Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[Phil Mc]

If I'd known you was going to be at Swinton, I'd have come and said Hello. It's only 10 mins from home !!

The class 60 hauled train usually sounds impressive, like the train is heavy enough to give the loco a bit of a workout.

 

Cheers,

Phil.

[big jim]

Only managed one pic today, should have been on this derby to Stockport and back to rugby via new st but the route conductor I had getting on at Stoke to see me through to Stockport via Macclesfield said he was booked to work it from there to rugby so I could get off, you couldn't see me for dust!!

 

 

(TBH I was a bit dissapointed as I was looking forward to a good blast up the wcml with it)

[big jim]

seems like ages since i got the proper camera out, especially in daylight!

 

anyway my job tonight is cancelled so i had to go to derby to collect the van i left at the RTC for my relief driver so i can use it again

 

some pics from crewe

 

 

 

 

 

 

and derby

 

 

 

 

[big jim]

some from last night, proper camera pics but no tripod

 

RHTT shrewsbury to Craven Arms and Bidston

 

coleham

 

 

new loco on the train last night

 

 

ready to depart

 

craven arms

 

 

and away to bidston

 

 

 

 

wrexham

 

and back to shrewsbury

 

and that was that

[Richard E]

I see that there was a Colas 37 and UTU at Donny this morning, didn't get any more than that. In fact it is still there now - loco lights are on so off to do some work later on I presume.

[andyram]

Great pics again Jim. Was good to see you at our show on Saturday.

[big jim]

Some from today, a day on the shunt, actually a long day on the shunt

 

Super moon

 

37421

 

97301

 

37025 and 37421

 

37025 and 37057

 

37057's train has one of the ex motorail vans in the formation for brake force

 

 

TRU unit

 

My 08

 

I had to split the NMT for some work to be carried out, at least if I can't get a full rake of coaches for my Hornby model I have a prototype train to model

 

And all back together

 

 

 

And that was that for the day

[lmsforever]

There is a 37  in the loop at Peterborough right now  (Railcam) on an NR train.

[Craig1989]

Great pics as always and wish I had your job

[Siggie in the east]

37057 came past us at colchester last night with quite a big group of guys with tripods on the end of platform 3, even at half 11 in the evening

[big jim]

37057 came past us at colchester last night with quite a big group of guys with tripods on the end of platform 3, even at half 11 in the evening

 

as nice as that loco is its an awful one to try and photograph at night!!

 

one from today, manned the NMT on crewe carriage shed while a coach was wheel turned

 

road learning tomorrow and friday unless i get taken off for something else

[corneliuslundie]

That rake of four class 20s and two tankers. A bit more power than really needed? Or were the tankers full of something heavier than depleted uranium?

Great pictures as always. Hope you had a good break.

Jonathan

[alibuchan]

They are the S stock delivery train, usually there's an underground train between them.

 

Alistair

[5BarVT]

And the tanks are full. They are there to provide brake force because the S stock runs unbraked with just a pipe running through/along the train.

Paul.

[big jim]

And the tanks are full. They are there to provide brake force because the S stock runs unbraked with just a pipe running through/along the train.

Paul.

 

i dont think they are full, they dont have hatches fitted, marcus will confirm as he drives the s-stock train all the time

[Phil Mc]

Even if they started off full, I don't think they would be by the time they got to their destination !! 

 

Cheers,

Phil.

[big jim]

Couple of days road learning this week, Tyseley to Stratford via Henley in Arden, a nice simple route, lots of stations though, didn't bother with many pictures

 

Birmingham tram outside the ian Allen shop

 

68 and 168 in moor st

 

172 arriving in to moor st

 

I was going to catch a certain train until I realised it went via Solihull to Stratford which I sign so I waited for the next one which was only going to whitlocks end, from there I came back to yardley wood to get another train back to Stratford

 

 

At that point the heavens opened and the ride to Stratford was horrendous, the unit was unable to get more than 20mph due to the wheelside protection, as it was so late getting tonstratford it ran back express to moor st

 

From there I headed home but the weather was also causing chaos on the WCML with a tree down at rugeley and flooding north of stafford, ingot a train to stafford to give me a few options of getting back to crewe l, what never was happening the signaller must have been playing trains as 2 southbound services came 'bang road' through the station and crossed over at the south end, nine of that would have been possible before the resignalling a few months back

 

 

Normal running too

 

Then today was another couple of trips to Stratford but again couldn't be bothered with pics

 

68 in moor st again

[big jim]

Some pics from derby, shunting again

 

97301, I've got this tomorrow to Buxton and peak forest amongst other places!

 

Couple of 37s

 

So busy yesterday that I had 2 08s on the go, first time I've driven the black one

 

Different paint jobs

 

And there we go

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

Fantastic photos Jim.

 

Do you know what's happening with the DRS 37s and test trains? I have read recently that DRS 37s are no longer used on test trains but yet 37059 and 37610 have been working a test train this week. Or have these two been hired in by Colas? I know that the test trains have Colas staff operating them but with different liveried locos apart from their own.

 

Thank you very much in advance.

[Swifty11]

Looks like 1Q06 will be worth going for either Tuesday or Wednesday then, nice pics as always Jim.

[big jim]

What a flippin' night, if it could go wrong it did go wrong!

 

Only managed one pic before i attempted to depart derby for longsight before things went progressively downhill!!

 

 

So off I set towards Chesterfield to collect my route conductor for a trip over the hope valley

to chinley then on to peak forest and ultimately longsight, got as far as ambergate before finding out that the line to Chesterfield was flooded so I would need to turn back, did an interesting unsignalled move across the junction and headed back towards derby with the aim of then turning towards toton and heading along the Erewash to Chesterfield and into the hope valley as booked, got as far as derby before getting news that the hope valley was now shut due to flooding (and my route conductor was stuck on an EMT train the wrong side of the flood!)

 

His train eventually made it though and he joined us at derby for 'plan C', a transit run to longsight via the north staffs and potteries lines to pick up the back end of the shift recording the Cheshire lines via knutsford and northwich as well as the sandbach branch, so off we went, on to the line towards uttoxeter when suddenly 'pop!' dankness as the generator on the DBSO shut down approaching eggington, a bit of fault finding and we discovered it had had an earth fault, possibly due to the huge amount of rain that had been deposited on the train in the previous few hours, spoke to the box and decided the best course of action was to head to uttoxeter on battery power and leave it in the loop, however I asked him if his crossover was still in use and low and behold it was so we decided to turn back at eggington instead rather than risking losing all power between there and uttoxeter and stitching up the last passenger service to crewe

 

Into eggington, isolate the DBSO controls to effectively make it a normal coach and changed ends, cross over and back to derby where a fitter eventually met us and rectified the problem, couple of frantic phone calls from the on train tech to his control and we were granted a path to longsight to get the train in position for today's job, this time we went via Lichfield, colwich, stone, stoke, Macclesfield and Stockport and on to longsight

 

Changed ends to head in to the depot and the genny on the DBSO Went out again, thankfully we got it over the ladder and onto the depot where we left it for the night for the fitter to come over and have a look later today

 

In all a very challenging night with a lot of thinking on my feet both due to the traction and

route failures, to top it off I think I've caught a cold from walking from derby station to the RTC!

 

Anyway a nice change tonight if I don't get flooded out, Hereford to chirk with the logs, and a class 70 on it too

Edited November 22, 2016 by big jim

[class"66"]

More super photos Jim  

[LNER4479]

Hi Jim - and all 'Big Jim' followers.

 

We've had a go at backdating you to the 1930's. If you're coming to Warley, see if you can spot yerself. Clue - you won't be hanging out of a 350 shunt!

 

Love the thread by the way. You definitely get out and about most of the railway places we know so we always enjoy seeing where you've been.

[Iron Horse]

Was gonna coming down to the crossing to see you last night, I came off the phone from my Dad checked RTT and bang you were already through. I don't think I've ever seen that train through so early although it hasn't been running as frequently over the last month or so! Hope you had a better trip last night

[big jim]

we were 25 late through nantwich then held to time at gresty

 

the passenger we normally wait for was 15 late at hereford so the box let us run and as we only had 13 wagons on we were a flyer all the way