Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[Davey]

8 hours ago, big jim said:

Some from last night, bescot to Stone rail drop then once done into Stafford and back to crewe 

 

bescot, my train ready for the off 

 

66004 again 

 

rode to bescot from Wolverhampton and put my bike on the loco for the ride home from basford hall 

 

I did however forget that the low emission euro 66s have a narrower gangway than an original one and despite getting the bike on ok I managed to get it completely wedged while I was trying to get it off in crewe, at one point I genuinely thought I’d have to taxi home and come back later in with some tools to take the back wheel off, the pedal got stuck in the radiator grille then as I moved it back to try and free it the back wheel got stuck in the doorway, took me almost 20 minutes to finally free it, it was like something Bernard cribbins would have sung about! 

running round in Stafford, ran almost 2 hours early back to crewe which was a nice bonus 

 

small heath ballast tonight then a week of trafford park next week 

I take it you were on a Cyclic diagram then. 

 

Davey

[big jim]

Some from last night and today, job was cancelled but I was asked if I could help out in Bescot shunting, when I got there the rail miller was in the yard with no driver as it was diverted and the booked one didn’t sign where the train was to be stabled, I did so I took it to crewe to leave there until today

 

I then came taxi back and prepped some trains in the yard including my own to a possession a bit later on in the night 

66755 on the first train

 

Then my train, 66722 appears to have had a disagreement with the loading hopper!

 

66766 at the other end 

 

 

Which I took to Banbury and into a possession, All shut down ready for the next driver to reman later in the day

 

After that I went taxi back to bescot where I rode my bike to new st and got a train back to Stoke 

 

I then went for a ride along the Couldon canal toward biddulph

 

Bridge carrying the line to oakamoor over the canal

 

And a crossing complete with rails 

 

Just past this the line split and one way went to oakamoor (which is technically mothballed) and the other toward congleton via biddulph

this is now the biddulph valley way

 

It then reaches chatterley Whitfield colliery and slagheaps

 

there is a heritage centre there i think

 

I then carried in toward biddulph, an old station platform 

 

Hard to imagine this is an old railway line, from biddulph it drops toward congleton on a steady gradient but it’s a good continuous 3 or 4 mile worth, must have been a slog coming the other way with a steam loco!

 

 

And under the Stoke to Manchester line just north of congleton station and viaduct 

 

I then went back from congleton to kidsgrove via mow cop and the ‘killer mile’ a 1:4 hill, I managed about 200 meters and gave up! Walked the bike up which near as damn killed me!

 

Snaily bridge

 

Highland coos having a swim

 

 

And up to mow cop

 

A bit sweaty

 

 

Joderell bank in the distance

 

Looking south over the Cheshire plain

 

And back toward Staffordshire 

 

From there it was all downhill to kidsgrove where I got the train back to crewe and home, covered just over 30 mile on the bike today which was good, on top of the 10 last thing last night getting to work! 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 19, 2021 by big jim
Duplicate picture replaced

[corneliuslundie]

Lovely pics, and you leave me standing when it comes to cycling. 

I regularly walk up hills (plenty round here). I claim that it is so that I can exercise different muscles.

Jonathan

[newbryford]

1 hour ago, big jim said:

 

 

 

I then went back from congleton to kidsgrove via mow cop and the ‘killer mile’ a 1:4 hill, I managed about 200 meters and gave up! Walked the bike up which near as damn killed me!

 

 

 

I have two Mow Cop Killer mile medals....

(Out of three attempts).

 

Going down the long way northwards to Congleton was worth the effort though!

 

I believe the running race record is just under 7 minutes!

[Nick C]

18 hours ago, big jim said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snaily bridge

 

 

 

Designed so that horses could get from the towpath on one side to the other without having to unhitch the tow rope.

[WessexEclectic]

47 minutes ago, Nick C said:

Designed so that horses could get from the towpath on one side to the other without having to unhitch the tow rope.

 

Also, on the far bank, you should be able to see grooves that the hundreds of tow ropes will have cut into the corner of the bridge arch.

 

The cows are positively bucolic - differing responses from the Canal and River Trust compared to NR in this case...

[big jim]

Some from yesterdays job

 

pass to Leamington from crewe 

 

then taxi to banbury to fire up the locos and get a couple of trains ready

 

had to cascade locos from one train to the next as they came in from the north and we’re leaving that way too

 

 

The first of the trains start to move from the worksite 

 

Waiting to leave 

 

but stuck in a queue

 

Eventually got away and into bescot nearly 2 hours late 

 

super shunter

 

the next part of my job should have been an empty Stone train as far as crewe where I got off and finished, but as I was late in with the first train it made that one late too, but also due to crewing issues it was being diverted via derby and Chesterfield to tunstead and my relief only signed from Chesterfield which I only found out about after I booked on so as you can imagine I wasn’t impressed! 
 

and the loco wasn’t on the train as it had only just come in from banbury

 

However despite leaving an hour late the timings were pretty slack and I got to Chesterfield 30 mins early

 

From there I had a taxi ride home which the driver decided to go via the awful up and down twisty Buxton and cat and fiddle/wildboarclough route rather than via smoother and faster A38 A50 derby uttoxeter route, which despite it being 20 mile longer is actually quicker (and I’m able to have a sleep, no such luck on the Buxton route!) 

 

anyway a long day, lots more coming up this week, 4 nights of trafford park 

 

[big jim]

Just a couple from last night, trafford park job 

 

 

stood at a signal, nice bright night showing all the new skyscrapers gracing the skyline in ‘Manc-hatten’

 

same job tonight 

[big jim]

Sorry for the lack of updates this week, quite simply, couldn’t be bothered! 
 

same job every night in the dark, same loco, same stopping places, not worth any pics really, the only one of note was this colas 56 in crewe that I saw while getting my bike from the messroom 

 

anyway on to today, something new(ish), I’ve refreshed Birch Coppice and today worked a train out of there for the first time since Fastline days with a 56 up front!

 

todays loco was 66773 ‘pride of GBRF’ with its pride flags and rainbow decals, quite apt as it was also Birmingham pride today and I took it through the outskirts of the city 

 

first time I’ve driven that particular loco in this guise 

 

 

 

 

panorama viewed from Kingsbury shunt frame box 

 

worked that through to rugby 

 

taxi back to bescot for a ballast towards coleshill as the driver didn’t sign to there 

 

Coleshill

 

After that it was back to bescot for another ballast, this time to nuneaton where fellow rmwebber @Erixtar1992 took over to take it to a possession south of rugby, no pics as it was dark by then

 

back in tomorrow, possession train from Sudbury on the chilterns to hinksey then a few days of small heath and East Midlands gateway on Saturday, then the RHTT starts in anger! 

 

 

[big jim]

Decided to have a ride on the bike today as it was a nice morning and I’m not in work until later on 

 

took the bike on the roof rack to do the old leek and manifold railway from Waterhouses to hulme end, just over 8 miles each way on the old trackbed of the 2”6’ narrow gauge line that run up the manifold valley serving farms and small communities, it was built for dairy traffic but also carried passengers, a link to Wikipedia is below to see a bit more about the line 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leek_and_Manifold_Valley_Light_Railway
 

 

the ride is absolutely brilliant, tarmac all the way, some a bit rough in places but nothing really bad, the ride starts at the old interchange station at Waterhouse’s where the narrow gauge line was alongside the main line 

 

you then cross the main road and head off up the valley 

 

The trackbed looks like a road but this is for cycles and pedestrians only 

 

Lots and lots of bridges crossing over the meandering river, the river however was completely dry today!

 

It then narrowed and the line twisted and curved along the valley bed 

 

Lots of Rocky outcrops to be seen en route

 

 

And then through Swainsley tunnel, after this the trackbed is shared by a road for a short while which looks to have replaced the old road with a weak bridge 

 

Into the shaded valley, the trackbed sightly higher than the river on a ledge 

 

The platform on the right is the old milk churn loading platform for Ecton creameries which was off to the right behind me

 

 

And the end of the line at hulme end, the old station building now used as toilets and a small visitor exhibition which has a static 009 model of the station and surrounding area 

 

 

The tea rooms built to look like the old carriage shed that used to stand at that location, inside 2 of the roof joists/legs are the original ones used in the new construction

 

Nice lemon meringue pie too!

 

And heading back the other way to Waterhouses, just after leaving Hulme end before the valley starts to close in

 

An old crossing 

 

The tunnel again

lots of sweeping curves 

Thor’s cave

 

above the river

 

And back to Waterhouses, no more pics there though

 

Some fantastic video of the line on YouTube can be seen here 

 

 

i then set off for home but decided to stop at rudyard lake and do a circular ride around there, there is a miniature railway that runs for a short distance alongside the lake along the old trackbed of the line from north rode jn to uttoxeter via leek 

 

 

they had a loco in steam today on the hourly service 

 

It’s an impressive set up with the whole station area signalled properly with colour lights etc

 

The line runs unfenced alongside the footpath 

 

After that ends it’s cycle/footpath only to the end of the lake 

 

I then went back up the other side of the lake 

 

Past the abandoned cliffe park hall, apparently it used to be a youth hostel that has now been left derelict for whatever reason 

 

 

Then it was back down the hill to the dam end of the lake which was very low on water 

 

 

The train was making its way back as I came back along the old trackbed 

 

 

 

And back at the station

 

by that time the steam loco had come off and a diesel had taken over for the last train of the day 

 

The line even has automatic 1/2 barriers!

 

 

And that was that for the day, in later tonight Sudbury to Hinksey possession train 

 

Edited September 26, 2021 by big jim
Additional Info about the leek and manifold added

[Liam_uk]

Lovely little railway at Rudyard. We stumbled across it in summer looking for something to do with our little lad.

 

Seem like powerful little locos really for the size....

[big jim]

Just 3 from this morning from a very wet Oxford, did a ballast from Ruislip to hinksey and home, no hire car, no taxi showed up and the train delayed by 40 minutes between Oxford and home so we’ll over my day and put me in a bad mood!

 

66731 after running round in hinksey 

 

Oxford station 

 

 

small Heath ballast tonight 

 

[big jim]

Just one from last night, crewe to small Heath

 

 

same job tonight but via the cannock chase line with a run round in Bescot and Tyseley! 
 

 

[big jim]

Just a couple from last night

 

Dangerous Brian getting ready to ride to the station!

 

Running round in Bescot 

 

And back in crewe this morning 47828 on the Buxton spa express 

 

same job tonight 

[big jim]

Only a couple from last night, bit of road learning at the start of the job, signed up so I can now work trains to peak forest, before I had to be conducted from chinley! 
 

 

It was so dark there were no pics there but we worked a train through to bescot via the hope valley and derby 

 

after that it was over to hams hall to work a train from there back to crewe 

 

in tonight signing off kings Norton to reddich and route conducting marcus37 over to Lichfield city then back to crewe to work a train to East Midlands gateway! 
 

next week is rhe class 66 RHTT on Sunday then a wagon move off the RTC in derby and a week of the MPV on the RHTT out of kings Norton, going to be a busy one 

 

Edited October 1, 2021 by big jim

[big jim]

The nights are drawing in now so there will be less photos in the thread I should imagine as I’m going to be working mainly nights on the RHTT but I’ll get what I can when I can, I’m waiting on a new phone with a better camera, going from an iPhone 8 to a 12 which is loads better apparently

 

in the meantime a couple from last night

 

RHTT in Lichfield trent valley high level 

 

After that it was off to crewe to work a train to east mids gateway, just a pic of rhe adjacent DB train while the other driver was running round the train 

 

Then light loco back to bescot, couple of class 60s in the yard 

 

 

Daytime RHTT tomorrow then into lodge near Nottingham for a job out of toton on Monday to the RTC and bescot 

[CovDriver]

No doubt I'll be following you about after you've cleaned the rails for me. 

I personally think this slippy season is going to be a bad one.

Edited October 2, 2021 by CovDriver
Iffy spelling

[big jim]

Change of job today. Unfortunately had to ride to kings Norton to collect my lodge bag as is left it there the other day ready for today’s job, after that I rode to bescot from there on the bike! 
 

First up in crewe, D213 on a rail tour bound for the Wirral, rather nice!

 

got a video of it, so I thought, forgot to press record, managed a picture though!

 

 

Ended up taking a train off site in Stone back to bescot 

 

And into bescot 

 

And the loco off

 

And away to the hotel for the night, back in tomorrow morning for a light engine to derby to bring some wagons back to bescot from the RTC, got a class 60 for a change

 

 

[5BarVT]

9 hours ago, big jim said:

First up in crewe, D213 on a rail tour bound for the Wirral, rather nice!

That explains the photographers on the platforms at Post Sunlight and Bromborough Rake coming back from church yesterday.  Had it been on time, rather than 12 late, I would have seen it.

Shame!

Paul.

[corneliuslundie]

I didn't know we had any branch lines left.

Jonathan

[big jim]

1 minute ago, corneliuslundie said:

I didn't know we had any branch lines left.

Jonathan

says the man who lives on one! 

[corneliuslundie]

Where is the horrified and offended icon!.

Jonathan

[big jim]

Some from today, a wagon move from derby to bescot, should have been toton but the only spare loco was a class 60 in Bescot, shame!

 

 

60002 was my loco

 

 

Into derby to change ends and head to the rtc 

 

Bet it’s been a while  since a 60 was on the RTC?

 

And coupled to the wagons, the new weed killer module train 

 

I then took it down to chaddesden to churn round where 66794 was sat, first time I’ve seen it painted 

 

 

 

Into the station to change ends and head back to the train 

 

And away to bescot 

 

Certainly an interesting unit!

 

And the loco stabled up

 

interesting to note that on the trip back from Derby I saw a DB livery 60 in chaddesden, DCR in summerhill loop, Drax livery at Burton, and a Puma livery and DB in Kingsbury! 

 

196 testing tomorrow night then RHTT the rest of the week 

[woodenhead]

5 minutes ago, big jim said:

Certainly an interesting unit!

 

 

What's it for?

 

Interesting side view with wipers

[big jim]

it’s a weed killer train, looking at the labels that module this end contains the chemicals, the centre is the operating area and the end is an office/messroom 

 

I don’t know if there is more of it looking at the extra brackets over the buffers, will have to wait and see