CovDriver

Just a couple from yesterday's job and this mornings chariot firstly 325013 passing through Northampton on it's way to Wembley.

Then a couple of EMU's in warm storage just outside Northampton. And finally 350252 & 350372 waiting departure time with the 0611 Coventry to Birmingham New Street service.

A double New St - Northampton for todays fun on the iron road. 

Tomorrow mornings book on of 0341 isn't very appealing at the moment but should be done by 1047.

Cheers 

Colin

Just a couple of pics from the past few days as it's a same old stuff regarding work getting a bit bored of cross city now I'm considering a change of scenery. 

The two pics are from yesterday as I was spare all morning.

0Z88 Derby RTC to Derby RTC  via Coventry and Nuneaton. 

That's typical I'm rest day again and you come to my parish I was offered a Rest day worked and it would have been prepping those units on platform 4 at Coventry and some cross city work but I declined the offer over time.

10 minutes ago, 45568 said:

Having lived in Kings Heath until 1974 before migrating to Oz, I am fascinated to hear of units going to KH for modification. Is this really B14 post code Kings Heath? If so, where is it?

Enjoyed your pix btw,

Cheers from Oz,

Peter C.

Sorry Peter for the confusion this is another Kings Heath this one is in Northampton.

Its named after the area in Northampton in which the depot was built.

Cheers

Colin

Again just a couple from today and yesterday.

The first one is 350119 waiting to work 2C99 0545 Coventry to Birmingham New Street this morning this is a treat for me as I've been used to running double sets everywhere to assist with the social distancing. 

The second pic was taken yesterday showing a pair of GBRF class 47's 47727 & 47749 just departing Northampton as 0z48 Kings Heath EMD to Chaddesden sidings after they had brought up a class 360 to Kings Heath for 110mph modifications before it transfers to EMR.

Just a couple from yesterday as I was spare but was asked to do a Coventry - Northampton and up to New st pass back to Coventry. 

Now I'm back in work after 18days off with my summer block leave and a long weekend on the end of it it's pretty mundane for the last two days a en ECS trip from Coventry to New St and a return trip to Lichfield City also a New St to Northampton return not much to see apart from these three pics 

As promised a couple of pics to show the progress of the now unnamed layout 

Well now my Summer leave is almost at an end I've managed to get a few jobs done on the layout firstly the most important has been the removal of the 3rd rail.

As I was never really happy with it I was basically out of my comfort zone so there maybe a couple of items coming up for sale very soon suitable for southern region 3rd rail. 

I've also built a new baseboard for another small fiddleyard at the signal box end of the layout. 

I'm awaiting the return of some peco code 75 track as there is a national shortage. 

I've also started adding some of the smaller details and a couple of scale model scenery low relief building. And the lighting has been fitted but not yet powered up for the wIting shelter and signal box.

I'll post a few pics later today of the work done so far.

Cheers

Colin

I missed out on 66756 again as I've been on annual leave since the 18th of June but on the positive side I've managed to get a load of work done on my small layout.

I'll hopefully update that thread today if I get a spare 5mins. 

4 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

Didn't it have nameplates in the pack?

 

Every Bachmann named diesel I've got has a set of Shawplan nameplates supplied.

 

 

 

Jason

There was no plates included as it was the Bachmann special offer from Rails.

1 hour ago, railtec-models said:

 

If it helps: as someone who spends a large proportion of every single day manipulating images and scaling to size, my input here would be:

 

On the assumption that the RR stripe has the same dimensions as the ScotRail / InterCity stripes, then the outer dimensions of the plate in 4mm should be pretty much 13mm wide x 3mm tall. I have a square-on image of the plate also showing the RR stripe. Also looking at various images of 422 in RR colours through its career then I don't believe there were two different sizes of plate, at least on the 37 (and even if there were a possibility then this would be unusual given the cost). It's not a high enough res image from which to be able to make a suitable representation of the crest, but it has enough info to give me the above, which is what I would make it if I were just making the plate and not the crest (which I wouldn't have resource to do without a really hi res perfectly square-on image).

 

The images also show that there is almost as much space again either side of the plate between the grilles, which would not seem to align with the etched plate shown in the image above.

 

Hope this helps,

Steve

 

That helps very much indeed Steve, the representation of the crest that was supplied  I would say is passable just so I may use the crests only. 

As I've used your transfer style nameplates for 37558 before which was so easy I must add. 

I did look on your website yesterday but couldn't see anything as it was only a very quick browse.

Would you be able to do a set of plates for 37422 ?

Cheers 

Colin 

This is exactly my question I cant find photographic evidence to show that 37422 carried two different size plates. 

I'm reluctant to apply these plates I may have a look at another supplier such as model master or railtec as I cant seem to work out how to order from Shawplan.

I thought exactly that at first but the size difference seems to much. Here's a photo to show the difference in sizes.

Just a quick question as my daughter bought me a Bachmann 37/4 37422 in the regional railways livery I was wondering the size of the nameplates (Robert F Fairlie) as the printed version on the bodyside seems to be a bit small compared to the etched ones. 

But I've purchased an etched set of plates and crests from Fox transfers that have the blue background and the length of them they're looking very odd as compared to the printed ones on the bodyside they appear to long. 

Before I commit to applying the etched plates which would be nearer the correct size?

I've looked on sites such as Flickr etc.. to see if 37422 had two versions of the same nameplates fitted during its spell in Regionsl railways livery.

Colin 

2 hours ago, big jim said:

12 weeks before your route competency runs out, that’s not long at all

 

 

 

That's just for Aston to Walsall and we dont sign Soho Bank and most of us dont sign Aston-Stechford either we only have one job that's on a Saturday morning and as I'm permanent a.m. turns.

I was hoping to catch the 66's parked up at Bescot as I'm after a decent pic of 66756 as it's named after my old regiment.

Cheers 

Colin 

Here's a couple of pics from the past couple of days. 

Firstly 350263 awaiting a slot to pass through Rugby on the Down Coventry whilst I was asked to take a 12car formation from Coventry to Northampton ECS as it was declared a failure shortly after it was prepped early on Friday morning and I had to split 350263 from the rear of the 12car set and return it back to Coventry Yard as the standby unit. 

Then on Saturday it was a trip to Wolverhsmpton and Walsall for a change it had to be done as it was exactly 12 weeks since I had last been there if it was any longer I would have been out of competency.

Then I managed to snap a passing freightliner working through Walsall the pic quality is awful as all the pics are mobile phone ones as I forgot to take my proper camera.

That's all the work pics for now as I'm Annual leave for the next 18days I might be able to get some modelling done.

And as an added bonus seen as its Fathers day I recieved a Bachmann 37 (37421 in regional railways livery)

Cheers 

Colin 

Just a couple from last Thursday before long weekend as it's been a busy weekend home schooling and doing the garden. 

The first pic is 350401 already to go at Coventry waiting time to work the 0538 Coventry to Euston service I took it as far as Northampton. And the second pic is 350110 with a new Destination on the side in Coventry North yard again all prepped and ready for service. 

1 hour ago, 5BarVT said:

Don’t worry, I’m an insider and I don’t know for certain. 

Bridges are allocated ‘signal aspects’ which define who can give the go ahead for trains to commence running, Red is the most restrictive and (I think) requires a bridge engineer.  I know there are Amber and Double Amber which can be authorised by others if the damage is superficial and they have the appropriate training.  Precise details, I’m in the dark too!

Paul.

I'm only going on the email I received stating it was a code red bridge and that BSE must visit before any train movements go across the bridge as some of the metalwork underneath the bridge deck had been twisted 

The line is open again now but I thought Jim might be having another detour on his trip tonight hence I put the original comment up.

Cheers

Colin 

The Cov - Nuneaton branch is currently blocked due to a lorry carrying an excavator has become wedged underneath a bridge and it looks like it's got to be cut out as it's proper wedged in the bridge metalwork. The bridge in question is the one just after Coundon Road level crossing where the line speed is 20mph and before the viaduct. As it's a Code Red bridge this may go on for sometime. 

Cheers 

Colin 

Same job as last Saturday this time it was 350116's turn to be stabled on Soho.

Plus a couple of 323's stabled for the weekend. 

Also 86259 which must have rusted to the rails now in the old carriage sidings at Rugby has had a banner applied to the bodyside.

As I was allocated a new turn for a Saturday AM shift instead of the usual double New St - Redditch shuttles I was given this little job of preparing a 350 unit in Coventry Yard using if it for the 0611 service to New St then ECS onto Soho LMD followed by a taxi back to New St then taking an 8 car set to Northampton at 0814 then bring the 0937 from Northampton to Coventry and that was enough for today.

323218 undergoing some maintenance inside the shed on Soho LMD

350258 stabled on road 3 at Soho not very often we get to drive a 350 onto the depot.

350258 all prepped for its short day in service in Coventry North Yard.

7 hours ago, big jim said:

Must be a notorious place for it, I reported one in a similar condition To your control one Sunday morning, you could still smell the paint as you passed by 

Was that the 350 that had a rainbow covered along the complete bodyside at Wolverhampton. 

As I was on a spare turn yesterday with a 0504 book on time I was asked to go and prep the standby unit in Coventry North Yard.

It turned out to be 350254 with the pan down it was effectively a dead unit. But as I approached the unit I noticed it had been tagged I believe I had disturbed the vandals as the paint was still wet in places. 

After a call to control to report the incident and they asked if I could take the unit to Northampton so it could go onto Kings Heath for paint removal.

I happily agreed as it's been nearly 7 weeks since I last went to Northampton. 

Anyway here's a pic of the poor unit shortly after its brief attempt at a repaint. 

Well I thought I should get this thread back up and running so here's a couple of pics from the last week or so.

The first pic shows 3x 350's stabled in Coventry North yard on a glorious Sunday morning.

The second pic shows the addition of a huge depot sticker on the side of the middle vehicle on 323203 I believe only 203 and 211 have been done so far.

The next pic shows 323211 waiting at Redditch also adorned with VE Day stickers also added to the fleet now are Soho depot stickers on the cab doors. Soho =SI Is the allocation code for anyone interested.