Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[big jim]

Some from last night, calibration runs with the SGT between stoke and Macclesfield

 

It does 3 runs st 3 different speeds to calibrate the equipment, it actually only records between Longport and kidsgrove but you need to go to Macclesfield to crossover and return

 

The reason they choose kidsgrove as a calibration area is in a short distance you have OHLE structures, a tunnel, a cutting a with limited clearance bridge, junction, station platforms and falling and rising gradients, all in less than a mile!

 

Trip 1

 

Stoke on the up

 

Macclesfield

 

Trip 2

 

Stoke on the down

 

Trip 3 back on the up, had a result here, vending machine on the platform, put £2 to get a bottle of coke and it vended it and gave me £2:35 change, best part of the night!!

 

Final run, back to Macclesfield

 

Then back to derby

 

And away for the night

 

It was an unusual formation last night, one for mick, DBSO, sgt1, UTU, sgt2 as we were calibrating both trains at once. the unusual formation was because there are no through power jumpers on the ends of the SGT coaches so the UTU coach was providing electrical power to both of the SGTs and as my DBSO also needs electrical power to actually move I had the generator running in there to provide me with power, basically electrically I was independent of the rest of the train (apart from the power jumper to the loco)

[big jim]

some from tonight

 

old tamper in crewe

 

then it was 37608 derby to nuneaton via lichfield

 

 

nuneaton

 

couple of vids too

 

37057 departing derby

https://youtu.be/mLb_PNJmorI

 

37608 departing nuneaton

https://youtu.be/1g0Z6_GvdSk

[big jim]

Nice little job today, couple of 70s crewe to bescot

 

Basford hall

 

Couple of mins in Stafford

 

And into bescot

 

 

And that was it for the day

[big jim]

Some from today, 56105 Basford hall to Washwood Heath

 

Crewe

 

Washwood Heath on the mainline, I had to walk back to operate the ground frame here, about 1/4 mile from the signal to the frame and then back again!

 

And going up the hill into the yard, is got down to put the frame back and close the gates behind me!

 

And that was it, no pics from inside the gate as it's a private site but I really must get some pics of the building exteriors before they are knocked down for HS2

[Robert Shrives]

I think the two 70s caused a bit of a flish and a bing as well if reports are anything to go by.

 

Robert  

[big jim]

I think the two 70s caused a bit of a flish and a bing as well if reports are anything to go by.

 

Robert

 

subtle as a brick there robert but yes, found out what happened late last night, not something i want to discuss really

[big jim]

a few from the shunt job today, only 2 arrivals but non stop from 05:30 to 13:00!

 

 

 

 

and our very own Marcus37 attempting an elegent mount of a class 153

 

which he was taking to tyseley

[newbryford]

Good job I have a LM 153 in my fleet - just need to fit to with a decoder for DL.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Wild Boar Fell]

Ah, saw the 153 at RTC on my way to Showcase. Wondered what it was doing as hadn't heard of it arriving. Presume it was here for tyre turning.

 

Apologies for the poor photo, but RTC looked pretty impressive the other morning with a sea of yellow only broken up by the blue of Alycidon, the Peak, the Burton Mk2s and the freshly painted 08 (and the green of Caroline).

 

D9009 visible just left of Brunel House.

 

Wild Boar Fell

Edited June 3, 2017 by Wild Boar Fell

[newbryford]

Ah, saw the 153 at RTC on my way to Showcase. Wondered what it was doing as hadn't heard of it arriving. Presume it was here for tyre turning.

 

Apologies for the poor photo, but RTC looked pretty impressive the other morning with a sea of yellow only broken up by the blue of Alycidon, the Peak, the Burton Mk2s and the freshly painted 08 (and the green of Caroline).

 

D9009 visible just left of Brunel House.

20170601_064749.jpg

 

Wild Boar Fell

 

Expect to see a few more there..Loram have the contract for C4 exams on the LM153s..

edit C4

 

Resisting purchasing a d*lt*c............

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

Cheers,

Mick

Edited June 4, 2017 by newbryford

[cal.n]

Expect to see a few more there..Loram have the contract for C4 exams on the LM153s..

edit C4

Does that only require a single unit?*

 

*I don't really understand C4 exams

[big jim]

some from today, 37025 and 37421 crewe to carlisle via the cumbrian coast

 

crewe

 

carnforth

 

whitehaven

 

 

 

 

carlisle

 

and put away for the night

 

Edited June 6, 2017 by big jim

[big jim]

some from today, 47739 from Barrow Hill to Carlisle to pick up a pair of ex DRS 37s for harry needle

 

Barrow hill

 

ready for the off

 

changing ends

 

away to crewe giving 250BOB a toot at Uttoxeter

 

 

 

and into carlisle for the 37s

 

 

 

 

 

and pass to wigan to collect a van then home

 

nice job tomorrow, pair of 37s on a ballast from crewe to craven arms (and onward with someone else onto to the heart of wales line)

[newbryford]

some from today, 47739 from Barrow Hill to Carlisle to pick up a pair of ex DRS 37s for harry needle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to a well known news site, the 37s are bound for Colas duties........

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Jack374]

some from today, 47739 from Barrow Hill to Carlisle to pick up a pair of ex DRS 37s for harry needle

Great lineside snaps as ever Jim, if I knew it was you I would've waved at Balshaw Lane Jn...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/132236193@N02/34796642210

 

It was a decidedly grey day for it!

 

Thanks,

Jack.

[Gareth 73]

nice job tomorrow, pair of 37s on a ballast from crewe to craven arms (and onward with someone else onto to the heart of wales line)

 

Would this be you by anychance. pic not taken by me but my mate who works in severn bridge.

[big jim]

yeah that was me, one of those jobs today that one, something different but also somewhat taxing, certainly dont want to do it again with a single 37

 

started off by going to derby, cadged a lift from the station to the rtc on this

 

locos for the night

 

into derby

 

 

crewe

 

into basford hall and split top and tail on the ballasters

 

 

and then the fun started, followed an express towards shrewsbury which because of the frankly dire automated signalling on the line the train describer or whatever heath robinson device they use classes us as a local stopper and brings us to a stop at all the local stations with crossings which meant i had a standing start from nantwich and wrenbury which in turn meant the loco was working extra hard and promptly set the fire bells off, i had to come to a stand and investigate before letting the loco cool down and continuing on my way, it happened again while heading towards church stretton but once i got over the summit of that part of the line the loco could 'have a breather' to craven arms

 

i was supposed to get off there and drive home but NR said they didnt want the train on the single line incase it got stuck so i suggested i stay on board and 2nd man it and should we get stuck id fire the rear loco up and give the train a shove which was agreed on and away we went!

 

first stop was knighton where we sat and waited for 45 mins for the local service to arrive in from llandridnod direction

 

 

 

then it was away towards llandrindod over the steepest part of the journey, to say it was interesting would be an understatement, we managed a max speed of about 20mph and at one point after knucklas were down to 5mph for a vast majority of the time, it did however despite the firebells going off again manage to single handedly make it to llandrindod which quite frankly we werent expecting as it weighed 775 tons

 

llandrindod

 

i got off there and had a taxi back to craven arms for the van i should have gone home in a number of hours earlier!

 

fun, yes, interesting, yes, would i like to attempt it again with a single 37, no chance!

[bensanchez43310]

How comes you couldnt double head, did NR want it TnT?

[big jim]

It's absolutely ludicrous but If the ballast paperwork says top and tail it has to run like that, if it deviates from the written plan then the train will fail it's performance figure and be classed as a non runner (even if the job is done) and the company dont get paid!

 

I've asked that in future they plan the train to be double headed and run round once complete

[bensanchez43310]

Thanks for the clarification Jim, didnt really understand why 1 37 would do the job alone.

 

Ben

[Budgie]

Isn't it time they bought some radio-control equipment, and let you control the pushing 37 from the front to give you the power of double-heading while top-and-tailing it?

[Gary H]

How comes you couldnt double head, did NR want it TnT?

Alot of times with these ballast jobs, its sometimes crucial that it is T&T or as Jim says, it cannot run. The majority of the time, running loco's round to the other end is impossible as there are simply no facilities to do so.

Not saying that this was definitely the case here but it may have been a factor.

Mind you, the planner involved needs his backside kicking. Expecting a single 37 to handle 2 sets on that line is stretching it abit. 1 set would have been more appropriate.

[newbryford]

Slightly extravagant, but how about top and tail with a double header on the loaded outbound and a single loco at the other end to haul the empty back?

 

Cheers,

Mick

[big jim]

Alot of times with these ballast jobs, its sometimes crucial that it is T&T or as Jim says, it cannot run. The majority of the time, running loco's round to the other end is impossible as there are simply no facilities to do so.

Not saying that this was definitely the case here but it may have been a factor.

Mind you, the planner involved needs his backside kicking. Expecting a single 37 to handle 2 sets on that line is stretching it abit. 1 set would have been more appropriate.

I think there would have been room to run round at Llanwrtwd after the drop hence why I've suggested that for the future

 

Regards the wagons due to the low RA (route availability) of the line (5) it had to be 10 wagons loaded to 30 tons each to keep it under the RA, had they run 5 they would have needed 60 ton in each which means they then become RA8 and far too heavy, hence the reason why they also use class 37s

 

Mick: you are not allowed to have 2 dead locos on the rear of a train, class 20s aside, (I asked the same question last year for another job we did that would have been much better if it could have been done

[big jim]

I'm going to fill this post with waffle as it's the last one on the page so today's pics don't get lost when someone replies

 

Normal service will be resumed on the next page......