big jim

i must admit I always thought Lincolnshire to be flat until I drove from Lincoln to Louth, really surprised me how hilly the north end is similarly railway wise I was expecting the east Sussex line between Ipswich and Lowestoft to be fen like flat, Couldn’t believe the climbs and dips between Trimly jn and Beccles

Some from today, 66731 washwood Heath to crewe, got it the rest of the week but decided I’d take my Hornby model with me today for some pics and into crewe same job tomorrow but both ways from crewe

This one is near, that one is far away

Thought this would be more your style Mick?

Well that was an anti climax!

Our latest foster, only here for a few days, this is Bruce, so called as he looks like he’s got a batman mask on! all being well once we get his medical results back tomorrow he’ll be off to his new home

I was thinking it was something like people were shown the different countries individually and the most popular wrong answer given for each one is put on the map

looks a bit different now! of course if that building was still standing, being shoreditch it would be a rustic vegan artisan bakery run by a man, sorry metrosexual non binary person with a swirly moustache, lumberjack beard, turned up dungarees and clogs

Some from today 2 generations of driving coach train to rugeley trent valley, lots of Pendolinos passing through and into bescot, unusually a Hanson cement train was departing the yard as I was walking down to my train, apparently it had come in for a loco swap 66789 was waiting for me again A nice little train of 15 coal fish and into rugby where it ran round and headed off towards Coventry and into a possession Stone train the rest of the week With 66731 “Tom Moore”

I noticed though one of the large logos is starting to peel off, I’ve got it again today bescot to rugby

I think that’s between stenson jn and derby, pre A50 dual carriageway

I don’t think anyone is doubting you at all (I’m certainly not) but the original pictures looked so much like a really bad photoshop job!!

Back to it today, nice little turn, Coventry to bescot with 20 empty side tippers, large logo 66789 up front coventry and into bescot

Looks like I’ve got all 66731 next week on the hindlow to washwood Heath stone job, might take my model along with me for some photos with the real thing

thats right 2 trips a day when its up and running, from my point of view its a west midlands driver job between crewe and washwood heath and back so an ideal job for me! ive also just reminded my boss i sign to chinley via northenden so would like to learn the last little bit to hindlow!

id say definitely extend the nearest sidings to the mainline to make ‘way works 1and 2’ and have a representation of derby box at the end the 2 sidings at the back at same end, you could turn that into a runround loop as per the prototype, that way the shunt loco isnt always trapped at one end of a rake of coaches, bonus being its behind the shed on road 19 which you said you could model

how many messages have you had about that 68 in the last 2 hours!!

Not been bad, raining this morning in oban but the drive down to Glasgow was lovely Oban Loch lomond

Did Inverness to oban today via the Isle of Skye Absolutely cracking road From Inverness, the A835 is fantastic, then suddenly it turns into a narrow road with passing places! At Garve the line to Kyle of lochalsh joins the road and runs alongside for pretty much the rest of the route, they even share an avalanche shelter! never done that line but having driven the road I wouldn’t mind a ride over the route one day Kyle of lochalsh and the Skye bridge Then the ferry to mallaig got there just before the Jacobite steam train arrived but we needed to get to our nights lodge in oban wanted to grab a pic of Glenfinnan viaduct but the road to it was closed, got a poor shot from the Glenfinnan monument car park though, just as I walked back to the car a train went over so grabbed another poor shot! into fort William and back out to oban, from ballachulish the road follows the railway line back to Connell via the Connell bridge oban to Kilbride tomorrow

Only one other railway related pic, a bridge abutment of the inverGarry and fort Augustus railway the Caledonian canal locks Urquart castle oban via Skye and mallaig tomorrow

Certainly did, we were above the bogies but it didn’t seem to bother any of us, some rough track north of Perth though!

Made it

Here we go...

Last work photo for the week, possession on last night in wilnecote near Tamworth with 66763 seen at end of the job for me and heading home As you can see they were relaying and reballasting the adjacent line, my train had the spoil wagons on collecting the spent ballast thats it for a week now, defiantly got a week away from work, Caledonian sleeper tonight to Inverness then hire car back down the west coast of Scotland via oban, Glasgow and Dumfries and Galloway back to the caravan in cumbria on Friday

its a F*****g big jumping spider!