Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[Gareth 73]

21 hours ago, big jim said:

Seems a strange route to take, unless the driver, jim tippin, fancied a thrash up the lickey with the Crompton! 

Quite happy with the route as any other route wouldn't have got to see them past the WMSC👍

[big jim]

Some from today, small Heath job, got on it at Burton upon trent but didn’t get any pics until Tyseley 

 

running round, 196 lurking in the background 

 

Unloading in small heath. 

 

 

Various things passing by

 

ROGs 37 and 323 unit 

 

 

 

 

 

Triple header

 

 

 

 

That was it, same again tomorrow then off for 10 days and I’m switching off and spending some time away from trains as I’m absolutely exhausted mentally and need a proper break by the sea 

 

[corneliuslundie]

I thought for a minute that the centre vehicle of the 323 had been visited by graffiti artists, but it looks like part of the "design".

Great photos, and have a proper break, on the Cambrian coast I assume/hope.

Jonathan

[big jim]

51 minutes ago, corneliuslundie said:

I thought for a minute that the centre vehicle of the 323 had been visited by graffiti artists, but it looks like part of the "design".

Great photos, and have a proper break, on the Cambrian coast I assume/hope.

Jonathan

It’s the BTP, ‘see it, say it, sorted’ livery 323 

 

one letter out with the destination cUmbrian coast not Cambrian next week 

[CovDriver]

It's 323221 it's a real pig of a unit normally has a traction converter out sort of like driving a unit on half power it's normally coupled to another unit to compensate. 

But that might have changed as I've been on leave for the past 2 weeks. 

Great pics as ever Jim 

[big jim]

And the final day before annual leave, same job again Burton to small heath and back to landor st

 

burton

 

66718 again

 

Units passing by after we arrived into small heath 

 

Stone trains everywhere!

 

Chiltern 68

 

Not content with yesterdays triple header!

 

Chiltern loco hauled again 

 

Unloading

 

Ukraine 66

 

And another stone train arriving

 

196 passing

 

Running round 

 

 

Noticed while running round some of the old chairs in the yard, GWR, 1907

 

 

More units 

 

And at landor st, the train heading off 

 

The end 

 

and then an IM train passed by with HST powercars and mentor 

 

 

and that’s me done! 

[s182ggu]

Enjoy your holiday, Jim 

[Chris116]

Enjoy your holiday and don't let them give you any shifts while you are on holiday!

[5BarVT]

On 26/05/2022 at 20:12, big jim said:

Noticed while running round some of the old chairs in the yard, GWR, 1907

Remember seeing some of that sort of vintage when I started back in ‘75.  Think it might have been one of the Reading yards where the depot is now.  Fang bolt (‘cos it has a nut on top): excellent for holding on less than perfect timbers, rubbish for getting track circuits to operate because there’s too much metal in contact with wet ground.

Paul.

[big jim]

Back to it again yesterday and a change of job again, luckily quite a lot shorter than booked!

 

had to go to Wolverhampton to meet the train

 

170 unit 

 

voyager

 

and my train that I rode to coleshill then worked as far as south wigston (Leicester) where it continued to Wellingborough 

 

I then taxi’d back to walsall to work my booked train to crewe via cannock after running round in Bescot 

 

Into crewe

 

 

same small heath-bescot-cannock-crewe tonight and tomorrow 

 

[big jim]

Nothing much to photograph tonight, same job, same loco!

 

small heath

 

tyseley after run round No2

 

same tomorrow 

 

[big jim]

Some more from last night, same again

 

lots of work going on in Caledonia yard relaying various sidings 

 

172 passing by

 

Sunset

 

Depot diorama, really need to paint that backscene!

 

Running round in tyseley 

 

that's that for this week, cement from shrewsbury to hereford tonight 

[KeithHC]

Cor a standard gauge Fairle under construction………

 

As ever great photos.

 

Keith

[big jim]

Some from tonight, nice short job just shrewsbury to hereford 

 

voyager in shrewsbury 

 

my train arriving 

 

it was booked to sit in craven arms for 2  1/2 hours with just the Dee marsh still passing but that was cancelled so a few calls before I left salop and I got a run straight to hereford non stop arriving in there almost 4 hours early and in enough time to get the train back to shrewsbury (and a taxi back to crewe as the line is shut for engineering work) 

 

nice to get a drive down the marches in daylight for a change 

 

hereford, left on the down relief for the next driver to take on 

 

 

toton to shrewsbury tomorrow with a weed sprayer transit move in readyness for it to work down the Cambrian and heart of wales next week (unfortunately I’m not on that!)

[corneliuslundie]

When I read Shrewsbury to Hereford I thought before I read the rest that it would be by bike.

Great pics as always.

Jonathan

[dunwurken]

13 hours ago, big jim said:

Some from tonight, nice short job just shrewsbury to hereford 

 

voyager in shrewsbury 

 

my train arriving 

 

it was booked to sit in craven arms for 2  1/2 hours with just the Dee marsh still passing but that was cancelled so a few calls before I left salop and I got a run straight to hereford non stop arriving in there almost 4 hours early and in enough time to get the train back to shrewsbury (and a taxi back to crewe as the line is shut for engineering work) 

 

nice to get a drive down the marches in daylight for a change 

 

hereford, left on the down relief for the next driver to take on 

 

 

toton to shrewsbury tomorrow with a weed sprayer transit move in readyness for it to work down the Cambrian and heart of wales next week (unfortunately I’m not on that!)

Hope they will spray the green parts of Shrewsbury station before heading along the Cambrian.    That Voyqger looks as if it is stood on a derelict section of track the weeds are so bad.  😋

[big jim]

Just a few from today, toton to shrewsbury with the weed SPRAYER, got told we’re not to call it a weed KILLER when I spoke to someone about it earlier, offensive to murderers probably!

 

Rode my bike from derby to toton to get some miles in for the week 

 

 

Had to fuel it before I left 

 

Ready to roll

 

37418 passing outside Wolverhampton 

 

had 50 mins to wait in Wellington 

 

chippy? No, pizza tonight!

 

 

 

and into coton hill where we left the wagons for colas to collect on Sunday, loco run round and off to crewe with those  

 

Into the station 

 

then once into basford hall split and onto their respective trains 

 

 

 

And home i went, Wigan springs branch to bescot tomorrow with another weed sprayer 
 

[5BarVT]

Morning Jim,

I feel an affinity with the photo of 37418: you’re stood where the old Heath Town Junction used to be.

When you run round etc. do you get a mobile shunter or is it DIY?

Paul.

[45156]

On 09/06/2022 at 23:31, big jim said:

Some from tonight, nice short job just shrewsbury to hereford

Shame I didn't know, I'd have come down to Ludlow station (1 mile away) to give you a wave

[big jim]

11 hours ago, 5BarVT said:

Morning Jim,

I feel an affinity with the photo of 37418: you’re stood where the old Heath Town Junction used to be.

When you run round etc. do you get a mobile shunter or is it DIY?

Paul.

had a shunter with me at shrewsbury to help stable the train 

 

another weed sprayer move today, Wigan to bescot 

 

springs branch

 

 

shunted out to the old bickershaw colliery branch to change ends 

 

 

and into Bescot 

 

 

 

[big jim]

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 

 

 

 

[big jim]

Well I said I’d have a short job, then I got…..can you just….

 

didn’t bother with pics at Mountsorrel but a couple of the shunters in hams hall 

 

dont know much about this loco except it’s leaving this week 

 

I then got asked to work a loco from coventry to Leamington spa as the driver didn’t sign it, met it at marston green as it’s easier to get into the station there 

 

into leamington

 

pass back to nuneaton, the ex chiltern 172 is showing its age now! 

 

And the climate change Pendolino back to crewe

 

same again tonight hopefully without anything added on to the job 

 

 

[norfolkchinaclay]

Have recently got this book Jim to help me track your adventures and photo locations 😊

 

Photos of any stabling roads, refuelling points or unloading facilities are always of great interest!

 

Edited June 15, 2022 by norfolkchinaclay

[Siggie in the east]

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

Edited June 16, 2022 by Siggie in the east
Missed some info

[big jim]

Thanks for that, sorry I’ve taken so long to respond but I didn’t take any pics yesterday and didn’t look at the thread!

 

a couple from tonight’s job, should have been a simple Leamington to crewe job getting in at 23:30 but there was an issue in Wigan so they didn’t let the train leave the kineton branch so I went there to meet it and get the other driver away 

 

it has to be a record, not able to leave somewhere due to an issue 150 miles away! 

 

the old platform face at fenny compton this would have been the platform toward stratford I assume 

 

they eventually let me off the branch to run round as my shunters day was almost up, if he’d have gone the train would have been stuck there, got away from fenny some 3 hours late and ran it to bescot to stable as it looked like the line would be shut until at least 05:00 and unfortunately both myself and the guy booked it relieve me in crewe didn’t sign the possible diversionary route via Manchester between ordsall lane and euxton jn via Bolton 

 

Stabled in Bescot with the moon appearing from behind some clouds 

 

 

EDIT: the driver who should have relieved me got asked to work the sleepers instead between Warrington and Preston, gutted i never got asked as it was 60021 up front 

 

https://flic.kr/p/2nsvh5R

 

Edited June 17, 2022 by big jim