Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[ess1uk]

When Lynne was working on the signalling systems for CTRL Section 2 at CSEE in Paris, a couple of French lads were preparing to leave for Mach to commission the ERTMS; she spent some time teaching them how to pronounce the names to avoid upsetting the locals. She also taught a couple to sing Hen Wlad F'yn Nhadau, so that we had some moral support at Stade De France for the rugby..

When my team was out there doing the telecoms at the same time we had real trouble with all the crossing names and just used the numbers assigned instead.

The signallers at Mach thought it was funny.

Edited June 4, 2016 by ess1uk

[big jim]

Just some iPhone pics from today, derby to carlisle with a test train transit move

 

First up had to collect it from etches park after tyre turning, it was blocked in by 66846 which I moved out to the station yard

 

Then it was away to Carlisle via uttoxeter, stoke, crewe etc, had a good run with it basically none stop from stoke to Carlisle (apart from 2 mins waiting for the single line between alsager and crewe) Very slack timing meant I left derby 3 1/2 hours late and got to Carlisle 45 mins early!

 

 

 

 

Mission complete!

 

Ertms course the rest of the week, next week could be an interesting one either going to be learning something on the southern region or teaching someone something in Inverness!!

[roundhouse]

Just some iPhone pics from today, derby to carlisle with a test train transit move

First up had to collect it from etches park after tyre turning, it was blocked in by 66846 which I moved out to the station yard

Then it was away to Carlisle via uttoxeter, stoke, crewe etc, had a good run with it basically none stop from stoke to Carlisle (apart from 2 mins waiting for the single line between alsager and crewe) Very slack timing meant I left derby 3 1/2 hours late and got to Carlisle 45 mins early!

Mission complete!

Ertms course the rest of the week, next week could be an interesting one either going to be learning something on the southern region or teaching someone something in Inverness!!

We are short of drivers down here!

[corneliuslundie]

Many thanks for the Cambrian line pics, including the ospreys. Not often I show my wife your pics.

Perhaps next time you take a NR train to Pwllheli it had better be the weed killer.

Jonathan

[Richard E]

About 4 pages back (post #3269) I posted a shot of 37116 at Peterborough and I was asked, on the next page, about the signal in the foreground. Well, here is a better view of it taken from an HST as it approached platform 3. And before you ask I wasn't hanging out of the door window, in fact only about half of my pocket camera was protruding hence the large chunk of coach body on the right hand side of the frame.

 

You can just see the signal that this repeats at the south end of the platform. I was at the rear of the train by the way.

 

Edited June 7, 2016 by Richard E

[The Stationmaster]

I didn't get time for a  pic but i noticed yesterday at Ealing Broadway that there is a banner repeater that repeats a banner repeater - great big green glow coming from two directions at the same time.

[big jim]

Just a small question/thought, why does 97303 have what looks like a radioactive warning sticker next to the main headlight?

 

It's actually this

 

 

Basically it transmits radio waves from a Doppler radar to determine the speed of the loco (one of 3 speed pickups on a 97) which has to be turned off if your working in its vicinity

[big jim]

As a slight aside, popped out to tesco earlier and noticed loads of people heading into the heritage centre so I popped over for a look to find "flying scotsman" in there having arrived around 17:00 for an evenings stopover before heading off to Paddington tomorrow

 

You can say what you want about it, and to be honest it has no interest to me but it's certainly a crowd puller, most of the people through the gates were families with primary school aged youngsters or old people, and not your average "spotter" oldies but the likes of groups of old ladies who had come just to see Scotsman

 

My kids of course couldn't give a stuff and opted for the APT and class 40 cab!

 

 

 

 

For a Tuesday evening there was an impressive turnout of 'normals' a few hundred people I recon while I was there at 19:00 and still coming through the gates when I left at 20:15

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've not been the heritage centre for a while but it's noticable that they have swept out a lot of the old 'deadwood', Waterman no longer has a presence in there so the exhibition hall is now that again, not a workshop so it's looking a lot cleaner

 

Also gone are certain 'bad apples' (to put it mildly) which I hope the centre can distance itself from (by a million miles) and bounce back as a family friendly tourist attraction again

Edited June 7, 2016 by big jim

[CovDriver]

I may have a trip up there soon and have a look around as it's been a few years since I was last there I think it was a model railway show  that had a DRS themed layout on show and seen as my instructor is on leave next week I should be doing some front end turns (pointless really) so it'll be camera in the bag and have a little jolly instead of the usual Northampton or Redditch.

[big jim]

The model railway show may have been one organised by a former member on here (bob aka Yorkshire Pullman) and the DRS layout may have been me with my old 'warmington' layout!

[CovDriver]

I do believe it was your old layout a cracking layout.

 

Cheers

 

Colin

[big jim]

some from today, ERTMS level 2 training on the Cambrian

 

first stop from coleham was newtown

 

 

where we waited for this

 

 

then tallerddig

 

 

 

and into macc

 

the new ERTMS signalling centre is the white building on the right, the old box used to be on the left hand side, i believe the buildings to the extreme left used to be transhipment sheds for the old corris railway

 

 

then we headed back and the first stop was welshpool this time

 

then after a 3D scanning session i got dropped off at the station for my train home, had an hour to wait though!

 

 

 

 

 

 

back down there again tomorrow for another trip to machynlleth

[corneliuslundie]

A surprise to see the Arriva loco hauled set at Shrewsbury. I thought it normally worked between the North coast and Crewe etc.

Nice pics of the Cambrian section. Have a nice day today - good weather for a change.

So more Little Jims from Allan B on the way then (that may need explaining to some of your fans!).

Jonathan

[big jim]

The arriva 67 is a booked train, it runs south in the morning and returns to Holyhead in the evening, first DB 67 I've seen on it though

 

Just a couple from today, been down as far as Newtown and caught the passenger back to derby to collect my van from Monday's job!

 

 

 

One more day of it tomorrow before a week away from it to do other things but Inverness is a no no next week now thankfully!

[big jim]

Derby shunt today, managed to drive most of the colas fleet (and 37025) in the space of a few hours!

 

This doesn't happen very often, 37175 was just out of view too

 

37057 arriving in on the rear of a UTU train

[newbryford]

Derby shunt today, managed to drive most of the colas fleet (and 37025) in the space of a few hours!

 

This doesn't happen very often, 37175 was just out of view too

 

37057 arriving in on the rear of a UTU train

 

I have three out of the six  - is that enough?

 

Cheers,

Mick

[big jim]

no, not good enough, all bar 37254 were there today (which unfortunatly means ive got DRS examples on my trains later in the week as my workings are already out and about)

[newbryford]

I do have an odd DRS one as well. May end up with ROG 37608 soon also.

Cheers

Mick

[Phil Mc]

I have three out of the six  - is that enough?

 

Cheers,

Mick

You can never have 'enough' !! 

 

Cheers,

Phil.

[Swifty11]

Hopefully someone will send a Colas one on the Blackpool to RTC job on Friday, very much hoping for 057!

[big jim]

Nope that will be 601/602 I recon, I'm on it though

[Swifty11]

Nope that will be 601/602 I recon, I'm on it though

 

 

Ah right thanks very much, i'll be either at Red Bank (Near Golborne Jnct) WBQ, Moore (Near Acton Grange JNct) or Hartford Junction for it.

[big jim]

actually im on it thursday, carnforth to blackpool via the world

 

friday is a different train longsight to longsight via nelson, colne etc!

[beast66606]

Hopefully someone will send a Colas one on the Blackpool to RTC job on Friday, very much hoping for 057!

 

I got 057 at 05:20 this morning

[big jim]

I got 057 at 05:20 this morning

thats it rub it in!

 

just looking at my thursday job ive actually got to take the 37s to windermere, morecambe, blackpool south and blackpool north amongst other places

 

i think on the quiet someone in planning is seeing how many costal resorts i can visit in a month, lowestoft, barmouth, pwllheli, llandudno, blackpool and morecambe so far!