Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[big jim]

Scrap train last night, crewe to saltley 

 

running round in tyseley, sat there for 3 hours after the run round

 

In the sidings, a few things passing by 

 

 

 

a couple of HSTs that caught me out!

 

 

 

Crewe to hams and back tomorrow 

[Erixtar1992]

dont shoot me if i mess this up….

 

Evening shunt driver goes to wembley, shunts/preps both trains ect,

take 5S95 T&T Wembley-Euston P1

detatch loco on buffer stops

start up northbound loco, power train up and brake test ect.

 

5S95 then becomes 1S25 (NB highlander)

driver (london based) turns up and takes 1S25 north as far as Preston.

 

Shunt driver fires buffer stop loco up and moves out the way into the up sidings.

 

Lowlander driver (crewe based) meanwhile travels to wembley And brings 5S96 single engined to Euston P1 once L.E out of the way.

 

shunt driver puts light engine on north end of 5S96 which then becomes 1S26 (NB lowlander) while Lowlander driver detaches buffer stop end loco.

brake test when complete

 

Lowlander driver takes 1S26 north as far as Preston.

 

Shunt driver takes light engine on buffer stops back to wembley………….

 

 

the driver on 1S25 waits at Preston and brings 1M11 (SB lowlander) to Euston, then goes home.

 

the driver on 1S26 waits at Preston and brings 1M16 (SB highlander) back to Crewe, then goes home, relief driver (crewe based) takes 1M16 back to Euston….

morning shunt driver heads to Wembley and fires up/preps light engine

 

1M11 (SB Lowlander) passes on its way into Euston and berths in P1

 

shunt driver takes light engine wembley-euston and attaches to north end of 1M11, then detaches buffer stop loco to become 3M11, brake test then depart back to wembley ECS

 

1M16 (SB highlander) arrives into Euston P15, shuts buffer stop loco down.

moved P1 light engine over to P15 onto the front of 1M16 to form 3M16.

 

brake test, and off they go to Wembley ECS.

 

 

3M11 sits on the tanking road at Wembley, moves up 2-3 times before being shunted into the shed. Shunt driver goes home if he is lucky!

 

3M16 turns up and follows behind 3M11 each time it moves until it reaches the stop board on the tanking road and then copies 3M11.

crewe driver then heads home.

 

Easy, right? Lol

 

 

 

[big jim]

See, I said he’d know!

 

I’ll no doubt end up learning the sleepers at some point when I switch depots, got to learn south of rugby first though 

[Erixtar1992]

29 minutes ago, big jim said:

See, I said he’d know!

 

I’ll no doubt end up learning the sleepers at some point when I switch depots, got to learn south of rugby first though 

I assumed you signed to london already? Tbf rugby-euston isnt bad. 
 

92s are nice to drive also, though its always a nervous trip wondering which end will go bang first. They normally get you home, but its a different style of driving. Treat them gently and do everything one at a time so the computers can keep up.

 

as for 66s, no chance south of scotland other than failures.

They cant physically couple to Mk5’s hence you always have to have a 92/73 in between.
they only use them in jockland when short of 73s for traction.  The 73/9’s can work in multi with a 66 but you have to have a 73 on the train to power it.
 

cant send a 73 down south if short of 92s either as they wont power or pull a full rake.

the only loco in the UK (atm) thats powerful enough for a full mk5 sleeper set is a 92. Nice bit of job security lol. 

the only time youd ever see a 66 hauling the full train would be if it fails somewhere and we are short of 92’s, but the failed engine can still run to power the train.  The 66 could then go on the front of the limping 92 and drag the train.

 

this has happened but with the tunnel 92s (they dont have dellner/mk5 mods)
 

 

Edited January 24 by Erixtar1992

[Erixtar1992]

Unusual scene last night as both sets sat in Euston all night due to services being cancelled.

 

They acted as a hotel for the passengers who had to wait until morning to head north.

 

seeing 4x 92’s in euston is uncommon, especially seeing a set on P2.

both ran in top and tailed, then in the morning both back to wembley.

 

only P15 is long enough to properly take a full 16 coaches T&T.

P1 it fits within the track circuits by about a couple foot or so, but you cant see the signal from the cab so have to stand halfway along the loco then jump in and go when you get the RA! Ha.

 

P2 isnt long enough for a full set but as they were both only 14 coaches last night it made sense to have them next to eachother.

 

they like to use P1 as much as poss now as the new lounge area is halfway along the platform.

 

sadly i had the dull job to sit on the locos all night to babysit them incase of shut downs.

 

made for an unusual picture anyway so every cloud and all that…..

 

fun and games :-)

Edited January 24 by Erixtar1992

[adb968008]

That is indeed a rare picture !

[newbryford]

Reports of a double earth fault with 92003 and 92023 last night........

 

 

 

[Erixtar1992]

1 hour ago, newbryford said:

Reports of a double earth fault with 92003 and 92023 last night........

 

 

 

Thats a polite way of putting it! Haha!!

[big jim]

Crewe to hams hal last night

 

never seen this named 66 before ‘city of Doncaster’ 

 

my train 

 

running round outside hams hall ready to head back to crewe 

 

and into crewe

 

burton on Trent to small heath tomorrow 

[big jim]

Burton to small heath today, not a bad job as I got early relief due to my start time tomorrow 

 

caught the train from crewe 

the only XC that stops in crewe!

 

Eurovision 350

 

train to derby 

 

Burton on Trent 

 

Running round in tyseley 

 

Lots of trains passing by while being unloaded 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Partially unloaded, once in position I was off!

 

possession train Hope to crewe again tomorrow 

[big jim]

A bit nicer scenery than small heath today, Grindleford to crewe 

 

Grindleford box 

 

a walk down to my train, passing another on en route 

 

bit blurry but an unusual viewpoint 

 

66731 up front, the new order on the line, new signals

 

I then took it at 5mph to the marker boards at Hope to wait to leave 

 

 

 

 

Took it to crewe via guide bridge (conducted from chinley to Stockport) where I split the train and stabled it 

 

56 and 47 in basford hall

 

off til Tuesday now, next week has me on a class 69/66 move to longport, an intermodal, a medical and an 805 to Euston amongst other things 

[Benjamin Brady]

I missed you today  I noted the NHS 66, I was at SSN keeping the wheels of industry turning along with yourself. 

[toby_tl10]

Spotted your train whilst on Mam Tor today, what a coincidence

[big jim]

14 minutes ago, toby_tl10 said:

Spotted your train whilst on Mam Tor today, what a coincidence

yeah I did see you and wave!!

 

it does look funny from the bottom of the valley to see lines of walkers heading along the ridge, look like ants, there seemed to be a lot up there

[toby_tl10]

1 hour ago, big jim said:

yeah I did see you and wave!!

 

it does look funny from the bottom of the valley to see lines of walkers heading along the ridge, look like ants, there seemed to be a lot up there

Yeah we saw you wave at us. I was in a group of around 100, there were lots other people too.

[big jim]

16 hours ago, toby_tl10 said:

Yeah we saw you wave at us. I was in a group of around 100, there were lots other people too.

100 people, were you rambling or invading? 

[Tony Teague]

35 minutes ago, big jim said:

100 people, were you rambling or invading? 

No, surely invading happens on beaches???

[Mol_PMB]

In that part of the country I believe it’s known as a mass trespass. 

[toby_tl10]

9 hours ago, big jim said:

100 people, were you rambling or invading? 

We were invading from Leeds, all of us masters students studying transport

[big jim]

Back to it today, light loco burton to longport and back 

 

66783 and 66758 

 

Changed ends at alsager and headed back toward longport, waiting at kidsgrove 

 

Stabled up 

 

56081

 

 

my loco back the other way, a rather clean 66746 

 

 

Colas 56 passing by having left land recovery at the other end of longport loop, I couldn’t go anywhere until that had left 

 

and back into burton a good 75 mins early, I was booked to take it to coleshill but burton was better for both of us as the other driver had driven down from Doncaster, the drive back on the A50 from burton is a lot easier than coleshill on the toll road and M6 

 

medical tomorrow!! 

Edited January 30 by big jim

[big jim]

Nowt spectacular today, medical in Birmingham 

 

A tram in Victoria square 

 

and dropping down toward new st 

 

and the Eurovision 350 home 

 

walking someone round basford hall tomorrow 

[phil_sutters]

On 28/01/2024 at 16:53, Tony Teague said:

No, surely invading happens on beaches???

Ask the Ukrainians!

[Tony Teague]

2 hours ago, phil_sutters said:

Ask the Ukrainians!

I guess I was taking an insular, British Isles perspective.

[big jim]

Had a mild panic just now as this thread has disappeared from my feeds and I thought I’d deleted it but I found it again via my notification settings! 
 

anyway short job today showing someone round basford hall, as it happened a class 69 came in on a road learning trip so we ‘borrowed it’ for a few trips up and down the yard to see the moves 

 

Not many pics as I was concentrating on showing him what’s what!

 

class 66

 

Filthy 69 

 

and a couple of DRS 37, there were a couple more behind too

 

805 to Euston tomorrow 

 

[KeithHC]

Now if anyone dida weathered model of that 69 and had it running at an exhibition you know what they would say………

 

Keith

ps still great photos