big jim

Next time I’m on that job I’m going to do peak forest to Matlock via Bakewell on the monsal trail I recon, that’s 22 mile too but with a few more climbs including at the start from peak dale toward the start at Buxton junction so I’d have to try and conserve my battery as much as I can on that bit, I recon a coffee stop in bakewell May be in order too for a top up charge!

Well I did as planned, Hindlow to Cromford, actually carried on to Matlock bath instead, still had about 15% of battery left as I tried to switch it off as and when I felt I could, probably did about 5 mile without power on to conserve the battery ill put the pics up in my ‘at work’ thread later when I get home but it was a really enjoyable ride, somewhat damp at the start and Misty over the tops past parsley hey toward Middleton top I’ll currently in derby waiting for the train home and giving the bike a top up while I wait

Let’s hope the weather is favourable tomorrow, if it’s really bad I’ll just ride back to Buxton and get a train from there ive got my waterproofs whatever happens!

The two TPE pics are in the correct order, it’s the same train heading away from the camera, what’s the issue you are seeing?

Didn’t realise the line through Whaley bridge was used for the empties, that bridge was a pain in the IM trains, we had to sit at Furness vale and wait for the passenger train to get there before we could head to Buxton (the bridge wasn’t allowed to have 2 trains on it at once, units are ok but a unit and loco hauled weren’t allowed) to be honest I’d like to get that on my card if the opportunity arose but it’s unlikely today was my first solo voyage from peak forest to hindlow, change of loco, 66730 this time while waiting at northwich for the road I managed to get a shot of the old European wagon that’s been abandoned in the old sidings The next stop was hazel grove high level, you can see the ‘new’ chord that opened in the 80s The line My train is stood on is old line to cheadle Heath, Heaton Mersey and into Manchester central The line the 150 is on is the line from hazel grove to Buxton I then headed off to peak forest and onward to Buxton and hindlow, no pics until hindlow though The line from great rocks to Buxton is token working that you hand back at Buxton, you then collect a different token for the line to hindlow, once shunting is complete you put it back in the token machine at the quarry After loading it was a wait for another train to arrive from Buxton and here it is you then head into the single line, the groundframe is locked by the shunter and the token is handed back to the driver to continue to Buxton Old sign And the token in its pouch And run round in Buxton where I got relief I then walked back to Buxton station for the train home Back of the box Looking back toward the box again, the old depot was to the left of the tracks My Train back to stockport Buxton station The booking office has an O gauge display of part of the station a brief history They have made a japanese garden at the end of the platform! And into Stockport Train home And a walk to basford hall and that was that, crewe to peak tomorrow but I’m going to stay on to Hindlow and then ride my bike from there to cromford and get a train back to crewe from there via derby!

John, ready to pounce!

Did it many many years ago as a teenager, taking 30 odd years ago but yes I remember the ridges back then! I may well just drop down cromford hill from Worksworth anyway

I always let people know I’ve got an electric ASSIST bike, rather then an electric one, my mums old RooDog that Dominic is using is an assist too but he has a thumb throttle so often when I’m riding out with him I look in my mirror and he’s blasting along not pedalling, now that is cheating as he’s not on it for the buzz, or the exercise it’s purely a vehicle to get him to work as he doesn’t drive yet Regards “the buzz” I got my bike purely to use to go between home and the station, a 2.5 mile ride each way but it didn’t take long to realise just how much nicer it can be seeing the world from the saddle as opposed to the car (although admittedly this morning I used the car to drive to basford hall!) I now think nothing of planning my workdays around cycling places, the biggest disadvantage I have is the range on the bike, 25-30 mile max if I ride light so I plan cafe stops for a battery top up where and when I can or charge it up a bit on the train journeys I do if they unit has plugs fitted tomorrow for example I’m on a hindlow job and I’ve just discovered I’ve not got a hire car to get home from peak forest, I could be lazy and get a taxi to Buxton and get a train from there but I’m going to stay on the loco to Hindlow and get on the high peak trail and ride the 19 mile to cromford to get a train into derby from there and onward to crewe!

It annoys me when people say I’m ‘cheating’ because I have an electric assist bike, I don’t see it as that at all, I recon had i bought a ‘normal’ bike I’d have probably not done quite so many miles over the last 5 months (1500 so far) as it’s a nice simple bike to ride, not up and down through 21 gears like my last bike 20 odd years ago to be honest when someone says I’m cheating (mostly in jest admittedly) I whip out this picture on my phone to show them where cheating will get you!

Yeah, 6Z89 although I did think it was coming from small Heath! most likely 66709 again as that was knocking around bescot today. I was supposed to have my dad with me having a cab ride on it from crewe to hindlow and back to peak forest but unfortunately as there is no manager available we’ve had to put it off, I won the cab ride in a charity auction 2 years ago but with Covid I had to put it off until it was safe to do so, we’ll get it done at some point!

Here we go, rails cut on the lifting section not the prettiest of sights but works fine ive tidied up the edges a bit since this picture, filed them back a bit so it drops down nice and flush I’ve got to add a piece of ply to extend the base board a touch below the narrow gauge part to strengthen it up but other than that it seems to work ok so that’s the whole mainline circuit complete right round the layout now, again busy in work this week but hopefully I can make a start on some wiring if I get a chance while I’m home

RHTT again today crewe A couple out of the window Kings norton A break in Bescot again Rugby And Stafford crewe to hindlow tomorrow

cadbury or nestlé?

And the final pieces of track fitted A bit awkward on the narrow gauge bit as the edge of the board was curved from a previous incarnation of the lifting section Filled the gap with a piece of board and built it uk with a piece of poly riser covered with card Looking a bit rough and ready until the pva dries (I hope), I’ll have to cut through the board as well as the track once it’s all secured I then mixed up some epoxy resin and poured it around the track at the joint where the track will be cut leaving it until tomorrow evening now until it I cut the track, hopefully if all goes well then I can start to wire it up and run a train or two right round!

And back together, the 2nd one I made (at the back) appears to have warped slightly when you look at it closely, it’s also come out shinier than the other three despite using the same paint can!

Now it’s got a years ticket and I’m keeping it maybe I should put a red stripe along the side!

And some from today, RHTT job from Bescot to kings Norton then Stafford via rugby rather impressed by this shot consisting it was almost pitch black, taken at 05:00 this morning And into kings norton where I sat for 4 hours then headed back out again HST passing by Spot the additions….. And again, Bescot LDC at Bescot LDC ROGs 57 passing with the ‘Hydroflex’ unit heading from COP21 to Long Marston And away to rugby And into Stafford and done back on it again tomorrow

it Certainly has TPWS, Two Pedals With Saddle

I’ve been spotted! from Flickr

Some from today, another day up peak forest, met the train up there this time, had a bit of a wait so got a few pics while I was waiting 37 doing a bit of shunting Looking toward great rocks A GB service heading toward chinley Freightliner service heading toward tunstead DRS 66 heading toward the long siding Another 66 heading from the sidings That loco then went on to the train in the sidings and when we passed it a bit later on the DRS 66 from earlier on was on the rear of the train so I suspect it was stuck and was getting ready to be being multied up and banked from the sidings! And in rolled my train 37 through the arch And running round in Buxton again Passing 150 And up at hindlow, just handed the token back, note the old signal post I then headed back to peak forest to have a look round Rhen headed off to walsall to the hotel before the RHTT tomorrow busy week coming up, RHTT and peak forest jobs

tell me about it, Carlisle to silloth the other week, 25 mile with a 20mph headwind for a good 90% of the way! took almost 8-10 mile range from my motor with the extra effort

Some from today, worked a train from crewe to peak forest rhen stayed on to learn up to hindlow a foggy crewe And into a foggy peak forest Into the new run round sidings in Buxton a northern unit passing by on the main line from hazel grove to Buxton The line to hindlow passes over the old chord from the line to derby (via Matlock) that went into the midland station at Buxton, it was occupied by peak rail until the 80s hence the water column And into a foggy hindlow (Briggs siding ground frame), given the weather today and the picture on the side of the loco maybe it should have had a fog horn fitted! Ground frame Complete with BR shelter once shunting is complete the token that releases the frame is put into the token machine nearby and the train is locked in, this is after the run round and ready to set back for loading Once the token was returned the DB shunter then spoke to the box and got release to get the token back out to let his train head back to Buxton after loading it was back to the frame for departure where we had to wait for one to arrive in And then away to Buxton to run round again, yet another train waiting to head up to hindlow Shunter’s van, the unsung hero’s of the fleet! And back to peak forest but dark by then so no pics, back to it tomorrow again to get it signed off

I might have a look at some of those new fangled hydraulic brakes at some point, then again I may well get me a new bike in the new year anyway, one with a longer range battery

And then there were 4! thankfully these boxes arrived in one piece, managed to get 2 more loadhaul BDAs to use for the conversion this week so cracked on with it between track laying on the layout, will Put them back together later in the week when I get back from lodging for work if more BDAS come up at a decent price then I’ll extend the rake further, still need to get the decals for them too

Laid the final track on the cant strip and over the gap, all track secured in place either side of the chasm I then joined up 2 of the 3D printed bridges to make it a single structure I then Made up a bridge box section piece for the dual track bridge part of the layout PVAd the separate legs to the viaduct arches And with the box section in the middle to complete the bridge, it’s not in its exact final position, just placed there while the pva dries, it’s 3 separate structures at rhe moment until it’s in its final position and then I’ll glue it all together, it’s not far off where it needs to be but the right hand side needs to be moved back a bit So all that missing now is the 3-4 inches just past the lifting section and we’re all the way round, away with work now until Saturday so hopefully I will get something done then