Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[larryblag]

On 07/04/2020 at 08:05, Siggie in the east said:

Signalling centres, ROCs, PSBs and single man boxes (in essex anyway) are all minimum staff currently. All trainees have been told to stay at home and revise/learn rules and regs, no visitors at all, only signalling staff are permitted to enter the premises, all workstations and panels are to be sanitised before and after each handover. All office staff are working from home and MOMs arent allowed on the ops floor and must call the workstation/panel regarding any incidents. That's the same for COSS/PICOPs, they're not permitted to enter. 

Most probably the same all over the country.

Hope that answers any questions.

 

Thanks

I'll echo that. We too are working from home. There's a lot we can do remotely these days. Some stuff requires a physical attendance obviously but we are trying to limit this as much as possible. Maybe things will ease (slightly) after Sunday's chat with Boris? 

[Chris116]

Jim works from home. It is just that I haven't worked out which 66 is his home or if he has second homes allover the place!

[Steadfast]

On 05/05/2020 at 05:54, big jim said:

when I got back to crewe I thought I’d grab a pic if this, as it’s something I’m not likely to see again (until tomorrow morning maybe!), apart from the police vehicles on the left the station car park was totally empty!

Westbury is just as quiet. When I came home this morning, 3 cars in the car park, one of which was a GWR company vehicle. Very eery, especially in the afternoon when there seems to be a unit sat in the station, shut down, with no visible staff and only the odd one or two passengers sat on the platform. 

Meanwhile, like Jim, we're cracking on and its business as 'reasonably' normal. 

All the best

 

Jo

[big jim]

I’ve noticed the roads are getting progressively busier and busier, still a pleasure to drive into Birmingham at peak times in but there are a lot more cars about  than last week 

[CovDriver]

There are loads more people travelling around Birmingham the canal towpath between Five ways and Bournville is busier than the M6.

 

[big jim]

Did a rugby to bescot on sunday

 

first up 6G51 passed through with 66743 and 66751 on it

 

 

 

then mine arrived with 66760

 

toton tripper tomorrow 

[Jack374]

15 hours ago, big jim said:

toton tripper tomorrow 

 

Thanks for the heads up Jim...and cheers for the wave and tones! Found a nice little touch at Barrow - someone had left a rainbow pebble...

 

 

 

Thanks,

Jack.

[big jim]

Surprised you saw it, I was running 3 hours early! 

[mikejames]

hi

If we are to believe the government.

More trains are going to be running over the week or two.

I would find it interesting to get your observations on what you actually see.

Are there more trains? are they busier?

Is there more happening etc?

 

I realise you only see what is happening where you happen to be - but they will be facts

as distinct from all the biased reporting that we mostly get.

 

Always find your 'reports' informative  - so thank you

 

Mike j

[Jack374]

1 hour ago, big jim said:

Surprised you saw it, I was running 3 hours early! 

I was poised to see you on the outward run but when I looked at usual time you were approaching the Trent Jns near Toton! So I kept an eye out for the return...should’ve realised really as D44/G45 I’ve noticed has run early all week.

 

Cheers as ever!

[big jim]

Nice to have a run at it, the yard manager said I’d have no chance of getting away early but lots of pleased and thank you’s to control and NR and off I went!

 

same today, derby to longport, not much about, asked the signaller nicely if I could turn back at kidsgrove instead of alsager loop and sorted, saved me over an hour 

 

some from derby, sliding door HST

 

 

voyager

 

my train to longport, 66750 and 66788, 750 has the coolest sounding horn of all 66s I’ve driven!

 

Changing ends at kidsgrove 

 

 

and longport

 

peeped into the shed and saw the line of new class 69s being worked on too, no pics of course!

 

couple of days of mountsorrel coming up 

[Jack374]

3 minutes ago, big jim said:

Nice to have a run at it, the yard manager said I’d have no chance of getting away early but lots of pleased and thank you’s to control and NR and off I went!

 

same today, derby to longport, not much about, asked the signaller nicely if I could turn back at kidsgrove instead of alsager loop and sorted, saved me over an hour

Haha suppose it makes a change from being held to time! I nearly went out for the shed move so could've heard the horn, but didn’t know you were on it. It was shopping day for me today anyway so had the joys of the supermarket this morning instead...

 

Thanks,

Jack.

[big jim]

You missed a Laira to Doncaster move too, pair of back to back XC HST powercars 

[GWRPhil]

1 hour ago, big jim said:

Nice to have a run at it, the yard manager said I’d have no chance of getting away early but lots of pleased and thank you’s to control and NR and off I went!

 

same today, derby to longport, not much about, asked the signaller nicely if I could turn back at kidsgrove instead of alsager loop and sorted, saved me over an hour 

 

some from derby, sliding door HST

 

 

voyager

 

my train to longport, 66750 and 66788, 750 has the coolest sounding horn of all 66s I’ve driven!

 

Changing ends at kidsgrove 

 

 

and longport

 

peeped into the shed and saw the line of new class 69s being worked on too, no pics of course!

 

couple of days of mountsorrel coming up 

Is there any particular reason that 750 has much more rectangular buffers than the rest of the go 66’s. plus what’s better about the horn?

[big jim]

It’s a euro spec 66, a one off, the horn is really loud on it and almost like a triple tone

 

 

 

Edited May 12, 2020 by big jim

[big jim]

Some from today, Leicester to mountsorrel and back to coleshill

 

leicester depot, looking like a proper depot!

 

10 car meridian

 

66743 heading to Felixstowe, eluding me again!

 

My loco in fox street neck, the train is in humberstone road and we run down to the station to swap over otherwise it’s a long walk for us both!

 

and on the train in humberstone road for the last leg to mountsorrel 

 

same again tomorrow but landor st to landor st without a run round as the train is returning from Eastleigh 

[adb968008]

Wow I made out 37,47,50,56,57,58,91

 

any one raise that ?

 

is that the European Night Star generator coach there too ? I havent ever seen that away from Doncaster works in 25 years !

Edited May 14, 2020 by adb968008

[big jim]

59 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

Wow I made out 37,47,50,56,57,58,91

 

any one raise that ?

 

is that the European Night Star generator coach there too ? I havent ever seen that away from Doncaster works in 25 years !

there is a mk3 DVT behind the 47 too, also I think there may be a 33 lurking there somewhere

[25901]

42 minutes ago, big jim said:

there is a mk3 DVT behind the 47 too, also I think there may be a 33 lurking there somewhere

And a 27

[newbryford]

3 hours ago, adb968008 said:

 

 

is that the European Night Star generator coach there too ? I havent ever seen that away from Doncaster works in 25 years !

 

I think the EPS generator is still at Doncaster - the one at Leicester came from elsewhere.

It was discussed somewhere else.

 

Edit:

Yep - just checked - 96374 is at Doncaster, 96371 at Leicester, (but it may have previously been at Wembley)

96372/3/5 are at Long Marston

Edited May 14, 2020 by newbryford

[adb968008]

34 minutes ago, newbryford said:

 

I think the EPS generator is still at Doncaster - the one at Leicester came from elsewhere.

It was discussed somewhere else.

 

Edit:

Yep - just checked - 96374 is at Doncaster, 96371 at Leicester, (but it may have previously been at Wembley)

96372/3/5 are at Long Marston

Surprised they've not made their way into railtour rakes, though after 25 years i’d be impressed if they were any use at all.

[newbryford]

7 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

Surprised they've not made their way into railtour rakes, though after 25 years i’d be impressed if they were any use at all.

 

Just search for 96372 96373 or 96375 for Long Marston pics.

They are quite "weather-beaten" to say the least. I saw them in 2018 and they would make an interesting weathering project.

 

They're probably a bit overpowered for the average railtour rake as they were designed for the high hotel power ETS loads of Nighstar coaches.

 

Apologies for the O/T Jim!

Edited May 14, 2020 by newbryford

[big jim]

2 hours ago, 25901 said:

And a 27

 
yes, a 27 not a 26, it’s parked directly behind the 58 

[big jim]

Some from today, ex shanks livery 66522 

 

and while in mountsorrel the HOBC machine went past, what you can see in this pic is just under 1/2 of the whole train

[big jim]

10 hours ago, adb968008 said:

Surprised they've not made their way into railtour rakes, though after 25 years i’d be impressed if they were any use at all.

I remember when I was at DRS @charliepetty kept asking me at exhibitions if I knew what was happening to them as he said they could be used to provide power to ex woodhead electrics instead of using the overheads?