Siggie in the east

When I was in the box on saturday, the SSM mentioned that the service was starting but our area manager told us that the 755s werent cleared to use the overheads anywhere yet as they still haven't fixed the problem with the auto lower function on the pantographs and also because there hasn't been sufficient testing on the cambridge-stanstead OHL section. Unless they've suddenly deemed it "tested" so they dont miss the new timetable. The units wont make it from Norwich to Stanstead and back on a tank apparently. I'll check when I get back in at 18:00. Thanks

Ah....... wasnt sure if it was a day/evening/night T3. Oh well, sandwiches instead :)

It's been a few years since I was in little kimble but there was a fantastic Indian restaurant and takeaway just up from the underline bridge on the Aylesbury road, about 8 minutes walk from the station if you get bored and hungry and can nip off site for 10mins.

In other news... 2hourly service on the sheringhams using Basils, no felixstowe and no Peterborough. Ipswich to cambridge service currently disrupted due to a genuine signalling issue on the single line from chippenham jn. Many cancellations on the Intercitys as well due to a lack of hauled sets..... maybe they shouldn't have sent some for storage on the MNR Thanks

Another terrible article! "Despite the signalling issues, other franchises and freight companies have been running their trains on the same lines due to network rail prioritisation and how old and new GA trains interact with the signalling system...." another load of BS! We haven't prioritised anything differently due to GAs debacle with their Basils. We run a specific timetable the same way every day because we have to. Nothing gets priority over anything else unless it's due to late running but with all the cancellations every day, even late freight coming in from another region has managed to make all it's time up because of all the free paths. Starting to get pretty fed up of anglian "newspapers" spouting BS all the time. Apologies, rant over now.

As far as we know at the PSB, no treatments have been made to the trains at Norwich or Ipswich. No one has been taking Line blocks or Possessions at either station to gain access to treat wheelsets today. Thanks

Also testing has resumed. 755333 has done a parkeston-clacton-colchester run firstly as 5Q15/6 but was later changed to 5Z01 as it's not cleared to run on both the clacton and harwich branch lines. Also a 745 unit as 5Q91 has done a run from Crown Point to Liv.Street. Thanks

Just a bit! It read like a politician at question time. None of the questions were properly answered, especially the one where it refers to the fact that freight is running and other class of train and the GA man says RHTTs are running to solve the problem. RHTTs arent freight! Just admit it's your blooming trains and then we can move on. Siggies here are getting frustrated that they're covering it up and we (NR signalling side) are getting the flack. Dishonesty at it's most despicable, especially when it involves the safety of customers and safe running of trains! Our Norwich panel is ridiculously hard work now as it has 3-5 working both ways on the Thetford lines to Trowse Jn and both ways between Norwich station and Whitlingham Jn as well as taking Line blockages in the station so teams can treat the wheelsets of these daft trains.

My apologies, should have clarified, when I said 'working' In the relay room, i didnt mean working on the signalling equipment. They were just on site when the incident happened.

One of the siggies at the psb tonight was on Norwich panel when the emergency alarm went off and listened in on the conversation between the trowse siggie and the driver of the train that went through the level crossing. Went on for nearly 20mins as neither the driver or siggie had come across the issue before. To make it worse, S&T were working in the relay room at the crossing when it happened and they said none of the relays engaged when the train approached, they looked out the door to see why the barriers werent activating and a car went over the crossing seconds before the train went through. Apparently the car was missed by 0.25 of a second. All because the train didnt activate the crossing.

Russ youre spot on. They are pinning the blame solely on NR and their equipment when the truth is that the new units are completely at fault.thats why the 158s, 321s,360s and hauled sets are working fine but the stadlers are all grounded. They're so light that the wheels are suffering badly with contamination. We have had MOMs tonight checking each train as its arrived at norwich, yarmouth,ipswich, lowestoft and cromer to see whether the train is fit to do its return journey. To top it off, I was "in earshot of a conference call" tonight and heard GA top management tell their subordinates that under no circumstance are they to tell the press or customers that the stadlers are at fault and to pin the blame on a signalling fault. Its bloody disgusting behaviour, NR are NOT at fault on this on and they're taking full advantage of the fact that the press are believing them.

It was done on a shoestring, it hasn't been beefed up and yes it will put a strain on the network north of colchester. We've had to report freightliner quite a few times recently for running pairs of 90s and quads of 86 with all their pans up at once. Draws so much current we get drivers losing their line Lights. Though, if they decide to remove all the 755 pantographs on overline bridges then it wont be much of an issue.....

The 170 3 car turbos mentioned above were 100mph, not 75mph. The stadlers arent too different in their performance but are much much lighter so accelerate/accelerate better.

Apparently they are. There is a new stop board on platform 1 at ipswich to stop the stadlers at a certain point so they dont come off the wires and the pan up/pan down is automatically done by gps. It was a debate we were having in the box a few days ago. Stupidly I should've just asked the driver on the gsmr if it does run on the juice for the .75 of a mile. Thanks

The felixstowe service (2Rxx) now has a dedicated 755/4 unit until the 755/3s come into service. 755412 has had its door release system modified to only open certain doors at certain stations as it's a 4 car and they need a 3 car for it to all work properly. Thanks

5Q65/5Q66 was a 3 car on test to Ipswich and back today, I believe the GSMr said it was 755313, but not sure. Also, a few new 755 4s did tests to/from Bury St Edmund's and Harwich from Norwich. In all, 8 test runs were conducted with a 745 to Liv. St cancelled due to missing its path out of Crown Point.

Will the 'new' 66 need much modification to pass fit for our network, aside from a repaint and some appropriate light clusters. Thanks

The ROG 37 was 5P98 to crown point via Ilford depot. Cheers

I hope they have security down at Harwich to keep them safe. The sidings there are completely open and access can easily be found at night under cover of darkness.

It's a steam charter. Duchess's of Sutherland and union of South Africa double headed. Theres also another steam charter on friday going to Chester, loco unknown at the moment.

Cl158s form a return service to Lowestoft every morning except Sundays. They do the return working and then form the next (second) service to Liverpool lime st. Cant remember the head codes I'm afraid. Thanks

Yes thats true, but with regards to Harwich, there are 4 trains a day that go from/to harwich international from Ipswich, 2A04 and 2W06 being the 2 morning services. With Clacton, I'm not sure why. I'd ask they guys at the box, but I'm off on sick leave at the moment. Ta

5Q99 Ripple lane-Norwich crown point is out today, currently approaching Witham 12mins early.(has now been put in the down loop as I type). 66001 and, as TOPS doesnt have the 745/755 unit numbers on it, I assume 745001in tow. Will try and get a photo. Thanks

153s are going to scotrail to bolster their current 153 fleet and form 2car sets with some being converted so they can store bicycles, a bit like the compartments in the GA DVTs. 156s are also moving that way eventually apparently but not 100% sure and theres isnt a timescale yet. 170s are all going to Wales as soon as september/october but as a previous post as said, they want them asap. Thanks

Wow, they're really turning up the delivery frequency now. MNR will be full up soon, wonder how long it will be before Victoria sidings gets finished so they can use them as well.