Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[big jim]

Couple from last night, first was the scrap train from landor st to Liverpool, 66788 up front 

 

took that as far as edge lane jn where we jumped off and straight onto the seaforth to East Midlands gateway intermodal while the other driver took out train down to the docks for unloading 

 

last job if the week tonight, possession near nuneaton then a week off

[rob D2]

1 hour ago, big jim said:

Couple from last night, first was the scrap train from landor st to Liverpool, 66788 up front 

 

took that as far as edge lane jn where we jumped off and straight onto the seaforth to East Midlands gateway intermodal while the other driver took out train down to the docks for unloading 

 

last job if the week tonight, possession near nuneaton then a week off

EMR back in the game with GB as opposed to DB ? I did read DB binned it due all the expensive damage to their wagons 

[Mark Saunders]

2 hours ago, rob D2 said:

EMR back in the game with GB as opposed to DB ? I did read DB binned it due all the expensive damage to their wagons 

Back in the day trains into Allied Steel and Wire were examined before entering and after discharge to ensure no damage occurred in the works!

[big jim]

Remember that scrap trian I took in to Liverpool on Saturday morning, well I got a call in the evening asking me to conduct it back south as it was routed via Wolverhampton and new st and the driver didn’t sign part of the route! 

 

And into new st 

 

after that it was to my booked job, a possession at arley tunnel, ready to depart bescot with 40 or so coalfish and a salmon 

 

I got relief and rode the people carrier through the tunnel back to the access point!

 

 

and that’s me for a week, holidays tomorrow!

 

 

[big jim]

First day of my break, went to the shop in rye and this was sat over the road in the station!

 

And the supermarket certainly knows it’s got a captive market with its prices, but this is very nice! 

[big jim]

Quite an apt tune came on when we got to Dungeness!

 

there’s something about the bleakness of Dungeness that is fascinating, unfortunately no trains running this week on the RH&D though, similarly the lighthouse was closed  

 

we then drove to tenderton, again knowing the railway was shut but we got some beer from the old dairy taphouse in the station yard, also called in the chapel down vineyard and got some bottles of wine from there, anyone would think I’ve got a drinking problem! 
 

we then went to rye. A lovely little town, such a mish mash of buildings, went into the mermaid pub on mermaid street which dates back to 1420 and was an old smugglers den, Sarah then wanted to go to a card shop to get me a birthday card and I noticed there was loads of Railway Memorabilia all over the walls 

 

 

 

might go into Hastings tomorrow 

[big jim]

Went into Hastings today on the train, drove up to Rye and caught the marsh link from there, nice little 20 min ride on a 171 unit

rye signal box

 

 

never been to Hastings before other than to the station and the old im town is absolutely stunning 

 

had dinner in ‘ye olde pump house’

we then walked up the steps to the top of the cliff to go to the ‘sumgglers adventure’ in the caves, well worth a visit if your ever in the are, we then walked back down through some of the steep steps between the houses, one of the cliff railways is visible in the distance, unfortunately both were closed today and look to be for the considerable future 

 

Our planned train back to rye was cancelled so we had to wait an hour for the next one

 

Back at the station, 171 unit headed for eastbourne 

 

375 unit for Charing Cross 

 

377 heading to brighton 

 

Our unit back to rye

 

And into rye 

 

curry night tonight, Birthday tomorrow 

[Nick C]

Happy birthday for tomorrow! 

[big jim]

Went to Folkestone and Dover today, a quick look at the old harbour station area 

looking across the swing bridge toward the old station 

 

The station itself, looking very nice after its restoration

 

 

Birthday cupcake in the old waiting room on platform 4 (I think)

 

Old wagons, now a restaurant/bar

 

Signal box 

 

We then had a drive to dover, went to the national trust ‘white cliffs visitor centre’

 

 

 

 

 

On the way back I spotted a little place called samphire ho which I think was created with soil from the channel tunnel 

 

Memorial to workers who died during the construction of the channel tunnel 

 

Railway and road through the cliff 

 

Homeward bound tomorrow 

[Craig1989]

Happy birthday Jim and thanks for all the pictures and insight to your work and holidays 

 

cheers Craig 

[The Border Reiver]

Happy birthday Jim... thanks for all the photos...

[big jim]

Back to it next week, bit of a varied week, class 69 test run on Monday, assume it’s 69008 but it could be one of the others that have gone to longport for mods/maintenance, Wellington on Tuesday, depot induction Wednesday then a couple of nights of stone trains to round the week off 

[ess1uk]

How long are the 69 s going to be out of action?

[big jim]

Back to it today, class 69 test run, it was going to be 69008 and 69003, had a problem so we never got out in the end

 

Just about to head home after the trip was curtailed only to get a ‘can you just’ call and I ended up in……

 

oxford!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And in came my loco 

 

Which I took to Bicester 

 

 

And back to hinksey 

 

Due to the time Ive ended up in a hotel in Oxford tonight but I’ll be seeing 66790 and that train again tomorrow when I work it back south from Wellington to kineton

Edited February 27, 2023 by big jim

[adb968008]

Is that 69 going to be pulling mk5’s then ?

 

The coupling looks a little, err droopy in that position.

[big jim]

Wellington to kineton today. Had tk start by going pass from Oxford 

 

165

 

800

 

Pride 800

 

 

Voyager to Wolverhampton 

 

And TFW to Wellington where the train was sat waiting for us 

 

196 passing by 

 

 

Waiting at wolves 

 

Washwood heath 

 

Running round in fenny compton 

 

Collecting the token for the branch 

 

And that was it for pics, back to longport for my hire car and home, induction and yard refresh at oxley in the morning ready for the 805 testing 

[big jim]

Depot induction at oxley today for the 805 unit testing, showed a fellow driver round the yard and sidings while I was there, just a couple of shots if things passing by

 

 

after that I drove home, got within a few miles of the house only to get a call, the MOD train I left in kineton yesterday still had the single line token on it, as agreed with the signaller, but they needed it putting back into the token machine at fenny compton to take a possession on the line and couldn’t do without the token in place so I had to drive back to kineton to collect it and return to the machine! 
 

stone trains tomorrow to and from crewe and hams hall 

[Tankerman]

47 minutes ago, big jim said:

Depot induction at oxley today for the 805 unit testing, showed a fellow driver round the yard and sidings while I was there, just a couple of shots if things passing by

 

 

after that I drove home, got within a few miles of the house only to get a call, the MOD train I left in kineton yesterday still had the single line token on it, as agreed with the signaller, but they needed it putting back into the token machine at fenny compton to take a possession on the line and couldn’t do without the token in place so I had to drive back to kineton to collect it and return to the machine! 
 

stone trains tomorrow to and from crewe and hams hall 

 

To paraphrase an old saying, it seems like a loco driver's work is never done.🙂

[Budgie]

5 hours ago, big jim said:

... got within a few miles of the house only to get a call, the MOD train I left in kineton yesterday still had the single line token on it, as agreed with the signaller, but they needed it putting back into the token machine at fenny compton to take a possession on the line and couldn’t do without the token in place so I had to drive back to kineton to collect it and return to the machine! 

 

Don't knock it. It is good that we have such safety systems. I've just been reading about that awful train crash in Greece.

[rogerzilla]

I bet token exchange isn't as quick as in t'olden days,when your fireman leaned out and swapped "tennis racquets" with the signalman.

[big jim]

On 02/03/2023 at 08:03, rogerzilla said:

I bet token exchange isn't as quick as in t'olden days,when your fireman leaned out and swapped "tennis racquets" with the signalman.

Still do in Buxton! 
 

some from yesterday, landor st to basford hall and back to hams hall 

 

landor st

 

Basford hall

 

 

over to the southbound train 

 

into hams hall for unloading 

 

The loco then ran round

 

and once unloaded fully we set it back outside the yard and left it for the next driver to take back out in the morning 

 

possession tonight in Abergele! 
 

next week is a nice simple one, East Midlands gateway, couple of small heaths, and a couple of Clitheroe cement jobs 

[Chris116]

2 hours ago, big jim said:

next week is a nice simple one, East Midlands gateway, couple of small heaths, and a couple of Clitheroe cement jobs 

You have forgotten the cancellations and can you just's! You should know that what they have planned for you now and what you will actually do is regularly totally different! Between now and then have some good modeling time and thank you for the very interesting story of what you do.

[big jim]

The Clitheroe jobs are additional rest day work jobs for me, I normal make myself  unavailable for rest days and see what’s of interest on the vacancy list when it comes out, it also helps me keep routes that are normally out of my rostering area up to date such as Liverpool last week, clitheroe next week, dee marsh, carlisle etc current, which can be a blessing when it comes to getting a bit of variety but also a curse when it comes to ‘can you just’ or changing plans last minute, for example the clitheroe on Friday was just as far as crewe and now it’s through to landor st (or bromsgrove)

 

 

 

Edited March 3, 2023 by big jim

[big jim]

Just a few from last night, possession at llandudno jn, somewhere I’ve not been for a while but refreshed and reviewed by video late last year for another job so in date for me to drive 

 

basford hall

 

66703 running round to go on the front of the train 

 

ready to roll, 25 lobster wagons and another 66 on the rear!

 

into Abergele and the possession entry signal, from there it was a 9 mile transit at 15mph to the worksite just outside Llandudno Jn where the drainage work was being carried out 

 

Didn’t get any pics there as once the train was in place it wasn’t moving and sleeping time was more important until our relief arrived 

[big jim]

Forgot about yesterdays pics! 
 

bescot to east mids gateway then back to crewe

 

bescot light loco

 

East mids gateway 

 

After departure we had to wait at the exit to rejoin the mainline, a diverted mossend service passing by, heading toward the east coast mainline due to a possession blockage at carstairs

 

And into crewe

 

nice little small heath to crewe job today