RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted September 24, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 24, 2013 66187 pic - what's the wagons chaps? P Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 66187 pic - what's the wagons chaps? P Arbel 5-unit articulated car carriers, working either from Cowley or Garston with export cars. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted September 24, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 24, 2013 and so to today, first trip down the heart of wales line, i went from shrewsbury to llandridno wells today as to do the whole line there and back would take me about 10 hours! caught the 09:00 off shrewsbury which was 150208, a unit i have driven myself a while back, so long ago it was in scotrail livery! the driver picked up the token at craven arms for the run over to knighton which is the first token exchange point, lovely little station, fantastic architecture and on to llandridno wells, an absolutly stunning line what i have sen of it so far, knucklas viaduct is a beauty, on arrival at llandridno wells the driver gave the token back but could not get release as there was a train in the section ahead which turned out to be this i had planned to have an hour in llandridnod and catch the same unit back but i chanced my arm and asked the driver of the 37 if i could ride back to shrewsbury with him, which he agreed to!! so off we went, in the down direction there are crossing where you have to operate the barriers manually, either by a pull chord or plunger, the first being just outside llandridnod, the next being at dolau where i jumped down for a picture and on to knighton where the driver swapped tokens so another pic was in order eventually onto craven arms where we were held for a couple of passenger services on the mainline, so again a few more pics the signal leaving the branch and into salop and back home to crewe, where continuing the test train theme the 67 i photographed yesterday in toton on the managers train, 67015, was now top and tailing this with 67016 so a summary of the HOW line, not as bad as i first envisaged, the maps i have make it look a lot more involved than it is as they show all the foot crossings, over bridges, streams etc, it very much put me in mind of the cambrian with its open crossings, single twisting line, it was nice to see it from a "freight" as well as a passenger service. back to it again tomorrow, might go on to llanwrtydd tomorrow 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 When I last used it, it was a two-car Swindon Cross-Country unit.. So what are you learning the road for, Jim? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted September 24, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 24, 2013 and back home to crewe, where continuing the test train theme the 67 i photographed yesterday in toton on the managers train, 67015, was now top and tailing this with 67016 Nice yellow stuff Jim. First pics I've seen of Mentor back out on the mainline since it's big rebuild. (yet another one to do...........................) Cheers, Mick 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted September 25, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 25, 2013 ....and there's me cleaning grotty toilets............ar*e! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted September 25, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 25, 2013 Jim - have they swopped round 'Up' & 'Down' on the Central Wales Line (they used to match the 'Up' & 'Down' at both ends)? And although I've posted it in the past here's a view at Dolau in earlier times - from a n 'Up' train (towards Craven Arms and after singling but before level crossing modernisation came along - 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted September 25, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 25, 2013 Jim - have they swopped round 'Up' & 'Down' on the Central Wales Line (they used to match the 'Up' & 'Down' at both ends)? just checking you were awake mike! it indeed the up heading towards craven arms, in my defence the arriva maps i have don't actually have the directions on there, i've just had to refer to the sectional appendix to clarify, also checked up on the route availability along there, 47, 56 and 66 are all banned so it looks like a 37 refresh may be in order depending what jobs we i cover down there, however "heavyweight" 37s are also banned so that rules out 37800 and 37886! a few pics from today, forgot to put the memory card back in the camera this morning so only a few phone pics first up is the chirk to baglan empty logs passing through salop behind 66850 llandridnod wells signal box museum, apparently it was relocated from futher along the craven arms direction of the line my return train heading into the platform the hut on the right is the token exchange point, where the driver gives up the llandridnod to llanwrtydd token and collects the llandridnod to knighton one another day at it tomorrow, im going to go on to llanwrtydd tomorrow 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted September 25, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 25, 2013 Here is the box in its previous location plus the lack of track in the station. Taken back in 1986 from the DMU going Southbound. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted September 25, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 25, 2013 was it for the HOW line that the dmu's had the headlights fitted? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted September 25, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 25, 2013 (edited) was it for the HOW line that the dmu's had the headlights fitted? Yes - when it was reduced to what was effectively Light Railway status headlights were required, there were also portable sets ket for use on Class 37s although the number of loco hauled trains was limited and we had to speak to the Railway Inspectorate every time we wanted to run one. Edited September 25, 2013 by The Stationmaster Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianwales Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Hi Mike I think you will find the fitting of headlights pre dated the downgrading to light railway status and had more to do with the number of ungated crossings on the line, certainly in 1970 when I was in the first year of secondary school the class 37's used to work the HOWL freights and they, and the Swindon DMU's, were headlight fitted even then in pre TOPS days while by the time I got on to the HOWL as a relief signalman the LRO had taken effect and the Llandovery freight was worked by the class 03's shared with the BPGV line. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted September 25, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 25, 2013 Hi Mike I think you will find the fitting of headlights pre dated the downgrading to light railway status and had more to do with the number of ungated crossings on the line, certainly in 1970 when I was in the first year of secondary school the class 37's used to work the HOWL freights and they, and the Swindon DMU's, were headlight fitted even then in pre TOPS days while by the time I got on to the HOWL as a relief signalman the LRO had taken effect and the Llandovery freight was worked by the class 03's shared with the BPGV line. Ian An interesting point Ian. The 1973 SA shows the requirement for heaflights and that they must be dipped when approaching all public level crossings. At that time there were 3 open crossings without road traffic signals on the CWL and while they were far from unique in South Wales (there were a total of 16 such crossings in the area at that time) they were the only ones on a passenger line. So you might well be right although dim memory suggests there might be a bit more to it than just that (crikey, it's 40 years ago - almost exactly - since I was an asst AM at Swansea High St!). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted September 25, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 25, 2013 regarding level crossings i was streetviewing pantyffynon earlier as the station building looked quite impressive from the air and the crossing there threw me a bit, no signs, barriers etc but is signalled either side had a look in the sectional appendix and there is no special instruction for there, the appendix shows the crossing as being a MCG type which again threw me a bit so i had to look in the rulebook what type it was and it stands for Manual Crossing Gated (although the definition is not actually shown in the rulebook!) but looking at the streetview there is no sign of a hut, i'm wondering if the guard operates the gates (but that would be shown in the appendix) no doubt it will all become clear when i go over there 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianwales Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Hi Jim The crossing gates are worked by a crossing keeper based in the old station building on the instructions of the signalman in Pantyffynnon box. Ian 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted September 28, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 28, 2013 (edited) a few more from me, had a couple of days of proper jobs and today it was back to the heart of wales line started in crewe..... and onto shrewsbury where the 153 was waiting to head down the heart of wales shrewsbury box and onto llandridnod where the unit corsses with the northbound one, the drivers also swap over here llandridnod station buildings 153 heading off to swansea into knighton where the driver exchanged tokens, lovely looking buildings here and into shrewsbury where i had a bit of time before my train back to crewe so i got a few pics i then had a look on realtime trains and spotted there was a charter booked through shrewsbury on the avoiding line so i wandered down to abbey forgate to photograph it... abbey forgate box signal gantries on the approach to shrewsbury left to right (plat 3, through road, plat 4) (bay plat 5, bay plat 6) and then this came round the curve, "Earl Of Mount Edgecombe" on a herefrod to tyseley run and then i caught my train back home! Edited September 28, 2013 by big jim 16 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted September 28, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 28, 2013 tidied up a couple of the pictures above, what do we recon. trimmed them down to get rid of that annoying spot in the corner and added various filters using photoshop express on the ipad 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted September 29, 2013 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 29, 2013 That GUV behind the loco is a water 'tender' I believe. Great pics mate - thanks. You have sold me for a trip down this line. p Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltim Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 A great way to get some active service out of a GUV Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted September 29, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 29, 2013 Crrrrrrikey, those signal brackets at Salop have been well and truly ruined haven't they - glad I got my pics of them a goodly time ago when they were still proper signals! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted September 29, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 29, 2013 (edited) Crrrrrrikey, those signal brackets at Salop have been well and truly ruined haven't they - glad I got my pics of them a goodly time ago when they were still proper signals! ruined in what way, the walkways and ladders? Edited September 29, 2013 by big jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted September 29, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 29, 2013 ruined in what way, the walkways and ladders? Yes, definitely overdone and make it all look top heavy, far better the way it was in my opinion - 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted September 29, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 29, 2013 it's the plethora of "modern" lamposts that annoy me in shrewsbury, you don't really notice them until you are trying to find a good angle to get a photo from!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted October 1, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 1, 2013 back to the sinfins today, unusually running on a tuesday, there are 2 more this week on thursday and saturday which i will be doing too...... arrving into crewe from grangemouth at 05:30 did the usual thing of dropping the tanks off and going for fuel then into derby station to await the return time to sinfin, this came in again, different 20's this time though luckily the signaller held me at the signal exiting the 'pilot road' so i managed a couple of shots from the yard side first then i ran back into the station yard where i managed to get some shots of the 20s at the other end with the s-stock cropped out it could well be the 80s again! and off it went into litchurch lane HST doing driver training, all it did was trundle up and down the pilot road with half a dozen man in the cab! and that was that! 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250BOB Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 No.....that wasnt quite all Jim.......you forgot to mention that your mate in Uttoxeter was out taking a picture of the new footbridge erected over the weekend at the station. Then taking the opportunity to video your goodself passing through with the Tanks. Good to see you Jim...be it only briefly. Bob 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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