover of a book! Not mentioning any names but one RMWeb member was the chap ahead of his time in pink and blue - more recently to be seen wearing the similar TPE driver's uniform.