Siggie in the east

On 17/03/2024 at 10:55, Iron Horse said:

Good God is that shopping precinct still there? Very 1960's concrete I seem to remember but the Our Price was always well stocked!!!!!

I believe the car park was rebuilt around 1992 in conjunction with the shopping precinct being rebuilt/remodelled. It was also about the same time Chiltern remodelled Aylesbury Station and built the depot. I went there as a boy with my Dad and did a guided walk of the depot and station and Chiltern also held a model railway exhibition and trade stalls on the platforms. It does have a covered walkway over to the shops and then out into the town square. Been 21 years since I last visited there 😬

Hope that was useful. 

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

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

20 hours ago, big jim said:

66007 and 66779 passing by, amazing to think that yesterday I had that loco on the Welsh marches and in the 12 hours since I got off it had somehow got to Doncaster (via an engineers train from bescot!) 

 

 

And today it worked a train from Whitemoor to Stowmarket Good yard with wagons on 3Z01, didn't understand what the wagons were on TOPS unfortunately.

2 hours ago, big jim said:

Another day of it

 

bromsgrove

 

 

Does this service come out of a warehouse/siding just outside of the station by any chance?

Cheers

2 hours ago, big jim said:

It’s alright, used it yesterday again, was switching itself on and off with the thermostat when the room was at temperature so working fine, as I say it’s noisy but not particularly noticeable or loud, just white noise that’s ‘there’ compared to the silent convection heater, defiantly recommend it for the price 

Cheers for the review, unfortunately both Lidl shops in Colchester are sold out but ebay have exactly the same one so will order one from there. Just want to be able to use my mancave to play pool and not freeze 😆

Thanks again and happy new year.

On 30/12/2022 at 21:34, big jim said:

Couple of little jobs before work this evening, the middle of Lidl has a wall mounted ceramic heater for £45 so I bought one of those to replace the convection heater I’ve been using in the garage, same output, 2000w with a digital thermostat, timer, oscillating action etc, gets the room warmer quicker than the other heater, obviously noisier as it’s a fan but one less bit of clutter on the floor without the other heater in there 

 

 

Hey Jim, how are you getting on with the heater? Looks like a great find and I'm considering one for my pool table room/bar but wanted an opinion on one first.

Cheers

How about an option 3 - a mix of both disused sidings and operational sidings.

I used to live in Princes Risborough as a kid and travelled through this area quite a few times on Ghost trains with my dad.

I live in Essex now working at Colchester PSB and we operate trains in/out of Lowestoft and Yarmouth. Both areas have sidings dating back to the 60s with some of them still in use after some vegetation clearing and maintenance to bring up to spec (yarmouth carriage sidings) and in Lowestofts case, had a new sidings and run round laid between/adjacent to the old ones. Ive added a pic of when the area was remodeled and re-signalled for inspiration.

This way you can keep the layout prototypical to the area with "modellers licence" used to liven up the operational potential of shunting of wagons/carriages etc.

Hope this helps, I was a modeller once upon a time that did prototypical areas so can feel your pain when planning/starting a layout 😁.

Cheers

On 11/09/2022 at 14:27, big jim said:

some from last nights job at southwaite, the train was in the high wrapping sidings in Carlisle where I had to get it prepped for departure 

 

Wow I wish our PSB at Colchester looked that attractive 😆

On 14/06/2022 at 20:20, big jim said:

Some from yesterday, before work I had to go and collect a new bike from Suffolk 

 

super power on the Chester shuttle in crewe, 3x153s!

 

euston

euston square

 

Liverpool street

 

I’m not sure about these stadler things, very impressive but no seats with tables (I couldn’t find any anyway!)

 

ipswich

 

 

 

Train to Lowestoft, a hybrid version of the stadler

 

With a diesel power pack

 

This one did have tables, I sat next to the power unit, again a clever idea but god it was rough riding on the jointed track

 

And off at halesworth to collect the bike, I’ve driven a few trains through here to Lowestoft with colas but it’s always been at night so I’ve not seen the old swinging platforms properly before 

 

 

Train back to ipswich

 

Got off at stratford and rode to euston where I got a train to Birmingham then on to bescot where I collected my loco 

 

66771 for me alongside 66731 

 

Ready to roll light loco to Mountsorrel 

 

Into Mountsorrel and onto my train 

 

A new flow from Mountsorrel to hams hall 

 

Waiting to get into hams 

 

Running round 

 

And that was for pics, train unloaded then pass back to crewe, Mountsorrel to hams again tonight, the loco is already there there tonight so a shorter job for me 

 

 

 

The stadler unit you got from Liverpool St was a 745 1xx Stanstead unit subbing for a Great Eastern unit. Stanstead units dont have tables so they can fit more flying passengers in with their luggage.

The 745 0xx units which do the Great Eastern to Norwich have tables, first class and a buffet.

The 755 bi-modes on the East Suffolk have had a lot of feedback about being rough rides.

Nice to see you round my neck of the woods again!

Cheers 

Rich

8 hours ago, big jim said:

 ‘This time it’s personal’ charter between Bescot and Rugeley via Cannock, Class 86 up front, that should be a interesting end to the night 

That charter came through Colchester today on the Thames Haven-harwich International-ely-euston leg of the charter with a 66 and two 73s, had the hammer down, very impressive sight.

Cheers 

Theres been an implication at a UWC near March this morning with 4L02.

Tractor and trailer stuck on crossing. Driver is ok. Loco and some wagons derailed.

It appears the farmer mistook the green aspect on the signal as an ok for him to cross and disregarded the red/green miniature warning lights at the crossing. He also failed to call the signaller.

Thanks

On 21/07/2021 at 09:49, big jim said:

Some from last night, 196 testing again

 

tyseley 

 

Stafford

 

 

Crewe

 

 

I believe I signalled those 90s onto the train in Ipswich yard as I'm guessing that was 4s88.

On 11/06/2021 at 09:21, RusselBridge2017 said:

Interesting little addition to our day yesterday in Cheltenham, a passenger train visit to out southbound passing loop. 

 

Think the lucky punters visited the Pontrailus wood yard too on the way to Hereford?

Mind it nearly did not happen as Gloucester box seemed to route train straight on to start with. The train ground to a halt at the signal before. I guess the drive saw he did not have the feather to enter the sidings. He spent five minutes in discussions before the point changed. Guess the signalled did not understand that passengers wanted to spend 25 minutes in a sidings, LOL?

The reason it was stood for 5 minutes is probably because there will be a safety timer on the selected route on the panel in the signal box. 

If the train has been 'wrong routed', the signaller must make sure the driver has come to a stand, ask permission to take the route back putting the signal back to a red aspect and then the timer kicks in for the route to time out before the route dies out and the correct route can be set. Timers are generally 30 seconds upto 4mins depending on area, technology and line speeds. Id say the timer was 3mins and the phone call/chitchat was 2 mins.

Cheers

A rare runner around our way, 6M69 15:42 Sizewell C.E.G.B - Crewe coal sidings with 68016 leading 68001 seen here in Colchester. Apologies for the poor photo, so many wires!!

Thanks

9 hours ago, russ p said:

 

Cheers,  I'm on it again later in the week if you signal it again 

 

We still got back early as we didn't have to stop at Ipswich 

Im back in again Saturday so will keep an eye out.

Thats because I mentioned that you were 100mph to the Ipswich and Norwich signallers an they kept you moving as you would pretty much outrun anything around you! 

Any reason why we have an 88 running around here? Is it for a new flow or something?

Afternoon! Was nice to speak to you on the gsm-r, sorry for putting you away, if I'd known sooner that you were doing a ton I'd have told my learner to give you greens

Ah right, the racket those fans were making i thought you were going to overheat outside the window.

Cheers

A rare visitor to the GE today. 88001 as 0Z88 to Norwich Crown Point, on the down goods at Colchester.

Overheated slightly at one point I think as the pan went down and the roof fans kicked in.

Thanks

Nice surprise this morning on the down goods at Colchester PSB. 37425 and 37558 on 6P01 Thorpe-Le-Soken to Whitemoor Scrap train following the re-signalling of Clacton-On-Sea. 

15 hours ago, russ p said:

Had to do a repair to 425 today so took it for a test run and stopped at Berney Arms to check all  was well

 

 

Yeah I heard yesterday that the loco had taken a battering from the drifts, was much damage done?

 I've been in since Saturday and its been odd weather, didn't even know that it was still drifting that badly. In the 5 years I've been a siggie I've never experienced weather like it. 

Speaking of experiences, what was it like with the Norwich MOM on board, bet he was excitable

On 11/02/2021 at 22:33, russ p said:

 

What panel were you on last night? 

I was driver supposedly to Thorpe but with issues at Ipswich and Colchester plus abysmal Road conditions my mate cut me out at Stowmarket 

I was the siggie you spoke to on ipswich panel when you were in Stowmarket loop, I was ipswich-thorpe that night. My points were freezing all over the place, colchester had 7 sets frozen, not the easiest of nights for anyone.

3 hours ago, beast66606 said:

Eccles Road
11/02/2021 (Thursday)
37425, Sir Robert McAlpine/Concrete Bob, and 66432 on 0P03 , 10:32, Whitemoor Yard L.D.C GBRF - Norwich T.C. (12:21) - light engines

 

These two were on 6P04 last night, whitemoor to Thorpe-le-Soken with 15 Autoballasters. Did think it was odd to have a 37 on an infrastructure working. Normally its 2 66s.

Driver gave it plenty of thrash coming past the PSB in platform 3 colchester!

Crewe is looking a lite soggy following the storms.

Picture courtesy of Network Rail

Take care

4 hours ago, Chris116 said:

This is probably a very silly question but why would a freight operating company be training its drivers on passenger trains? 

GBrF are also doing the fault free running of the new 720s on the GE, mainly out of Ilford depot.

Thanks

20 hours ago, big jim said:

EMG again

Hi Jim

Is the 66 next to yours at the head of a DB service ? Looks like the 4E63 service for Felixstowe South that I see on the CCTV on the workstation.

Cheers