Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[big jim]

so back to basford hall to pick up the 67s to take to derby

 

 

into the bay at derby 

 

once on the RTC i picked up 37057

 

with a little friend watching my every move (until i fired it up!)

 

which i took to barrow hill and swapped with 37607

 

 

and took that back to derby and home (via tipton to pick up my new car)

 

97s in the morning

[bruced2]

Glad your job on Saturday night went ok Jim, was good speaking to you on Saturday

 

Bruce

[big jim]

Some from last night, the Cambrian ballast got stuck at Machynlleth the night before so we had to go down and collect it to bring back to crewe

 

A bit cold leaving crewe but positivity arctic in Machynlleth

 

Got the train out of the tank sidings

 

Bit of messing around saw the locos double headed and in multi

 

 

 

And this morning back into a ‘fresh’ Basford hall

 

 

Back on them tomorrow but only from shrewsbury (hopefully!)

[5BarVT]

Multi, and perhaps top n tail too, must be fun on ETCS as the second loco needs to be working but only the front gets the movement authority.

Paul.

[big jim]

When In multi the ECTS sees the 2 locos as one ‘unit’, However as they are both running the rear loco will give out a position report to the signalling centre so when they are split it knows where both locos are location wise

 

Top and tail is slightly more complicated, as there are no AFT cocks on a 97s the rear loco has to be running all the time to maintain its main res and manned by a fire warden with the DSD isolated and ERTMS switched off, the problem then is when you change ends and fire it up the system doesn’t know where you are as you haven’t passed over any ballieze so you are in SR (staff responsible) mode which is basically proceed at caution until you reach a block marker where you need to speak to the signaller to get authority to pass it with a written order (there is something called non leading mode which will give a position to the signalling centre but we’re not to usee that)

 

Top and tail multi (RHTT for example) is the same as having 2 locos double headed

 

Now you see why my head was battered the other week learning it all!

Edited February 7, 2018 by big jim

[big jim]

Only one pic from today, a bit fuller than yesterday, 97s in Basford hall yard again, that’s it for the Cambrian this week ,carlisle to crewe tomorrow at 30mph all the way!

 

Edited February 8, 2018 by big jim

[D854_Tiger]

When In multi the ECTS sees the 2 locos as one ‘unit’, However as they are both running the rear loco will give out a position report to the signalling centre so when they are split it knows where both locos are location wise

 

Top and tail is slightly more complicated, as there are no AFT cocks on a 97s the rear loco has to be running all the time to maintain its main res and manned by a fire warden with the DSD isolated and ERTMS switched off, the problem then is when you change ends and fire it up the system doesn’t know where you are as you haven’t passed over any ballieze so you are in SR (staff responsible) mode which is basically proceed at caution until you reach a block marker where you need to speak to the signaller to get authority to pass it with a written order (there is something called non leading mode which will give a position to the signalling centre but we’re not to usee that)

 

Top and tail multi (RHTT for example) is the same as having 2 locos double headed

 

Now you see why my head was battered the other week learning it all!

 

 

I wonder if DCC would be easier I was battering my head, more than a bit, when double heading (with sound).

 

How are those 37s when starting in the cold, is there a shore supply available at Machynlleth, looks like a night for a nice warm cab.

[big jim]

Didn’t bother with many pics last night, carlisle to stoke at 30mph track recording!!

 

37116

 

Op stop at oxenholme, 37421 leading

 

Then More stops at Lancaster and Preston, no pics as it was a chance to get a bit of sleep for a couple of hours before heading onward to crewe and stoke

 

421 on the rear again before I turned the tail lights on, I was going to put a flashing one on but annoyingly this loco only has one lamp bracket!

 

116 leading away

 

And that was it for pics as the battery went on the phone

 

Back in later at hest bank on a rail drop train

[11B]

Did you get put in platform 5 at Lancaster?

 

Thanks

Ian

[Gary H]

You mentioned the single lamp iron on 421, Jim.

If you use a flashing tail lamp, does it have to be on the driver's side as you look at the loco then?

Or was it the issue of getting down onto the track to fit it?

I notice there's not one grab rail on the nose either!!

Edited February 11, 2018 by Gary H

[big jim]

Just couldn’t be bothered getting down to do it!

 

It does cause issues though if it’s as in the picture it’s away from the platform and there is an open running line next to the train

[big jim]

Only took 2 pics today

 

Carnforth loop waiting to head south

 

And into Basford hall, parked up and shut down

[big jim]

Just one from this morning, 97s in Basford hall having arrived in from tallerddig

 

 

Same again tonight

[big jim]

Catching up with a few pics from the last week, been pretty much on the same job all week

 

68s on the flasks

 

88 on the Tesco express

 

97 in Machynlleth

 

 

And back in crewe

 

Llandrindod wells tomorrow night with a recording train

[corneliuslundie]

Hope your 97 doesn't break down there, like one did late last year on a rail tour.

Jonathan

[D854_Tiger]

Must be a lonely spot coming over Talerddig in the early hours of a bleak winter morning.

 

Though, I'm rather envious of anyone that gets to do it.

[big jim]

I’ll be thinking of you at 03:00 tomorrow morning while I’m sat in the middle of nowhere dropping ballast down there again!!

 

Did a recording train from llandridnod to derby last night but too dark for pics, managed to get a train 2 hours early from derby to crewe and when I got back there I noticed 97302 in the platform, which I knew was my loco for tonight, couple of phonecalls revealed it has been left there as the driver who bought it over didn’t sign Basford hall so I offered to take it down there to save the first driver on it tonight a job!

 

Fired it up and ended up smoking out the station, luckily the air came up quick and I managed to move it to the end of the platform away from the canopy, but not before Vitgin platform staff came and gave me a rollicking (nothing I could do really through!)

 

 

Had to wait for a charter to arrive before setting off to the yard

 

As I say that’s my loco for tonight down the Cambrian, got 15 auto hoppers behind it so I’m hoping they are all empty before tacking tallerddig!

Edited February 17, 2018 by big jim

[big jim]

Some from this morning, ballast drop at Ty Pella, 15 hoppers, Top and tail 97s

 

Stopped at llanbrynmair to drop off the operators

 

Then it was up to tallerddig, both locos were powering up the bank, communication via radio to the driver in the rear loco as to when to power up

 

And that’s me off for a week, a well earned rest is long overdue!

Edited February 18, 2018 by big jim

[Craig1989]

Nice pics jim and what was your response to the telling off from virgin staff when you smoked out Crewe station

[big jim]

A vid from Sunday of my train powering up breeden bank

 

[big jim]

Well I’ve had a nice week off and back into it again this coming week, should have been off today but got asked to pop down to Basford hall to download a 56

 

A lovely clear morning

 

Freightliner 66 doing some shunting

 

Gizza job

 

Should be in at 02:00 but the job is cancelled so instead I’ve got to move those 56s over to doncaster in the morning instead

Edited February 25, 2018 by big jim

[big jim]

Some from this morning, 56s crewe to doncaster

 

Not much moved from the yard since Sunday morning

 

 

And away to Donny via Stafford, Lichfield, alrewas, toton, barrow hill and Rotherham Masborough where I had my usual photo stop!

 

 

 

Through doncaster station to marshgate to change ends

 

And into the carriage sidings

 

And a few from the station

 

Good old bendy bus

 

These always seemed a strange thing to see in Doncaster!

 

HST heading north

 

Voyager back to Sheffield

 

Where I got a 158 to Stockport

 

Then was too cold for photos of the 175 back to crewe!

 

Job cancelled tonight due to the weather so going to assess someone on the logs to carlisle instead

[jamie92208]

Great photos there Jim.  The first two made me do a double take as I thought at first sight they were of a fabulous model.

 

Jamie

[big jim]

Just a few from last night, snow plough duties

 

Should have gone to Machynlleth but due to the 2nd man I needed for the Cambrian getting snowed in I ended up going to hereford instead

 

Ploughs arriving into crewe

 

And dropping them off in Gresty bridge

 

Then away to hereford with just the 97s

 

You can see how the snow swirls up round the rear cab as it travels

 

And how much ice builds up too

 

Then back onto coleham where 37116 was sat with a test train which should have been going down the Cambrian later but it looks like that may be caped and I’m off down there ploughing later

 

An interesting couple of days!

[flapland]

Great to see snow plough photos, I am sure many people are glad you have cleared their lines the past few days. Now the question everyone is asking...not. Were you pushing ex Class 40 or 45 bogies. Also have you ever been behind the classic independent snow plough. Like the one in the excellent photo on twitter today. https://twitter.com/NetworkRailSCOT/status/969333427873992705