big jim

EMG again Mini powered 66 basford hall same again tomorrow

Thanks for that

It was all to do with timings, I thought it was just going to be a risborough turn back but there was still a couple of units to go across the single line before our train was due on there so heading to ruislip gives them time to get across the line and us a safe place to walk back down the train also if we’d sat in risborough then the ECS from Bicester wouldn’t have been able to access the single line

Some from last night, rail drop between princes risborough and Aylesbury, had to run to West Ruislip to change ends into little Kimble to wait for the possession to be taken and afterwards at the end of the drop a week of EMG again this coming week

I’ve been waiting so long to use that meme!

Glad I decided to sell the blue cooper S, went out in it this morning onto have a rattle start, big end has gone now! dropped the price on eBay to reflect it, roll on getting the replacement

6 years since the last post, gotta be a record!

Not done anything this week but I’ve had some 2nd hand skaledale platforms arrive, both single and double sided, just enough to do all I need the heritage line will have a run round loop on the straight section so a train can sit in the platform while another passes it and then stops on the curved bit the mainline will have crossovers each end so trains can pass a stationary one in the platform as well as being able to cross on to and off the heritage line, hopefully I may get some of it secured next week

I did see you but my trainee fumbled looking for the horn so didn’t blow it until we passed!

Gave my ‘seconds’ biffa a run earlier on dc, a slight wobble but not horrendous, as for the ‘scratch on the handrail’ this is it..... well pleased with it, just needs toning down a bit with a bit of weathering

One from this afternoon, only 5 boxes northbound today, got it all next week too, loos to be a busier week

Well done hattons, biffa ordered dinner time yesterday and delivered this afternoon its one of the cheap returns, I’ll inspect it later on, in a layout mood this evening as I’ve not got to be up early tomorrow

2 black kittens left still looking for homes

And one from this morning heading south in crewe And stenson jn

Just one from today, EMG to crewe with the first service to seaforth, had the MD travel with me too

no it’s wcml to Lichfield then onto the high level to alrewas and wichnor, still a rare route for freight, certainly intermodals anyway

That’s the one, first northbound tomorrow afternoon then both ways Thursday and Friday

Only one from tonight, 66709 at East Midlands gateway we have a new service starting into there on Wednesday, only found out about it this evening even though I’m on it Thursday! watch this space

You can imagine his boss next morning anything unusual happen in last nights shift erm no take a seat

Well the blue mini is in the process of being stripped of performance parts and having standard bits put back on in readiness for going on eBay, still got the reduced pulley and superchip so still the best part of 200bhp so it wil be a fun little motor for someone to either abuse or restore, it’s got a new head gasket fitted so should be good for a few more miles yet Old head gasket Giving up its suspension, exhaust, manifold and wheels still got the sport cam, intercooler, coil pack, performance leads and plugs, air filter to swap Wednesday then it’s eBay bound as sadly is the convertible but I need to sell both to fund the new car amd here is the new one with the suspension and wheels off the blue car fitted been experimenting with de chroming it with special tape, you can see it on the door belt line as well as the black door handle covers and scuttle vents, I’m going to keep the mirrors white as well as the roof and stripes but put black spot lights on it, maybe swap the black headlights over too this car is 3 years newer than the blue one and is a facelift model which has a factory fitted LSD and a Teflon coated supercharger so is 173 bhp standard as opposed to 168 standard on the blue one, it will of course be getting mods like smaller pulley, bigger injectors and a proper custom remap instead of the superchip

Admittedly i have owned one, not for long as it was a dog but I quite liked it I know someone who bought one as he likes class 37s and likes the bonnet on the cruiser as it reminds him of them

says the man with a PT Cruiser!!

God help you if you have to couple it to another 66 with the same buffers! when I picked it up from longport it took us nearly 20 minutes to get the shackle over the hook when trying to couple to 66791! just passed 66791 in Doncaster as it happens

Couple from Friday, trafford park to leamington

and here is the culprit, the metal bottom part of the gasket had split