Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[big jim]

30 minutes ago, s182ggu said:

via South Ruislip again?

Yes but only got a single loco tonight so it’s a run round job at 0500, that should be fun just as the first passenger service will be bearing down on me! 

[Bloodnok]

19 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

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

This hasn't been a thing for a long, long time...

[45156]

3 hours ago, Bloodnok said:

This hasn't been a thing for a long, long time...

I agree - I did it many many years ago - and also Heysham 2, but security, elfn safety, and other factors put paid to that - shame, as the Heyham tour was a full behind the scenes version, where we had the full monty - walking across the reactor core and seeing the spent rod handling - all hard hats, and scanned for radioactivity before leaving.

 

Now back on topic a bit, Rye itself is quite interesting, but probably not a lot for any youngsters.

Edited February 13, 2023 by 45156

[jamie92208]

4 hours ago, Bloodnok said:

This hasn't been a thing for a long, long time...

Thanks. I remember  taki g the family round A station when we were in the New Romney area.  Went by train as well. It was fascinating.

 

Jamie

[surfsup]

21 hours ago, big jim said:

 

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!

 

 

Ruddy Trainsurfers, they get everywhere these days!

 

Mind you, if she's a member of the Branchline Society, think of all the Yellow & Red Pen Mileage she's already achieved!  😂

[petethemole]

She rightly belongs on The Flying Dustman.  Remember dustcarts with dolls and teddy bears tied to the front grille?  Not seen much now presumably due to wheelie bins and bagged rubbish.

[rogerzilla]

That reminds me of the "Taggart" episode "Fatal Inheritance", where a creepy illuminated doll is used to lure the victims to their death.

[big jim]

Ballast drop on the chilterns last night, because of the length of the job I couldn’t prep it at bescot and was booked to meet it at landor st but I caught an earlier train into Birmingham so met it at bescot station instead of standing in the cold!

 

tripe header to hinksey, 66726, 66721 and 66789 hauling points carrying wagons 

 

Waiting in small heath 

 

there was a problem with the schedule which meant I couldn’t get into hinksey with the train so I had to leave it and secure it on the up loop at Oxford and take the lead loco into the yard for my wagons down the chilterns!

 

we set off and dropped the ballast between haddenham and Princes Risborough where they lifted the possession around us 

 

we then headed off to ruislip to run round, quite a long run round as opposed to a change ends 

 

 

and away to hinksey where we stabled the train for the day

 

same wagons and loco tonight doing the down line but with the addition of an extra loco to avoid the run round in ruislip, we still have to go there to change ends though

 

[rogerzilla]

How many ballast wagons need 3 Class 66s to pull them?  50?  100?

[KDG]

Dover Castle always worth a visit Jim. Whilst in Dover, walk around Drop Redoubt Fort too. Really impressive. Worth checking if there's an open day there.

[rogerzilla]

To sort of answer my own question before Big Jim tells me I'm wrong...😄

 

A 66 can manage about 3000 tonnes, which is about 30-35 big ballast carriers.  So three of them could mean a 100-wagon train. That would block a few junctions.

[big jim]

During the day before my job my trainee and myself had a drive out to north Leigh Roman villa near witney as he’s into Roman history, seemed a strange place to have a huge villa, in a valley rather than on a hill top, I did make the comment that it was probably because it was near the railway line and convenient for the trains, much in the same way as it was clever how they built Conway castle walls over the railway 

 

Then some from last night, ballast drop again

 

66721 on the rear

 

66726 in the fog

 

Into risborough, we had the possession shortened last night so we didn’t have to run to ruislip 

 

 

Old branding poking through 

 

 

 

[adb968008]

You seem to do well with the celeb 66’s…

 

For sure in the south next week, the only way you’ll see one is if you bring it with you.

 

Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sunderland 66’s are as wild as it gets.. When 66789 brought 69002 back in 2021 Photters formed a human chain on the Tonbridge yard bridge. The housing estate behind Tonbridge Yard was completely blocked with enthusiasts cars.

 

 

Edited February 15, 2023 by adb968008

[newbryford]

Just now, adb968008 said:

You seem to do well with the celeb 66’s…

 

 

 

 

At the rate GBRf are going, the non-celeb 66s will be the celebrities.

[The Lurker]

Lullingstone Villa is also in a valley, very near the Darenth (and near the line from Swanley to Sevenoaks).

 

apart from the farmland and the river it had, as Jim would say, a station. The platforms survived for many years! I’m 

[Fat Controller]

7 hours ago, rogerzilla said:

To sort of answer my own question before Big Jim tells me I'm wrong...😄

 

A 66 can manage about 3000 tonnes, which is about 30-35 big ballast carriers.  So three of them could mean a 100-wagon train. That would block a few junctions.

You'd probably have coupling issues before you had power ones..

[big jim]

Last nights original job, another ballast job on the chilterns was cancelled so I had a ‘can you just’ which was the scrap train from Oxford to crewe, that in turn was cancelled so I went home yesterday morning for a well deserved night off, of course that didnt last long, another ‘can you just’ call!

 

went down to the station, caught a train to euston

 

153s en route to Cardiff, they were terminated at crewe due to lack of a guard, the passengers ejected and made to wait for the next train 

 

And into euston

 

my job for the night was to accompany the sleeper driver to Preston and back to crewe 

92038 on the blocks 

 

92033 heading north 

 

Into preston

 

 

 

and then it was back to crewe on the southbound service 

 

 

Into crewe and home 

 

small heath tonight unfortunately 

[rogerzilla]

I used to work in Small Heath.  I sympathise.  We had a drive-by shooting one morning but opened the branch anyway, with bullet holes in the window!

[big jim]

Nice result tonight, back end of my job cancelled so just a landor st to crewe trip. Didn’t even bother with any pics, the start of tomorrows job is also cancelled so a later start for me

 

I’ve been invited to a GBRf event in london later today so the cancellations have worked out useful, i can get too it and not have to rush back as early (but I can’t have a drink!) hopefully I’ll get some pics on rhe way down and maybe some at the event (although it’s not near any railways) 

[big jim]

Made it to that london

[woodenhead]

Well done for showing that word as an image only, if you write it then it invokes modellers with a crazy desire to build a simple but busy commuter terminus onto your thread with a desire to spam you with their variation trackplans.

Edited February 17, 2023 by woodenhead
Multiple spelling mistakes that I cannot blame on autotext

[big jim]

Todays trip to london was to a charity handover event

 

leaving crewe 66720 was in the platform heading to Tebay to rescue a failed intermodal train 

trackwork going on in the bay platforms 

 

a bit early so a quick look on the platform at tower gateway DLR station 

 

GBRf charity partner for the last couple of years has been Prostate cancer uk and today was the cheque handover to them and to welcome the new nominated charity 

 

prostate cancer uk has been quite a poignant charity to GBRf following the passing of Paul Taylor who was one of the organisers of the GBRf charity railtours, indeed the last railtour was called “this time it’s personal”, his wife save a small speech today about her husband, John smith also made a speech as did sir Peter Hendy (keep bumping into him!) and Rob bell from TVs abandoned architecture as spokesperson for prostate cancer uk 

 

So the total raised for prostate cancer uk by GBRf £200,728 

 

Rob bell, sir Peter Hendy, Tracy Taylor and John smith 

 

Pleased to say £1550 of that money was raised by the good people of RMWeb (and a couple of other forums) by sponsoring me back in May to cycle 300 miles which I smashed by covering 522 miles, hence my invite to the event today as a thank you, of course those of you who traveled on the railtour also contributed to the total so thank you all however you may have donated 

 

you can still donate here and learn more about prostate cancer 

https://prostatecanceruk.org

 

The new charity partner for 2023 is The Alzheimer’s society who came along and gave a speech on how the charity operates and it’s aims, a link to the site is below for those who may wish to donate or learn more, sir Peter got quite emotional during his speech as he didn’t realise the society was the new partner and spoke of how he watched his mother decline due to dementia  

 

https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/alzheimers-society-test-3

 

there should be some exciting events coming up involving the Alzheimer’s society over the coming year, watch this space! 
 

While schmoosing at the buffet afterwards I got a call asking to work tonight after my whole job was cancelled so I headed off home (thankfully I didn’t have a beer!)  so I can work a landor st to Liverpool scrap train! 
 

Aldgate tube station, never been here before!

 

hot footed it from there to euston and heading home as I type! 

 

EDIT: wrong tube station! 

Edited February 17, 2023 by big jim

[Chris116]

13 minutes ago, big jim said:

Aldwich tube station, never been here before!

 

hot footed it from there to euston and heading home as I type! 

 

 

I have a feeling that a picture is missing as Aldwych station was closed in the 1994 and only had one platform. Or else you mean Aldgate and can blame auto corrupt!

[adb968008]

Looking forwards to a CS sleeper ride next week myself, and my daughter.

 

with CS, I always say your awake at Watford, feel Crewe, relax at Preston, hear Shap and finally sleep a bit after Carlilse.

 

But next friday, were heading up the ECML apparently, due to diverts, to Glasgow to do Model Rail Scotland, and a few pics of 47712’s Push Pull gallavants.

 

 

Edited February 17, 2023 by adb968008

[rogerzilla]

We're planning to do CS to Fort William this year, if we can get a ticket.