Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[TangerineWizards]

Jim do these trains run to any particular schedule (monthly/annually) or is it just ad hoc when a maintenance issue is suspected on the line?

[96701]

Jim do these trains run to any particular schedule (monthly/annually) or is it just ad hoc when a maintenance issue is suspected on the line?

They are all planned at a set frequency dependant on Track Category and type of train / reason for it travelling. There are sometimes ad hoc runs to recover bits that might have been missed due to equipment failure, driver / conductor missing, possessions in the way or anything else that can go wrong.

[big jim]

They run to a schedule as pointed out above, for example the one I did to Wrexham this week ran 4 weeks ago and will run again in 4 weeks time

 

They have 'gold' recovery runs when a section is missed for the reasons given above and those are a bit ad hoc but normally have a Q path in the system that they can pick up

[TangerineWizards]

Interesting! Thanks both for the replies.

[big jim]

some from last night, RHTT job, shrewsbury-craven arms-bidston-shrewsbury

 

started off at coleham prepping the 56s while the rhtt set was out on the cambrian with a 97 up front

 

 

 

the other 56 in the neck ready to drop on the back of the train

 

and in and attached

 

bidston

 

 

 

back to wrexham to wait for the first passenger to go, quite why were not timed in front of it i dont know as he was late getting to gobowen after no doubt struggling on the untreated rails!

 

and into shrewsbury where i got relief and went home

[JDW]

 

 

 

 

That doesn't look very prototypical at all, you've not got the tail lights on on the lead loco... 

[big jim]

Some from today, NMT again, a bit different today as it was running as a 4 car formation due to the 'conference coach' being removed, this meant I had to go at 10mph below line speed at speeds over 45mph (I erred on the side of caution and used 30 as my lower limit) and also had a maximum speed of 110mph due to there being a lower brake force available

 

Started in derby

 

 

Then away to Stockport via Lichfield, colwich, stoke, Macclesfield

 

 

And back south to Northampton, this time via stoke, Stafford, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, rugby

 

Waiting at coventy

 

Ready to leave Northampton

 

And back north to stoke via the same route

 

Rugby

 

New st

 

Then from stoke, back south to Derby via stone, colwich, Lichfield, burton on Trent

 

Derby

 

 

Where it went off round chaddesden and away to Bristol with another driver

[D854_Tiger]

I think I may actually have seen your train from my car this morning if it was around 07:30 near Alrewas.

 

I was on my way to pick up a colleague for a business trip which it turned out had already been cancelled. at the last minute, so his wife cooked me a very full English.

 

First time ever I had managed to see a train there, I guess there aren't too many, then a bit later on saw a Voyager as well, was well pleased as it's a bit of a backwater.

[Guest eddie reffin]

Cracking pics again Jim. Wish we had a bit more variety up in the Highlands, although the Inverness cement was hauled by a 70. Also had one of your colleagues route refreshing with my down the HML. Was great to hear about the various jobs you all do, much better than plodding about in 158s and 170s!

 

Cheers

Eddie

[D854_Tiger]

Cracking pics again Jim. Wish we had a bit more variety up in the Highlands, although the Inverness cement was hauled by a 70. Also had one of your colleagues route refreshing with my down the HML. Was great to hear about the various jobs you all do, much better than plodding about in 158s and 170s!

 

Cheers

Eddiei

 

Won't you be getting your own HSTs to play with soon.

[big jim]

I think I may actually have seen your train from my car this morning if it was around 07:30 near Alrewas.

 

I was on my way to pick up a colleague for a business trip which it turned out had already been cancelled. at the last minute, so his wife cooked me a very full English.

 

First time ever I had managed to see a train there, I guess there aren't too many, then a bit later on saw a Voyager as well, was well pleased as it's a bit of a backwater.

Yeah that was me

[Guest eddie reffin]

Won't you be getting your own HSTs to play with soon.

Yeah eventually but as I’m still quite junior on the link, it’s going to be quite a while! Still looking forward to it though plus I’ve been volunteering at the Strathspey railway and playing with the 27 and 31 there.

[big jim]

Nice little job today crewe Toton with 60087

 

Basford hall

 

The desolate corner of Staffordshire known as wichnor jn

 

RHTT passing by

 

Creeping into Toton

 

And parked up for fuel

 

And home I went

[big jim]

today was banbury to derby with 37611

 

and away to derby

 

NMT heading into the station

 

and after changing ends it headed back towards spondon

 

then i took the 67s to toton

 

 

where i positioned them on a railvac

 

gbrf 66 F231 (aka 66775)

 

and from there i headed home, should have gone to banbury to collect my van but the day would have been too long so ill go and collect it monday!

[big jim]

And for my 10000 post on rmweb, a quick pic of tonight's job, off down the cambrian 2nd manning the RHTT to macc and back

 

[big jim]

And the rest of the pics

 

Ready to roll

 

Newtown

 

A quick run round in Machynlleth and back to coleham to replace the 97 with 2 56s

 

 

Then we realised as there was an extra 56 in the yard the 97 would have Ben blocked in so once the train was ready to go, brake tested etc we had to move it out of the yard, restart the 97 and shift it over to the other road!

 

Then bring the train back in to wait departure time (away from the local residents)

 

I then saw the train out and that was it

[GWRPhil]

Hi Jim

 

Don’t know if you know/are able to tell me. but I was wondering when the NMT is next due through Plymouth

 

Phil

[Swifty11]

Hi Jim

 

Don’t know if you know/are able to tell me. but I was wondering when the NMT is next due through Plymouth

 

Phil

 

*Possibly* this friday about 0930. 

It doesn't show as cancelled yet to may run or may not, worth keeping an eye on though. 

 

1Q18 05:25 OLD OAK COMMON H.S.T.D. - 15:36 PAIGNTON, operated by Colas. running on 20/10/2017 

Timed for 125mph

 

Then 1Z18 15:46 PAIGNTON - 18:47 TAUNTON running on 20/10/2017

 

Then 1Q19 18:57 TAUNTON - 21:37 LONDON PADDINGTON running on 20/10/2017

I

[GWRPhil]

*Possibly* this friday about 0930. 

It doesn't show as cancelled yet to may run or may not, worth keeping an eye on though. 

 

1Q18 05:25 OLD OAK COMMON H.S.T.D. - 15:36 PAIGNTON, operated by Colas. running on 20/10/2017 

Timed for 125mph

 

Then 1Z18 15:46 PAIGNTON - 18:47 TAUNTON running on 20/10/2017

 

Then 1Q19 18:57 TAUNTON - 21:37 LONDON PADDINGTON running on [/size]20/10/2017

I[/size]

Hi tom thanks for that.

 

I want to film it going along Laura embankment in Plymouth from the other side in the saltram estate. With a lot to do trying to get new job my time is limited for trains at the moment so to know when nmt is about so I can spare some time is really helpful. Thanks

 

Phil

[big jim]

some from yesterday

 

first up went to banbury to collect my van after saturdays job over ran

 

under yesterdays weird sky

 

 

 

then got asked to pick up a pair of locos for tonights log train, first one was in coleham

 

where the previous nights "strategic shunting" got in our way as we had to move all the locos around again!

 

 

freightliner passing by

 

 

finally got the 56 out

 

and away to washwood heath to collect 56105 

 

 

which i took to crewe, they went onward to warrington where (hopefully) they were collected this morning to carlisle and on to the logs (which i will be picking up later in warrington to take to chirk!!)

 

busy busy busy

[Iron Horse]

Nice to see the grids back on the logs

[mark axlecounter]

It would be nice if they don't sit down and not want to play on the moor.

They caused a few problems today.

 

But what a sight they were passing horrocksford

Edited October 17, 2017 by mark axlecounter

[big jim]

Only one phone pic tonight, Wrexham general waiting for the section to chirk, stopped back from the signal a bit as there were a few fotters on the opposite platform and had I pulled right up to the signal I would have been in the dark on that side! (See I can be nice!)

 

 

Was running an hour late at that point so was an hour late leaving chirk too then when I got to oxley I got a green where I should have had a double yellow to take oxley curve, phoned the signaller who advised me I was going via Wolverhampton, Walsall and Cannock to get to Stafford, network rail had called up colas to see about being diverted then using my central digital route card they could see it was all in date so I was ok to take it, added another 30 mins to the trip so I finally rolled into crewe 100 minutes late!

 

Short conducting job later today then into lodge in Hereford (I think a trip to the model centre might be in order on Thursday while I'm there!)

[SM42]

Glad you enjoyed the little detour I arranged for you to dodge round the engineers

 

As soon as they said you were on the logs I knew I was in safe territory.

 

I thought you might be getting a little rusty on the Cannock Line and could do with a refresh anyway 

 

Andy

Edited October 18, 2017 by SM42

[big jim]

Yeah thanks for that, would have been nice to have had a message via the gsm so I could have kept going full chat instead of slowing down to question the route!!

 

Was a bit marked off about it but once I passed rycroft and hoofed the grids open up to bloxwich all was forgotten, sounded awesome, I think I work up most of Cannock and hendesford too!

 

Anyway some from today, over to Hereford to conduct/work the stone train back to shrewsbury and then back into lodge in Hereford for tomorrow's Baglan train

 

Left my van in Ludlow as I needed to do something there in the evening prior to going to the hotel and caught a passenger train to Hereford

 

And into Hereford with its new lift towers

 

A GWR hst was waiting in the rear platform too

 

LM 170

 

Freightliner 66

 

Then the Gloucester RHTT set rolled in and changed ends

 

Filthy after less than a week!

 

 

HST shunting down the platform ready to return to the up side and head off to london

 

Then my train came in and away we went to shrewsbury

 

Then discovered my train was cancelled tomorrow which meant I had to get a train back to Ludlow for my van and head home onto to find the A49 wa shut north of Ludlow so I ha d to come back via clee hill (in thick fog), cleobury mortimer, Bridgnorth, Telford and market Drayton!