Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[The Stationmaster]

if you go down to the woods today.......

 

 

 

66304 sitting beyond the stop board gates at claydon jn at 02:00 this morning, illuminated by my helmet light, first train on that bit of line for about 20 years!!

 

Which bit is that Jim - the line towards Bletchley at Claydon L&NE Jcn or another part?  (there being two Claydon Jcns of course - although one of them no longer is a junction).  We ran an Inspection Special round all of it back in about 1993, Swindon - Oxford - Bletchley (as far as the far end of the flyover) then back round to the Aylesbury line at Claydon then southwards to Aylesbury but after we'd looked over the long siding - as it had been for years by then - to Akeman Street; hard to imagine we were on what had once been the daily route of 'The Master Cutler' back in the time that it had run from Marylebone via Wycombe.

 

Definitely a bit 'rural' in that neck of the woods

[geoff]

8 October 2013. Were you just beyond those gates Jim?

 

Geoff

[lmsforever]

They can descend Brill Hill and throw spears at you if your not careful around that area!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[geoff]

 

Some further pictures all taken on the same day as the previous one.

 

Geoff

[big jim]

the picture was taken beyond the gates at the bletchley end, its caused a bit of a stir with the local enthusiast fraternity being parked there!

 

took 2 class 70s to claydon last night, all was going well until the change ends at princes risborough, had to declare myself a failure between little kimble and marsh lane crossing, thankfully i had a trainee with me who was able to jump in the rear loco and propel me clear of the mainline into aylesbury loop where we run round and went double headed up to claydon where after a lot of shunting we have left the train to collect it later tonight to return to hinksey (hopefully)

[yorkie_pudd]

probably a pain for you at time Jim but will have been interesting to watch your shunting moves.

[Richard E]

I see 801 is sitting at Donny this evening.

[lmsforever]

Looking at the photo,s Jim makes you realise just remote it is up there at Claydon north bucks is a fairly remote part of the world with a lack of people probably why the old line closed its going to be interesting when it all reopens with the freight and passengers that are supposed to be going to use it.

[big jim]

Been having fun and games again, this job is becoming a bit of a farce, through event beyond my control!!

 

Anyway a few more pics from earlier in the week....

 

70s to the left of me, 70s to the right, stuck in the middle of poo!!

 

 

And on arrival at claydon after a lot of shunting around we left the 70s to be collected by us tonight

 

 

I've now decided i'm not a fan of them on this type of work, point to point they are great but start having to mess about with them changing ends en-route and you are stuffed!!

[bruced2]

Hi Jim, Like the pictures of Sinfin now i know where the stuff goes and that someone else on here is involved with it, I am at the other end of the line I.E grangemouth where it is refined. keep the pictures coming.

 

Bruce

[big jim]

Sinfin seems like a distant memory now, not been there for a while!!

[bruced2]

Have just been reading through your thread didnt realise how long ago you posted about Sinfin.

 

Bruce

[250BOB]

Sinfin seems like a distant memory now, not been there for a while!!

 

Dont I know it...!!!!!

 

Missing you.....xxxxx

 

Bob

[big jim]

a few pics from this week, mostly been nights so not that many

 

drs 66 at bicester after propelling the train to the end of the line

 

 

oxford, waiting to head to bescot

 

 

then after the trip from bescot to claydon (the one where we failed) we left the train there

 

 

went and rescued them the day after with the 66 and took them to hinksey

 

waiting at aylesbury to get on the single line to princes risborough

 

then last night it was light engine from hinksey to claydon to collect the remaining traffic, annoyingly as the line is out i had to go oxford-banbury-risborough-aylesbury-claydon, all to do a 10 mile straight journey!!

 

waiting at banbury for the road to risborough

 

 

 

then from claydon it was a lift to bicester to move the train up to claydon, a move back to bicester with the kirow crane, a l/e move back to claydon, attach to the train and head off to bescot with a turn round at risborough again, left at 03:00 and got into bescot at 06:15, again annoyingly i passed back through bicester on the chiltern mainline right over the top of the crane i'd left near london road a few hours earlier

 

arrival at bescot

 

 

 

 

it was interesting to see how quick they have laid the track, where there was none on tuesday morning, by friday i was slowly traversing a newly laid bit of rail across bicester london road crossing with a train!! quite un-nerving as there is no ballast as such (thats next weeks job for me!!)

 

and to top it all off tonight i'm on another ballast to newport, not even a proper day off!!

[Swifty11]

Cracking pics as always!!

[Gary H]

Well I suppose there's one thing to be said for it Jim, variety!  It must be more interesting than driving from A to B day in and day out, the same train over the same route for weeks on end as it were!

[big jim]

here's a question for you......

 

on the run up to claydon i traversed part of the old GC north of quaindon rd through calvert, the island platform at calvert still exists in a delapidated state but is unmistakably a GC design, now, are there any other former GC 'rural' stations still standing with tracks running through them?

 

in fact how many GC design stations of any design remain on the network, both open or closed ie marylebone, sheffield victoria etc (dont include the preserved GCR though)

 

it was actually quite eeriee passing through claydon this week, hard to imagine the things that used to run through there, and amazing how the mileposts still count down to manchester for the short while im on the old GC

[lmsforever]

Thanks for the photos Jim liked the one in Aylesbury very atmospheric,its a sobering thought that once we had trains to Manchester freight by the train load all gone now but at least in the not to distant future we will be able to travel to MK and Bedford.This can only be good for our region shame they cant reopen towards Brackley and the north ,now that would be a step forward !

[cheesysmith]

I know of one GC island platform still in use, and that would be Darnall in Sheffield.

[Banger Blue]

Finmere Station in Bucks, which I believe is part of the proposed route of HS2, there are still two (although very rust holed) bridge spans, the entrance arch up to the platforms, although now bricked up is still visible from the road. (A4421 Bicester - Buckingham). Inded there is a short length of track in situ with ED Class 73 73130 and some ex Southern Region stock in place. A private site but visible from the road (mostly depending on season).

[big jim]

Well I suppose there's one thing to be said for it Jim, variety!  It must be more interesting than driving from A to B day in and day out, the same train over the same route for weeks on end as it were!

 

 

i agree with that, nice to go all over the place even though i rarely see home for days on end, as an example, i thought i'd have a couple of days off this weekend but i ended up working a ballast from basford hall to newport last night, had a freightliner 66 with 20 side tippers, 2300 tons so quite a slog most of the way, had to wait for a route conductor from hereford then we had 4 hours outside cwmbran waiting for a possession to be lifted!

 

 

 

one for beast

 

 

 

and then this came in from scarborough

 

and a very wet newport at 05:00ish this morning!!

 

then to top it off i've got to drive back to oxford tonight for my job tomorrow and then away all week doing claydon again by the looks of it!!

[Jock67B]

Jim, I know you're going to be busy this week but I wonder if you can find time to tell me what camera you use - it seems to manage shots of quality whatever the light or conditions! The photographer, of course, also deserves a great deal of credit as you obviously don't have a great deal of time to manipulate them before posting!! Hope you have a good,and above all, safe week and look forward to more interesting images in due course.

Kind regards,

Jock67B.

[big jim]

Its a fujifilm finepix exr-28, £80 cash convertor special, its more than paid for itself with the pictures ive had published in rail express, railway mag etc

 

I cant see the point in buying an expensive camera just to throw in the bag, if it gets damaged its easily and cheaply replaced

 

The camera has a 30X optical manual zoom and is 16megapixel, im slowly getting used to using it, ive always just used a point and shoot camera but this one i've been experimenting with setting it up manually for night shots etc, some pics are hit and miss but i normally eventually get my shot!

 

There is no image manipulation on the pics on here, they are all as they come off the chip

Edited May 12, 2014 by big jim

[beast66606]

I like the avatar Jim

[Budgie]

I've got a cheeky question: just how much of the national network do you sign? From the wonderful pictures you post on here, you seem to be going anywhere and everywhere.