Jim’s “out and about with GBRf” thread

[big jim]

Back to it last night after the previous nights job was cancelled, trafford park job 

 

the new drainage for HS2 at landor street is doing a sterling job again 

 

into Manchester, running round

 

 

And onto the train

 

 

Rambo shunting 

 

and into nuneaton 

 

same again tonight unfortunately 

 

 

[TheSignalEngineer]

2 hours ago, big jim said:

new drainage for HS2 at landor street is doing a sterling job again 

 

Nothing new about that. It used to flood when I worked down there in the 1960s

[TheSignalEngineer]

27 minutes ago, TheSignalEngineer said:

Nothing new about that. It used to flood when I worked down there in the 1960s

You really worry when it gets to the path with the railings on it. That's about 3 feet above the road. I've seen a car completely submerged there.

[08221]

19 minutes ago, TheSignalEngineer said:

You really worry when it gets to the path with the railings on it. That's about 3 feet above the road. I've seen a car completely submerged there.

Same as the bridge under the WCML at Rugeley Trent Valley - I saw a car floating in the water one morning a couple of years ago when I lived there.

[big jim]

2 hours ago, TheSignalEngineer said:

Nothing new about that. It used to flood when I worked down there in the 1960s

 

ive not known it to flood as often as it has over the last couple of months, especially given they have just done a load of drainage and mains pipework for the arrival of HS2 adjacent to the bridge, they have shut the road this time compared to a few weeks back when there were a load of cars submerged there

[woodenhead]

3 hours ago, big jim said:

 

ive not known it to flood as often as it has over the last couple of months, especially given they have just done a load of drainage and mains pipework for the arrival of HS2 adjacent to the bridge, they have shut the road this time compared to a few weeks back when there were a load of cars submerged there

Who said the aim was to reduce the water there, perhaps this is the new drainage 🤣

 

There's an architect sat somewhere thinking that was a job well done.

[big jim]

2 hours ago, woodenhead said:

Who said the aim was to reduce the water there, perhaps this is the new drainage 🤣

 

There's an architect sat somewhere thinking that was a job well done.

And being as it’s part of HS2 they are probably sat there adding a few extra zeros to the final cost! 

[SM42]

18 hours ago, big jim said:

Back to it last night after the previous nights job was cancelled, trafford park job 

 

the new drainage for HS2 at landor street is doing a sterling job again 

 

 

 

 

Rarely a day goes by without someone getting stuck in there. 

 

Everyone sees the road closed sign and chance it anyway.  They even move the cones and signs out of the way 🙄

 

The sensible ones turn back

 

A few weeks back one got stuck in the then quite shallow water and abandoned ship. Later in the day it was lapping round the roof

 

What is really needed at this point is a signs that says

 

Which part of road closed did you not understand?

 

Still, keeps the recovery firms in business.

 

 

Andy

 

Edited December 30, 2022 by SM42

[newbryford]

6 hours ago, woodenhead said:

Who said the aim was to reduce the water there, perhaps this is the new drainage 🤣

 

There's an architect sat somewhere thinking that was a job well done.

 

Adding to Birmingham's extensive canal network?

[woodenhead]

3 hours ago, newbryford said:

 

Adding to Birmingham's extensive canal network?

Birmingham's little Venice to attract the glitterati from London on HS2

Edited December 30, 2022 by woodenhead

[big jim]

Nice short job last night, crewe to hams hall and back to bescot 

 

basford hall 

 

66727 on the train to hams 

 

waiting at walsall for a short while 

 

into hams hall where it was unloaded

 

we then went over to another train which we took back to bescot, 66750 on that one 

 

and into bescot 

 

back in tonight for another little job to rugby, mainly intermodals next week, should have been taking an MPV to the east lancs railway but unfortunately it’s been cancelled which is a shame 

 

[rogerzilla]

Love this thread.  The top photo is one of those "looks like a model" pictures, possibly because of the floodlights.

[Dagworth]

15 minutes ago, rogerzilla said:

The top photo is one of those "looks like a model" pictures, possibly because of the floodlights.

Whoever built it hasn't got the hang of the static grass yet though.

 

Andi

[big jim]

Last train of 2022 bescot to rugby 

 

66771 on the train in front of me 

 

NSE 08

 

And my train

 

 

And into rugby 

 

saw the new year in on the junction 7 slip road on the M6! 

[Craig1989]

Happy new year Jim glad you can share an insight on your job. Is the interesting job that you gotta learn south of rugby the ukrailtours class 56 farewell tour? 
 

cheers Craig 

[gismorail]

A Very Happy New Year 🥳 Jim and many thanks for all the effort you put into this wonderful thread 🪡👍👍👍

[big jim]

Thanks all

 

a quick look back at 2022

 

it’s been a decent year, pretty uneventful really, just got on with it, new traction learned with the class 69s, drove my final 196 back in January as the testing was completed, plenty of variety route wise, went as far a carlisle in the north, Greenford/Ealing in the south, Doncaster in the east and Hereford/Dee marsh in the west, jobs to peak forest and hindlow etc, refreshed Llandudno jn and penmaenmawr but never got to work a train there in the end, interesting jobs on the east west link as well, the 69 training also took me to Tonbridge and Hastings etc

 

this year will probably be much of the same, wouldn’t mind maybe learning to Wembley (and Euston), I do have some interesting work coming up in a couple of weeks all being well, learning new traction and refreshing a route in association with it 

 

here’s to a good 2023

[lmsforever]

A happy new year Jim  thanks for all your posts Chris

[Tony Teague]

Happy New year Jim, for your posts and for the stunning images, which given the access you have, are a special treat!

Tony

[corneliuslundie]

Happy New Year, and very many thanks for your regular posts.

No mention of the Cambrian line these days, unfortunately.

But perhaps you could train some of the TfL drivers on the 197s! Well, just a thought.

Jonathan

Edited January 1, 2023 by corneliuslundie
typo

[rogerzilla]

Are the 69s any quieter than the 66s?  Received wisdom is that 66 drivers end up with hearing loss.

[big jim]

On 01/01/2023 at 16:17, rogerzilla said:

Are the 69s any quieter than the 66s?  Received wisdom is that 66 drivers end up with hearing loss.

they are about the same as a 56 but with less vibrations than a 66!

 

first train of the year, didn’t actually go anywhere with it though, just had to prep, fuel, shunt and get the train out of hams hall yard for another driver who didn’t sign it, he took over at the gate! 

 

 

this train is actually the mossend service but due to a landslip north of Carlisle it’s got to run via the ECML for the foreseeable until the track is repaired, it had to be remarshalled yesterday to remove certain wagons as they are not cleared for the route via the east with high cube boxes on and leaving them in would have meant it running 3/4 empty! 
 

Edited January 3, 2023 by big jim

[Fat Controller]

1 hour ago, big jim said:

they are about the same as a 56 but with less vibrations than a 66!

 

first train of the year, didn’t actually go anywhere with it though, just had to prep, fuel, shunt and get the train out of hams hall yard for another driver who didn’t sign it, he took Uber at the gate! 

 

 

this train is actually the mossend service but due to a landslip north of Carlisle it’s got to run via the ECML for the foreseeable until the track is repaired, it had to be remarshalled yesterday to remove certain wagons as they are not cleared for the route via the east with high cube boxes on and leaving them in would have meant it running 3/4 empty! 

I presume that the out-of-gauge boxes will be transhipped to other wagons at Ham's Hall?

[big jim]

20 minutes ago, Fat Controller said:

I presume that the out-of-gauge boxes will be transhipped to other wagons at Ham's Hall?

they were transferred yesterday to high cube compatible wagons from another rake so it was ready to roll loaded this morning

[Fat Controller]

42 minutes ago, big jim said:

they were transferred yesterday to high cube compatible wagons from another rake so it was ready to roll loaded this morning

Smart work.