Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[big jim]

Long job last night bescot to princes Risborough for a rail drop 

 

class 88 in Bescot 

 

my lead loco out of bescot was 66734, the first time I’ve actually driven it (well my trainee drove)

 

Had to ran all the way to West Ruislip to change ends, ended up stopping outside rhe station while a test train turned back from the greenford branch, a good opportunity to get a pic of the northern portal of the HS2 tunnel

 

the old sidings at Ruislip have now been extended so that tunnel segments can be delivered to site by rail 

 

can’t believe the change here even within the few months since I was last down there!

 

Changing ends 

 

 

it was then back north to risborough to drop the rail, once done it was all the way back to Ruislip again to change ends for the last time, some 4 hours after the last pics!

 

and finally into banbury and off to a hotel, doing it all again tonight! 

 

[Barry O]

On 08/02/2023 at 15:01, big jim said:

Back to it yesterday, landor st to crewe first, got to the station a bit earlier than planned and glad I did! 
 

as I drove to the station I noticed the LSL scotrail push pull set on the bridge toward Chester. Had a look in the maps and saw it was signalled out toward Chester on its test run, got to the station and grabbed a coffee and noticed the set in platform 12, apparently it had an issue on its test run and had to return to the depot 

 

DBSO 

 

47712 

 

 

A couple of minutes later the black TFW 67 came in, looking much better now it a a bit mucky!

 

Mk4 set with DVT 

 

Then a pair of 90s came in including one that was painted to match the MK4s when a grand central service to Blackpool was planned which never started due to covid etc 

 

 

And a pair of C2C 720s to complete the mad 5 minutes!

 

 

47712 departing for the depot 

 

 

after that it was off to bescot (was originally supposed to be landor st) for the first train to crewe

 

66738

 

Into basford hall

 

we then went back to landor st to work another train to stockport like last night but I couldn’t be bothered with pics!

 

tomorrow is a rail drop at princes Risborough running out of bescot, I’ve got to go all the way to west ruislip to change ends though! 

@St Enodoc remember these??

 

Baz

[s182ggu]

2 hours ago, big jim said:

Long job last night bescot to princes Risborough for a rail drop 

Hi Jim

I guess there must be a logical reason for having to go all the way from P. Risborough to South Ruislip in order to reverse / crossover, but couldn't this be done at either H. Wycombe or Gerrards Cross or any other crossover point?

 

By the way, thanks for the constant flow of information / pics.

[big jim]

It’s all to so with the timings, I did actually looked into it as it’s a regular occurrence and I like to see if things can be made more efficient both time and cost wise given the tight timings on this job the move even happened the same years ago when I was with colas

 

Heading from bescot nothing follows us from aynho jn to Risborough but there are still trains running out of london to Aylesbury at that time of night both passenger and empty stock as well as one from Bicester to Aylesbury rhat we wait for at Bicester chord jn, so we have to go south to give them time to get onto the single line across to Aylesbury as if we stood in the platform we would block the route and if we changed ends at either wycombe or Gerrards we would do the same there too 

 

there isn’t much of a window to do work on the branch, the last passenger over it east bound is about 01:15 and the first one back west bound is about 05:15 so just a 4 hour gap to work 

 

when we leave the possession the first passenger train is pretty much running behind us so again if we sat in the platform that can’t get into risborough and even then if we did change ends and head north there are a couple of ECS trains that do Aylesbury to Bicester or banbury that we would block or delay if we left there out of sync 

 

I did have it a few years back where I noticed RTT showed us entering the single line before the last passenger service so I rang the box to let them know beforehand be be sure they regulated us correctly! 

 

it probably won’t be running tonight as we managed to drop all the required rail last night, as I say the possession timings are tight so they planned it to run over two nights incase if any delays taking the possession or unloading but we dropped the lot with about 20 mins to spare so I’m now having a day off tonight/tomorrow as it’s been a long week already!

 

 

 

[s182ggu]

2 hours ago, big jim said:

It’s all to so with the timings, I did actually looked into it as it’s a regular occurrence and I like to see if things can be made more efficient both time and cost wise given the tight timings on this job the move even happened the same years ago when I was with colas

 

Heading from bescot nothing follows us from aynho jn to Risborough but there are still trains running out of london to Aylesbury at that time of night both passenger and empty stock as well as one from Bicester to Aylesbury rhat we wait for at Bicester chord jn, so we have to go south to give them time to get onto the single line across to Aylesbury as if we stood in the platform we would block the route and if we changed ends at either wycombe or Gerrards we would do the same there too 

 

there isn’t much of a window to do work on the branch, the last passenger over it east bound is about 01:15 and the first one back west bound is about 05:15 so just a 4 hour gap to work 

 

when we leave the possession the first passenger train is pretty much running behind us so again if we sat in the platform that can’t get into risborough and even then if we did change ends and head north there are a couple of ECS trains that do Aylesbury to Bicester or banbury that we would block or delay if we left there out of sync 

 

I did have it a few years back where I noticed RTT showed us entering the single line before the last passenger service so I rang the box to let them know beforehand be be sure they regulated us correctly! 

 

it probably won’t be running tonight as we managed to drop all the required rail last night, as I say the possession timings are tight so they planned it to run over two nights incase if any delays taking the possession or unloading but we dropped the lot with about 20 mins to spare so I’m now having a day off tonight/tomorrow as it’s been a long week already!

Thanks Jim.

 

I can now see why there is a need for such a seemingly long diversion. At first look it seems very wasteful but slotting in with all of the passenger ECS movements and with such a short time available on the branch, it all becomes clear.

 

Still, it made for a long day for you - I'm sure that the day off today / tomorrow is welcome!

[Barclay]

On 30/01/2023 at 20:02, big jim said:

This afternoon me and my dad went too london for a tour on a routemaster with Sir Peter hendy at the wheel and Tim Dunn giving a commentary on various landmarks we passed along the way 

 

set off from crewe, 197 in the bay 

 

97 waiting to head south

 

Not a good pic but 37688 shunting a black five and sir Nigel gresley

 

Pride Pendolino 

 

We then caught the Elizabeth line from Tottenham Court Road to paddington 

 

 

 

Paddington 

 

 

And on to the bus. Sir Peter was telling us this is his friends bus and is the first production routemaster 

 

 

Tim Dunn issuing tickets from Sir Peters own vintage ticket machine 

 

Front seats downstairs 

 

Ticket trouble! 

 

Book of Mormon theatre

 

London eye

 

Sir Peter Hendy who had given his bus and driving services free of charge for the evening as the money raised from ticket sales was all going to charity 

 

A brief stop on embankment 

 

 

St Paul’s 

 

Tower Bridge 

 

That was about it for pics, we finished at King’s Cross but had to hot it foot it to euston for our train home, should be back for 10 hopefully!  

 

Great to see RM5 still active. I remember going up the Mile End Road in it back in the 80's (Probably route 25). The earliest one I ever saw !

[big jim]

Job cancelled last night due to a routing clash with a possession, luckily just before I set off from home otherwise I’d have set off to Doncaster, went to bed then got a call at 02:30 asking me to go to toton to meet another trian that had been caught up in the possession! 
 

drove over to toton and worked it to hams hall, back to toton to recover my car then up to Doncaster for the model railway show 

 

Long week again next week, stone train tomorrow, chiltern possessions and small heath, then a week off so booked a caravan in camber sands for the week to have a proper break away from work 

[Chris116]

2 hours ago, big jim said:

Then a week off so booked a caravan in camber sands for the week to have a proper break away from work 

Control to Jim:- Can you just?

[TheSignalEngineer]

On 08/02/2023 at 23:04, brittannia said:

 I usually manage  to video it at Hyde North about 15-40, Last week the earlier  empty Train one going to Cement Works Manchester , every empty wagon was very professionally Graffitied the train was very impressive bit strange every wagon was painted 

Probably done by the FOC to discourage the rattlecan brigade. 😉

[big jim]

8 hours ago, Chris116 said:

Control to Jim:- Can you just?

Unless it’s a rail drop on the Romney Hythe and dymchurch railway it’s not happening, not taking anything work related with me! 
 

[Chris116]

17 minutes ago, big jim said:

Unless it’s a rail drop on the Romney Hythe and dymchurch railway it’s not happening, not taking anything work related with me! 
 

You could rebuild the Rye and Camber but it might take longer than your well deserved holiday!

[big jim]

any suggestions of places to visit while down there, bearing  in mind its pretty much out of season, non railway suggestions appreciated, dungeness is definitely on the list hoping the ligthhouse is open, we may go on the train from Rye somewhere but not sure where yet, hastings maybe

 

looking at most of the local attractions (RHDR, port lympne, rye museum etc) they will be shut the week were there as its 1/2 term the week before in kent, shades of the royle family ‘pearl of preststyn’ holiday 

 

 

Edited February 12, 2023 by big jim

[jamie92208]

They used to do tours of the power station. It might be worth looking up.

 

Jamie

[petethemole]

The historic town of Winchelsea is worth a visit I believe.  I've never been but saw a programme about the archaeology and history, possibly an episode of Time Team.

[Claude_Dreyfus]

I would suggest Bodiam Castle, but sadly it looks to be closed between 20th and 24th Feb (which I guess is when you are down there).

[StuAllen]

Kent & East Sussex Railway is nice, and you can combine with Bodium Castle - but looks like it closed that week as well.
 

Battle is a nice village, looks like the abbey is open - that’s always a nice walk around the battlefield. The smugglers caves in Hastings were good as well but haven’t been since before covid. 
 

if you’re in Rye, Marinios fish bar is worth a visit 

[figworthy]

I don't know how much there is to see, but there are the sound mirrors (a sort of predecessor to RADAR) somewhere near Dungeness.

 

Adrian

[big jim]

Most things are closed the week we’re there, we have activities to do at the holiday park like swimming, those dishes look interesting, might go and find them, might take a trip to Brighton on the train one day

[adb968008]

7 minutes ago, big jim said:

Most things are closed the week we’re there, we have activities to do at the holiday park like swimming, those dishes look interesting, might go and find them, might take a trip to Brighton on the train one day

Get a ride on a 313, they are supposedly gone in May.

[big jim]

3 minutes ago, adb968008 said:

Get a ride on a 313, they are supposedly gone in May.

don’t think I’ll have much choice down there do I or are they already being replaced?
 

noticed the train from rye goes through to Eastbourne, thought the marsh line was just a diesel shuttle as far as Hastings, didn’t realise it went through, the last time I did the marsh link (apart from driving a 69 along it during training) it was a Hastings DEMU! (1987 iirc)

[adb968008]

23 minutes ago, big jim said:

don’t think I’ll have much choice down there do I or are they already being replaced?
 

noticed the train from rye goes through to Eastbourne, thought the marsh line was just a diesel shuttle as far as Hastings, didn’t realise it went through, the last time I did the marsh link (apart from driving a 69 along it during training) it was a Hastings DEMU! (1987 iirc)

 

yes the rundown has started.. 313203/9/16 stored Hove yard, 313215 at Selhurst.

 

Its very imminent, a move from Hove to Arlington was canceled on Friday, so assume those three are gone next week.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R04086/2023-02-10/detailed

 

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:K05071/2023-02-10/detailed
 

Ive heard Sundays are all 377/3’s now already, as their replacement is simply shortening existing services, I’d imagine it could happen sooner without much difficulty.

Edited February 12, 2023 by adb968008

[big jim]

Just been looking at other things to do further afield, might even go into london on the Wednesday for my birthday, from rye is only an hour via HS2 and if we go late in the it’s only £40 return for the 3 of us with the family railcard

[big jim]

And some from tonight, first up light loco bescot to crewe 

 

You may remember back in January 2022 I found a doll on the tracks while on a possession, she came for a ride back to bescot on the lamp iron of the class 66…..

 

She appears to have had a hard life in the last 12 months and has got a some decent class 08 mileage in too!

 

And into basford hall 

 

 

We then went down to nuneaton to pick up an empty stone train back to basford hall again

 

 

And all done in crewe 

 

Chiltern ballast drops tomorrow and Tuesday 

[s182ggu]

via South Ruislip again?

Edited February 13, 2023 by s182ggu

[StuAllen]

If you don’t mind travelling a bit further Chatham Docks is good, think just  over an hour from Camber Sands

Edited February 13, 2023 by StuAllen