big jim

I’m just going to do an out and back to woodhead when I do it the Komoot app I use is very good as i set it to E-Bike touring so it keeps me off busy roads but it does have its moments such as earlier it took me off the left hand natioanl cycle path alongside the canal which is tarmac and over a bridge to the opposite side which is a dirt track, I obviously took it as I didn’t know where I was going and didn’t want to be in the wrong side of the canal at a junction maybe, however after about 2 miles it crossed me back over to the left hand side and back on to the national cycle route , I’ll know for next time though! Things like this for example are a bit odd! come off the main road before a bend only to rejoin it 50M further on on a bend!

I’ve just added some additional info to the previous post google reviews don’t help to discover what the garage does, only one review ripping into the owner for being rude and no website etc to be honest street view gives the impression of a hoarder!

i couldn’t believe all the signage is still up on the building, when I spotted it from a distance I was half expecting it to be a rover specialist garage with retro signs but it appears to be derelict to some extent, certainly doesn’t look like a motor trade building (there was a florist in part of it) the dealership was called A.H. Dennis EDIT: actually looking at google maps and street view it appears it is open as a garage of some description, street view shows a few rovers and classic minis in the car park (if you view from the side street) the red rover is parked in the same position on there too

Some railway related pics form today, had my rules in Bescot so I decided to ride there on my bike from rugeley trent valley station via cannock chase and the McClean way cannock chase Once over the chase I went through chasetown and rode the canal towpath to where the old Lichfield to Walsall line used to pass under from there you can join the ‘McClean way’ which is the old trackbed The remains of the old line to angelsey sidings actually stop right below the canal bridge, this is looking back toward Lichfield city and toward walsall The path is a compacted dirt surface most of the way to pelsall, it’s a community project the upkeep and maintainance being done by local volunteers, they have restored a former distant signal on the route I then carried on the path to rycroft and into Walsall and finally bescot where I did my rules after that (and a quick charge of the bike battery) I headed into Birmingham, again via the tow path from smethwick Galton bridge to the city centre the bridge in the background is smethwick Galton bridge high level platforms on the snow hill to Worcester line Soho depot sidings Former bridge parapets of the old line to Harborne branching off the new st to wolves line I then went into new at where I saw Tom Cruise filming the new mission impossible film, Didn’t get the camera out quick enough though! from there I caught the train home which went via alsager so I got off there and rode back via the salt line and wheelock trail which is the old trackbed from alsager to sandbach alsager station Salt line There is a gap in the middle between the 2 sections as there is a golf course on the old trackbed so I took the canal towpath between the two i love the contrast between the slow and steady pace of the canal and the M6 in this picture Locks at hassall green, nice coal carrying barge going through them And onto the wheelock trail Wheelock station platform in quite a deep cutting and from there it was another 6 miles home, hope they are of interest, I’m getting quite into this exploring old trackbeds, got a few more trips planned such as the monsal trail, cromford and high peak and the woodhead from hadfield in tomorrow on a Small Heath job

Smashed the bike mileage today, had my rules in Bescot so caught the train to rugeley then rode via cannock chase and the mcclean way to walsall and on to bescot after my rules I then rode into Birmingham via the towpath and then coming back the train went via alsager so I got off there and rode back via the salt line and wheelock trail Been meaning to do the salt line for a while so it was a good chance to get it done today! ive got pictures of the rides to put up but I’ll put them in my main work thread as they are railway related EDIT: ride pictures here…… https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70783-jim’s-“out-and-about-with-gbrf”-thread/&do=findComment&comment=4553570

Hyundai coupe? Daihatsu copen? But I think they were 2002 onward as we had one of the first one on a 53 plate

One for @russ p as a rover nut your probably aware of this but cycling through chasetown earlier I came across this old rover dealership with a rover 800 sat outside!

No I’m back home now, just decided to have a ride out as it was a nice day, if you see my work thread I combined it with a trip to telford steam railway which is only an hour from home so just over the hour to Ironbridge I’m just planning a ride for later this morning, I’ve got my rules in Bescot with marcus37 later so depending on the weather I may get the train to rugeley and ride from there over cannock chase to chasetown then take the old Lichfield to pleck line cycle track to just outside Walsall and on to bescot, 20 mile trip, if not I may do either new st to bescot or wolves to bescot both of which are 9 miles

Good thing is his wife drives it and she only pootles round town and doesn’t go too far so the mileage won’t go up by too much it belonged to an old boy who only used it go Ellesmere to St Martin’s and at a push Oswestry, he had it from new as well

Some from tonight, basford hall to bescot, should have had 4 locos but just the three in the end, had to Marshall them together before I set off Bike parked up in a spotters paradise bike shelter! 66751 on its train with 66745 at the rear I had to shunt that and put the locos with 66765 which had come in on another train away to bescot but no pics as there was a tunstead train about to depart so I jumped on that instead of a taxi back to crewe as the M6 was shut at Stafford, back in an hour as opposed to the 2 hours it was showing by road on google maps!

Last day of annual leave today so went for a trip out to the telford steam railway as it was their gala with 08757 and 37263 running, I don’t normally ‘do’ galas or indeed heritage lines But it looked a nice day and I thought I could combine it with a bike ride so I put the bike on the roof rack and headed off, it’s only an hour from home but somewhere I’ve never visited! 08757 in Horsehay and Dawley station 37263 was on the rear, the train goes up the line then heads back into the other station which is pretty much adjacent to the first one, the line is basically on a Y junction and into the other station at spring village There is a 5 inch gauge miniature railway there too 37 departing on the rear of the train, it was declared a failure after this trip with low oil pressure so I never got to ride behind it, not a huge problem as I’ve driven it mainline anyway! As it was a failure they had to get the 108 unit out which I quite enjoyed travelling on up and down the line Lawley village station And back at Horsehay 37 receiving attention I then drove down to Ironbridge and got on the bike for a ride to Bridgnorth, I went via the old trackbed, now called the Severn valley way, nice ride and glad I got the sprung bike seat pole last week as it was a gravel track most of the way Ironbridge old crossing gates Linley station And into Bridgnorth Went over to the SVR but as it was late in the day there were no return trains available, one was about to depart but first stop Bewdley, had it stopped at Highley I’d have gone to there and ridden back Taw Valley Pannier 7714 filthy bike! Went for a ride round the town, unfortunately I couldn’t take the bike on the cliff railway so I rode up the hill instead to see it from the top I then rode back to Ironbridge via the hills rather than the trackbed but also rode part of the trackbed from the bridge toward Buildwas Jn hoping to get near the bridge to the power station but it was a dead end so I turned back to the car in later tonight with a loco move basford hall to bescot, should have been moving a SWT unit out of Alstom Widnes tomorrow morning too but that’s been cancelled

Got to the 700 mile in the bike earlier, ironbridge to Bridgnorth and back, went via the old trackbed and back via the hills with a 830ft steady climb bike needs a damn good wash now though, got to use it to get to basford hall later but will clean it tomorrow hopefully!

Some pics of my dads ‘new’ Peugeot 306 absolutely original and untouched right sown to the dealer sticker on the rear!

when i learned the cambrian there were iirc 197 numbered crossings between sutton bridge and machynlleth, i used to be able to name about 90% of them, there are only a handful left now but some still stick in my mind, 123-Bullocks was a favorite and post office 1 and 2 near carno which were about 6ft apart

Called in to see Mike earlier, lots of nice 2nd hand items in, some lovely kit built midland railway wagons, vans, flat wagons etc, also mainstream things like Bachmann 66s, Hornby sentinals, R+H 48hp Shunter’s, Bachmann western blue pullman, lots of steam locos too such as terrriers, secr p class I relieved him of a used sentinel and EFE Beattie well tank always a pleasure to visit the shop, worth a visit if you happen to be in Carlisle

The bike weighs 20kg which is 10kg less than I’ve lost so far and I have to lift that onto the roof rack, hard to imagine I’ve lost that much and 1/2 again

You can see from this picture of my apple health progress how much work effects exercise I did a job yesterday (20th) which I had to drive to and from rather than cycle and it was a full 12 hours so I couldn’t get any exercise before or afterwards (or indeed during) the only walking I recorded was to and from the loco at kingmoor yard the red circle is my movement (calories burned), green is exercise minutes and blue is standing time (1 minute in every hour), I didn’t managed to close at of those rings at all (the 21st is still on going so I’m hoping to close all those by the end of the day) however today I had to go charity shop clothes shopping in Carlisle as nothing I own fits me any more, ive lost 8-10 inches off my waist and have gone from 4xl to XL (or 2XL depending on the brand) heading home tonight so hopefully get a bit of cycling in tomorrow, work on Monday morning which is also a cycle in job, back to normality next week

anyone still interested the GBRF boxes are now down to £19.99, 5 pairs available

have you ever spoken to the guy who owns that unit nidge? top bloke, always up for a chat, he’s had some bits off my modern minis that I was getting rid of as he races in the R50 Cooper cup, he’s also got a couple of dragsters!

And my pics from today, Carlisle to clitheroe and back with the cement kingmoor Colas 70 My train Carlisle station And into clitheroe castle cement, you propel the train along the branch and into the plant Then when loaded draw it out and run round before propelling out to the mainline and heading north Stopped at Kirkby Stephen due to sheep in the line, you don’t get that in small Heath! Leg stretch in Carlisle And into kingmoor Job done Nice to get across the S+C again, a lovely run but a long day

I don’t even know if I’d remember to hit the plunger to be honest!

My wife asked what I’d have done in that situation and like the driver appears to have done today, it would have been hit the emergency plunger then run like hell into the engine room, I ain’t no hero! noticed on some pics I got from work colleagues the detailed wagons appear to be the brand new eco-frets that GB have only been running a few months

Ive seen some pics of the inside of the cab, the driver will be picking hey out of his clothes and hair for months! The loco is in a right mess but stood up to the impact very well