big jim

Remember my old blue mini that I sold on eBay, well here it is 4 months down the line sad to see it broken but it was obviously more than it was worth to repair it!

I might get to actually drive one one day! Some from last night/this morning marylebone DBSO all the way back to derby And into derby, nice and early then got a puncture in the hire car on the way home!

Thanks for that, I’m always learning! last night for example, I knew exactly what the problem was as soon as I set off and couldn’t get power because of the control air issue but that’s the first time I’ve ever had one leak from a connected pipe connection, into the memory bank for if/when it happens again anyway a quick one before I set off from didcot, having a brew in the DBSO then back to derby via Marylebone! Change of job tomorrow night now too, instead of 196 testing I’ve got a light loco Chester to Liverpool tuebrook sidings

Black wrap round windows, grey above the side windows and lose the black between the door and window looks good

Some from last night, derby to didcot via princes risborough and Bicester town, should have been stabled in reading but I don't sign beyond didcot and there was no conductor available derby alongside 37240, gutted it wasn’t that loco as I need it for red penning for driving Changing ends in derby 37421 doing the honours southbound it was shortly after this I discovered I had an issue with the loco, couldn’t get any more than 200amps or 15 mph out of it, normally that is caused by the control air pipe having a cock open somewhere on the train, spoke to the box and came to a stand to investigate only to find all unused cocks were shut, tried a couple of other things but to no avail so I got myself put into sunny hill loop for a further look, again had a look round and couldn’t see anything, then I noticed the control air pipe between the loco and coach wasn’t quite sitting right, very hard to see but something didn’t look right, got under and had a look and low and behold the O rings were ever so slightly off centre to each other causing an air leak and robbing me of power, reconnected them properly and power was fully restored, very lucky to have spotted it when I did! that made us 30 mins late through burton in trent but the lateness meant that the booked stops we had in various loops could be ditched and we ended up early by the time we got to water orton! Recorded from aynho jn to Bicester then transit to princes risborough to change ends then it was recording from Bicester to oxford and into didcot to stable back on it tonight, didcot to oxford then record all the way to Marylebone and back to aynho and transit back to derby, a long shift!

I was wondering the same too

the worst thing is when you forget to press the timer and it shuts down just as the signal pulls off! similarly if you push the timer for 1 hour then put it in direction then back to neutral it resets to 10 mins, you forget to reset it again and it shuts down have you used plug mode yet?

to be fair its not richard clinnicks photo either, someone from GBRf took it, richard just tweeted it

being as my pic came from john smith i thought id better not post it but as its on twitter here we go........

Just been sent a picture of 66793 in it’s new ‘heritage’ livery! had a genuine ‘f’in hell moment’ it looks fantastic

Some from yesterday, a rare opportunity to get some pics in the tunnels approaching New St as they were under possession Dropping down into five ways, I seem to remember the embarkment to the right was where a line went off to a good yard somewhere near Holliday street? Waiting at the worksite limit boards i got there at 16:30 and was ready to leave but was told there was no slot through New St so would have to wait til time at 21:30, anyway 21:30 came and went and I finally got away gone 23:00 as there was no one to lift the protection in the station so from 5 hours early to 110 mins late! derby to reading tonight via london Marylebone with a UTU train

nidge, how many times did you change ends and forget the ‘cab active’ switch? you must have done it at least once!

Only one poor pic from last night 66720 in Bescot waiting to head to five ways via camp hill on my way back there this afternoon to work a train back via new st

Well the do have the same bogies!

I think it’s ROGs doing the 730s

Only one from tonight, marcus37 gets on board the milling machine to take it to Wembley And a vid

Some from last night, milling machine again lichfield, changing ends and sat outside crewe waiting to get into the station to change ends again to head back to Lichfield, brand new 730 unit pulled up alongside back to it later, Kensal Green this time!

In other news GBRf have been awarded the contract to run the RIDC old Dalby test track https://www.gbrailfreight.com/gbrf-secures-contract-with-network-rail-for-rail-innovation-development-centre-at-melton/ be nice to get that refreshed and back on my route card, done it many times with colas calibrating IM trains! 37099 in rare pre colas livery shot

They are very good machines and the crews on them are sound too, a mix of German, Scottish and Welsh, not a clue what any of them are saying 1/2 the time! anyway one from this morning, end of my job, Crewe to Leamington spa with an mod train Back on the milling machine tonight Lichfield to crewe and back

It did indeed, I suppose it’s one of those things has it been introduced as planned with 3 spoilers then wheeler dealers cut one out to make a twin blade version then I’d be saying that looked wrong too

and it looked very wrong!

Road learning today, started in Bescot, one of my former colas trainees passing by with the NMT Bescot to lifford curve and into new st via selly oak and back the other way to St. Andrews jn and back again before we headed back to bescot to stable, no pics though

I can’t see it, looked back a couple of pages to be sure!

This really made me laugh this morning

it can go 60mph but it’s not got the likes of tpws, AWS etc so can’t run on its own some from today, started in coleshill, couple of 66 heading to bardon hill Then mine came in away to crewe to collect 69001 and run the lead loco round IM train passing by as I waited to go onto the single line to alsager 69001 being shunted away 69002 being bought out for me And away to Stafford pride pendo class 66 home to crewe where there was a DB convoy in the loop and a 66 in platform 10 Backbone class 90 A quick shot from the car park Road learning loco tomorrow new st to kings norton via university and bourneville ready for an upcoming possession, 66791 doing the honours