Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[ess1uk]

Do you often have to stop and check phones?

guessing the Derby telecom techs were busy elsewhere?

[08221]

1 hour ago, big jim said:

My job is covered tomorrow as my trainee is being passed out so I’ve got a class 69 move from Doncaster to longport instead all being well

Hopefully via Uttoxeter and the North Staffs line!

 

[big jim]

16 minutes ago, 08221 said:

Hopefully via Uttoxeter and the North Staffs line!

 

that’s the plan, it’s going in as a VSTP for about 13:00 off Doncaster hopefully, keep an eye on real-time trains in the Morning 

[big jim]

25 minutes ago, ess1uk said:

Do you often have to stop and check phones?

guessing the Derby telecom techs were busy elsewhere?

First time I’ve had to do it, thought it unusual as it was at a working open to public crossing, was half expecting the barriers to time out and raise as we were stood there! 

[nightstar.train]

1 hour ago, big jim said:

First time I’ve had to do it, thought it unusual as it was at a working open to public crossing, was half expecting the barriers to time out and raise as we were stood there! 

 

What would happen in that case? Can it be reactivated remotely by the signaller? Or is it automatic and reliant on the detector however far back? 

[St. Simon]

48 minutes ago, nightstar.train said:

 

What would happen in that case? Can it be reactivated remotely by the signaller? Or is it automatic and reliant on the detector however far back? 

Hi,

 

It looks like an AHB, so works completely automatically without any form of signaller intervention, if it’s got Treadles for strike in (I think they all do, but not at my laptop to find the standard!), it will reactivate when a wheel depress the treadle again (assuming there are wheels in the vicinity of the treadles). In the case of the Jim’s image, the crossing will also re-activate when he drives it forward onto the ‘island’ track circuit over the crossing itself.

 

Simon

Edited December 19, 2022 by St. Simon

[big jim]

I have had it happen on a job where we were propelling a crane over an open crossing and as it took so long for us to reach it at 2mph after it had started it’s sequence it timed out and the crossing lights went out just as we entered the crossing, thankfully there was nothing about traffic wise but it was certainly an ‘oh crap’ moment, normally it would be under local control by a man on the ground but the nature of the work meant it didn’t have to be 

 

 

Edited December 19, 2022 by big jim

[big jim]

16 hours ago, 08221 said:

Hopefully via Uttoxeter and the North Staffs line!

 

@08221

 

here you go, might be pushing it a bit light wise for photos by uttoxeter although I am going to try and get a way a bit earlier with it 

 

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:15358/2022-12-20/detailed

Edited December 20, 2022 by big jim

[08221]

2 minutes ago, big jim said:

@08221

 

here you go, might be pushing it a bit light wise for photos by uttoxeter although I am going to try and get a way a bit earlier with it 

 

Thanks Jim!

 

I'll be at the station to get the best change of a photo/video if its too gloomy!

 

2 minutes ago, big jim said:

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:15358/2022-12-20/detailed

Fa

[big jim]

1 hour ago, 08221 said:

Thanks Jim!

 

I'll be at the station to get the best change of a photo/video if its too gloomy!

 

Fa

It’s going to be 69002 (The large logo one) half expecting a ‘can you just take our new 66306 with you too’ when I get to Roberts road! 
 

as I say I should have been on the coton hill job today but my trainee is being passed out, hopefully the manager doing the passing out turns up at coleshill as the train has just gone past me in Sheffield

 

 

Edited December 20, 2022 by big jim

[big jim]

Well I made it to longport without issue 

 

The train to Doncaster via stockport was cancelled so I went via derby to Sheffield 

 

TPE units in the centre roads 

 

Meridian

 

Voyager 

 

the coton hill stone train, this is what I should have been on today anyway!

 

Northern 170 to Doncaster 

 

New 66 outside Roberts road 

 

My loco, 69002

 

Waiting to leave 

 

Slightly mucky 66 on an Iport job 

 

Changing ends in kidsgrove 

 

 

Into longport 

 

 

and that was that, off to Glasgow tomorrow for a short family break, should have been going via carlisle for Dominic’s driving test but as the examiners are on strike it’s been cancelled at the last minute, less than 24 hours notice, still going to drive there then decide whether to get a train to Glasgow or just carry on driving the whole way there, the train from crewe is just too expensive and risky as to whether we would actually get there! 
 

 

[jamie92208]

Is that a continental 66 that's been brought to the UK.

 

Jamie

 

PS

 

hope you enjoy your break.

Edited December 20, 2022 by jamie92208

[newbryford]

53 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Is that a continental 66 that's been brought to the UK.

 

Jamie

 

PS

 

hope you enjoy your break.

 

Yes

Slated to become 66306

[big jim]

Couple of days in Glasgow coming up, drive to Carlisle and trained it from there 

 

China clays arriving into carlisle 

 

TPE on the middle road 

 

156 to barrow 

 

DB 66 heading south with ballast wagons 

[big jim]

Just one pic from today, got away from Glasgow earlier than planned to beat any queues for the later trains 

 

 

tomorrows job is potentially cancelled as there is no traffic to be moved between bescot and toton, will find out in the morning, be nice if it isn’t running to get an extra day off as I’m working Christmas Day (at the moment!) 

 

Next week is trafford park for a few days and another possession train on New Year’s Eve!

 

also had an interesting bit of news about something I’m going to hopefully be doing the second week of January which I’m looking forward to, might have to actually learn south of rugby at some point

[big jim]

Original job cancelled so got asked to move a failed loco from small heath to bescot 

 

66777 was the working loco 

 

66792 had been left on the loop in tyseley, it had been dead behind 66777 on the front of the stone train that was going into small heath, when the train was run round in tyseley just 66777 went into small heath with the train, deposited the wagons then came back out and coupled up to take it bakcntk bescot

 

Rail adventure HST powercars 

 

Ready to roll

 

Into bescot 

 

One of these will be my train tomorrow!

 

NSE 08 

 

Back in tomorrow in a possession in Harlesden, 3 hour drive to london, work on site then a 3 hour drive home again 

[ERIC ALLTORQUE]

On 21/12/2022 at 20:09, big jim said:

TPE on the middle road 

Whats on the high road then,you are in Scotland,did they get there before you or is it a myth.........All the best @big jim

[5BarVT]

3 hours ago, big jim said:

 

Interesting ‘junk’ in the foreground.  Looks very much like a (G)WR gate wheel.  I wonder where it came from and how long it’s been there.

Paul.

[GWRPhil]

Merry Christmas and a happy new year. Thank you so much Jim for all your insights and Photos. Hope you have a good day today. 

[big jim]

Finally got home from my Christmas Day possession in Wembley 

 

Started off in Wembley yard 

 

And in it came from the boards at Wembley Central 

 

Down to willesden where I had to set back from the slow to the fast 

 

Stopped behind another train on the fast where the loco cascaded onto my train and I used that loco to head back to the worksite 

 

Christmas dinner 

relaying the fasts, my train had the sand for the base layer and the ballast 

 

 

Once the job was done it was up to Wembley Central and the train shut down until Tuesday 

 

 

and then the drive home, off tomorrow though 

[adb968008]

Happy Christmas Jim!

 

best wishes to you and your family.

love the entertaining images you send all year.

 

Hope you get a good christmas dinner !!!

[TheSignalEngineer]

On 24/12/2022 at 19:46, 5BarVT said:

Interesting ‘junk’ in the foreground.  Looks very much like a (G)WR gate wheel.  I wonder where it came from and how long it’s been there.

Paul.

A very long time. It belongs to Birmingham Railway Museum or Tyseley Locomiotive Works or whatever they call themselves these days. From what i remember many years ago some of the people involved wanted to have a working crossing within the depot. 

[TheSignalEngineer]

On 24/12/2022 at 19:46, 5BarVT said:

Interesting ‘junk’ in the foreground.  Looks very much like a (G)WR gate wheel.

And I think that if you scout around in the long grass to the left of it there is still a set of four crossing gates rotting away in the undergrowth.  I suspect they have been there for about 40 years and may have come from one of our renewals at Hartlebury or Blakedown. There are also some Western style crank frame legs.

[big jim]

I had that they were from Hartlebury in my head too 

[TheSignalEngineer]

1 hour ago, big jim said:

I had that they were from Hartlebury in my head too 

One of my design checking jobs IIRC. Barriers, colour lights and switch panel in lieu of frame in c1875 box, installed December 1982. Went on a saloon tour there during the installation. If they didn't dissolve into the aether during the meltdown there may still be a couple of my pictures on here somewhere.

 

Edited December 26, 2022 by TheSignalEngineer