Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[big jim]

Welland before anyone asks it's not "Big Jim" unless they haven't been totally honest with me

Edited December 1, 2016 by big jim

[big jim]

Whats this......

 

 

Into the bay in derby

 

Something a little bit special, 37099 had had its nameplates unveiled this morning at a ceremony in derby station, as you can see it was named 'merl evans' by his widow with his family in attendance as well as his former work colleagues from Bachmann, Andy Y was there and has prepared a separate thread which he will upload later with more detail

 

 

And in all it's glory

 

Nice to have been involved in a small way with the naming, I've known about it for a month or so but kept it under wraps so had offered to be the driver for the naming ceremony, unfortunatly I've got a job this afternoon so I've had to scoot away early

[lmsforever]

That's a very nice thing to do and on an excellent class of loco ,the livery looks smart as always thanks for posting.

[Andy7]

Great pics Jim. Looking forward to the limited edition of this! Surely got to happen.

[big jim]

Great pics Jim. Looking forward to the limited edition of this! Surely got to happen.

here's hoping!

 

if a model one does come out remember you can have a little 'big jim' in the drivers seat!

[Trainshed Terry]

Great pics Jim. Looking forward to the limited edition of this! Surely got to happen.

 

Froth mode has started.

 

If they do do a limited run it would be great to see some of the money go to cancer research

 

Terry

[DRS Crewe On A Mission]

Fantastic photos Jim! Thank you very much for posting them.

 

I'm thinking the same. It would be fantastic if 37099 in Colas Rail livery with nameplates was produced as a Limited Edition.

Edited December 2, 2016 by DRS Crewe On A Mission

[Andy Y]

How many men does it take to fit a pair of curtains?

 

 

The final answer is four. 

[big jim]

and they still fell off

 

(thankfully not at the important moment!)

 

actually that picture is the colas rail 'village people' tribute act, next frame is "M", "C", "A" and so on

Edited December 2, 2016 by big jim

[scottishlocos]

Jim

 

Well done to all at Colas glad they support the hobby a good tribute to Merl Evans by all accounts we wouldn't enjoy the quality of models we have become used to today

Well done all

[big jim]

some more pics from today, after the naming i went off to tyseley to work a train to wrexham and rugeley amongst other places

 

153 in derby

 

wolverhampton

 

rugeley

[big jim]

Some from this morning, nice short job, westhouses to toton with the railvac

 

Crack of dawn at westhouses

 

And into toton

 

 

Back to IM tomorrow, off to the seaside again, somewhere new this time though

[Swifty11]

Hope you don't mind me posting this but 37099 made its test train debut in Colas Rail colours and fitting Merl Evans nameplates tonight, on 3Q85 Derby RTC - Crewe CS via Southport.

 

37099 - 3Q85 - Warrington Bank Quay by Swifty's Rail Pics, on Flickr

[big jim]

nice shot, i would have come and said hello but it was too cold to be bothered to get out of the cab!

 

a few niggles with it tonight but nowt major, the headlight needs adjusting, it was doing a good job of scaring owls in the lineside trees, alternatively it would make a good OHLE stantion inspection loco!

 

pictures to follow sometime tomorrow

[meurglys3]

Hope you don't mind me posting this but 37099 made its test train debut in Colas Rail colours and fitting Merl Evans nameplates tonight, on 3Q85 Derby RTC - Crewe CS via Southport.

 

37099 - 3Q85 - Warrington Bank Quay by Swifty's Rail Pics, on Flickr

Damn, wish I'd known that was running. Would have been worth the short drive to Wigan. Presume it went through Wallgate?

[big jim]

And the proper camera pics from yesterday

 

Crewe, RHTT heading back to shrewsbury

 

 

 

And over to derby where 37099 awaited me!

 

 

 

 

Into the station

 

And away to southport, stopped in crewe for 5 mins

 

Southport

 

Popular loco!

 

 

 

Let's not forget the humble DBSO, seen at Wigan wallgate on the return

 

 

And back into crewe at 01:30

 

 

Today is a road learning day but I'm not having much luck getting into the cab, northern have a lot of drivers out road learning too!

 

Anyway a couple from kidsgrove station, doing there to cheadle hulme to fill a gap in my route knowledge

 

Crewe to the left, Stockport to the right

 

Nice 1960s station building

[Wigan Wallgate OO Gauge]

And the proper camera pics from yesterday

Crewe, RHTT heading back to shrewsbury

And over to derby where 37099 awaited me!

Into the station

And away to southport, stopped in crewe for 5 mins

Southport

Popular loco!

Let's not forget the humble DBSO, seen at Wigan wallgate on the return

And back into crewe at 01:30

Today is a road learning day but I'm not having much luck getting into the cab, northern have a lot of drivers out road learning too!

Anyway a couple from kidsgrove station, doing there to cheadle hulme to fill a gap in my route knowledge

Crewe to the left, Stockport to the right

Nice 1960s station building

 

Ahhhhh gotta model this now as it has been through Wigan Wallgate

[big jim]

Wondered how long before you noticed that!

[Wigan Wallgate OO Gauge]

See a good few hundred pound being spent to do that prototype

[Trainshed Terry]

Me things that 37 099 is becoming a celebrity locomotive.

 

Please keep it clean Colas in the memory of Mr Evans. 

 

Terry

[big jim]

Me things that 37 099 is becoming a celebrity locomotive.

 

Please keep it clean Colas in the memory of Mr Evans. 

 

Terry

i think it should become the RMWeb 'pet loco'

 

be nice next year if the collectors club day is at a mainline connected railway if we can get 'merl' to attend

[big jim]

Forgot to upload these yesterday, did a derby to rugby transit with 37601 and 37604, just a couple of iPhone pics and a video

 

 

 

https://youtu.be/IdUQ6cp_vg8

[big jim]

forgot my camera last night but had to go down to watford to meet my train where i sat on board until we got back to rugby where i took it on to derby

 

watford jn

 

 

 

quite a lot of freight about at midnight, got a few vids that i'll splice together into one video when i get a chance, alos the sleeper came in with a 90 on the front and 92 on the rear

 

 

and over to St Albans abbey

 

from there i sat in Mentor for the ride back to willesden, sat in the captains seat which is located in the roof area looking at the pantograph through a little window, quite interesting and hypnotic watching the pantograph doing its thing at 90mph, also somewhat un-nerving at the same time thinking if i dewired it would be a right mess and i'm only sat 10ft from it (behind triple glazed glass and protective mesh adimttedly), we did pick up a fault at one point where the wire ran right to the edge of the carbon/contact area of the pantograph, that was flagged up immediatly for attention by the on train technicians 

[Crisis Rail]

Multiple likes Jim - a good insight into whats going on behind the scenes.

Have you done the 6e32 Preston Lanfina to Immingham?

 

Ian

[big jim]

proper camera last night, derby to manchester via stoke and macclesfield, 30mph all the way from colwich to slade lane and back!

 

it was quite funny as there is a late night london-manchester pendolino that stops at stoke, macclesfield and stockport to set down only so tends to depart early from those stations, realtime trains shows him as leaving stoke some 45 early, guess who he caught up between macclesfield and stockport so had to trundle along at 30mph, bet the driver was cursing me!

 

 

 

couple of 40s on the RTC

 

into the station

 

and piccadilly

 

 

 

 

 

and back to derby

 

hope mick has laid his track on deadmans lane as level as it is at the far end of this train!

 

old dalby on monday