Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[Guest B Exam]

Are the Caledonian sleeper 73s still fitted with third rail pick ups or are they purely diesel powered?

 

If, 30 years ago, someone had speculated that 73s would be in regular use in 2016 pulling sleepers from Fort William, they would have been labelled as insane!

Yes, still fitted with the stabiliser rail shoes and full electrical equipment.

 

Of note 73967 is minus its one-piece "sprinter style" snowplough as fitted to 73966.

[25901]

Big Jim's replacement has just been spotted at work today lol

[beast66606]

Watch out for the TPWS bark demand

[Midnight-Freight]

What I wouldn't give to be sat in that seat and let loose on the controls...

[big jim]

only one interesting thing today, 08417 out on the mainline dragging a test train from the RTC

Edited November 6, 2015 by big jim

[lmsforever]

Few years back I had a morning driving a 37 at Chinnor absolutely fantastic the sound as you opened up and the exhaust smoke even at 25mph it was great

[class"66"]

Ive had driving day few years back on Llangollens dutch 37240,think its in br blue now!!

was awesome machine :locomotive:

[surfsup]

I can understand why your not a fan of them Jim, having once used one for shunting they really are not my choice of loco. Not the nicest of cab spaces to sit in (I found the Horn leaver to be a little annoying in it's location!) But also that bonnet makes coupling a little more fun - at the best way to see your buffers is to lean out of the window. Nah, give me a nice Sulzer or Brush Type4 / 56/ 57 any day!

 

What do you make of the DRS refurbished ones Jim over a 'normal' one? The sound deadening is interesting, but it doesn't half make the cab space smaller.

[big jim]

and to end the week of driving colas, network rail, drs, br green and br blue livery stuff, how about an ews 66

 

banbury to bescot, engineers spoil train with 66230

 

 

always check your rear view mirrors before pulling out

 

and that was that

[clarkea1]

Jim,

Forgive my ignorance, but was this a Colas working with a hired in 66, or a DBS working with a hired driver?

Thanks

Alastair

[big jim]

I wondered the same thing myself, not a clue!

[beast66606]

I wondered the same thing myself, not a clue!

 

DBS on a Colas working

[clarkea1]

DBS on a Colas working

 

Beast - thanks for the helpful reply, I thought I had asked a reasonable question but clearly not from the OP's resposne!

 

Alastair

[big jim]

Beast - thanks for the helpful reply, I thought I had asked a reasonable question but clearly not from the OP's resposne!

 

Alastair

 

and i gave you a reasonable answer, i genuinely didn't have a clue!

 

some from today

 

dbso training, derby to bedford, to start with the bdso was at the wrong end

 

so we went to trent jn so the dbso was then facing south on the MML

 

then we got stuck outside bedford for an hour

 

finally got into the station where i got off and the train continued to woking via the NLL etc

 

 

 

 

and i caught a train into St Pancras as it was quicker to do that and walk to euston than go back to derby and get the shuttle back to crewe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

over to euston and home

 

colville branch and the north staffs tomorrow

[Purley Oaks]

First time you've photographed a Thameslink train on your travels? Like your thinking travelling to Crewe via London, much easier.

Great pics as ever, thanks!

Mal

[The Stationmaster]

First time you've photographed a Thameslink train on your travels? Like your thinking travelling to Crewe via London, much easier.

Great pics as ever, thanks!

Mal

Mal  - one's approach to the various options for routes and saving journey time or taking the 'interesting' option are always slightly bolder when you aren't paying for your ticket!   I always used to carefully study timetables when returning from Crewe to Reading and have probably used not only the logical routes but some equally oddball ones if they seemed a bit of fun.

[big jim]

Technically no, i have pics of the ex thameslink 319s at wigan and warrington!

 

But route wise yes, thats the first time ive worked alongside them on their 'home turf'

 

Some from today, back to training, this time a proper recording run around the east midlands, started from derby

 

Into the station to change ends, 2 pairs of 20s in the gas tank sidings

 

Then we set off for leicester via the coleville branch, that was a nightmare, we were probably the first train over the burton end for a few days so the railhead was terrible, add to that the fact i have an unbraked bogie balanced up with an over compensating one on the other end of the coach, i had to keep to 30mph (where permitted) the line is up and down and i was being conducted it was certainly a taxing run!

 

Over to kinghton jn before heading back towards burton, had an hour PNB at lounge jn, the bonus being the dbso is equiped with full kitchen facilities

 

After the break we continued to burton where marcus37 passed by with a 66 on a stone train, then on to derby where we changed ends and headed back out to record on tge north staffs line to stoke, 250bob gave me a wave at uttoxeter in both directions too!

 

Changing ends in stoke

 

And back into derby

 

On to the RTC and home, tomorrow is derby to bangor, llandudno and blaenau ffestiniog, loco swap though so not sure what 37 i'll have tomorrow

[big jim]

Mal - one's approach to the various options for routes and saving journey time or taking the 'interesting' option are always slightly bolder when you aren't paying for your ticket! I always used to carefully study timetables when returning from Crewe to Reading and have probably used not only the logical routes but some equally oddball ones if they seemed a bit of fun.

Going via london rather than derby was only 4 minutes longer (including the walk, i could have probably shaved 1/2 hour off had i not stopped for pics, sauntered along etc!

 

Other options were leicester-nuneaton-crewe, bedford-bletchley-crewe even St pancras-marylebone-moor st-new st-crewe (had i been in no rush what so ever!)

 

As you say not paying for it makes it more fun

[Jock67B]

Morning Jim,

Lovely informative pics as always Jim - we seem to learn something of the workings of the modern railway every time you post. Thank you for sharing your experiences with those of us who are 'civvies'.

Kind regards,

Jock.

[gismorail]

Look forward to your trip to N Wales await some excellent pics 

[big jim]

Job caped today, ended up taking a train from derby to crewe lnwr

 

 

And into crewe

 

[D854_Tiger]

Technically no, i have pics of the ex thameslink 319s at wigan and warrington!

 

But route wise yes, thats the first time ive worked alongside them on their 'home turf'

 

Some from today, back to training, this time a proper recording run around the east midlands, started from derby

 

Into the station to change ends, 2 pairs of 20s in the gas tank sidings

 

Then we set off for leicester via the coleville branch, that was a nightmare, we were probably the first train over the burton end for a few days so the railhead was terrible, add to that the fact i have an unbraked bogie balanced up with an over compensating one on the other end of the coach, i had to keep to 30mph (where permitted) the line is up and down and i was being conducted it was certainly a taxing run!

 

Over to kinghton jn before heading back towards burton, had an hour PNB at lounge jn, the bonus being the dbso is equiped with full kitchen facilities

 

After the break we continued to burton where marcus37 passed by with a 66 on a stone train, then on to derby where we changed ends and headed back out to record on tge north staffs line to stoke, 250bob gave me a wave at uttoxeter in both directions too!

 

Changing ends in stoke

 

And back into derby

 

On to the RTC and home, tomorrow is derby to bangor, llandudno and blaenau ffestiniog, loco swap though so not sure what 37 i'll have tomorrow

 

 

Now that is a railway backwater, the Mantle Lane - Burton stretch sees very little traffic nowadays but, of late, some booked workings appear to have been reinstated, over and above the Tube stock delivery trains, which only run once or twice a week.

 

Someone at work, who has a house that backs onto the line at the Burton end, told me, before the Tube stock trains started, the line literally had no booked workings and was only used occasionally, in the early hours, when Bardon Hill was busy and some of the trains had to leave after midnight.

 

There's certainly an earlier edition of the Baker Atlas that showed that section as mothballed, though the Leicester end has remained fairly busy, too busy sometimes for the single track. That's the irony the bit that's hardly ever used retains double track.

 

My colleague said we know when they're about to start sending some trains our way as all the locals get sent letters reminding them that trains still operate, in case they thought otherwise, which most of them do.

 

When some new neighbours arrived, they hadn't even realised there was a railway, seems someone neglected to tell them.

 

Getting up in the middle of the night for a gypsy's and seeing (and hearing) a stone train pass was quite a shock, apparently they thought it was a car crash at first.

 

What is it about a railway, when it sees so little use, that makes the railhead conditions tricky. I would have thought a layer of rust helps with traction, or is it that we're in the leaf fall season.

 

Out of interest, what does that train measure is it similar to Doctor Yellow (the yellow HST) only for secondary routes.

 

I know it gets about a bit, if you get to drive it often, it should be a track basher's dream.

[Jock67B]

Jim,

I'll bet Mick (Newbryford) will have trouble containing his excitement when he sees the last two sets of photos with so much yellow!

Kind regards,

Jock.

[newbryford]

 

 

Out of interest, what does that train measure is it similar to Doctor Yellow (the yellow HST) only for secondary routes.

 

I know it gets about a bit, if you get to drive it often, it should be a track basher's dream.

 

The HST measures many things - track geometry, track fixings, overhead line position - at high speeds. The coach above is one of the Ultrasonic Test Units (UTU). It only checks the rail itself. I think they run at 30 or 45mph to check the rails.

 

PLPR, UTU, TIC, TRU, MENTOR, SGT, all various types of test trains, measuring different properties of the railway.

 

 

Jim,

I'll bet Mick (Newbryford) will have trouble containing his excitement when he sees the last two sets of photos with so much yellow!

Kind regards,

Jock.

 

Don't worry Jock - Jim sends me the hi-res stuff for proper fulfilment......

 

Cheers,

Mick

Edited November 11, 2015 by newbryford

[96701]

Mal  - one's approach to the various options for routes and saving journey time or taking the 'interesting' option are always slightly bolder when you aren't paying for your ticket!   I always used to carefully study timetables when returning from Crewe to Reading and have probably used not only the logical routes but some equally oddball ones if they seemed a bit of fun.

My lad lived in Oxford some time ago and found himself at Newcastle with a choice. Voyager across country direct to Oxford, or go via London. He decided to go via London, dropped over from Kings Cross to Paddington, then to Oxford. He was just crossing the footbridge when the Voyager arrived.