Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[big jim]

Hi Jim,

 

"Possible NMT trip to Hull tomorrow", I'll keep an eye on RTT in the morning to see if you do indeed go to Hull. If so, I'll do my best to pop along to Gilberdyke with the camera.

 

Regards, Ian.

At the moment it’s not looking likely as I don’t have a conductor past doncaster to Hull Edited April 20, 2018 by big jim

[Craig1989]

Will it be Stella and Charlotte or the power cars and out of interest how often do you have to have a refresher on locos if you haven’t driven them for ages like the 66s

[big jim]

its the powercars but will be missing out hull and going direct to heaton from donny

 

keep an eye on RTT for the vstp

 

edit: here we go

 

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O91884/2018/04/21/advanced

Edited April 21, 2018 by big jim

[GWRPhil]

its the powercars but will be missing out hull and going direct to heaton from donny

keep an eye on RTT for the vstp

edit: here we go

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/O91884/2018/04/21/advanced

Thanks for the link. Don’t know if you might know if there is a reason or whether it’s a typo. any reason it’s showing as timed for maximum speed of 124mph not 125mph?

[jamesg]

Thanks for the link. Don’t know if you might know if there is a reason or whether it’s a typo. any reason it’s showing as timed for maximum speed of 124mph not 125mph?

 

There is some confusion in the Network Rail Open Data feeds used by Realtime Trains (amongst other websites).  Schedules from VSTP (very short term plan) have their speed in a unit that is 2.24 times the speed in mph.  The raw data will have given the speed as 280, which is divided by 2.24 to give 125.  There's a bit more detail at https://wiki.openraildata.com/index.php/VSTP (section 'Note: CIF Speed').

 

If you've ever seen a website reporting a 60mph freight as 'timed for 134mph', that is also the reason.

[big jim]

Not really a photo day today

 

NMT derby to Newcastle

 

Derby

 

Rarely photographed container terminal at Rotherham steel terminal

 

Then as we missed hull and got to Newcastle 3 hours early I decided to go home instead of lodging for the night, back at the station his caught me by surprise

 

6 freightliner 66s heading north

 

https://youtu.be/yYTMnBx6SKw

 

156 under the nice clean roof

 

DVT

 

I then caught a voyager to Sheffield and a 158 onward to Stockport

 

Both 158s were named too, ‘eastcroft depot’ and ‘the station volunteer’

 

And that was it, couldn’t be bothered with more pics, 175 from Stockport to crewe and Home, may go and have a look at the new set up at Blackpool tomorrow instead of my booked travel shift back from Newcastle

Edited April 21, 2018 by big jim

[ajwffc]

The 66s were heading to Millerhill for weekend engineering jobs

[big jim]

some from yesterday

 

basford hall

 

top and tail to chester

 

 

 

and onward to llandudno jn where i changed ends and headed off to llanrwst

 

 

loving the brickwork in the skew bridge at llanrwst!

 

and that was it, back to the jn and relief, llandudno branch ballast drop tonight

Edited April 24, 2018 by big jim

[corneliuslundie]

Are you coming back to the Cambrian some time to pick up all those cut-up track panels between Talerddig and Aberystwyth?

And there are some petty ropey sleepers in both Aberystwyth and Newtown stations, so i guess they will be needing some TLC soon.

Jonathan

[big jim]

We were supposed to do Newtown the other week but the snow knocked us for a week meaning we had to continue at Mach and now there is a loco ban in place which makes things that bit harder to try and get down there

 

TBH I think that train I worked with the red box wagons was to recover scrap/spoil etc but it got cancelled once on site

Edited April 24, 2018 by big jim

[big jim]

Didn’t get any pics on the Llandudno job as I was just sat at a signal all night before heading back to crewe but here are a few from today, bit of a trek, Carlisle to Toton

 

Kingmoor

 

40 mins in crewe for a break away from the engine otherwise it would have been too long in the seat

 

Almost there, round the back of Toton heading toward the fuel line

 

Panorama parked up shot

 

Sad to see the old train crew depot demolished

 

Royal twins

 

And a third hidden behind, shame the wall was in the way

 

66601 passing by

 

https://youtu.be/v6C1yDDl7P8

 

And that was that, taxi to derby and train Home

 

IM tomorrow night, crewe, Manchester Piccadilly and back to derby then long weekend off

Edited April 26, 2018 by big jim

[big jim]

Some from last night, could really be bothered with piccies but got a few

 

97301 crewe-manchester-Crewe-Lichfield and derby

 

 

 

Marker light out!

 

Leg stretch at crewe

 

Away to derby, parked up and train home

 

Next job is Monday, 97 to Aberystwyth with a tamper

[MarshLane]

Hi Jim,

Has the loco-hauled ban on the Cambrian been lifted then?

 

Rich

[big jim]

Sort of, lots of speed restrictions on place by the looks of it and things like I’m doing tomorrow (ie moving a tamper) are to rectify the problems

 

First trip to aber tomorrow after signing it off, been boning up on the ground frame and ERTMS procedures for shunting there!

[big jim]

And so to the cambrian, maiden solo voyage (ie with Shunter rather than another driver) to Aberystwyth

 

Coleham

 

Into Newtown for the tamper where we sat for 3 1/2 hours!

 

Machynlleth, waiting for an up train

 

Tamper removed at aber and waiting for the path back

 

Followed the passenger service

 

 

And that was it for photos, back down there again tomorrow but this time going over to Barmouth ,quite excited about that and it’s actually quite significant to me as Once i sign the paperwork off for the coast section i’ll be driving trains down there like my great great grandfather used to for cambrian railways and drive over Barmouth bridge which my great grandad used to be in charge of in great western/British rail days, he used to be a wheel tapper at Barmouth and made his way up the ranks to quite a high position in the p-way department

 

of course I will also get it drive through llwyngwril where I grew up and went to primary school for 4 years in the late 70s-early 80s, my mum lives there now and she’s promised to come out and give me a wave as I pass through, she’s not been well the last few years and it’s been an ambition of mine to sign through the village while she’s still around!

[CovDriver]

Wow Jim I bet that makes you a very proud man indeed a lot of railway history there in your family.

I'm very similar although I'm the first one to get on the footplate my father and uncle used to be signalmen and my grandfather was the last stationmaster at Berkswell.

I'd love to have ride down the Cambrian I've not been to Barmouth for almost 30yrs.

Great pictures Jim as ever.

 

Cheers

Colin

Edited May 1, 2018 by CovDriver

[jonas]

Congratulations on following your families’ history Jim, and thank you for taking the time to post your photos of the modern railway at work. Cheers!

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

Great stuff Jim. I love Barmouth and would love to photograph some kind of loco on Barmouth Bridge rather than just Arriva Trains Wales units as that is all that there has ever been when we have been on holiday down there.

[big jim]

My dad has just put me right on the family history, it was my great great grandad who was the wheel tapper, at caersws, he then went on to be in charge of the p-way at Barmouth moving down there, apparently he once opened Barmouth swing bridge in a sunny day and it expanded in the heat and they were unable to close it until the evening when it had cooled down!

 

My great grandad, bob who died either just before or just after I was born moved from Newcastle upon Tyne to Barmouth to run the ‘rymans’ book stall on the station where he met my great grandma (known as grandma Barmouth), The then got a job on the p-way before changing departments (and regions) and becoming the 2nd in command accountant for the LMS in Liverpool lime st, he was so high up he had a ‘gold medal’ for travel, I’ve only ever seen one of those in my time on the railway!

 

As for my mum she was indeed out waving at me at llwyngwril!

Edited May 1, 2018 by big jim

[big jim]

And some pics

 

Coleham

 

Stone blower we were taking to Barmouth

 

Machynlleth

 

Stopped approaching Barmouth bridge as we needed to pass the block marker to make a wrong direction move into the up platform at Barmouth

 

And into the platform

 

Stoneblower Shunted away into the siding

 

Loco back into the station to wait for the down train to pass and away to coleham

 

Ambition achieved

 

And back to coleham

 

A day away from the Cambrian tomorrow, banbury to Washwood heath with the cemex train

[JohnH]

Great photos as always Jim - many thanks for continuing to post them.

[Owd Bob]

Brilliant to see a proper loco' in Barmouth station again, spent most of my childhood holidays at Sunnysands caravan site, i was there all last week having a short break away, and it's flippin' typical! i come home and two days later i miss a loco'   Love following your postings, superb work.

[big jim]

Interesting start to the job today, apart from a flat tyre on the van when I got banbury that is!

 

Had the cemex train to Washwood heath

 

But all is not as it seems as it is actually detached from the train, 6 handbrakes on and was away to rescue a failed freight at harbury, 66017 had come to a stand after shutting down and as I was the nearest loco I was commendered to rescue it

 

Down to fenny, cross over and ran ‘bang road’ to harbury where the other driver was waiting at the assistance protection for me, coupled up, brake test and away, so as to minimise distruption I told the box to leave the down line open once I was running wrong direction which kept things moving with a couple of voyagers passing by during the rescue, the most important thing is everyone knows the line is ‘live’ and 95mph!

 

 

And into banbury, uncoupled and moved back over to my own train on the down side, in the grand scheme of things we did well from the initial call to take the engine off the train to getting the failed train out of the way in banbury tonallow trains to run again was just over an hour

 

A better shot from the sunny side

 

And that was that, once in I had to wait for the MOM to come and brake test me, the mom happened to be rmweb’s very own ‘eggsford box’ who obliged and carried out the test, also spoke to markmiller who was in control at chiltern so almost an rmweb mini meet!

 

Didn’t bother with any more pics the rest of the day, just concentrated on getting some of the time back and trying to get the train unloaded!

[jamesg]

Modern technology, pictures of the rescue were circulating online within an hour of the event.  I thought I could see you driving 70810!  Excellent pictures and thank you for sharing.

[mwian]

A couple from the other day.  Started raining just at the wrong time!