Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[big jim]

This doesn’t look like an 805

 

Unit testing cancelled but got a can you just to take an intermodal from rugby to birch coppice, running about 4 hours late due to a loco failure, as you can see above I got on at rugby 

 

Kingsbury, changing the points 

 

and into birch where another driver took over

 

Another 66 shunting around 

 

crewe to small heath tomorrow 

[Gilbert]

Just caught up since late January - cracking pictures Jim - very much appreciated.

ChrisH

Edited February 2 by Gilbert

[big jim]

Saturdays crewe to small heath was cancelled so had a sneaky day off, ended up underground where I had no phone signal so couldn’t get any ‘can you justs’ 

 

id passed speedwell caverns on my way back from hope last week so decided to go and have a look, a great trip if somewhat claustrophobic to start with when the boat set off into the tunnel! 

 

cavern at the end, ‘the bottomless pit’

 

today was a toton to bescot light loco followed by an intermodal back in the opposite direction 

66787 was the loco, it came in on a ballast which I took down the yard and uncoupled 

 

Into bescot 

 

 

Jumped on the intermodal and worked it back to toton 

 

and a walk back to the car 

 

 

 

 

a week of 807 testing coming up 

 

[big jim]

Unit testing today 

 

807002

 

Into Wolverhampton and back to Stafford, we can’t go round the oxley chord as this unit is pure electric and there are no wires down there 

 

Stafford 

 

 

Outside Rugby

 

Into the platform, 2 generations of WCML electrics

 

Ready to head north 

 

Waiting at international

 

and new st

 

 

And back to oxley 

 

Cancelled tomorrow but back to it Wednesday 

[big jim]

Yesterday was cancelled as was todays mainline run but I had to take an 805 into wolves and back round the oxley chord to turn it before spending the day doing coupling and uncoupling tests 

 

 

Into wolves 

 

and changed ends, alongside the pride Pendolino 

 

supposedly put on the 807 tomorrow but I’ll know later if it’s cancelled again 

[Trainshed Terry]

I am sorry to say this but, but I understand the rules have changed, but no yellow warning panel is just wrong on so many levels in my book.

 

Terry.,

 

[Phil Himsworth]

2 hours ago, big jim said:

Yesterday was cancelled as was todays mainline run

These tests do seem to be cancelled a lot. Do you know if they are booked on a "we might not need to do a run but we'll book everything just in case" or are they runs that should have gone ahead but don't because something has gone wrong somewhere?

[big jim]

They have to plan the paths in advance as well as the test crew, test train operator and driver amongst other things

 

it could cancelled if there’s an issue or it might just be that the testing thats been planned is complete, sometimes if that happens then it will go out and do another part of the required testing schedule if it’s possible 

 

As it happens tomorrow’s run is cancelled too so I’m now just spare (hoping not to get a call!) 

[gismorail]

10 hours ago, big jim said:

They have to plan the paths in advance as well as the test crew, test train operator and driver amongst other things

 

it could cancelled if there’s an issue or it might just be that the testing thats been planned is complete, sometimes if that happens then it will go out and do another part of the required testing schedule if it’s possible 

 

As it happens tomorrow’s run is cancelled too so I’m now just spare (hoping not to get a call!) 

Ha ha you wish !!!!!!

[big jim]

Never gonna call and I got away for the weekend too, only one pic from a walk into Carlisle earlier, a WCR 37 and DRS 57 in the sidings 

 

back to it Monday, as I’m not in the Midlands or crewe link due to changing depots they didn’t roster me any work but I’ve picked up a toton to longport via uttoxeter on Monday, hinksey to bescot on Wednesday and a class 69 test on Friday then a weeks annual leave in Somerset

[5BarVT]

And only a phone call away for Tuesday and Thursday.

Paul.

[big jim]

9 minutes ago, 5BarVT said:

And only a phone call away for Tuesday and Thursday.

Paul.

fully expecting it! 
 

nothing on the vacancy list I could catch but I’m in position to cover sickness or out of course issues 

 

by the sound of it I’ve dodged a bullet this weekend with issues at Ely and Leamington @Siggie in the east might be able to confirm the Anglia issues 

[beast66606]

25 minutes ago, big jim said:

fully expecting it! 
 

nothing on the vacancy list I could catch but I’m in position to cover sickness or out of course issues 

 

by the sound of it I’ve dodged a bullet this weekend with issues at Ely and Leamington @Siggie in the east might be able to confirm the Anglia issues 

 

Ely was a sh*t sh*w from about 19:00 last night until mid morning - trains stacking up on the approach as far back as Leicester, things started moving for a while and then went t**s up again and just as things started to improve 66017 developed an AWS fault over Ely North Junction and screwed the job further for a good while -the bobbies at Cambridge had a job getting things moving again as there were so many trains but eventually it all settled down from around mid morning although residual cancellations were around for a while.

 

Lots of red on the passing times - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:XYE/2024-02-10/0000-1100?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

[berwicksfinest]

16 minutes ago, beast66606 said:

 

Ely was a sh*t sh*w from about 19:00 last night until mid morning - trains stacking up on the approach as far back as Leicester, things started moving for a while and then went t**s up again and just as things started to improve 66017 developed an AWS fault over Ely North Junction and screwed the job further for a good while -the bobbies at Cambridge had a job getting things moving again as there were so many trains but eventually it all settled down from around mid morning although residual cancellations were around for a while.

 

Lots of red on the passing times - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:XYE/2024-02-10/0000-1100?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

Yes Guilty your honour !!! it was me

[Siggie in the east]

Yes Ely was not looking good Friday when I was last in. All we heard at Colchester was that there had been a massive signalling failure at Ely, one driver saw fire and sparks coming from lineside equipment and then we were getting calls from control asking us not to let any liners up from Felixstowe unless they were going via North London. Coupled with all our own issues on the NYL and GEML, it made for a sh*te Friday afternoon. Haven't been in since so not sure how it's going now, but back Monday night and expecting a difficult night.

 

Cheers

[Siggie in the east]

13 hours ago, beast66606 said:

 

Ely was a sh*t sh*w from about 19:00 last night until mid morning - trains stacking up on the approach as far back as Leicester, things started moving for a while and then went t**s up again and just as things started to improve 66017 developed an AWS fault over Ely North Junction and screwed the job further for a good while -the bobbies at Cambridge had a job getting things moving again as there were so many trains but eventually it all settled down from around mid morning although residual cancellations were around for a while.

 

Lots of red on the passing times - https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:XYE/2024-02-10/0000-1100?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

What was the headcode of 66017? Only ask as we had a liner "fail" twice between Stowmarket and Haughley Jn and was wondering if it was that.

 

Cheers

[berwicksfinest]

5 hours ago, Siggie in the east said:

What was the headcode of 66017? Only ask as we had a liner "fail" twice between Stowmarket and Haughley Jn and was wondering if it was that.

 

Cheers

No we were the very late running 4L76, basically DB took the decision to let it leave EMG after network rail promised road would be open at 21.30, I relieved at Peterborough at 03.50. after it was held back, we made it as far as Manea, waitng for the 4 in front to get remanned, 2 in front of me got Run round at Ely,  as we were 100m from the Station, 66017 decided AWS was function negative and came to an abrupt halt. 

[Dagworth]

29 minutes ago, berwicksfinest said:

66017 decided AWS was function negative and came to an abrupt halt. 

I had that happen to me on a Networker, right across Lewisham junction. Eventually reset the AWS ok but I'd dropped into a third rail gap with an 8 car unit. The only option was to have the 8 car behind me attach to my tail and push me through. I had control of all 16 cars but we were going to Charing Cross that can only hold 12 cars so had to split the train in the platform at London Bridge. Of course this kind of thing only ever happens in the rush hour, shut the whole job up for a while :)

 

Andi

[big jim]

@08221 headed through uttoxeter in the morning with 66795 and 66310 if your about 

 

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:R00933/2024-02-12/detailed

[ELTEL]

Jim 

Could you make it a bit later as I have had a long day at Doncaster today .  🤪

Terry 

[big jim]

6 hours ago, ELTEL said:

Jim 

Could you make it a bit later as I have had a long day at Doncaster today .  🤪

Terry 

sorry, I want a short day!

 

it was booked via the usual route of burton-water orton-Sutton park and Stafford etc but I managed to get it rerouted the short way, saves a good 75 miles and 2 hours

[big jim]

Only a few from today, should have had 66795 and 66310 but 310 didn’t make the trip for whatever reason 

 

toton 

 

Changing ends in kidsgrove, it was booked to alsager loop to run round but obviously didn’t need to as I was a single loco 

 

Longport 

 

56081 and 56303

 

This is my loco for Fridays test run, 69011, I tried to arrange for 56081 to be the ‘insurance loco’ but it’s got to be a 66 so they can be electrically multied up incase of any issues.

 

Next job is a hinksey to bescot light loco on Wednesday unless I get something tomorrow at the last minute 

[adb968008]

7 minutes ago, big jim said:

 

Longport 

 

 

56081 and 56303

 

This is my loco for Fridays test run, 69011, I tried to arrange for 56081 to be the ‘insurance loco’ but it’s got to be a 66 so they can be electrically multied up incase of any issues.

 

Next job is a hinksey to bescot light loco on Wednesday unless I get something tomorrow at the last minute 

Oh no, so is that the end for 56081 ?

69011’s body side is as wrinkly as a plastic bag !
Going to need some extra filler for that one !

[big jim]

Just having a coffee and a deltic thundered past en route to Chester, didn’t get a pic of the loco, just the smoky aftermath!

 

the Maccys I’m sat in is just a bit further west of where this photo was taken

 

 

[big jim]

Just filling this post with waffle as it’s the last one on the page and I want the next post to be the first on the next page so it doesn’t get lost!