Davey Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 8 hours ago, big jim said: Some from last night, bescot to Stone rail drop then once done into Stafford and back to crewe bescot, my train ready for the off 66004 again rode to bescot from Wolverhampton and put my bike on the loco for the ride home from basford hall I did however forget that the low emission euro 66s have a narrower gangway than an original one and despite getting the bike on ok I managed to get it completely wedged while I was trying to get it off in crewe, at one point I genuinely thought I’d have to taxi home and come back later in with some tools to take the back wheel off, the pedal got stuck in the radiator grille then as I moved it back to try and free it the back wheel got stuck in the doorway, took me almost 20 minutes to finally free it, it was like something Bernard cribbins would have sung about! running round in Stafford, ran almost 2 hours early back to crewe which was a nice bonus small heath ballast tonight then a week of trafford park next week I take it you were on a Cyclic diagram then. Davey 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post big jim Posted September 18, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted September 18, 2021 (edited) Some from last night and today, job was cancelled but I was asked if I could help out in Bescot shunting, when I got there the rail miller was in the yard with no driver as it was diverted and the booked one didn’t sign where the train was to be stabled, I did so I took it to crewe to leave there until today I then came taxi back and prepped some trains in the yard including my own to a possession a bit later on in the night 66755 on the first train Then my train, 66722 appears to have had a disagreement with the loading hopper! 66766 at the other end Which I took to Banbury and into a possession, All shut down ready for the next driver to reman later in the day After that I went taxi back to bescot where I rode my bike to new st and got a train back to Stoke I then went for a ride along the Couldon canal toward biddulph Bridge carrying the line to oakamoor over the canal And a crossing complete with rails Just past this the line split and one way went to oakamoor (which is technically mothballed) and the other toward congleton via biddulph this is now the biddulph valley way It then reaches chatterley Whitfield colliery and slagheaps there is a heritage centre there i think I then carried in toward biddulph, an old station platform Hard to imagine this is an old railway line, from biddulph it drops toward congleton on a steady gradient but it’s a good continuous 3 or 4 mile worth, must have been a slog coming the other way with a steam loco! And under the Stoke to Manchester line just north of congleton station and viaduct I then went back from congleton to kidsgrove via mow cop and the ‘killer mile’ a 1:4 hill, I managed about 200 meters and gave up! Walked the bike up which near as damn killed me! Snaily bridge Highland coos having a swim And up to mow cop A bit sweaty Joderell bank in the distance Looking south over the Cheshire plain And back toward Staffordshire From there it was all downhill to kidsgrove where I got the train back to crewe and home, covered just over 30 mile on the bike today which was good, on top of the 10 last thing last night getting to work! Edited September 19, 2021 by big jim Duplicate picture replaced 33 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium corneliuslundie Posted September 18, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 18, 2021 Lovely pics, and you leave me standing when it comes to cycling. I regularly walk up hills (plenty round here). I claim that it is so that I can exercise different muscles. Jonathan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium newbryford Posted September 18, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 18, 2021 1 hour ago, big jim said: I then went back from congleton to kidsgrove via mow cop and the ‘killer mile’ a 1:4 hill, I managed about 200 meters and gave up! Walked the bike up which near as damn killed me! I have two Mow Cop Killer mile medals.... (Out of three attempts). Going down the long way northwards to Congleton was worth the effort though! I believe the running race record is just under 7 minutes! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Nick C Posted September 19, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 19, 2021 18 hours ago, big jim said: Snaily bridge Designed so that horses could get from the towpath on one side to the other without having to unhitch the tow rope. 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WessexEclectic Posted September 19, 2021 Share Posted September 19, 2021 47 minutes ago, Nick C said: Designed so that horses could get from the towpath on one side to the other without having to unhitch the tow rope. Also, on the far bank, you should be able to see grooves that the hundreds of tow ropes will have cut into the corner of the bridge arch. The cows are positively bucolic - differing responses from the Canal and River Trust compared to NR in this case... 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post big jim Posted September 20, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted September 20, 2021 Some from yesterdays job pass to Leamington from crewe then taxi to banbury to fire up the locos and get a couple of trains ready had to cascade locos from one train to the next as they came in from the north and we’re leaving that way too The first of the trains start to move from the worksite Waiting to leave but stuck in a queue Eventually got away and into bescot nearly 2 hours late super shunter the next part of my job should have been an empty Stone train as far as crewe where I got off and finished, but as I was late in with the first train it made that one late too, but also due to crewing issues it was being diverted via derby and Chesterfield to tunstead and my relief only signed from Chesterfield which I only found out about after I booked on so as you can imagine I wasn’t impressed! and the loco wasn’t on the train as it had only just come in from banbury However despite leaving an hour late the timings were pretty slack and I got to Chesterfield 30 mins early From there I had a taxi ride home which the driver decided to go via the awful up and down twisty Buxton and cat and fiddle/wildboarclough route rather than via smoother and faster A38 A50 derby uttoxeter route, which despite it being 20 mile longer is actually quicker (and I’m able to have a sleep, no such luck on the Buxton route!) anyway a long day, lots more coming up this week, 4 nights of trafford park 31 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post big jim Posted September 21, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted September 21, 2021 Just a couple from last night, trafford park job stood at a signal, nice bright night showing all the new skyscrapers gracing the skyline in ‘Manc-hatten’ same job tonight 28 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post big jim Posted September 25, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted September 25, 2021 Sorry for the lack of updates this week, quite simply, couldn’t be bothered! same job every night in the dark, same loco, same stopping places, not worth any pics really, the only one of note was this colas 56 in crewe that I saw while getting my bike from the messroom anyway on to today, something new(ish), I’ve refreshed Birch Coppice and today worked a train out of there for the first time since Fastline days with a 56 up front! todays loco was 66773 ‘pride of GBRF’ with its pride flags and rainbow decals, quite apt as it was also Birmingham pride today and I took it through the outskirts of the city first time I’ve driven that particular loco in this guise panorama viewed from Kingsbury shunt frame box worked that through to rugby taxi back to bescot for a ballast towards coleshill as the driver didn’t sign to there Coleshill After that it was back to bescot for another ballast, this time to nuneaton where fellow rmwebber @Erixtar1992 took over to take it to a possession south of rugby, no pics as it was dark by then back in tomorrow, possession train from Sudbury on the chilterns to hinksey then a few days of small heath and East Midlands gateway on Saturday, then the RHTT starts in anger! 27 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post big jim Posted September 26, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted September 26, 2021 (edited) Decided to have a ride on the bike today as it was a nice morning and I’m not in work until later on took the bike on the roof rack to do the old leek and manifold railway from Waterhouses to hulme end, just over 8 miles each way on the old trackbed of the 2”6’ narrow gauge line that run up the manifold valley serving farms and small communities, it was built for dairy traffic but also carried passengers, a link to Wikipedia is below to see a bit more about the line https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leek_and_Manifold_Valley_Light_Railway the ride is absolutely brilliant, tarmac all the way, some a bit rough in places but nothing really bad, the ride starts at the old interchange station at Waterhouse’s where the narrow gauge line was alongside the main line you then cross the main road and head off up the valley The trackbed looks like a road but this is for cycles and pedestrians only Lots and lots of bridges crossing over the meandering river, the river however was completely dry today! It then narrowed and the line twisted and curved along the valley bed Lots of Rocky outcrops to be seen en route And then through Swainsley tunnel, after this the trackbed is shared by a road for a short while which looks to have replaced the old road with a weak bridge Into the shaded valley, the trackbed sightly higher than the river on a ledge The platform on the right is the old milk churn loading platform for Ecton creameries which was off to the right behind me And the end of the line at hulme end, the old station building now used as toilets and a small visitor exhibition which has a static 009 model of the station and surrounding area The tea rooms built to look like the old carriage shed that used to stand at that location, inside 2 of the roof joists/legs are the original ones used in the new construction Nice lemon meringue pie too! And heading back the other way to Waterhouses, just after leaving Hulme end before the valley starts to close in An old crossing The tunnel again lots of sweeping curves Thor’s cave above the river And back to Waterhouses, no more pics there though Some fantastic video of the line on YouTube can be seen here i then set off for home but decided to stop at rudyard lake and do a circular ride around there, there is a miniature railway that runs for a short distance alongside the lake along the old trackbed of the line from north rode jn to uttoxeter via leek they had a loco in steam today on the hourly service It’s an impressive set up with the whole station area signalled properly with colour lights etc The line runs unfenced alongside the footpath After that ends it’s cycle/footpath only to the end of the lake I then went back up the other side of the lake Past the abandoned cliffe park hall, apparently it used to be a youth hostel that has now been left derelict for whatever reason Then it was back down the hill to the dam end of the lake which was very low on water The train was making its way back as I came back along the old trackbed And back at the station by that time the steam loco had come off and a diesel had taken over for the last train of the day The line even has automatic 1/2 barriers! And that was that for the day, in later tonight Sudbury to Hinksey possession train Edited September 26, 2021 by big jim Additional Info about the leek and manifold added 33 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam_uk Posted September 26, 2021 Share Posted September 26, 2021 Lovely little railway at Rudyard. We stumbled across it in summer looking for something to do with our little lad. Seem like powerful little locos really for the size.... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post big jim Posted September 27, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted September 27, 2021 Just 3 from this morning from a very wet Oxford, did a ballast from Ruislip to hinksey and home, no hire car, no taxi showed up and the train delayed by 40 minutes between Oxford and home so we’ll over my day and put me in a bad mood! 66731 after running round in hinksey Oxford station small Heath ballast tonight 17 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post big jim Posted September 28, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted September 28, 2021 Just one from last night, crewe to small Heath same job tonight but via the cannock chase line with a run round in Bescot and Tyseley! 20 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post big jim Posted September 29, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted September 29, 2021 Just a couple from last night Dangerous Brian getting ready to ride to the station! Running round in Bescot And back in crewe this morning 47828 on the Buxton spa express same job tonight 21 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post big jim Posted October 1, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted October 1, 2021 (edited) Only a couple from last night, bit of road learning at the start of the job, signed up so I can now work trains to peak forest, before I had to be conducted from chinley! It was so dark there were no pics there but we worked a train through to bescot via the hope valley and derby after that it was over to hams hall to work a train from there back to crewe in tonight signing off kings Norton to reddich and route conducting marcus37 over to Lichfield city then back to crewe to work a train to East Midlands gateway! next week is rhe class 66 RHTT on Sunday then a wagon move off the RTC in derby and a week of the MPV on the RHTT out of kings Norton, going to be a busy one Edited October 1, 2021 by big jim 21 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post big jim Posted October 2, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted October 2, 2021 The nights are drawing in now so there will be less photos in the thread I should imagine as I’m going to be working mainly nights on the RHTT but I’ll get what I can when I can, I’m waiting on a new phone with a better camera, going from an iPhone 8 to a 12 which is loads better apparently in the meantime a couple from last night RHTT in Lichfield trent valley high level After that it was off to crewe to work a train to east mids gateway, just a pic of rhe adjacent DB train while the other driver was running round the train Then light loco back to bescot, couple of class 60s in the yard Daytime RHTT tomorrow then into lodge near Nottingham for a job out of toton on Monday to the RTC and bescot 23 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold CovDriver Posted October 2, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 2, 2021 (edited) No doubt I'll be following you about after you've cleaned the rails for me. I personally think this slippy season is going to be a bad one. Edited October 2, 2021 by CovDriver Iffy spelling 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post big jim Posted October 3, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted October 3, 2021 Change of job today. Unfortunately had to ride to kings Norton to collect my lodge bag as is left it there the other day ready for today’s job, after that I rode to bescot from there on the bike! First up in crewe, D213 on a rail tour bound for the Wirral, rather nice! got a video of it, so I thought, forgot to press record, managed a picture though! Ended up taking a train off site in Stone back to bescot And into bescot And the loco off And away to the hotel for the night, back in tomorrow morning for a light engine to derby to bring some wagons back to bescot from the RTC, got a class 60 for a change 25 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 5BarVT Posted October 4, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 4, 2021 9 hours ago, big jim said: First up in crewe, D213 on a rail tour bound for the Wirral, rather nice! That explains the photographers on the platforms at Post Sunlight and Bromborough Rake coming back from church yesterday. Had it been on time, rather than 12 late, I would have seen it. Shame! Paul. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium corneliuslundie Posted October 4, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 4, 2021 I didn't know we had any branch lines left. Jonathan 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted October 4, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 4, 2021 1 minute ago, corneliuslundie said: I didn't know we had any branch lines left. Jonathan says the man who lives on one! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium corneliuslundie Posted October 4, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 4, 2021 Where is the horrified and offended icon!. Jonathan 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Popular Post big jim Posted October 4, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Popular Post Share Posted October 4, 2021 Some from today, a wagon move from derby to bescot, should have been toton but the only spare loco was a class 60 in Bescot, shame! 60002 was my loco Into derby to change ends and head to the rtc Bet it’s been a while since a 60 was on the RTC? And coupled to the wagons, the new weed killer module train I then took it down to chaddesden to churn round where 66794 was sat, first time I’ve seen it painted Into the station to change ends and head back to the train And away to bescot Certainly an interesting unit! And the loco stabled up interesting to note that on the trip back from Derby I saw a DB livery 60 in chaddesden, DCR in summerhill loop, Drax livery at Burton, and a Puma livery and DB in Kingsbury! 196 testing tomorrow night then RHTT the rest of the week 28 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 5 minutes ago, big jim said: Certainly an interesting unit! What's it for? Interesting side view with wipers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted October 4, 2021 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 4, 2021 it’s a weed killer train, looking at the labels that module this end contains the chemicals, the centre is the operating area and the end is an office/messroom I don’t know if there is more of it looking at the extra brackets over the buffers, will have to wait and see 4 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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