Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[ajwffc]

11 hours ago, Rugd1022 said:

Enjoyed the recent Toton pics Jim - I was there on Saturday to take out 6Y76 and as I walked from the north end where I parked the staff van down to the Meadow Sidings (in full railway gear with kit bag over my shoulder etc) I was followed all the way by one of the security guards!

 

Funny place, Toton… 

You must have one of those faces(I have had the same in a shop while head to toe in orange)

[big jim]

Just 3 from today, toton tripper again with the same loco

 

66708 passes by (named after my roster Clark, Jayne)

 

60096 heading toward the shed 

 

and my train ready to head back to bescot with a load of falcon wagons, despite the clouds it didn’t rain

 

[big jim]

Just 2 from today

 

back into bescot

 

big job starting this weekend at sutton tunnel (Runcorn east) the train I bought back was a train of new sleepers for that job, lots of GBRf running through wrexham and Chester for 10 days! 

[CovDriver]

And you have a new driver too who lives that way as he's just left our lot at Crewe to come to GBRF.

Cracking pictures as ever Jim.

 

Cheers 

 

Colin

[Jack374]

Here’s a more unusual shot of your train on Monday Jim...taken by a local photographer with a drone who I follow on Flickr:

 

 

Jack.

[big jim]

That’s a cracking shot!

 

Tripper again, turned out one of the wagons was at the wrong end of the train so we needed to do a shunt, luckily there was a class 60 sat nearby that i ‘borrowed’ to assist the shunt (nothing to do with me not having driven 60074 before!) 

 

And the wagon moved to the other end of the train 

 

Then a class 60 arrived by road while I was waiting to move my loco to the old bank

 

 

 

And my train ready to go, 66718 DIT 

 

Evening star

 

And into bescot

 

iport tomorrow for a change 

 

[newbryford]

12 hours ago, big jim said:

That’s a cracking shot!

 

Tripper again, turned out one of the wagons was at the wrong end of the train so we needed to do a shunt, luckily there was a class 60 sat nearby that i ‘borrowed’ to assist the shunt (nothing to do with me not having driven 60074 before!) 

 

 

And the wagon moved to the other end of the train 

 

 

 

 

 

That looks like the tunnel ventilation unit - JZA 93468

(Long been on my "to-do" list as the wagon is  an ex-KFA of the type that Hornby make.)

 

60029 - formerly named "Clitheroe Castle" - I went to the naming ceremony at the local cement works.......(name now carried by 60024 and still going strong) 

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

 

 

Edited July 19, 2019 by newbryford

[big jim]

Just one from last nights job, sutton tunnel blockade, got to site for 19:00 and moved once backward and forward then sat there til midnight before heading off to bescot via chester and wrexham

 

[corneliuslundie]

Please permit my ignorance but where is Sutton tunnel? It is not listed in the Ian Allan gazetteer or Cooke.

jonathan

[s182ggu]

Hi Jonathan

 

I had the same question when I read Jim's post above. It's near a place called Sutton Weaver which is just north east of Frodsham, Cheshire.

[big jim]

Just a few from this week

 

cement from bescot to Landor st

 

bescot 

 

Landor st

 

Then a Landor st to Leicester bulk ballast

 

Then his morning a sutton tunnel to crewe job, “Biffa” leading off site, first time I’ve driven that one

 

 

 

Changed ends in Chester and had 66706 leading back to crewe

 

WAG Express in the parcels bay

 

 

And into crewe, train away and locos stabled

[corneliuslundie]

Thanks sg182ggu.

Sutton or Halton tunnel, 1922 yards according to Cooke, though not indexed. So not a minor tunnel.

Jonathan

[5BarVT]

1 mile 154 yards in June 1969 or so says my new acquisition of yesterday (LMR Southern Section Appendix).  What’s 8 yards amongst friends!

Paul.

[The Stationmaster]

15 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

1 mile 154 yards in June 1969 or so says my new acquisition of yesterday (LMR Southern Section Appendix).  What’s 8 yards amongst friends!

Paul.

According to Quail it is 1mile and 7 chains (=1mile 154 yds of course) and Quail tends to be pretty accurate.  Cooke also shows the same mileages and therefore also shows the length as 1mile and 7 chains, so  again = 1mile 154 yds = 1914 yds but, unusually for Tony,  there is an inexactitude in the conversion to yards which he does indeed show as 1922 yds. 

 

But in retrospect that set me thinking as Tony Cooke is very meticulous in his research so I did a bit of delving.  and the first thing to come out is that the south end of the tunnel is not where Quail says it is because acciording to the GWR 1921 and 1936 General Appendixes it is at 11 miles 62.5 chains and not at 11miles 63 chains.  Moreover maths aren't what they used to be as that gives a length of 1 mile 7.5 chains = 1 mile 165 yds = 1925 yards.  But the 1921 Appendix says 1930 yds and the 1936 Appendix says 1920 yds.   So I reckon, and knowing Tony uses all sorts of sources, that the tunnel mouths are not at those exact chainages but are to the nearest whole chain in Quail and the Appendix '5 Bar VT' has recently acquired and the true length of the tunnel cannot be exactly computed from the chainages.  So in fact it probably is 1922 yards long and Cooke got there from a Civil Engineering source  - possibly a single line diagram?.

Edited July 27, 2019 by The Stationmaster

[big jim]

some from last night, IM train from oxford to derby, should have got on at banbury but I relieved the other driver early so I could finally get a drive over the new chord at bicester, as I’ve not actually done it since signing it!

 

oxford parkway, short formation UTU train comprising DBSO, UTU and Generator van with 37057 powering 

 

oxford

 

 

bicester south Jn

 

and into derby

 

sutton tunnel again tomorrow, with a run round in Hooton! 

Edited July 27, 2019 by big jim

[5BarVT]

33 minutes ago, big jim said:

run round in Hooton

Is that due to over length for run round at Chester?  I assume in the Up Sidings rather than the platform lines.  Look forward to the ‘unusual place’ photos.

Paul.

[big jim]

I think it is due to the length, Having had a look at the ballast notices I think I would just about fit in the main at Chester the train is 1281ft and I think the space between the signals is just shy of 1300ft so a touch precise but it would mean I’d have to run the loco past the signal to ensure I’d fit back on the rear end and that would knacker up the down side of the station for 5-10 mins while I uncoupled etc hence the run up to Hooton

 

funny how I sign all these obscure bits and bobs all over the country but have never done Chester to Hooton from the cab despite me starting my career at Chester and always worked around the area, if I do drive it it will mean I’ve then driven practically all of what’s left of the old GWR route from Paddington to Birkenhead apart from the bit from Hooton to rock ferry and the bit thats now the tram between the hawthorns and Wolverhampton 

[big jim]

Sutton tunnel again, biffa again

 

and away to Hooton to run round 

 

 

 

and into Basford hall to stable

[Davexoc]

I see 66783 still wears the spot light that the EWS Lickey bankers were fitted with...

[big jim]

yeah the fittings are still in the cab too (auto uncoupler button and work light on/off button) dont know if they are still in operation though 

[beast66606]

My lad was on the platform at Hooton as you rolled out - hes grown a bit since that day in Crewe all those years ago !

[Shedmaster]

On 27/07/2019 at 15:37, big jim said:

I think it is due to the length, Having had a look at the ballast notices I think I would just about fit in the main at Chester the train is 1281ft and I think the space between the signals is just shy of 1300ft so a touch precise but it would mean I’d have to run the loco past the signal to ensure I’d fit back on the rear end and that would knacker up the down side of the station for 5-10 mins while I uncoupled etc hence the run up to Hooton

 

funny how I sign all these obscure bits and bobs all over the country but have never done Chester to Hooton from the cab despite me starting my career at Chester and always worked around the area, if I do drive it it will mean I’ve then driven practically all of what’s left of the old GWR route from Paddington to Birkenhead apart from the bit from Hooton to rock ferry and the bit thats now the tram between the hawthorns and Wolverhampton 

 

Hi Jim,

 

I hope you wont mind a personal question ?

 

You mention that you sign a fair few bits and bobs all over the country which I understand is the nature of a freight Driver's work these days, and frankly, you are able to get amazing pictures, regularly, from your travels, however...

 

A few posts back you mentioned coming down into South Eastern land and venturing onto our place at Hither Green with one of your jobs.

 

My question then is how do you/did you learn this and then 'sign for' it? Is it on the job learning with so many trips over the route or were you conducted?

 

And, finally, do you have to sit assessments at the end of a period of route learning before signing it, bearing in mind there's a lot of opportunity screw it up with a freight train if you take a wrong turn etc. My own learning many years ago consisted of driving over the routes on booked jobs with the qualified Driver so many times etc but I know that the current scene is moving more towards home learning/DVD etc, so if I'm honest I am a little curious.

 

Many Thanks,

 

Kindest Regards,

 

Shed.

 

 

 

 

[big jim]

The likes of the hither green job I was conducted for the whole 3 days over those routes by a driver who signs it (but doesn’t sign the traction, hence why I was there) 

 

ive just learned kidsgrove to cheadle hulme for the RHTT which involved a number of trips over the route (the actual number depends on the complexity of the route as decided by the standards team depending on various factors such as complicated routing, multi spad signalling, signalling types etc)

 

there is a question paper and route brief for each route that you have to fill out and be marked on, if required, again due to the complexity of a route you will get a ride out with a manager or if a simple route (or a difficult one to get over) you will sit down and discuss the route with the manager/assessor/instructor who signs the route and answer further questions 

 

to keep route on your card you need to travel over them which could be working a train, travelling in the cab, road refreshing on a passenger service with a cab pass etc although I think we can request to view a DVD of the route now too, I’m just coming up to a year with GB now so a few of my Colas routes are about to lapse such as Holyhead and the cambrian but all I need to do is get a cab pass and have a trip back over them to keep them current 

[big jim]

12 hours ago, beast66606 said:

My lad was on the platform at Hooton as you rolled out - hes grown a bit since that day in Crewe all those years ago !

 

Certainly has! 

 

Didn't recognise him in the slightest 

[Shedmaster]

30 minutes ago, big jim said:

The likes of the hither green job I was conducted for the whole 3 days over those routes by a driver who signs it (but doesn’t sign the traction, hence why I was there) 

 

ive just learned kidsgrove to cheadle hulme for the RHTT which involved a number of trips over the route (the actual number depends on the complexity of the route as decided by the standards team depending on various factors such as complicated routing, multi spad signalling, signalling types etc)

 

there is a question paper and route brief for each route that you have to fill out and be marked on, if required, again due to the complexity of a route you will get a ride out with a manager or if a simple route (or a difficult one to get over) you will sit down and discuss the route with the manager/assessor/instructor who signs the route and answer further questions 

 

to keep route on your card you need to travel over them which could be working a train, travelling in the cab, road refreshing on a passenger service with a cab pass etc although I think we can request to view a DVD of the route now too, I’m just coming up to a year with GB now so a few of my Colas routes are about to lapse such as Holyhead and the cambrian but all I need to do is get a cab pass and have a trip back over them to keep them current 

 

Thanks for your detailed reply Jim, I see much more of a 'paper trail' these days for route learning & competency assessment that's for sure!

 

Also, forgot to add in the last post, 'Thankyou' for those excellent pictures, always a pleasure to see,

 

Stay safe, Kindest Regards,

 

Shed.