big jim

I think it looks quite cute, a cross between a minion and a Manchester tram

I hope they had subtiltles so we could understand that Johnny Foreigner type! anyway it’s good news about a 2nd run, I’m certainly interested in getting my name down for one of the new batch

Interesting if somewhat long day today, issues on sight meant I went over my day but we had to get the job done so had to stick with it Stone Panorama showing the old (north staffs?) station building First train to stop at barlaston for a while! Milling machine uncoupled and away it went milling away at a slow speed over the crossing much to the ire of people waiting to cross! I then followed it song the line back towards Stone not really knowing the area railway wise I had a look on open train maps and discovered a load of old sidings between barlaston and Stone, a quick google revealed it was in fact a branch to barlaston power station which closed in 1990, didn’t get any pic but once I knew where to look I could see the branch coming off the main line and crossing the canal into the power station, ended up watching YouTube vids of the final day and then demolition of the towers! after all that it was onward to Stone to reform the train and away to Lichfield to stable tomorow is collecting 69001 from crewe to longport then taking 69002 from there to Stafford for its onward journey to Eastleigh

Some from today, toton tripper, no traffic one way and a DB loco to me moved the other so it was agreed I’d go passenger over there and drive the DB loco back toton 66089 on my train to bescot As I was waiting to leave 37099 and 37025 passed through And into bescot rail miller again tomorrow then all sorts of stuff next week

I should imagine it’s not just me who’s thinking all this back and forth “he said, she said” getting a little tiresome now! let’s hope people start to get their locos soon and review on here to divert attention away from it if nothing else, I’m certainly one of those who wasn’t aware of the loco or company until recently and am eagerly awaiting the order books to open for the 2nd run as it’s a stunning looking model (and prototype) even though it will only sit in the display cabinet

The 56 is running on the rear with a rider incase of fire as there is no automatic fire extinguisher activation fitted

Last night, crewe to peak forest crewe I then had to run round in longsight goods loop Picked up the route conductor at chinley then headed to tunstead and a nice drive home via Buxton and the cat and fiddle/wildboarclough road, surprisingly it’s only 30 mile by road from crewe that way but a slow 30 mile!

2 of our cats up to no good on the ring cam!

I do keep suggesting it to them for reasons like tonight, last minute cover i used to go round there and over to Buxton and hindlow (conducted) with the IM trains with colas so I do have previous experience of the route, it’s hardly taxing, the main thing is the shunt moves around the quarries

Rail grinder last night rugby again into Stafford to change ends then once the job was done it was back to Stafford then bescot Stone train tonight to peak forest, getting conducted the last little bit from chinley to Tunstead as I don’t sign it

All the above talk of dodgy sat navs, on google maps at the moment, if you put ‘bescot stadium station’ it will send you to the M6 motorway between junction 8 and 9 as the station ‘pin’ is directly below the motorway viaduct, I only noticed it the other week as once I got on the M6 at the M42 junction it didn’t tell me to turn off at any junctions to reach the destination then told me I’d arrived while still on the motorway

Don’t sign 196s then, they are even more faffing about!

Couple from last night/this morning 66709 on a Tunstead to Bletchley service crewe and off at rugby back in rugby now to work the railnmilling machine again near Tamworth then back to bescot with it early in the morning

Ok prepped a 47 yesterday for the first time in about 10 years, they are normally running when I get in one! the one thing I’d forgotten about with class 70s until I saw an ex colleague prep one a couple of weeks back was the deal haul/engine running procedure of tripping out air brake 1 and 2 and letting the DSD go off 3 times! I think I could get on a 70 and start and prep it again without too much problem

how very dare you!

It’s manually lifted into position by more than one guy! I assume it can be removed, there is an extra plate below it on the locos that it rests on when lowered

And some from today, got a call asking if I could come in early Tuesday instead of late Monday as my job was cancelled and move a couple of locos The locos being these so I prepped them and headed off Leicester LIP for derby close up of the delner coupling on the 47 permissive working in the station at derby into chaddesden to change ends I then went into litchurch lane to pick up an anglia 720 unit and dragged it back out top and tail into the station with the 56 leading The relief driver then took it to Wembley via the MML and Bletchley to Wembley i then went home to crewe where just as I arrived 37800 came through the platform dragging a 365 unit for store in the south yard back in tomorrow morning crewe to rugby with a Stone train then rail milling again late tomorrow evening

Gangsta!

Final figures from the remap on the mini, 225bhp at the crank, 195 at the wheels and a lot of torque throughout the Rev range the dotted line is the initial run figures (156bhp at the wheels), the black line is the fuelling

Some from last night, rail Miller in Runcorn, actually milling on the bridge but all I had to do was drive to the far end of the worksite and wait for the machine to arrive back behind me crewe PAD Runcorn station waiting for the possession to be granted Cab view of the bridges And outside waiting to be coupled back up

not modelling specific they are also a lower RA due to the missing fuel tank in the nose end, for that reason when they used to be able to go down the cambrian i always prefered to have 20301-305 as they weren't subject to heavy axle weight restrictions that the other members of the sub class were (slower speeds over certain bridges)

Dropped the car by 10mm, not much but it looks a bit lower now, happy with it at that as it handles great and there is no drive shaft judder as with the lower bilsteins had issues with the remap, the system crashed and wiped my ecu so the garage have fitted a temporary’ piggyback ECU until I can get down there again and have mine put back on, the piggyback however is tuned up to pretty much what it will be once complete and it’s putting out 221bhp at the crank, 191bhp at the wheels which is insane! It’s fuelling great so has torque right throughout the whole Rev range, got no graphs as there was no point as it’s not my ecu but will have some when it’s finished annoyingly on the way home a 4x4 kicked up a stone on the M6 and cracked the windscreen so it’s also booked in for that to be done now too!

Oh I see, I did toot as it was just after 6am so I can!

Got slowed down by the signals at the crossing, I was through Nantwich at line speed though