Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[big jim]

Just 3 from today, back to chester again, been pretty boring journeys really, nowt but voyagers!

 

 

 

 

And back there again tomorrow too!

[big jim]

today was my final day of having to travel to chester for jury duty, quite enjoyed it after the initial dread, ended up on 2 cases in the end

 

anyway back to the trains, 37422 and caroline again this morning

 

 

to me this is unusual thing to see in chester, a 175 in the parcels bay, when i used to sign them they were banned from in there (and plat 2 for a while) this is certainly the first one ive ever seen in there anyway, back when i started at arriva this week 16 years ago they used to stable 101 units in the bay for the early morning ECS to knutsford, happy days

 

[Ray M]

I hope the missus dosen`t know, you`ve being taking Caroline out again.

[big jim]

I hope the missus dosen`t know, you`ve being taking Caroline out again.

Rode charlotte and Stella last week too!

 

 

Saw this when I got back to crewe too

 

37605 having arrived in from stoke Granville sidings

 

Looking a bit worse for wear

 

[lmsforever]

That's a nice gouge in the front of the 37 what a thing to do to a classic loco .

[bigherb]

That's a nice gouge in the front of the 37 what a thing to do to a classic loco .

It looks like it is due to re skinning anyway, judging by the rust developing between skin and the framework.

[Iron Horse]

Surely just a mere flesh wound...........lol. Sure my VW camper had a lot worse 

 

Keep the pics coming Jim ;-)

[Swindon 123]

A weak spot for water collection between the body frame and sides. Particularly prone due to the water ingress from the bottom of the cabside droplights. A lot of the 37's towards the end of their lives had signs of this due to lack of overhaul/maintenance. BR used to nip it in the bud every time they went into works for a main overhaul, so you never used to see it.

 

Paul J.

[big jim]

Some from last night before I have a sleep, and something a bit different too

 

Started in reading went all the way to brake test the train but when I got there someone else was booked to do it, no hardship as getting on the train for a ride down there was a lot easier than driving to Didcot then having to retrieve my van later today!

 

Interesting thing on the platforms at reading and very useful are these staff info screens, situated on the platforms in public areas

 

My train is in the old depot, 3Q88 ready to depart

 

And once signalled the route into 8 is shown

 

And here it is, so much artificial light in the station, hard to tell this is taken at 23:15!

 

And off we went to Hayes and Harlington where the other driver changed ends (I was sat in the train) and away to Heathrow Terminal 4 with a Heathrow express route conductor, I can't believe how long the tunnel is to the terminal once you leave the mainline

 

 

 

Then back to terminal 1-3 (through platform)

 

Where I couldn't resist a drive to terminal 5

 

 

Then back to Hayes to change ends

 

 

and onward to Didcot where I took over for the run back to derby, good signallers all the way, got there 2 1/2 hours early but had to wait for the RTC to open at 06:00

 

No more pics after that as a: I was sleeping once payed up waiting for the RTC to open and b: I rushed to catch the train back to crewe!

 

And that's it for the weekend

[St. Simon]

Hi Jim,

 

Out of interest, what were the operational procedures for running down the HEx tunnels? was the train running under ETCS? As there's no AWS / TPWS fitted in the tunnels, I thought anything without ATP or ETCS is banned unless there's a full possession on?

 

I assume this was the train that was at Bristol Temple Meads that left at around 12:15 as I watched leave while trying to get some sighting forms signed.

 

Simon

[D854_Tiger]

Hi Jim,

 

Out of interest, what were the operational procedures for running down the HEx tunnels? 

 

 

 

One - turn off all the smoke alarms.

[big jim]

Hi Jim,

Out of interest, what were the operational procedures for running down the HEx tunnels? was the train running under ETCS? As there's no AWS / TPWS fitted in the tunnels, I thought anything without ATP or ETCS is banned unless there's a full possession on?

I assume this was the train that was at Bristol Temple Meads that left at around 12:15 as I watched leave while trying to get some sighting forms signed.

Simon

TBH, not a clue, I wasn't driving it on that bit (apart from a trundle between term 1-3 and 5, the loco was running on conventional AWS, the ERTMS gubbins was isolated as is the norm away from the Cambrian

 

It wasn't the one out of Bristol, this one left reading triangle, we did pass that one at slough but it was a bit of a ghost train as RTT didn't show what it was, where it was from or going to!

[Wayne 37901]

Nice pics Jim,

 

Yes those signalling screens are quite interesting we have one in Cardiff, quite handy to see where your trains is and what headcode it is although I'm sure the 'normals' have no idea what it's all about.

 

Cheers

[The Stationmaster]

One - turn off all the smoke alarms.

 

Agree.  But that isn't the real problem as a Class 37 exhaust gets very nasty in that tunnel and I'm a bit surprised that nobody safety assessed it (or if they did that they actually allowed it to go ahead without special provision for staff safety).  Enough lessons were learnt about putting a diesel in there back in the 1990s but no doubt they have been completely forgotten.

 

And Simon to note it has to be done on visual signals only under possession arrangements - so once it's within a possession you can forget about all the gizmos and rely on the Mk 1 eyeball (assuming you can see through the haze of exhaust smoke).

 

Incidentally the nice little repeater screens have appeared at a number of stations - they can also be found at Newbury.

[big jim]

Agree.  But that isn't the real problem as a Class 37 exhaust gets very nasty in that tunnel and I'm a bit surprised that nobody safety assessed it (or if they did that they actually allowed it to go ahead without special provision for staff safety).  Enough lessons were learnt about putting a diesel in there back in the 1990s but no doubt they have been completely forgotten.

 

And Simon to note it has to be done on visual signals only under possession arrangements - so once it's within a possession you can forget about all the gizmos and rely on the Mk 1 eyeball (assuming you can see through the haze of exhaust smoke).

 

Incidentally the nice little repeater screens have appeared at a number of stations - they can also be found at Newbury.

 

as i say i wasnt driving (other than a quick go between term 1-3 and 5) but there were certainly "normal" signals down there all way from what i saw from the back cab and there were aws speed change warnings too 

 

regards the smoke it was literally signalled straight in straight out to mimimise dwell time and the extractor fans were switched on, the HEX conductor made sure of that with the relevant bodies 

[CovDriver]

I may have passed you near Lea Hall tonight if your on the 67's as I was slipping by on the approach into Lea Hall

 

Cheers

 

Colin

[big jim]

No that wasn't me but it did pass me too at bushbury jn while I was sat on the logs and then we passed it stood in bushbury loop

 

Had a couple of driver assessments to get on with yesterday so did the logs chirk to carlisle with the drivers that needed doing

 

Had a few problems on the way, track circuit failures, points failures meaning we got to carlisle a couple of hours late

 

Some random piccies

 

142 in Chester

 

158 to chirk

 

60026 pulling in

 

And away at carlisle

 

DRS 57

 

It's that time of year again!

 

Caught a TPE setvice to Preston

 

150 unit

 

Then A voyager home

[big jim]

Some from today, had to go to rugby for a meeting but got roped into a few other jobs too

 

First up at crewe a pair of DRS 37s top and tail a pair of PFA wagons

 

 

 

 

 

Then another one came in from Chester

 

 

Then caught a train to Stafford and onward to rugby

 

Then helped out with some brake test training

 

86259

 

37229 and 86259

 

Then caught a train to bescot from rugby

 

To collect 70815

 

Which I took to shrewsbury coleham, stopped in Wolverhampton

 

Too dark for pics at shrewsbury though

[big jim]

Just a few from today, 70 training in shrewsbury, met my dad first at crewe before setting off for shrewsbury, he was on the horse landing waiting for the northbound DRS stobart service which had an 88 on it, in the 30 mins I was stood with him I was quite surprised what went past

 

88

 

66

 

86

 

DB 66

 

Then at shrewsbury 2 coal trains went past both heading south to iirc avonmouth

 

While we had a play with the 70 up and down the yard

 

NMT tomorrow

[newbryford]

 

NMT tomorrow

 

NMT or 67s? The NMT working from Derby today was Stella and Charlotte.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[big jim]

I'm working it from Didcot to Derby, it's booked to be the NMT so be interesting to see what turns up, it goes into Paddington before I get on it so if it is the 67s they should make a nice picture in london

[Afroal05]

Looks like it's the NMT, 43014 & 43062 currently working 1Q18 to Paignton.

[Rugd1022]

E3137 looks right at home in the old 'carriage' at Rugby Jim   

[Bruce Depot]

What a change at Wolverhampton, since i worked there...

Also nice to see Rail House still standing at Crewe, guess not used by the railway now mind!

[big jim]

there was talk of turning rail house into luxury flats but I think the issue is a lack of parking, I suppose 'back in the day' the people who worked there would have come in by train at all hours of the day when we had a decent 24 hour passenger rail service!

 

I think the railway doctor is still in there but I've not been there for years

Edited September 23, 2017 by big jim