Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[BR traction instructor]

Aft'noon Jim, 37 405 was one of the 37s fitted with flange lubricators whilst on the West Highland ISTR...has the kit been removed from the bogie frames now?

 

BeRTIe

[toby_tl10]

14 hours ago, big jim said:

805s have different engines so have to be  type tested as a different class (or something like that!) 

 

807s are pure electric, no diesel engines at all

Thanks for the clarification.

 

Would that make the 807 identical to the 803 then (at least mechanically)?

[corneliuslundie]

The HN 37 was being used on the Cambrian line logs a while ago but I don't know the current situation.

Fun at the west end of the journey as it is of course not ERTMS fitted so some careful shunting was needed.

Jonathan

[big jim]

7 hours ago, BR traction instructor said:

Aft'noon Jim, 37 405 was one of the 37s fitted with flange lubricators whilst on the West Highland ISTR...has the kit been removed from the bogie frames now?

 

 

6 hours ago, toby_tl10 said:

Would that make the 807 identical to the 803 then (at least mechanically)?

 

Too many technical questions for this time of day! 
 

honestly don’t know the answer to either question

 

3 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

Fun at the west end of the journey as it is of course not ERTMS fitted so some careful shunting was needed

 

they’ll have to do some shunting tonight/tomorrow too as it’s going down the Cambrian before the HOW so it’s going to need the 97 putting on that end, I had to place the 37 at that end due to the gradient in the yard 

[Southernman46]

1 hour ago, big jim said:

 

Too many technical questions for this time of day! 
 

honestly don’t know the answer to either question

 

Hope you know the film 🙏 - a classic scene

 

Edited May 11 by Southernman46

[big jim]

Possession at Bangor yesterday 

 

train from crewe to rhyl

 

 

over to Bangor and to the site at llandegai tunnel

 

Loco issue meant it had to be seen by a fitter 

 

once sorted it went on to a train at Bangor tunnel 

 

 

We then went to the train in front, we were supposed to leave on the one behind but got stepped up due to late running 

we left the worksite into Picop land and ran to Conwy where we had to enter another worksite, conveniently the worksite marker boards were at the station

 

waiting room art 

 

 

not very often you can get pics like this!

 

 

Went into the yard via the Chester independent line, waited at Salop goods jn, managed a pic of the box as it will be going soon 

 

a bit if shunting around basford hall but didn’t bother with pics as we were so busy!

 

next job is weedsprayer on Wednesday 

 

[big jim]

Back to it last night, weedsprayer Coleham to Hereford and back, first up was putting our locos on the train 

 

Engines everywhere

 

moved back toward the yard for a bit before departure so the operators could get on 

 

When we left I had to walk alongside the yard to change ends, 97304 parked up looking all shiny 

 

nice new nameplate on it 

 

Away to Hereford 

 

signalled back north 

 

got back and had to split the tear loco off the train to get it to fit in the siding again

 

 

back on it later, put it back together and another run to Hereford and back 

 

[Nova Scotian]

Is it fair to suggest that availability/reliability of the 66s is beginning to decline? I remember when they were ordered because the 56/58/60s could not meet EWS expectations of 95%+ availability. The oldest ones are reaching 25 years old and it's my impression they're failing more often (the last time I was there two had failed on various train journeys I took, one at Eastleigh, I don't remember where the other failed).

[gismorail]

That Coleham yard looks full of locos etc . My eldest son designed the yard layout when he was working for Novus Rail many years ago seem to remember there were all sorts of restraints on the design from Network Rail 

[big jim]

It’s been a proper performance behind the scenes this week just to get the weedsprayer in there! 
 

 

 

[Iron Horse]

I'm ready for your return 😉

[big jim]

4 hours ago, Iron Horse said:

I'm ready for your return 😉

didn’t disturb you on the way back as it was getting late! 
 

lots to do tonight so no decent pics, managed to get back early as we didn’t need to go to Hereford other than to have break so we turned back at craven arms instead 

 

putting the loco back on the train again 

 

 

and getting back at 02:00, changing ends to get back on shed 

 

back to it tomorrow, not looked fully at the job but it’s Hereford again 

 

next week looks to be 3 more nights of weed spraying but out of bescot, couple of intermodals and a possession 

Edited May 17 by big jim

[big jim]

Last night of the weedspray for this week 

 

Prepping the train

 

2nd loco parked up in the neck 

 

Once out and about I headed to Wrexham 

 

Changed ends 

 

and went to Hereford 

 

 

 

and back to Coleham, left the rear loco up in the neck again, there’s not much room up there so you have to get a block on the Cambrian line to be able to get down and uncouple and change ends

 

That’s about it for pics!

 

next week is a couple more nights of weedspray, one out of coleham then the other from bescot, couple of short intermodal jobs and a final night of weedspray again on Friday 

[corneliuslundie]

I hope you sprayed the platform lines at Shrewsbury while the trains can still get through the developing jungle.

To be fair, I haven't been there for a couple of months now.

Jonathan

[big jim]

Another valley possession yesterday, passenger from Crewe to Llandudno jn to start with 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

pair of 158s which are comfier than a 197 but the air con wasn’t working!

 

taxied to site and went to the train which was on the Stanley embankment 

 

train behind mine

 

my train 

 

I followed another train to the worksite boards too 

 

Lovely day for it

 

 

eventually got it back to basford hall and done 

 

 

weedspray tonight, shrewsbury to bidston and back to bescot 

[beast66606]

19 hours ago, big jim said:

weedspray tonight, shrewsbury to bidston and back to bescot 

 

My lad was at Bidston but the power failure put paid to any decent shots.

[big jim]

3 hours ago, beast66606 said:

 

My lad was at Bidston but the power failure put paid to any decent shots.

I did see someone on the footbridge, unfortunately I had to pull up under it to get the rear of the train clear of the turn back signal so that would have snookered any pics that end for him, my pic at the far end was lit up with my head torch 

 

37 still in the way so I had to get the rear loco from the shunt neck again 

loco on

 

97s off to the Cambrian 

 

 

Ready to roll

 

A dark bidston 

 

 

Had an hour in Wrexham loop while the baglan logs left chirk then on to shrewsbury for what should have been 2 hours while a possession was lifted but I got away 45 early 

 

 

Into bescot 

 

 

 

and done, back on it tonight with a short shrewsbury and back turn 

 

 

 

Edited May 21 by big jim

[corneliuslundie]

Two working 97s so I assume that orange 37 can now be sent home as it won't be needed on the logs.

Jonathan

[big jim]

Weedsprayer again last night, only shrewsbury and back but it was so wet we couldn’t do some of the spraying as it would be ineffective 

 

In Bescot one of the Shunter’s is a keen gardener and has just built, with the help of the other Shunter’s a terrace garden, having seen pics of his garden at home I’m looking forward to seeing this in the summer! 

 

 

loco swap at one end of the train, 66797 on this time 

 

66307 still at the other end 

 

pesky 97s blocking the yard!

 

Away to shrewsbury and a change end

 

 

196 off to Birmingham 

 

Ready to roll 

 

that was it for pics as it was raining at bescot, trafford park for the next couple of nights 

 

[big jim]

Night off the weedsprayer, first intermodal for a while, also a rare trip to Trafford park for me in daylight!

 

our northbound train was over 2 hours late due to a failed Pendolino north of Lichfield, must have been serious as it had to be evacuated and an emergency possession taken to try and recover it, luckily I had my car to sit in until it arrived  as it was bucketing down 

Freightliner 90s everywhere 

 

 

when our train pulled in the driver stopped it behind an OHLE post so I couldn’t get a pic!

 

off to Trafford park we went and ran round, 66708 up front 

 

 

 

Manchesters ever expanding high rise skyline, taken while waiting at a red signal 

 

into Nuneaton 

 

66056 on a car train while I waited for my taxi 

 

similar job tonight but pass to Manchester instead of working the train and just work it back to nuneaton

 

 

[SM42]

I heard talk that the Pendolino has one less pantograph now. 

 

Andy

[ColinK]

2 hours ago, SM42 said:

I heard talk that the Pendolino has one less pantograph now. 

 

Andy

Yes, one of my friends Missus was on it.  Train couldn’t be moved. Had to be evacuated onto another on the adjacent line.  She got home 6 hours late.  She wasn’t a fan of trains before that, even less so now.

[5BarVT]

13 hours ago, SM42 said:

I heard talk that the Pendolino has one less pantograph now. 

 

Andy

As did I.

Saw 0Z99 (on Open Train Times) leaving site without the dead pendo.  I assume they couldn’t get the combo working, or it wasn’t in a fit condition to move even with assistance.

Paul.

[big jim]

Same job tonight but pass to manchester at the start

 

noticed the drs 37s that were in the coal sidings are now sat on LSL shunt neck 

 

my train to Manchester was the mk4 and 67 set 

 

 

331

 

323

 

66708 again 

 

and into nuneaton

 

back on the weedspray tomorrow bescot to Bangor and back to shrewsbury via Wrexham, I was hoping to get away to Ayrshire for the long weekend but there are no trains running direct to Glasgow, it’s a bus between Preston and Carlisle 

[big jim]

Totally forgot to put Fridays pics up! 
 

weedspray bescot to Bangor and back to shrewsbury 

 

celeb 66s in Bescot 

 

 

 

First stop crewe

 

45 mins in Rhyl while a passenger train passed by and we had a break 

 

 

 

 

and on to Bangor where we changed ends as there were 2 of us on board we got in the opposite ends cabs to save getting a line block and getting down to walk through the tunnel 

 

Into Chester for another change ends 

 

Where we then headed to shrewsbury via Wrexham 

 

 

Into shrewsbury 

 

Thats me until Tuesday when I’ve got a class 69 test run (69012 I think?) then annoyingly back on the weedspray on Thursday just to do bescot to shrewsbury, I agreed to do it a month ago not realising it’s 1/2 term, I’m hoping to get to Scotland after my job Tuesday to at least get a couple of days with the family on their holiday 

 

 

Edited May 26 by big jim