Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[TheSignalEngineer]

29 minutes ago, Chris116 said:

Virgin West Coast from Birmingham New Street to Euston had guards and first class with free snacks and tea/coffee.

Just being a grumpy old man, old enough to remember when I used to catch the first morning train from Birmingham to Euston and the restaurant car staff did at seat service of coffee in steerage after they had done the first class breakfasts. Fresh brewed coffee from tall pots, proper cups and saucers as well.

[The Lurker]

The bridge over the yard at Tonbridge was on one of our cross country routes. I ran across it many times and was even attacked by a trio of 'brookies once. It was mainly 33s and 73s back then. The Hastings line had not been electrified and the single line to Tunbridge Wells West was still open.

[big jim]

Some from today, rugby to Donnington and back as far as crewe

 

rugby, never good for pics in the morning as the sun is on the wrong side 

 

 

 

stopped in Stafford to wait time 

 

Basford hall

 

 

 

 

Ready to leave Donnington 

 

And into crewe 

 

 

 

 

[TheSignalEngineer]

Saw 66721 on the Hams Hall empties this afternoon. As I walked down through the park at Marple it was just coming out of the North tunnel

[big jim]

Some from today, coleshill to Doncaster Iport 

 

coleshill

 

Masborough 

 

 

Iport 

 

And over to Roberts road

 

 

then it was train home, a few pics from stockport 

 

 

 

 

Possession job tomorrow then a few jobs next week including East Midlands gateway and something different on Friday, got a bit of digital road learning to do beforehand but I’ve got a stone train to and from Liverpool to penmaenmawr and back, really looking forward to that

[Budgie]

15 hours ago, big jim said:

 I’ve got a stone train to and from Liverpool to penmaenmawr and back, really looking forward to that

 

Penmaenmawr = Large head of stone, how appropriate.

[big jim]

Long possession job today, out of bescot with 66798

 

waiting for it to arrive off another job, looking through to tame bridge parkway 

 

Pulled into the yard, loco off and on to my train

 

and away…

sat on the wcml slow line between nuneaton and rugby 

 

after the ballast drop ready to head to the marker boards

 

run round in rugby before heading back to bescot 

 

next job is East Midlands gateway on Tuesday 

[Iron Horse]

Thanks for the tones the other day, I think the morning ones were better but I had just come off of a teams meeting and you were already approaching signal 9002 so I rushed out of the house but had forgot my phone!!!!!

 

 

Your colleagues weren't as friendly today

 

 

[big jim]

Some from today. 
 

East Midlands gateway b, didn’t get a pic til I got there 

 

Kingsbury tanks passing by as I waited at a signal on the chellaston branch 

 

And into basford hall

 

 

not on the penmaenmawr stone on Friday now as it’s been covered, possibly a loco to longport if it runs (nothing special though, not a 69)

[big jim]

Short job today, nuneaton to longport 

 

train from crewe, 175 heading off to South Wales 

 

197 on test

 

Into Nuneaton 

 

Freightliner waiting at a red signal 

 

My loco to longport 

 

 

We then flew along to longport so no pics as I had somewhere I needed to be!

 

longport station 

 

Stoke station

 

 

And as you do, Euston Square!

 

 

Shenfield

 

Billericay

 

The shenfield shark 

 

Stratford 

 

and that’s was that, a quick bike ride from there to euston and homeward bound! 

 

[big jim]

Just 3 from last night, bescot to crewe then another train to a possession just south of nuneaton 

 

bescot, getting a spare loco as one of mine hadn’t turned up

 

ready to roll to crewe 

 

Then it was back to bescot for the 2nd train

 

that’s me until Wednesday now 

[big jim]

We’re back, thankfully my photos are all hosted on photobucket so they are still showing! 
 

Lots to update since the forum went out, I’ll do a rundown post later this afternoon 

[KeithHC]

Also Jim you always show your Flickr account so we can still look back as well.

 

Keith

[malc60015]

Hi Jim did you work the 0G60 today.

 

cheers malc

Edited March 31, 2022 by malc60015
typo

[big jim]

I often think is it worth the hassle of uploading to photobucket sometimes but it’s has proved invaluable this time!

 

Photos from other threads such as the cycling and cats ones have gone is I used the internal uploader in those but I’ll be uploading to photobucket with them now too

 

2 weeks of updates, with the site being down I found I’ve not taken as many pics as I normally would but here we go 

 

first up a last minute Hindlow to crewe job 

 

Hindlow 

 

I believe this embankment was part of the original cromford and high peak line just outside Hindlow, looking at old maps it went to a triangle 

 

over the existing line 

 

Waiting to go after collecting the token 

 

 

Waiting outside Buxton to exit the Hindlow branch

 

Running round 

 

Made a friend 

 

Peak forest 

 

And eventually into crewe 

 

 

Few days later it was an MOD train to Donnington from rugby 

 

Running round, long train this time 76 slu so had to be unloaded in 2 parts 

 

197 unit 

 

And into rugby

 

I then went to lodge next to the station to work it north again the next morning  but it failed not long after I got off so the northbound was cancelled 

 

No pics for this bit but as it was cancelled I went home the next morning then as I pulled into Crewe I got a call to go to bescot to collect a loco to take back to rugby to rescue the train from Wembley, so I went back from crewe to bescot and worked it to Rugby, kob done.

 

as I had my bike and it was a nice day I decided to ride to Leamington spa and go home from there, so 17 miles later I arrived at Leamington ready to head home, I rode between the two places on the old trackbed (where possible)

 

 

 

 

then the phone rang, the loco I took to rugby had got to Wembley and the failed train was now heading back north so can you work it from rugby back to bescot?

so back to rugby I went (on the train this time)

 

 

 

 

 

Have bike will travel!

 

And into bescot 

 

Then a day of crewe to East Midlands gateway and back

 

good start to the day, he had hit the bridge and was backing out without saying anything to anyone, reported to the box though!

 

Hindlow service pulling in

 

My train to EMG

 

 

And so to this week

 

nice little job Monday, I was going to cover a light loco move from coleshill to Kidderminster which turned out to be uncovered from Doncaster so I ended up working it right through, 2 locos to a private event at the SVR, one of which was 69002 which I collected from Roberts road 

 

 

It was originally booked to be just the engine but then it morphed into having 2 wagons and a 66, unfortunately (or fortunately whichever way you look at it) at decoy the train was facing south and I was going north 

 

So I ran to st Caths to run round, now I could have fired the 66 up and driven that but where’s the fun in that! 

 

So I left 66796 on the rear 

 

Elford loop 

 

And into Kidderminster SVR, shunting around collecting a shark brakevan 

 

And parked up in the station

 

i was booked to be driving it at the event but no one told me or the rostering department and I had a booked job so someone else did it, shame as I believe it was booked to work to Bridgnorth which I’d have loved to do!

kidderminster station

 

The booked job this week is small heath to crewe via cannock but so far I’ve not had to go that way as the main route via penkridge is open so have gone that way to save messing about running round in Bescot

 

 

On my way in for it again now but I’ve got no relief at crewe so I said I’d work it to peak forest via Warrington and chat moss but unfortunately I don’t sign between Piccadilly and new mills via guide bridge and the routes I sign to avoid that bit are closed so I’m going small heath-nuneaton-Leicester-toton-chesterfield-dore-hope valley-peak forest (which is actually probably quicker than going via Manchester!) 

 

got it again tomorrow then a short peak forest to hindlow on Saturday which weather permitting I’ll tie in with a bike ride on the monsal trail 

Edited March 31, 2022 by big jim

[sb67]

On 18/03/2022 at 17:52, big jim said:

 

 

The shenfield shark 

 

 

 

 

I didn't realise your travels took you to my neck of the woods! Good to see the Shenfield shark still there. Also Hats off for cycling from Stratford to Euston, cant imagine that's for the faint hearted! 

[big jim]

1 minute ago, sb67 said:

 

I didn't realise your travels took you to my neck of the woods! Good to see the Shenfield shark still there. Also Hats off for cycling from Stratford to Euston, cant imagine that's for the faint hearted! 

It was a one off to collect the bike but I have done a few IM a trains down there in the past, conducted

 

the ride was pretty good to be fair, it’s all dedicated cycle paths from Stratford to around St. Paul’s then it’s bus lanes etc, didn’t feel uneasy at all, I was dreading it initially but it was fine, safer than riding to small heath from new st

 

 

[big jim]

Just a couple from tonight 

 

running round in Tyseley 

 

then after a run down the Erewash and over a snowy hope valley arrived into peak forest at 0200

 

[vulcan product fan]

Wish we had known it was you I would have given you a wave at Tapton junction north of chesterfield station. I had wondered why it was late leaving Doncaster i had walked from my house with my little girl who was off school ill down to Barrow hill but you had not left Doncaster at its booked time it should have passed us . Then i had seen on real time trains and seen you had left so jumped in the car and drove to Tapton. 

Eastleigh did a superb job on the livery.

[5BarVT]

On 31/03/2022 at 19:18, big jim said:

It was a one off to collect the bike but I have done a few IM a trains down there in the past, conducted

 

the ride was pretty good to be fair, it’s all dedicated cycle paths from Stratford to around St. Paul’s then it’s bus lanes etc, didn’t feel uneasy at all, I was dreading it initially but it was fine, safer than riding to small heath from new st

 

 

An alternative (if you ever need to go that way again) is Regents Canal towpath to Kings Cross.

Paul.

Edited April 2, 2022 by 5BarVT
Rewording

[big jim]

Yesterday was a small Heath to crewe, parked at basford hall and walked up tk the station 

 

‘Terri’ being loaded into a low loader at the freightliner depot 

 

175 passing over the independents en route to shrewsbury 

 

LSL 

 

Freightliner 66 

 

And today i went for a bike ride before work, did the monsal trail from

bakewell to chee dale 

 

bakewell

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Millers dale. 

 

 

 

 

 

End of the trail, the existing line from peak forest to Buxton is on the left 

 

 

And back in the trail heading back 

 

Disused viaduct from the peak forest line toward the monsal trail 

 

 

 

Millers dale again 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bakewell

 

 

A cracking ride, just short of 19 miles, I then had a look round bakewell and had a tart then went to Buxton before work 

 

peak forest 

 

 

Running round in Buxton 

 

Into Hindlow 

 

 

Run round 

 

 

 

And parked up 

 

And that’s me for the week, off to the caravan, not taking my work gear with me so I can have a proper break 

[eastwestdivide]

At the Chee Dale end of the trail, there’s a public footpath (not suitable for bikes!) that crosses the remaining side of the rail triangle and goes up onto the hill beyond, with some distant views of the line to the S of Peak Forest. OS link on Bing maps

[big jim]

1 hour ago, eastwestdivide said:

At the Chee Dale end of the trail, there’s a public footpath (not suitable for bikes!) that crosses the remaining side of the rail triangle and goes up onto the hill beyond, with some distant views of the line to the S of Peak Forest. OS link on Bing maps

I was going to originally start at peak forest and ride to chee dale to join the trail but decided against it, when I saw the path I’m glad I didn’t, lots of walkers on it though zig zagging up the hill side 

[big jim]

End of my week off so back to work tomorrow, however last night we had our Christmas party on a boat in the Thames, delayed due to last minute covid restrictions in December

 

a really good night out, cruised from Westminster pier out past the Thames barrier and back again, lots of alcohol consumed, singing and dancing even John smith the MD having a dance off with the 2nd in command (I have the video and photos as possibly blackmail material should I ever need it!) 

 

 

 

Cruise ship moored alongside HMS Belfast 

 

Cutty sark

 

Royal Navy college and observatory Greenwich 

 

Thames barrier

 

Sun going down 

 

 

 

 

Canary wharf

 

Tower bridge

 

Tower of london

 

OXO building 

 

London eye 

 

And that was that, in tomorrow night, couple of nights out of hinksey down the chilterns on a ballast drop then a couple of nights of the trafford park job 

 

 

[TheSignalEngineer]

On 18/03/2022 at 17:52, big jim said:

Stratford 

 

Robert looks in need of a bit of TLC