Rugd1022 Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Working freight trains can be a long, boring and tiring old game sometimes, but once in a while a nice job comes along that has all the right ingredients which can make it more enjoyable than most - yesterday morning (Thursday 13th) was just such a day as I was booked to work the 6G32 Mountsorrell to Banbury Yard aggregates train, the right ingredients for me being the semaphore signals at Banbury and the chance to do some proper railway work, ie: shunting! The shift actually started on Wednesday night at 22.40 as the diagram allows for fuelling the loco at Bardon Hill, then going light engine to Mountsorrell to pick up the loaded wagons. Departing there at silly o'clock with thirty hopper wagons plus the unloading chute the route taken is Leicester, Wigston North Junction, Nuneaton, Landor Street Junction, St.Andrews Junction, Bordersely Junction, Tyseley and Leamington Spa arriving (early!) in Banbury's Up Goods Loop at 04.30... I sat here for a good forty five minutes as the Banbury North Bobbie couldn't let me down to the next signal until my Shunter had arrived, so I bagged a few shots seeing as the semaphores will all vanish in the near future. Apologies for the lack of quality images, I had meant to take my mini tripod with me but I left it in the boot of my car! Once Ian the Shunter had arrived, the North 'box Bobbie pulled off and I moved down to the lovely lower quadrant signal at the south end of the Goods which belongs to Banbury South 'box. Before I'd even stopped he'd pulled off the ground disc signal to allow me to draw forward into the neck and do the run round move, once we'd uncoupled the loco... It was a very tight squeeze getting the loco in clear of the signal and back onto the north end of the train, but with the obligatory brake test completed I moved across to the Down Goods Loop, once more under the care of Banbury North 'box, where I drew up to his BN34 signal... Ian had to drive round to the yard in his van as he had to sign in at the gate, which took a good half an hour, giving me a chance to grab some more photos... With Ian signed in and the back to back radios in order we set about splitting the first set of wagons off for unloading... Was hoping to get all the pics loaded in one post but apperently tea's ready... more in a bit!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian daniels Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 I thought this was one of our trains Nidge? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted September 14, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 14, 2012 Now if I win the lottery I could have a big enough room to extend the layout to include this stone terminal! Some great night shots there. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted September 14, 2012 Author Share Posted September 14, 2012 It is Brian, but due to some internal politics the job's been left uncovered more than once leaving the customer unhappy, at least that's what I've heard... Some more pics... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 Fascinating insight, many thanks. I think you ate lucky mate, as many would love to do the job. Are DBS trying to lose this work as well then it seems ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warspite Posted September 15, 2012 Share Posted September 15, 2012 I would love to make a model of this sort of operation. Fascinating to see the 'real' railway from this perspective - thanks for posting. Lovely sunrise as well! Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted September 15, 2012 Author Share Posted September 15, 2012 I'm on the same job early Monday morning so will try to get some better shots of the wagons and the terminal itself if I can Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted September 18, 2012 Author Share Posted September 18, 2012 Some more shots, this time from Monday morning's train... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eggesford box Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 And you had to pull down further at the south to run round your train. I know because it was me you talked to at the South box! I did wonder if it might be you after the previous posts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted September 19, 2012 Author Share Posted September 19, 2012 And you had to pull down further at the south to run round your train. I know because it was me you talked to at the South box! I did wonder if it might be you after the previous posts. Blimey talk about it being a small world...! I had a feeling I wouldn't get in clear at the back, but having drawn past your dummy at the south end I was a bit worried about the fouling point and whether you'd still get detection once we'd hooked off and gone behind the other dummy in the neck. All came good in the end though! The job is running again next week so hopefully I'll be on it again. I'm definitely on the Taunton - Washwood Heath concrete sleeper train one day next week, relieving it at Oxford, plus the return working as well. Gizza wave...! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 nice photos once again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted September 19, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 19, 2012 Hello there, These are fantastic photos, and for those of us who love railways but don't work on them or understand many of the procedures, they are invaluable! Many thanks for posting! cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warspite Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 Nidge Thanks for more great photos. Some really interesting detail shots. Again, a fascinating insight of the prototype in action. Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted September 20, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 20, 2012 Keep the photos coming! Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold beast66606 Posted September 20, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 20, 2012 Potentially a 34 way meet then ? Nidge on the stone, Big Jim on the passenger and Eggesford in the cabin ! Thanks for posting. Edit And roundhouse on the platform researching for his model Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 So when unloading the stone, do you do a slow shunt to make sure that the aggregate is deposited in a uniform manner, or is it "unload some, stop unloading, shunt, unload some more, stop, shunt, unload, etc etc etc"? I'm assuming it's that latter as unloading whilst shunting sounds kind of dangerous to me! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted September 20, 2012 Author Share Posted September 20, 2012 So when unloading the stone, do you do a slow shunt to make sure that the aggregate is deposited in a uniform manner, or is it "unload some, stop unloading, shunt, unload some more, stop, shunt, unload, etc etc etc"? I'm assuming it's that latter as unloading whilst shunting sounds kind of dangerous to me! Hi Matt, the hopper wagons are fitted with a continuous rubber belt (they're in sets of five) that takes the stone along to the unloading chute... we unload ten at a time, put the jib back in place, fetch the next set of ten and swap the chute over and so on and so on... unloading on the move is verbotten(!), not least because of the general state of most unloading sidings it could easily be tipped over by a dipped rail joint or a dodgy piece of trackwork! Looks like I'm pencilled in for the return working Banbury - Mountsorrel next Monday, if so I'll try and bag some more shots, preferably from different angles and maybe some close ups of the wagons if time allows. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Hi Matt, the hopper wagons are fitted with a continuous rubber belt (they're in sets of five) that takes the stone along to the unloading chute... we unload ten at a time, put the jib back in place, fetch the next set of ten and swap the chute over and so on and so on... unloading on the move is verbotten(!), not least because of the general state of most unloading sidings it could easily be tipped over by a dipped rail joint or a dodgy piece of trackwork! I had a feeling that might be the case. "Newbie" questions comming up (hope you don't mind!)... * How long does it take to unload? I'm guessing a rake is at least 20 wagons? * Is the shunting done by the hauling loco (in this case it looks like a 66?) or is there a smaller loco (08 or similar) to move the wagons? Looks like I'm pencilled in for the return working Banbury - Mountsorrel next Monday, if so I'll try and bag some more shots, preferably from different angles and maybe some close ups of the wagons if time allows. Cool, that would be v. interesting. Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted September 20, 2012 Author Share Posted September 20, 2012 I had a feeling that might be the case. "Newbie" questions comming up (hope you don't mind!)... * How long does it take to unload? I'm guessing a rake is at least 20 wagons? * Is the shunting done by the hauling loco (in this case it looks like a 66?) or is there a smaller loco (08 or similar) to move the wagons? Cool, that would be v. interesting. Matt Don't mind at all Matt... last Thursday's train was 30 hoppers plus the chute, and Monday's train was 40 plus the chute, unloading time depends on where they actually want to deposit the stone as it comes in different graded sizes and goes to a specific area on the ground. On Monday, with the full rake of 40, once the Redlands lads had arrived we put the first ten and the chute in it at around 06.15 and by the time my relief arrived at just gone 07.00 they were on the last one of that particular set. My relief carried on from there and departure time back to Mountsorrel with the emptes is around 10.00 I think, so it can take three to four hours including all the shunting (not including running round the train on the Up Goods and dragging across the mainlines to the down side). This is what adds time to the proceedings because with the ground frame in use the Shunter has to do a lot of walking back and forth, changing the points then proceeding each propelling move on foot, giving me instructions over the back to back radio, or occasionally using hand signals (much preferred!). The two Bobbies at Banbury do their bit of course and fingers crossed it all goes fairly smoothly. On arrival at Banbury the Chiltern chaps are busy getting their units ready for the morning commuters and need to shunt around the layout too, so you can imagine it can get quite busy, well before everyone else rolls out of bed. Edit : nearly forgot... all the shunting is done with the train engine, sadly there's no longer a nice warm rumbling 08 for us to play with... come back 'Cherwell', your country needs you ;-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattWallace Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Thanks Nidge, that's much appreciated. I'm assuming that this is the way most stuff is going these days? Dedicated shunting locos such as the 08 are being replaced by the hauling loco (or in extreme cases such as Cardiff Tidal a refurbished DH50-2!), I'll have to crack on with my layout then before the 08's disappear completely! Sounds like it could be an excellent location for an "operations-heavy" prototypical layout, even if it did take up half a street to get it all in OO gauge! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted September 20, 2012 Author Share Posted September 20, 2012 It would make a cracking layout Matt yes - when I was posting the shots I took from the road bridge it occured that to model from there to the M40 overbridge just to the north of the yard would probably take about thirty feet or so in 00, never mind the station and the area where the up yard used to be (a housing estate now, inevitably). At a guess I'd say Banbury lost it's last 08 in the mid to late '80s. Certainly most of our Bardon aggregates work is shunted by our own 66s at the various destinations, the exception I'm thinking of at the moment being Westbury (possibly). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DY444 Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Are DBS trying to lose this work as well then it seems ? As I understand it DBS have a spot of industrial relations bother at present which is affecting rest day working. Consequently some of their work is being covered by FLHH. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted September 20, 2012 Share Posted September 20, 2012 Interesting stuff Nidge, cheers for sharing them. It's great to see what goes on when the train gets to its destination, I never realised that the self discharge rake was variable length or needed to be split to unload it. I always thought it was one long set with the conveyor loose at one end. It makes potentially modelling it easier in blocks of 10 not 40 haha. You've taken some lovely "creative photography thread" style shots too, top stuff. Nice issue of Rail Express by the way, wink wink, (gratuitous plug page 49 and 54) Edit to add a bit about Westbury. The 08 aswell as 59s and DB 66s can be seen shunting the yard, although often forming up their own train, the 'mainline' stuff can be seen on general shunting work. For example, I've seen an EWS 66 shunting IOAs before a Freightliner 66/6 departed with them to Stud Farm Jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob D2 Posted September 22, 2012 Share Posted September 22, 2012 Used to go shopping in Banbury every week.unsurprisingly never saw this train ! Can I ask that there BN34 ground signal, in one photo it was giving two 45 degree whites IE proceed , but the little light at the top is still red ? How's that work then ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugd1022 Posted September 22, 2012 Author Share Posted September 22, 2012 Used to go shopping in Banbury every week.unsurprisingly never saw this train ! Can I ask that there BN34 ground signal, in one photo it was giving two 45 degree whites IE proceed , but the little light at the top is still red ? How's that work then ? The main aspect (ie: the red) always stays at danger when the position light is pulled off, in effect you are proceeding with caution into a section which may be occupied, or in this case proceeding only as far as neccessary for the purposes of shunting.... ;-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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