Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[newbryford]

Oops sorry yeah, 48151. Thought it carried the name 'Gauge O Guild'.

Good luck in the new job

 

It used to, but removed quite a while ago.

It carried it in 2010 on it's loaded test run.

 

 

 

Cheers,

Mick

Edited July 31, 2018 by newbryford

[Shoey]

My take on Jim’s photo :-)

 

All the best for the future Jim!

[big jim]

Just a couple from today, supposed to move some 70s bescot to doncaster but it was done yesterday so I just went down to Basford hall to check the fuel levels

 

The future!

 

IM tomorrow, either hope valley or heart of wales, both are good!

[Siggie in the east]

Found this outside my window when i arrived for my shift.

3q71 colchester to norwich ready to leave on the reception line.

Good luck for your final week Jim, all the best for the next adventure.

[corneliuslundie]

If the diesel was pushing hard was it so that there was less chance of a hard working steam loco starting a lineside fire?

Best wishes in the new job. Presumably less time on tne Cambrian from now on.

Jonathan

[big jim]

Best wishes in the new job. Presumably less time on tne Cambrian from now on.

Jonathan

No more cambrian work for me

[11B]

No more cambrian work for me

Good luck Jim, hope you will still be able to keep up what is effectively a photo diary of your working life.

 

I wonder if you will sign the 92's?

 

 

All the best

 

Ian

Edited August 3, 2018 by 11B

[Richard E]

Good luck for the future. I agree it would be nice if the 'lineside' diary could continue but we all realise that there may well be a gap or reasons for it to not do so.

[s182ggu]

Good Luck, Jim.

 

Above all else, enjoy!!

[mikejames]

hi

like everyone else I wish you 'good luck' with the new job.

like everyone else I hope you are able to continue to give a 'day to day' commentary on your duties

but we all realise that there are rules you will need to observe.

At least for me and I suspect all who don't work on the railways, its the 'how it really is' aspects of your posts

that we follow.

Most of all I'm sure we all wish you a constructive environment in which to work

so your day to day activities are enjoyable.

Any new job is a challenge - so we all wish you well

 

best wishes

mike james

Edited August 3, 2018 by mikejames

[Craig1989]

Good luck with the move to gbrf Jim been following your thread and the insights to your job as I don’t work on the railway hope you keep the thread going or start a new one if allowed to

 

Craig

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

I'm sorry to hear that you are leaving Colas Jim. However I have really enjoyed following this thread over the past few years since I joined RMWeb. Thank you very much for the insight into the railways with information and pictures when working with Colas. I would like to wish you all the very best with your career with GBRF. 

[gismorail]

I would echo all the above comments and wish you all the very best in your new employment role. Your thread has been so interesting to follow and I'm sure many will hope that a GBRf thread will start in the near future if it is allowed by your employer. Many thanks Jim 

cheers

[big jim]

Thanks everyone

 

Last night was probably my last driving a class 37 and going out in style I had ‘our Merl’ 37099 as my final loco (other than the change ends onto the RTC)

 

Started in crewe

 

To Stockport

 

 

Buxton

 

 

Didn’t quite fit!

 

 

 

Into Piccadilly

 

 

Back to crewe

 

 

Back to Stockport

 

Away to chinley and back to hazel grove

 

Hazel grove to Sheffield

 

 

 

Sheffield to derby via the Erewash and Toton

 

And into the RTC

 

And that was that, away to Doncaster to a hotel, no more 37s for me!

 

Railvac tonight Doncaster to Sheffield and back

[eastwestdivide]

...Railvac tonight Doncaster to Sheffield and back

Give me a toot if you go through Rotherham tomorrow - I might nip out and try a photo!

And good luck with the next step in the career.

 

Edit, Sunday: Sorry, I didn't make it.

Edited August 5, 2018 by eastwestdivide

[scruff]

Good luck with the new job Jim!

 

Cheers

Mark

[5BarVT]

^^^^ Wot he said, all the best.

Paul.

[big jim]

Some from Saturday night, Doncaster Belmont to Sheffield then back to doncaster station with a railvac

 

Belmont

 

My train ready to go

 

went off to Sheffield via Meadowhall, my maiden voyage between masborough and Sheffield since signing it, in Sheffield the lead loco was uncoupled and drawn out of the way

 

Lots of units stabled around the station

 

Gwr 153

 

158 named barbara castle

 

Railvac on the move ready to suck up ballast around the pointwork

 

Scotrail 158

 

Rear loco

 

Then after the work, and in daylight I returned to the lead loco

 

 

And set back onto the train, brake tested and away to the worksite marker boards

 

Once the possession was lifted it was then for some bizarre reason all the way to chesterfield to change ends!

 

Derby blockade possession train passing through

 

 

Then a nice bonus, another possession train with top and tail 56s

 

 

Which I followed to Sheffield only to pass it just outside the station

 

It then followed me in to the station

 

Pacer departing

 

Panorama shot

 

So off I went toward doncaster, got stopped in swinton where another pair of 56s we’re heading toward derby

 

 

And while I sat there the 56s heading the same way as me went round thyborough and ended up in front of me again!

 

There were a lot of photographers on the bridge just past mexborough who in the space of 10 mins would have seen 4 x 56s and 2 x 70 pass through!

 

I went into doncaster station where I got relief and the train went on to decoy before the driver took the locos back to barnetby

 

 

And that was that, quite possibly my last class 70 job, gonna be sad to lose them off my traction card as I do rather like them but I think a 59 might make up for it

 

Loco move later today possibly

[MarshLane]

Sounds like a nice job Jim, all the best on the move.  If what I am hearing from good sources within the industry is right - you might well end up driving them again!

 

Enjoy your start with the blue team.

 

Rich

[corneliuslundie]

Thanks for the last set of photos Jim. You really spoiled us.

Jonathan

[big jim]

Some from yesterday, loco moves crewe to shrewsbury and back

 

66850/60021/66847 in Basford hall, they needed moving to repair the AWS in one of the 66s and to fuel the 60

 

66850 into the shed at coleham

 

60021, worked out this was the first (and last) visit if a Colas 60 to coleham

 

We then had to giggle round locos to get the 66s over the pit so the 60 has to move

 

60021 on No 1 road and 66850 bought forward a touch

 

Then when the work was done even more changing around so the 60 was leading 66850 and 66847 was left at coleham for further work!

 

Back to Basford hall

 

where another driver took the 60 and attached it to the traffic and drew forward

 

I then dropped on the rear with the 66

 

And it was all set to go

 

Only to discover that class 60 weren’t clear for a certian part of the route so it had to be taken off and a freightliner 66 hired in to replace it!

 

NMT tonight

[newbryford]

You need to shift 60021 back to Carlisle..... (Just tell GB they can't have it)

 

70813 has been allocated to the logs for 2 days and failed with flat batteries…………...

Edited August 7, 2018 by newbryford

[Ely_South]

Hi Jim

 

Sorry to everyone for the 'me too', but like so many others I've looked forward to reading (and viewing) each entry in your thread since I followed two or three years ago. Many thanks for taking the time and trouble to post so frequently and across such a varied range of traction/locations. Your superb photography has made it a pleasure.

 

Good luck with GBRf - I hope both they and you are happy for your posts to continue :-)

 

Cheers

 

Rob

[flapland]

You didn't happen to be on the NMT today as one of your final jobs. If so might have just seen you coming into Euston as I passed over Hampstead Road Bridge. Slightly to far away to grab a photo sadly. For those of you interested the old carriage sheds are coming down pretty quickly at the moment and sadly I think the old collectors corner won't be far behind. 

[big jim]

You didn't happen to be on the NMT today as one of your final jobs. If so might have just seen you coming into Euston as I passed over Hampstead Road Bridge. Slightly to far away to grab a photo sadly. For those of you interested the old carriage sheds are coming down pretty quickly at the moment and sadly I think the old collectors corner won't be far behind.

No that wasn’t me BUT I am in it later on when it arrives back in crewe to take it back to nemesis in burton in Trent